By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter Fred Luter, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church of New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest SBC church with an average worship attendance of 4,800, preached at First Zachary, on Aug. 5, for the final service of the second annual “Mondays for the Master,” summer sermon series. Before the service began, when he preached on the topic, “In the Master’s Hands,” based on Jeremiah 18:1-6, he graciously agreed to a brief interview. MESSAGE – You are now in your second term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, how’s it going? LUTER – “It’s going well - it’s  going extremely well. The first year went extremely well. I was very honored to travel around the country and preach in a lot of smaller churches that have never had an SBC president speak there - I really enjoyed that.” MESSAGE – You made history by being elected the first African-American president of the SBC and then re-elected at the last convention. Are you seeing any changes in the area of race relations? LUTER – “The only changes have been that when I was first elected and I was being introduced there was a lot of emphasis on being the first African-American SBC … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 10:28 Doug Carver (right), executive director of the North American Mission Board’s chaplaincy team, leads a discussion of religious freedom issues with 55 Southern Baptist senior military chaplains. NAMB President Kevin Ezell (second from right) participated in the conference call along with Russell Moore (far left), president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. By Mike Ebert, Baptist Press ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – “We are proud of you. You are heroes to Southern Baptists.” Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, spoke those words to about 55 Southern Baptist senior military chaplains from across the armed services during a conference call that included Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Doug Carver, the retired Army major general who leads NAMB’s chaplaincy efforts. “We wanted to hear from them about the challenges they are facing in their ministry and ways we can better help and support them in the important work they are doing,” Ezell said after the session on Aug. 8. Recent months have brought challenges on many fronts as chaplains face navigating their … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press SOUTHLAKE, Texas (BP) – A group of 47 Southern Baptist pastors is inviting senior pastors to participate in A Call to Pray for Revival and Awakening Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Southlake, Texas. Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, announced the 24-hour event on Aug. 14. “On behalf of our invitation team, I am inviting you to join us in a prayer gathering of senior pastors from all sizes of churches across America, for one purpose: praying together for revival and awakening!” Floyd said in a written statement. “We will focus on praying for pastors, local churches and our nation to experience a mighty move of God that will be a catalyst for revival and awakening.” The team of pastors has committed to attend the event in its entirety, Floyd said. “This is not a ‘come and go’ event or a place to ‘come and be seen,’” Floyd said, “nor is it a denominational or political meeting. It is a serious spiritual experience of prayer with pastors nationally. Due to our commonality of need, we are focusing on Southern Baptist pastors.” Those not attending the event should pray nonetheless, Floyd said. “Pray for us in that 24-hour period of time,” Floyd wrote in a letter to Baptist … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 10:34 Arthur Ruan, a Chinese grad student at LSU, carries the first fish he ever caught to shore during a recent trip to a private lake sponsored by LSU BCM for international students. By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE – Fishing may be a part of life in Louisiana but it is not in China. So when Arthur Ruan, an LSU grad student, caught his first fish, he shouted and jumped around like a little kid. Ruan was one of two dozen international students from half a dozen countries who got to experience America beyond the campus during a recent evening fishing trip sponsored by the LSU BCM to a private lake owned by a Baptist family, the Harrisons. “The first fish of my life!” the tall, lanky Chinese man declared in pretty good English, as he hoisted the flopping bream for all to see. Many of the other students, from China, India and Haiti, were also catching bream and even a few largemouth bass from the scenic lake. “It’s good for the international students, especially, to get off the campus and meet some new people,” said BCM director Steve Masters who several times a semester gets his students away from the bustling LSU campus. “A vast majority of the … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE   Greg Wilton resigns as pastor of First Baptist Church Wilton to accept assignment with IMB. Andrew (wife Charlotte) Donaldson new as pastor First Baptist Church White Castle. Matt (wife Hannah) Duff is new as Associate Pastor of Worship and Creative Ministries of Vidalia First Baptist Church.   LAGNIAPPE   Clark Springs Baptist Church in Eros seeks a full-time pastor. Send resumes to Clark Springs Baptist Church, Attn: Pastor Search Committee, 139 Clark Springs Road, Eros, La. 71238. First Baptist Calhoun seeks a pianist. See www.firstcal.org or call 318.644.5101. First Baptist Gretna seeks a pianist. Email name, contact info and resume to fbcgretna@gmail.coom First Baptist Church of Kilbourne seeks a fulltime pastor.  