Bishop Joseph Carmouche

In 1973, Bishop Carmouche received the salvation of the Lord. He and his wife traveled every weekend from Houston, TX to Lake Charles, LA to hear Apostle Wendell Archie preach the Word of God. In 1981, he was ordained as a Pastor. With eagerness of heart and spirit, Bishop Carmouche hearkened to the call of God. He and his wife left their home, jobs, family, and friends to obey God.  He was an electrician for the Atlanta Richfield Oil Refinery and his wife was an Exxon employee.

He became the pastor of our Refuge Temple Ministries Lafayette church. At the time, the building was small and could only accommodate sixty people.  However, Bishop Carmouche knew that the Word of God said, “There is no man that has left house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30). He held on to that scripture, believing that God would perform His word. That hope gave him great strength and vision.  Bishop Carmouche continued to spread the gospel, preaching in the streets, pulpits, hospitals, nursing homes, tent revivals, on television programs, and local radio stations.  He also had a full time job at American Manufacturing. His motivation and encouragement came from knowing that God was with him.

As people began to receive the Word of God, the Lafayette ministry grew.  It was moved to several different locations, outgrowing each facility.  In 1997, the congregation purchased 7.3 acres of land on Louisiana Avenue and Buick Street. In 2002, a new construction was completed. The facility is valued at $1.5 million and can accommodate 900 people or more. The first service was held on Sunday, February 16, 2003.

Bishop Carmouche’s vision is that of, “Reconciling All Men Back Unto God.” His involvement in the ministry continues to include the prison, street meetings, door-to-door ministries, evangelizing, and ministering on local TV stations.