Power of Attorney


Know all by these presents, that the undersigned (the ""Reporting Person"")
hereby constitutes and appoints Kay Buchart as the Reporting Person's true
and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

	(1) execute for and on behalf of the Reporting Person, in the
Reporting Person's capacity as an officer or trustee of CenturyTel, Inc. (the
""Company""), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

	(2) do and perform and all acts for and on behalf of the Reporting
Person which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any
such Form 3, 4 or 5 and timely file such form with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar
authority; and

	(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
benefit to, and in the best interest of, or legally required by, the Reporting
Person.

The Reporting Person hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full
power and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing
whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any
of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes
as the Reporting Person might or could do if personally present, with full
power of Substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-facts substitute or
substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by the virtue of this power
of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The Reporting Person
acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such
capacity at the request of the Reporting Person, are not assuming, nor is the
company assuming, any of the Reporting Persons responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
Reporting Person is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect
to the Reporting Person's holdings of and transactions in securities issued
by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the Reporting Person in a signed
writing delivered to the foregoing attorney-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Reporting Person has caused this Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 26st of August, 2003.




	STACEY W. GOFF