Send resumes to Truman Smith, P.O. Box 292, Kilbourne, LA 71253. New Light Baptist, Mangham: Revival Sept. 8-11. Evangelist: Oda Wayne “Tuck” Roberts. Pastor: Cecil Gregory. Calvary Baptist Church Forest Hill: Revival Sept. 1-4, Sunday 11 a.m., Sunday evening 6 p.m.; Monday thru Wednesday 7 p.m. Speaker: Lyndon Longoria, Call 337.396.1638 for more information. Harmony Baptist Church Glenmora: Revival Sept. 8-11, 6:30 each night. Evangelist: Hardy Estes. Worship: Matt … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 10:43 New Orleans church planter Page Brooks shares with a neighbor of Canal Street Church: A Mosaic Community. By Tobin Perry, NAMB Communications NEW ORLEANS – When Page Brooks first visited New Orleans on a 1997 mission trip, the city didn’t impress him. “It was dirty. It was nasty. People talked funny, and they were strange,” said Brooks, who felt called to pastor and was considering seminary options. “I liked the food. But the city was sinful, and I didn’t like the French Quarter. I got all of those impressions Christians get of New Orleans on the first visit.” In fact, when his collegiate pastor suggested Brooks take a look at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he almost laughed. “But through providential circumstances from the Lord, He eventually led me back down here [to study at the seminary],” Brooks said. “For me and my family, God just broke our hearts for the city of New Orleans. It’s a city we love. We don’t want to live any place else. I want to live here and die here. It’s the city where God has placed our heart for ministry.” Now, more than 15 years after his initial rather unimpressive visit to The Big Easy, Brooks leads a multi-cultural church … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Tue, 08/27/2013 - 10:36 Louisiana’s resort ministries use their facilities for lodging, for mission teams, missionaries and staff retreats as well as having a huge impact on drawing people to Christ. By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter LOUISIANA – In 2011 the tables were turned on four Toledo Bend fishermen when they became fishers of men as well as of fish. Because of a Toledo Bend Resort Ministry children’s project taking place during a fishing tournament, the four men made professions of faith and a chain of events began that is having kingdom-sized results. Mary Gore, director of Toledo Bend Resort Ministry in Sabine Parish, said she was not surprised. As far as she is concerned, she explained, Jesus operated the first resort ministry. Gore remains emphatic about the impact resort ministries have in drawing people to Christ. The world-famous annual B.A.S.S. Elite Series fishing tournament takes place each summer in Toledo Bend, home of the fifth-largest man-made lake in the United States. “In 2011 our local tournament committee asked if we would coordinate children’s activities during the tournament,” Gore said. “While we were working with the children, the local pastor engaged some of … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Tue, 08/27/2013 - 10:39 Churches wanting to undergo training for Billy Graham’s My Hope evangelistic outreach in November should do so soon. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Time is winding down for churches to undergo training for the My Hope with Billy Graham evangelistic outreach. Scheduled for November 2013, My Hope is a grassroots effort to reach others throughout the United States with the gospel in a method different from the usual Billy Graham Crusade. Instead of holding an event in an arena or stadium, Christians across the country will host in their homes “Matthew Parties,” where the gospel will be presented to their friends, neighbors, co-workers and family using a message by Graham along with music and testimonies. Others will gather at coffee shops and parks to watch the program on a tablet or smartphone. This strategy is modeled after the biblical apostle Matthew, who after accept Christ’s call to follow Him, invited friends for a gathering in his home to meet Jesus. Since the campaign kicked off nationwide earlier in the year, Christians have prepared for the event by conducting training sessions, including 35 in churches around the state, most of which have taken … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MONROE – First Baptist Monroe will host an apologetics conference with the goal of helping Christians to share, discuss and defend their faith. Scheduled for Sept. 14-15, the SALT conference (acronym for Strategic Answers to Life’s Thoughts) will include topics such as the intolerance of tolerance, trusting the Bible, preparing students for the real world, women in Islam, the resurrection of Christ and communicating a biblical worldview. The featured speaker will be Greg Koukl, an author, professor and talk-show host focusing on defending Christian worldview. Other speakers scheduled to speak include Steve Cowan, associate professor of Christian studies at Louisiana College, and Bob Stewart, professor of philosophy and theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The cost for the SALT conference is $10. Registration forms can be found at www.firstmonroe.com. “One of the things that believers are hesitant to do in this culture is openly dialogue with those who do not agree with the biblical testimony,” said Craig West, pastor of First Monroe. “We wanted to host this conference to give believers some real-life tools and methods to help them to engage their world. “For a small … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor Of all of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches, perhaps the most significant was delivered on the evening of June 16, 1858. Likely one of the least known of Lincoln’s oratories, his “House Divided” address is believed by many historians to be a speech that changed the course of history. More than a thousand Republican delegates had gathered in Springfield, Ill., for the Prairie State’s Republican state convention on June 16. That afternoon, those in attendance chose Lincoln to be their party’s candidate for U.S. Senate against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. That evening, just over 155 years ago, Lincoln delivered an address to his Republican colleagues that is as pertinent today as it was when first uttered. The title reflects part of the speech’s introduction, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” a concept familiar to Lincoln’s audience as a statement by Jesus recorded in all three synoptic Gospels. For those who study the historical context of the life and times of Lincoln and the United States, the entire speech is worth examination. However, for those of us living in the current reality of America, the following few lines of Lincoln’s address are most apropos: “A house divided against itself … [Read more...]