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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Cenla pastors, leaders view Tall Timbers, GB Center

Submitted by philip on Thu, 03/28/2013 - 15:28 People on hand for the March 18 presentation at Tall Timbers Baptist Retreat Center prayer walk over the location for the Georgia Barnette Conference Center and Missionary/Volunteer Training Center. By Staff, Baptist Message WOODWORTH – Fund-raising efforts are taking place across Louisiana for the Georgia Barnette Conference Center and Missionary/Volunteer Training Center at Tall Timbers Baptist Retreat Center. The Louisiana Baptist Convention’s missions and ministry team led by John Hebert has made presentations at several WMUs across the state for the $1.5 million project. The plea for financial support spread recently to churches in five Cenla associations. “We thought it would be important to them to be a part of what’s going on at their camp,” Hebert said. “We need a training place for the future of missions in Louisiana.” Information about influential early-day Louisiana Baptists is to be displayed at the center. The 8,400-square-foot center is to have seven small group rooms and assembly areas that can be arranged for up to 400 participants. The March 18 presentation  for 59 people from 21 churches included a prayerwalk tour of Tall … [Read more...]

Luter signs open letter on Governor Jindal’s sales tax increase

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor BATON ROUGE – A group of 250 pastors and other Christian leaders led by Lee Wesley, pastor of Community Bible Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, hand-delivered a letter to the office of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal March 18 to voice their concerns about Jindal’s plan to increase the state’s sales tax. By 3 p.m. the same day, the group had received a response, and an appointment for March 22 with a member of the team working with Jindal on revamping the tax code. “A sales tax is a regressive tax that negatively impacts the poor and middle-income residents,” Wesley explained in a telephone interview with the Baptist Message. “Several weeks ago I helped convene a meeting in Baton Rouge of religious leaders from across Louisiana. I said to them the faith community cannot stand by and not have a voice on this issue, because it’s going to have a negative impact for years to come.” Of the 250 signers of the letter to the governor, 134 were Baptist and 10 were part of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, including Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist in New Orleans. Luter signed the letter as a pastor concerned about his church members and the other residents of Louisiana, he … [Read more...]

Louisiana Milestones

Arrivals/Departures n Steve (wife Sherri) Gilley, new as associate pastor and minister of senior adults and missions at First Baptist Minden. Pastor: Leland Crawford. n Brian Thurman, new as pastor of First Baptist Homer. Billy Pierce has completed his interim pastorate at the church. n Orvell Bryant, new as pastor of First Baptist Gibsland. n Tom Descant, new as youth minister at Hillcrest Baptist Franklinton. Pastor: Andrew Voss. n Phillip (wife Connie) Hardin, new as associate pastor at Red River Baptist in Benton. n Marc (wife Amanda) Roath, new as outreach pastor at Calvary Shreveport. n Donnie Bradley, new as interim pastor of Beulah Land Baptist in Haughton. n Virgilo Tunon, resigned as pastor of Iglesia Bautista Antioguia. n Bill Lott retires as pastor of Pilgrim Home Baptist in Benton. n The music minister (unnamed for security) at First Baptist Vivian resigns to enter mission field. n Bill Crosby, new as interim pastor of Kingston Road Baptist in Shreveport. n Tony Meinhardt resigned as interim pastor of Northwoods Baptist in Shreveport for an Alabama pastorate. n Roger Tarver resigned as pastor of First Baptist Crowley. n Robert Tyler, resigned after 14 years as pastor of Mt. … [Read more...]

First Sulphur sets focus on missions

Submitted by philip on Thu, 03/28/2013 - 15:32 First Baptist Church of Sulphur takes missions – and missions offerings – seriously, as evidenced by this poster designed by the church. Every $150 received for the AAEO results in one more state being colored in. “Using a visual representation of the giving toward our church goal appears to be very effective at communicating our progress and generating excitement as we near our goal,” says Missions Pastor Tom Bruce. By Staff, Baptist Message SULPHUR – First Baptist Church members Love Out Loud locally and across the globe. It’s a “doing for others” ministry that includes the church converting its bus barn into an auto repair shop, helping a widow saddled with a decrepit home, and being aware of missions/ministry opportunities as the Lake Charles area booms with construction and energy-related jobs. This of course is in addition to the giving of more than 10 percent to missions through the Cooperative Program and other missions giving, including seasonal offerings, and other missions-related activity across North America and the world. David Holder is senior pastor. “Many of these laborers [coming in locally] will be here a short time,” said … [Read more...]

Gay father defends the need for traditional marriage

By Staff, World News Magazine WNS – Traditional marriage has a unique proponent in Doug Mainwaring, the openly gay co-founder of the National Capital Tea Party Patriots, who lives with his ex-wife to co-parent their two adopted sons. Mainwaring divorced his wife to explore his homosexual desires, but in a piece for Public Discourse he explained how he discovered over the course of a decade that “creating a family with another man is not completely equal to creating a family with a woman.” He also found that “denying children parents of both genders is an objective evil. Kids need and yearn for both.” Mainwaring went on to explain that to do what is best for his children, he moved back in with his ex-wife and has denied his sexual impulses. Rather than feeling repressed, he believes it has led to psychological health and his family’s flourishing. Men who make their homosexuality the dominant aspect of their lives diminish other aspects of their lives socially, familially, emotionally, and intellectually, Mainwaring wrote. “Gay and lesbian activists, and more importantly, the progressives urging them on, seek to redefine marriage in order to achieve an ideological agenda that ultimately seeks to un-define families as … [Read more...]

