By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Baptist Mes­sage, Louisiana Baptists’ news service, is working on a memorandum of understanding with The Baptist Paper to jointly provide a monthly print edition for Louisiana Bap­tist subscribers in 2027. BACKGROUND During a September 2025 meeting, the Baptist Message board of trustees approved a move to a digi­tal-only format, beginning in 2027. Finances were the major factor in the decision because the news service will lose $100,000 in funding after 2026. But with the trustees’ vote in the most recent meeting, the Baptist Mes­sage will continue to offer a print product through a partnership with The Bap­tist Paper, launched in 2021 as a ministry of The Ala­bama Baptist newspaper which has been in print since 1843. The Baptist Paper will print a monthly Baptist Message special edition with Louisiana Baptist content populating the front and back pages as well as four center pages. The Baptist Paper will in­voice Baptist Message sub scribers and Baptist Mes­sage advertisers will have access in this edition. Rates will be announced soon but are expected to remain close to what they are now. The board approved an addition of $30,000 to the 2027 budget to offset … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BENTON, La. (LBM) – Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel “Michael” Leiter dispelled myths about Israel’s conflict in Gaza while thanking America for its support during a leader forum hosted by Cypress Baptist Church, Benton, Sept. 2. WORD OF SUPPORT CBC Pastor John Fream recounted during opening remarks how his most recent visit to Israel took place in the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attacks killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being imprisoned in Gaza. He said the ambassador’s visit to the church was motivated by a biblical mandate and a desire to provide theological reasoning for standing with Israel. Leiter also shared his message during a service that evening. “A big portion of this is to really offset the lies (about the conflict),” Fream told the crowd. “If we’re not going to speak up, then who will for our friends in Israel? “And then obviously we believe there’s a biblical mandate,” he said. “I believe that God is the same yesterday, today, forever. He says what He means. He means what He says. And He says, I’ll bless you if you bless Israel. I'll curse you if you don’t. And so, I believe we are to stand with God’s … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University 2026 Homecoming festivities will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4, with a football game against East Texas Baptist University on that Saturday at 4 p.m. A Presidential Gala will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6. p.m., which will recognize the Distinguished Alumni and Hall of Fame inductees for this year. This will be held at the Alexandria Convention Center. On Friday, Oct. 2, an alumni luncheon will be held in the Granberry Conference Center at 11:30 a.m. There will also be breakout activities for classes by the decades they graduated, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Alexandria Hall. The Class of 1976 will celebrate its 50th class reunion in Granberry Conference Center at 6 p.m. Additionally, an alumni art showcase of works by Class of 1989 alumna Barbara Clover will open in Weathersby Fine Arts Gallery Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. The annual Homecoming Hoedown will be held on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. on the president’s lawn. And Theatre Louisiana Christian will hold a special performance of the musical “Anastasia” for Homecoming attendees on Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. in the Martin Performing Arts Center. The week’s events will culminate with a worship service Sunday at … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (LBM) – A Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team has been activated for a response to an area impacted by recent flooding in Ohio. Team Leader Dave Dumas told the Baptist Message that the team from First Baptist Church, Covington, and Bedico Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, arrived Aug. 31 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. They are expected to remain in the area through Sept. 7. While there, they are cleaning out basements in homes that took in up to five inches of rain on Aug. 19-20. According to the National Weather Service, other areas nearby received 3-6 inches of rainfall. The rainfall caused numerous roadways to flood and prompted water rescues in neighborhoods that dealt with rapidly rising water. Give to relief efforts by visiting the LBDR website. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LCU) – Louisiana Christian University’s football team had just beaten a NCAA Division I program that awards scholarships when Head Coach Ben McLaughlin assembled his players for what he called a “proud dad moment.” Looking at them from inside Turpin Stadium, Aug. 27, McLaughlin was overcome with joy thinking about the hard work his players had put in while preparing for the 42-37 win over Northwestern State University, located just 60 miles away from LCU’s Pineville campus. “The guys that we put in pads the other night were on a knee looking at you, smiling, and you’re just proud because they bought into what you are trying to preach to them,” McLaughlin told the Baptist Message. “These guys literally put their bodies on the line for the program, for the university, for us coaches. When you look at them, it’s just this outpouring of gratitude of ‘Thank you, players. Thank you for believing in the vision.’ “There are a lot of really good coaches out there that have great vision and do everything right, and then they lose,” he continued. “And then the opposite is true for us. We tell them all the time, ‘don’t look at the scoreboard, don’t look at the … [Read more...]

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