Forty years into his ministry at The Glorious Church in Iberia Parish, the Rev. Kenneth Leleux believes that 2023 is the year that his church will be reaching its full potential.

The longtime pastor of the non-denominational church has had a remarkable spirit of his own, and has used that experience to help others grow into what God wants them to be.

Before his pastoral career, Leleux, a Delcambre native, said he was raised Catholic but eventually struck out after going out on his own search for God.

“I didn’t have any slight against the Catholic Church, but I just thought there was more and I wanted it,” Leleux said.

Leleux said he initially went to school for architecture, and after graduating immediately got a job in Dallas, Texas. But even with a successful career, Leleux said he was disillusioned and eventually came to be invited to a church pastored by the Rev. Jimmy Lopez.

“I always ask, ‘Is your life going to have purpose beyond money?’” he said. “I wanted to refine myself and God led me here.”

After that first visit, Leleux said he kept coming back and was excited to find a church that he could invite others to.

“God put his hand on me and said ‘Consider me your employer, I want you up at 6 in the morning praying for an hour, and then you can sit down and study the Bible and I’ll teach you,’ and that’s what He did,” Leleux said.

Leleux and his wife were both instrumental in the formation of Jesus Way Christian Academy, a Christian school where he started as a janitor and moved up to principal and eventually pastor. Although the school eventually closed, Leleux said he learned a lot from the experience.

“I realized I wanted people to come to church because they love God and not because they have kids at the school,” he said.

That experience eventually led to the opening of the Glorious Church, which was initially located on Admiral Doyle Drive but eventually moved to David Street further down Lewis Street.

Many who have been a part of the church over the years are “now in heaven,” Leleux said, and the COVID-19 pandemic also stopped the flow of many congregants coming to Sunday service.

However, Leleux said a resurgence is about to begin in the coming year. The church has also volunteered for years helping the needy in Haiti, which was put on a temporary hold after the pandemic but will soon be started again.

“We believe that next year is really the season to fulfill what we’ve been here for all along,” he said. “It’s not all about evangelism, it’s about growing people up to do what God calls them to do, that’s what we believe.”