Faith Matters: Baton Rouge couple helps to bring worship service to state Capitol

The governor’s press room at the state Capitol transforms into a sacred space of praise, prayer and preaching on Mondays during legislative sessions.

For the second consecutive year, pastors Michael and Tara Wicker, of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church in Baton Rouge, are leading an inspiring series of weekly worship services on the Capitol’s fourth floor, a mere steps away from Gov. Jeff Landry’s office. The nine scheduled gatherings from 3:30 to 5 p.m. started with the opening of this year’s legislative session on April 14 and will culminate on June 12.

“One of the things that is most important to me is seeing Democrats, Republicans, Blacks, Whites coming together in that room with just one agenda: We need prayer. We need covering,” said Tara Wicker, the former longtime member of the Baton Rouge Metro Council. “It’s open to anyone who is a part of that agenda.”

The service includes a diverse lineup of speakers from across the state, live music and a complimentary meal.

“We try to keep it a really mixed crowd and just let them know that we’re not going to be segregated in heaven,” Michael Wicker said. “It’s not going to be a Republican side of the hall and a Democratic side of the hall; it’s going to be all about God. It’s not about being across party lines so much, but to really look at the heart of people and bring people together the way God wants to bring people together. It’s beautiful to see.”

Added Tara Wicker, “There’s always really great worship. There’s always an on-time word about connection and engagement. So it’s just a perfect opportunity for people who want to have a safe place that they can come and worship and come and serve God.”

Al Moore, the pastor of Westgate Church in Port Allen, was honored this year to serve as one of the speakers. His message was titled “Lord, Revive Our Zeal” and encouraged attendees to embrace the zeal that God provides to speak on his behalf.

“We have this zeal to cause God’s plan and purpose to take place in the earth,” Moore said. “It’s God on the inside of us. It’s an eagerness, excitement, a determination, a passion, an enthusiasm, a witness, a devotion, a fervor.”

The speakers bring their worship bands or music and are encouraged to invite their church members.

“We like it to be a flavor of what’s going on in their church service,” Tara Wicker said. “We have different types of worship, and we want to be able to bring that into the Capitol house and get a taste of Louisiana from pastors.”

Tara Wicker expects to have a prominent national figure to conclude the worship services on June 12.

“We usually use that as a culminating event to kind of celebrate the sacrifice of the ministers and intercessors and the people who have been there — and also to use it as a launching pad to encourage people to stay involved and be connected in the next season,” she said.

The Louisiana worship services were established through a connection between the Wickers and James Buntrock, a pastor and executive director of the Houston-based organization My God Votes. The nonprofit, faith-based organization aims to empower Christians to take an active role in “government processes.”

After hearing Michael Wicker pray at a meeting a few years ago, Buntrock recognized his potential to facilitate My God Votes services in Louisiana. The group started in Texas before expanding to statehouses in Oklahoma and then Louisiana.

“The thing I like about My God Votes is that God really does vote because he uses people,” said Michael Wicker, who accepted the task after getting confirmation about a week later through a prophet during a crusade.

Last year, the Louisiana services were held in a space provided by Attorney General Liz Murrill before moving to the press room this year.

“We recognize that we still have limited space even in that location,” Tara Wicker said.

She said Buntrock has been amazed at the level of enthusiastic response from people across party lines.

“We didn’t really have an explanation. We just say it’s all God. That’s how we got here,” she said. “We’ve been an anomaly.”

Tara Wicker noted that it’s been revealing that legislators’ prayer requests have focused on personal matters like family and peace rather than a specific bill.

“It’s great to have godly policies and pray for that,” she said. “But those legislators — and being a former elected official — I know what the pressure is of having to make decisions that at some point impact the lives of people. And that’s a lot of pressure without having prayer coverage.”

As bi-vocational pastors, Michael Wicker said the legislative worship services during the nine weeks of the session are a sacrifice that is well worth it for him and his wife. The Baton Rouge natives appreciate the opportunity to continue engaging in ministry as a family, including their six children.

Family is first and foremost, the couple emphasized.

“For us to stay together and be an example and model of importance and stability of the family to us, that is huge,” she said. “We don’t take that lightly. We try to make sure that example resonates in everything we do.”

The high school sweethearts have been married for more than 30 years.

“It means a lot as a Black family to stand before our community, especially, and be an example of how God really wants to use the family,” said Michael Wicker, who started Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church in 2014. “We’ve got to be involved and engaged on all levels, but even more so spiritually.”