By Kelly Boggs, Editor   HOUSTON – Mike Huckabee was the featured speaker at the first public fund raising event held by the Louisiana College Judge Paul Pressler School of Law.   [img_assist|nid=7254|title=Gov. Mike Huckabee|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]The former governor of Arkansas and host of the Fox News Channel program “Huckabee” addressed more than 150 people who gathered at the prestigious River Oaks Country Club in downtown Houston, Texas, on March 29.   Though many pundits believe Huckabee will throw his hat into the ring as a Republican presidential candidate for 2012, his remarks to those who had come with an interest in LC’s new law school were politics-free.   Huckabee indicated that his presence at the fund raiser was two-fold. One, because of his relationship with Judge Paul Pressler, the school’s name sake, and two, because he sees a need for the type law school LC is starting.   “I am here because of my affection for Judge Pressler,” Huckabee said.  “I wanted to be here to honor one of the most significant individuals in U.S. Christian history.” He added, “When Paul Pressler saw his denomination drifting from its historic, biblical roots he … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   COMINGS & GOINGS   Kenneth Crumbley has resigned as pastor of St. Matthew Baptist Church in Oakdale after 51 years of service.   Jimmy Sasser has retired as pastor of Bethel Livingston. Special services are planned for April 17 to honor him and his wife.   L.B. Canterbury, in the ministry for 53 years, has retired as pastor of Old Union Shongaloo, where he has served since 2005.   Tim Richardson is new as minister of music at Walker Baptist.   Scott Scallan is new as pastor of Shiloh Bernice.   Tommy Gray is new as pastor of Southside Ruston.   Buddy Boatright is new as pastor of Camp Creek Spearsville.   Marcelle Ronquille is new as interim pastor of Pleasant Hill Ruston.   J.L. Williams has resigned as pastor of Sardis Baptist.   Chad Hebert is new as pastor of Calument Patterson.       Needed/Giving   Mt. Hope Oakdale seeks part-time Youth Minister. Send resumes to Mt. Hope Baptist Church, PO Box 544, Oakdale LA 71463; or call 318.335.8200.   Faith Baker seeks pastor. Send resumes to Anita Westbrook, 5580 Rush Road, Slaughter LA … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   Rachel Morgan of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville has a senior project she’d like your help with.   “I want to motivate the people of the church to be kind,” Morgan emailed. She’s looking for 2,000 reported acts on kindness to be listed on mysimpleactofkindness.org.   “When you do the kindness, ask the people to go to the website,” Morgan wrote. “On it, the Gospel is presented as well as stories of acts that have been done.   “My project ends at the end of April. I just want the Christians to be a kinder people: it is a true way of witness.”   Ken Hansen, a member of First Bossier City, is involved with a truckers ministry out of Grand Rapids, Mich.   “I work with four truckstops here, supplying special truckers’ Bibles in displays for truckers to pick up,” Hansen emailed. Churches statewide could do as he does, he said: Buy a case of 44 Truckers New Testament NIV for $78 from HMI Ministries, and put up a display for free Bibles at area truck stops.   “The first step is get permission from truckstop manager,”  Hansen wrote. “The display is free. You can see it on the … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   BALL – Missions is reaching out with God’s love to people across the street, down the block and around the world, heard the nearly 230 people who registered for the 2011 WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting.   The event took place April 1-2 at Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball. It included missionaries from Louisiana, North America and across the globe. Featured ministries included, among others, Kingsville’s truckers ministry and the North Rapides Baptist Association’s two ministries: Hannah’s Plea pregnancy center, and Main Street Mission to the homeless and struggling in Pineville.   A ministry fair Friday afternoon and during an extended break Saturday morning helped familiarize WMU participants with these and other ministries, including Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Cast the Net of volunteer opportunities, and more.   [img_assist|nid=7260|title=WMU Officers|desc=After serving a maximum of four, one-year terms as Louisiana WMU President, Glenda Hofius of Broadmoor Shreveport passed the gavel to incoming President Salli Perry of Calvary Monroe. Re-elected (at Hofius’ left) were Margaret Freeland of First Gueydan as vice president for her … [Read more...]

By Mark Kelly and Mickey Noah, Baptist Press   TOKYO (BP) – Yongala and her husband Junkichi couldn’t believe their eyes. Their 145-year-old family business was swept away in a moment by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan -- hard on the heels of a massive earthquake.   A thick layer of gooey black mud covers the floor of their kimono shop. All their inventory and equipment were destroyed. The street outside is piled high with flood debris. With no idea even where to start, discouragement weighed down their hearts.   “Imagine the joy this couple felt when a team of American and Japanese Christians walked up and offered to help them clean up the mess,” said Ben Wolf, who with his wife Pam directs work in the Asia Rim for Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization. “It’s hard enough to comprehend the devastation the earthquake and tsunami caused. You would have to be there to understand. But for complete strangers to offer to help, that makes a God-sized impact on someone’s heart.”   [img_assist|nid=7262|title=Cleaning Up|desc=This couple’s 145-year-old family business was swept away by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan. … [Read more...]

