Acadian Baptist Center about to build new worship center

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Acadian Baptist Center is on the verge of breaking ground on a new 1,000-seat worship center to include state-of-the-art sound, stage and lighting, according to James Newsom, director.
Newsom spoke Wednesday to the Eunice Kiwanis Club about the development in Richard.
About $2.3 million in gifts and pledges are in place for the worship center that is expected to cost $2.6 million to $3 million, he said.
Evidently, the support is diverse.
One 19-year-old pledged $1,000 to be paid in $25 monthly installments, he said.
On the other end of the scale, a engineer and his wife in Texas are giving $1 million for the worship center, he said.
Newsom said when completed, the worship center will be one of the largest in the area.
The planned 19,000-square-foot worship center will replace the use of the gymnasium, which seats about 500 people, he said.
Newswom said the Baptist Center is a busy place with summer camps that have about 3,000 youths registered and constant retreats.
Some Catholic ACTS retreats are booked years in advance, he said.
There are about 500 rooms in three renovated dorms, 32 hotel-like rooms and four cabins, he said.
A cafeteria has seating for about 500 people he said.
The Baptist Center has a swimming pool, tennis courts, 18-hole disc course and group meeting spaces.
Newsom said the Center began as the Acadian Baptist Academy in 1917. In 1973, the Academy closed and the site reopened in 1975 as a camp and retreat.
Newsom started work there in the summers until 1987 when he hired has assistant manager. In 1989, he became director.