MD degree provides the means for Rogers to spread the Gospel

By Holly Linzay, Regional Reporter BOYCE – Charles Rogers M.D. says he firmly believes that God led him to become a physician in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He makes house calls in his rural community and does not charge for his medical services. The doors that open to him as a medical doctor have provided the means to share the story of Jesus. “I’ll get a call, and when I knock on their door, I go in and start taking a medical history. But I get to mix in a spiritual history too,” Rogers said. “I believe God gives me discernment, and I know when there is an opportunity to lead someone to Christ.” Not only has Rogers been blessed, he says, in having a part in leading dozens to the Lord through the house calls he has made as a medical doctor, but he is also serving as pastor of St. Clair Baptist Church in Boyce. “I’m a pastor first, and a doctor second,” Rogers said. “But I’ve been able to go into many homes as a doctor and share Christ where I never would have been invited in as a pastor.” For years, Rogers had a surgical practice and a medical office, but now carries his black medical bag into people’s homes or on medical mission trips as part of a Disaster Relief medical team. His medical … [Read more...]

New HHS rule on abortion mandate ‘inadequate’

By Michael Foust, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) - The Obama administration proposed a rule change Friday it says will appease the concerns religious organizations have about the abortion/contraceptive mandate, but legal groups who defend religious liberty called the proposal inadequate and said it fell far short of what is needed. Religious groups had hoped the Department of Health and Human Services would announce that all religious organizations -- universities, hospitals and charities -- are exempt from the mandate, which requires employers to carry health insurance plans covering contraceptives and drugs that can cause chemical abortions. Churches, for example, are exempt from the mandate. Instead, HHS issued a rule it says allows for employees to obtain contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs without the religious employer taking part in the process. Religious liberty groups say employers still will be involved. The proposal also does nothing to help businesses such as Bible publisher Tyndale House or Christian-owned Hobby Lobby or any other for-profit whose owners have religious objections to contraceptives and/or abortion-causing drugs. "Having reviewed this proposed rule, we ... have to say we're extremely … [Read more...]

Guns: ‘Packing heat in church’ increasingly allowed in U.S.

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Mon, 02/11/2013 - 09:18 By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) - As gun control takes high priority on Capitol Hill, state legislatures increasingly are allowing concealed guns in our most sacred place, the church, either for personal protection or for worshippers designated as church security personnel. Arkansas, on Feb. 4, became the eighth state to pass legislation allowing concealed guns specifically in churches. In a lopsided bipartisan vote, state legislators voted to allow each church to decide whether individuals with concealed carry permits could take guns in church for personal protection. "A person should be allowed to carry a firearm in a church that permits the carrying of a firearm for personal security," the Arkansas Church Protection Act reads, deeming such an option "immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety" because "personal security is increasingly important." Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming also have laws allowing concealed guns specifically in churches, with varied stipulations, including the possession of a proper permit, training, church approval and … [Read more...]

Prayer impacts 2013 Evangelism Conference

Submitted by philip on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 08:53 Prayer, fervent prayer, before the 2013 Louisiana Evangelism Conference helped prepare both participants and speakers. By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor LAFAYETTE – Fervent prayer before the 2013 Louisiana Evangelism Conference prepared both participants and speakers. More of the same during the Jan. 28-29 event at First Baptist Church of Lafayette contributed to what many said was one of the best evangelism conferences they had ever attended, said Wayne Jenkins, director of the LBC evangelism/church planting team. “For the second year in a row, Louisiana Baptists began the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting,” Jenkins said. “When more people are united in prayer, God seems to move, and that’s what happened here. “We had more than 450 churches with prayer ministries to assume responsibility for the conference and for individuals speaking or singing, so it was extremely well prayed over,” Jenkins said. “Our speakers commented specifically on the number of notes they received from Louisiana Baptist churches. … In fact, one commented that they had never experienced that kind of response from the people.” First Lafayette staff estimated … [Read more...]

Attendees respond, bring 3,000 pounds of canned goods, staples

Submitted by philip on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 08:57 Canned goods and other staples were piled window-high in the designated area of the foyer at First Baptist Church of Lafayette, host of the 2013 Evangelism Conference that emphasized servant evangelism. By Staff, Baptist Message LAFAYETTE – When Hattie Miner, 75, of Evangelistic Baptist Church in New Orleans, heard from her pastor, Anthony Pierce, of the plan for those attending the 2013 Louisiana Evangelism Conference to bring a can of food to the Jan. 28-29 event, she knew just what to do. Even though she was not going to be able to attend, she could still contribute, she decided. So despite her limited income, every time she went to the grocery store, she bought a couple extra cans of food, and every time she went to church – which involved a bus ride including at least two transfers – she took the canned goods she had purchased with her. LAFAYETTE – When Hattie Miner, 75, of Evangelistic Baptist Church in New Orleans, heard from her pastor, Anthony Pierce, of the plan for those attending the 2013 Louisiana Evangelism Conference to bring a can of food to the Jan. 28-29 event, she knew just what to do. Even though she was not going to be able to attend, she could … [Read more...]