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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

FBC Baton Rouge: Dad passes pastor’s baton to son

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Andrew Ogea has been commissioned as a pastor with multiple church plants, but nothing compared to his installation as the pastor of First Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, when his dad passed the mantel of leadership to him on Father’s Day. “A pastoral succession between a father and son is a unique experience that probably doesn’t happen very often, and for ours to occur on Father's Day made it especially meaningful,” Ogea told the Baptist Message. “My father handed me the baton after I promised to faithfully shepherd the congregation. For him to be the person passing that baton to me was incredible.” Ogea, who previously served as worship pastor and executive pastor with Vintage Church, New Orleans, and later as worship and discipleship pastor with Northshore Church, Slidell, said he will do his best with the Lord’s guidance to fulfill those promises he made, including keeping God first, family second and the church third and leading with love, encouragement and integrity to the church and community. Additionally, the church promised during the ceremony to pray for Ogea and his family and encourage them. He added that he has learned much about pastoring churches from … [Read more...]

Wildcat debate team starts semester with big win

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University Wildcat Debate Team took the trophy in the novice division of the 2024 Mendoza Debate Tournament at Lee College in Baytown, Texas over the weekend. Isabella McClendon, a sophomore social work major from West Monroe, took first place in the novice division, the largest division of the tournament. This year’s tournament included debaters from 14 colleges and universities across the three divisions of novice, junior varsity and varsity. Forty-six students competed in the novice division. “It was an amazing opportunity to get to represent our school and what we stand for at Lee College this past weekend,” McClendon said. “God blessed me with a super supportive team, and I'm excited to grow alongside them at future tournaments.” Two other Wildcats Debaters made an amazing showing at their first debate tournament. Bailey Brown, a freshman nursing major from Bogalusa, and Eva Villamor, a sophomore mathematics major from Burgos, Spain, both went 3-3. Wildcat Debate Coach Brian Manuel said he is proud of the team’s showing at the tournament. LCU fielded 10 competitors at this event. “This is our favorite tournament to start the … [Read more...]

Evangelism strategist Ulmer to partner in the Gospel with LBC churches

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Kevin Ulmer, pastor with First Baptist Church, Ferriday, is the new evangelism strategist for Louisiana Baptist congregations. Ulmer, whose first day on the job was July 1, said he is excited to work with Louisiana Baptists toward one common goal in the state. “I can't think of a greater task to be carrying out than to encourage people to share the Gospel,” Ulmer told the Baptist Message. “I want to encourage them to not only have a sense of duty to evangelism, but to have a sense of desire for evangelism. “I think for the most part, most church members have a sense of duty to evangelize,” he continued. “But how can I instill in them a desire to evangelize, to share Jesus as much as they have desire to share about football. If we had a desire to share the Gospel like we do about sharing our own interests, I think we could change and transform this state for Christ.” A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Ulmer trusted in Christ while attending a fish fry at Victory Baptist Church in rural Jasper County, Mississippi, at age 17. Though he sensed a call to ministry soon afterward, he did not surrender to it because of a bashful temperament that he … [Read more...]