By Michael Foust, Baptist Press   BERGMAN, Ark. (BP) – Shannon O’Dell has a passion for rural churches, but his church is anything but a typical rural congregation.   [img_assist|nid=7264|title=Breaking all the Rurals|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]Just eight years ago when he arrived in Arkansas, it was a classic rural church, with fewer than 50 regular attendees. Today, his congregation – known as Brand New Church – has seven physical campuses as well as an Internet “iCampus” and a combined in-person attendance of more than 2,000. O’Dell’s sermons are beamed via satellite to all the campuses.   O’Dell, who once dreaded the thought of pastoring a rural church, now loves it. In his book, Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking all the Rurals (2010, New Leaf Press), O’Dell explains how his Southern Baptist congregation went from being a tiny church in a small town to one of the largest congregations in the state. (The church’s unique name comes from Colossians 3:10, which speaks of the believer being made “new” in Christ.)   God, O’Dell says in his book, has a heart for rural churches. Most Old Testament prophets were called from small towns, and Jesus was “born … [Read more...]

By Erin Roach, Baptist Press   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – In order to comply with new safety regulations taking effect in June, churches need to replace their nursery cribs, which could already pose a danger to children and leave churches open to liability lawsuits.   The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission unanimously approved sweeping new safety rules, which outlaw drop-side cribs and require stronger hardware and supports. The commission said it is unlikely that existing cribs will meet the new standards.   Jim Swedenburg of the Alabama State Board of Missions served more than 10 years as a state missionary for church administration and said churches that have weekday ministries or daycares especially need to heed the new safety standards.   “If a parent had a child that was injured and the daycare was in that sense negligent in not having changed that bed, that’s going to put them at greater risk for any kind of liability judgment,” Swedenburg told Baptist Press. “In other words, nobody’s going to come around and inspect the cribs and force the church to comply, but if they don’t they’re still going to be taking a risk.”   For years, parents favored drop-side cribs … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   PINEVILLE – Louisiana College’s nursing program has been restored to “full approval” status by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.   In an article in the April 17th Alexandria Town Talk newspaper, LC nursing school dean Dean Kimberly Sharp said she had received a letter dated Feb. 23 from LSBN Director of Education and Licensure, stating the board’s staff would recommend the college be restored to full approval.   The LSBN board placed the LC’s nursing program on “conditional approval” status last year after it failed to meet board standards for the 2008-2009 academic year for both NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) pass rates and issues with LC’s faculty.   According to information on the LSBN website, schools with a “conditional approval” rating must submit a plan for correcting specific deficiencies. Schools have three years in which to improve and meet the requirements of the LSBN before the board will place the school on “non-approval” status.   The two areas of concern cited by the LSBN were:   Only 60 percent of the May 2009 LC nursing graduates passed the NCLEX test, which is the state licensure exam, on their first … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor   When push comes to shove, which is more important: a man’s ability to make a living or a nest containing a few birds? According to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service it is a no-brainer: it’s the fowl.   When the owner of a marine salvage business based in Jacksonville, Fla., learned that an osprey had built a nest in one of his cranes doing work in the Port of Tampa, he sought to be responsible.   “For four birds, you start thinking about what are the alternatives?” said Jani Salonen, owner of the crane in question. “What are the penalties to just get rid of them?”   What Salonen would soon learn is that even though ospreys are not considered to be endangered and thus not covered by the overbearing and intrusive Endangered Species Act with its harsh penalties, the nesting birds are protected by another federal law, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.   The statute makes it illegal to “pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell” birds considered migratory. The act does not discriminate between live or dead birds and also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs and nests. More than 800 species are currently on the … [Read more...]

By David E. Hankins, Executive Director Louisiana Baptist Convention   Louisiana Baptists have one institution of higher learning in their constellation of missions and ministries. It is, of course, Louisiana College, a liberal arts college founded in 1906 and located in central Louisiana. We ought to be grateful for this school. I am writing today to tell you why I thank God for LC and to ask you to continue to pray for our school.   Thank God for Louisiana College because of its:   Spiritual Commitments   LC proudly declares on its website its mission: “The mission of Louisiana College is to provide liberal arts, professional, and graduate programs characterized by devotion to the preeminence of the Lord Jesus, allegiance to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, dedication to academic excellence for the glory of God, and commitment to change the world for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   Our college is firmly committed to our biblical and historical principles. There was a day in the past when some leaders associated with the college failed to hold in high regard the truth of Scripture and the primacy of historic Christian values.   By God’s grace, those … [Read more...]