Rick W. Byargeon, Ph.D.

Distinguished as a scholar,  pastor, educator, author, and lecturer, Dr. Rick W. Byargeon has touched countless lives in fulfilling the mission for which God called him.

Rick graduated from Louisiana College in 1980 with a major in Religion and a minor in Sociology.  Dr. Byargeon went on to earn his master=s and doctorate degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1984 and 1991 respectively.     He has pastored numerous churches since graduating from Louisiana College, both full-time and interim.  Currently,  Rick is pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Ruston, Louisiana.  In addition, he has spent almost twenty years teaching in Baptist institutions.  He taught at Southwestern Seminary, New Orleans Seminary, Oklahoma Baptist University and Louisiana College.  He also served as a Visiting Lecturer to the Baptist seminary in Singapore on two different occasions. 

Dr. Byargeon is widely recognized as an Old Testament and Hebrew scholar and has published multiple professional pieces, too numerous to list, but all scholarly and profoundly important to his field.

Dr. Byargeon has also distinguished himself as an administrator while serving as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Louisiana College where he worked tirelessly in reuniting our alumni and structuring the Centennial Campaign.

Rick is married to Jonann Weeks, also an alumni.  They have one child, John William Byargeon

Louisiana College and the Alumni Association proudly issue this citation and honor Dr. Rick W. Byargeon as Distinguished Alumnus in the year 2007.