Who We Are
Our Purpose: We exist to bless the Highland neighborhood with the love of Jesus through Volunteers of America and community partnerships.
We are an Episcopal Mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana.
We are Anglican, part of the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion is the gathering of Anglican and Episcopal churches from around the world. Today, the Anglican Communion comprises more than 80 million members in 44 regional and national member churches in more than 160 countries.
We are a missional community of people following Jesus, seeking to continue the work of Jesus in our local urban setting.
We are missional, focusing our attention on living out our callings and vocations outside of the church gatherings as we share the love and good news of Jesus with our world.
We are a church who values partnerships, seeking to partner with organizations already working for the good of the Highland area.
We are diverse, enjoying the rich blessing diversity provides as we extend the radical inclusion of Jesus to everyone we encounter.
We are ecumenical, seeking to collaborate with other churches, denominations, and faith groups in our community and around the world.
We are a group of people learning to balance contemplative spiritual practices with community action, going deeper within ourselves while expanding outward to others.
Our Vision:
To be the presence of Christ (along with other churches) in the Highland area
To be a church of partnerships, working with existing agencies, organizations and churches in serving our area and around the world
To make such a difference in our community that our absence would be noticed
To offer the radical inclusivity of Jesus to everyone, reflecting the diversity of heaven
To effectively mix spiritual contemplation with community action
To have thoughtful worship that transcends styles and labels and unifies people in love for God
To exist together in intentional, authentic community
To be a church whose scorecard measures what happens outside the walls of the church
To be a church where every member is serving on a missional team somewhere in the city
Our Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby
The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby is the fourth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana and Chancellor of Sewanee: The University of the South. Before his election as Bishop in 2012, he served as Dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Shreveport. Prior to that, he was rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri and St. Stephen’s in Huntsville, Alabama, and assistant rector for Christian Formation at St. Mark’s in Jacksonville, Florida. Bishop Owensby is a graduate of the School of Theology at Sewanee, and was ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood in the Diocese of Florida. He has been married to Joy since 1983. Their adult children are Andrew, Meredith, Patrick, and daughter-in-law Haley. Addi, Bennett, and Colt are their grandchildren. Gracie their rescue pup is their constant companion.
Our Vicar
The Rev. Dr. John Henson
Father John is the founding pastor of Church for the Highlands, which began in 2010. Prior to serving at Church for the Highlands, John started two churches in Texas. In addition to serving as Vicar of St. Francis Episcopal Church for the Highlands, Father John serves as Chaplain of Volunteers of America of North Louisiana and has served on various boards and committees in Shreveport.
In May, 2023, John was ordained to the sacred order of priesthood in The Episcopal Church by The Rt. Rev. Jacob Owensby, Bishop of the Diocese of Western Louisiana. Father John is the Missioner of Racial Reconciliation for the diocese, Vicar of St. Francis Church for the Highlands, and serves as Chaplain for Volunteers of America of North Louisiana.
John received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, a Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX, and his Doctor of Ministry in Community Development at McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University in Atlanta, GA.
John and his wife, Jinny, have been married since 1995, since then having two children--Maggie Lee and Jack. After Maggie Lee’s death at age 12, they continue to celebrate her life through Maggie Lee for Good (a movement of doing good for others on and beyond October 29 each year) and in a book they co-authored about the movement, Maggie Lee for Good. John is a tribal member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Our Staff
Sabra Hicks, Adminstrator
sabra@cfth.church
Sabra has been a member of Church for the Highlands since 2010 and began her service as Church Administrator in 2012. She is from Shreveport and is married to Nate Hicks and has two children Lake and Wesley. Sabra has a bachelors degree from the University of Alabama in English and a Masters Degree from Plymouth State University in Adventure Based Education. Prior to serving at CFTH, she worked in the outdoor education industry and with children with learning differences.
At CFTH Sabra also serves as team leader for our Outreach Ministry, oversees our baby closet, The Little Clothesline, and volunteers her time leading physical activity with the VOA Visions of Hope program.
BILL ALLEN, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Email Bill at billallen@cfth.church
BILL ALLEN was born in New Orleans but lived and grew up in Shreveport most of his life, attending Captain Shreve High School, Centenary College, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He taught band, orchestra, and guitar in the Caddo parish school system for twenty years, retired, worked two years in a pathology lab, and returned to Caddo parish to teach biology and physical science for two more years. He is retired again from Caddo parish and teaches private music lessons and also maintains an aquarium maintenance business. He has performed with the Shreveport symphony, Marshall Symphony and numerous pop and jazz groups in the Shreveport area. He has also arranged music performed by Broadmoor Baptist and First United Methodist churches. He is married to Bonnie Allen, who is gifted with the ability to perform sacred dance, and has two daughters; Elizabeth Jones, a labor and delivery nurse at LSU/Ochsner, and Rachel, who is a teacher at Montessori.
J. S. Bach signed “Soli Gloria Deo” (Only to the Glory of God) to all of his music – not just his sacred music, ALL of his music. Bill believes that his job as a music minister is enabling worshipers to return their musical gifts to God, whether it be singing or performing in a group or singing the hymns and songs of the Church in worship. And because the music of the Church comes in many different forms, congregants should feel free to worship God in their own unique and individual ways. To this end Bill believes that because the music of the Church takes many different forms it should not be limited to one form, and many different styles – spirituals, the great old “traditional” hymns, and contemporary songs – are all valid expressions of faith and should be incorporated into worship.
Bill has led worship at Parkview Baptist Church, Central Christian Church, Fellowship United Methodist Church, and Summer Grove United Methodist Church.