PSL's Wild West Travels

Over the final weekend of August, PSL Co-General Presbyters, Jeff Sims and Leigh Rachal, traveled through the western reaches of the Presbytery, visiting congregations, sharing meals, worshiping together, and listening to stories of ministry, resilience, challenge, and possibility.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Noon - Leigh and Jeff met up at First Presbyterian Church of Lafayette for lunch with Owen Rachal where conversation included some of the possibilities and decisions before the congregation as it looks toward the future. From there, they headed west through Lake Charles to DeRidder.

6:00pm - They arrived at The Korean Community in Faith (TKC) at First Presbyterian Church of DeRidder and found a remarkable group, drawing from Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, non-denominational, and Presbyterian churches. Under the leadership of Ruling Elder Bok Soon Egbert, with help from the Rev. Dr. Jerry Egbert, this gathering reflected a wide range of backgrounds united around one table, working to bring light to the DeRidder and Leesville communities. Jeff and Leigh enjoyed the wonderful spread of Korean food and spicy orange chicken. Rev. Grace Kim, a 1001 New Worshiping Communities Coach for TKC, offered a presentation on artificial intelligence, exploring its benefits and limitations as well as some of the moral and ethical questions it raises. The conversation around the table was humorously “joined” by a video featuring AI-imagined voices of Leonardo da Vinci, ChatGPT, Claude, and John Calvin.

Saturday, August 29, 2026

10:00am - Leigh and Jeff met with Leslie and Erich Mansell at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sulphur. Their conversation explored the identities of the Sulphur and Lake Charles communities, the economic challenges they face, the resilience shaped by repeated storms and hurricanes, and the vision for Westminster’s future. Leslie and Erich have served numerous ministries and congregations and have long been part of the life and leadership of the Presbytery of South Louisiana.

Leigh and Jeff also learned more about the origin of the nickname “the Wild West,” often used for the PSL churches in the region closest to Texas: After the Louisiana Purchase, the land between the Arroyo Hondo and the Sabine River became known as “No Man’s Land” or the Sabine Free State. For a time, this borderland between Spanish and American territory was claimed and governed by neither. The area developed a reputation as a wild and sometimes lawless frontier, giving PSL’s westernmost region its enduring nickname.

Noon — Over lunch at Jimmy John’s, Leigh and Jeff visited with members of First Presbyterian Church, Lake Charles, including the Judsons, the Swifts, and Dorothy, Clerk of Session. The conversation ranged from the congregation’s former church building to its current one, from the people who have shaped the church to the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

10:00am - Leigh attended worship at First Presbyterian Church, New Iberia, which was filled with beautiful music and a timely message from Norma Jean Luckey. Worship was followed by a faithful, honest discussion regarding the congregation’s history, current realities, and the possibilities before it as it discerns its next chapter.

11:00am - Jeff attended worship at First Presbyterian Church, Lake Charles, which shares a building with Grace Point Christian Fellowship, a Disciples of Christ congregation. Willie Bellard, a hospice chaplain and local clergyperson who has filled FPC’s pulpit many times, led a blended-style worship service based on Romans 12. His family was present, and 24 people gathered for worship. Afterward, Jeff joined George and Pat Swift for lunch and continued talking about possibilities for the congregation’s future.

4:00pm - Leigh and Jeff concluded the weekend by attending and participating in the rededication of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, nearly five years after the church was damaged by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. The mood was joyful and festive as members of St. Andrew gathered with friends and leaders from across PSL, the Synod, the PC(USA), and the Board of Pensions. Worship was followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall, where people visited, celebrated, and reminisced together.

Across the weekend, the “Wild West” offered a glimpse of the breadth of life within our Presbytery: new worshiping communities and historic congregations, churches rebuilding after storms, congregations discerning faithful futures, and God’s people continuing to imagine what ministry can look like in their communities.

We are grateful for every table, conversation, worship service, story, and welcome along the way.