By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE -- In the wake of another senseless and cowardly attack on law enforcement early Sunday morning in which two Baton Rouge police officers and East Baton Rouge Sheriff Deputy were shot and killed and three more were wounded, Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, requested prayers at a 3 p.m. news conference. "We want and need your prayers,” Edmonson said. “Baton Rouge is in need of your prayers right now." The shooting, which happened near Airline and Old Hammond highways and just over a mile from Istrouma Baptist Church, took place around 9 a.m. Sunday. One suspect is dead according to media reports coming from various outlets in Baton Rouge. The shooter has been identified by law enforcement officials as Gavin Long, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri. The shooting is the second fatal shooting of police officers this month and comes in the midst of ongoing protests in Baton Rouge following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5. On July 7, a lone gunman gunned down five police officers and wounded 12 others in an ambush before being killed. "This is such a tragedy that has befallen our city," Pastor Jay Avance of First Baptist … [Read more...]
Children’s Home announces adoption and foster care informational meeting dates for late July
By Message Staff MONROE – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will hold a series of informational meetings for families considering adoption and foster care. Beginning July 25 at Alpine First Baptist Church in Pineville and ending July 28 at the East Baton Rouge Public Library, Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch in Baton Rouge, the series of meetings will allow those interested to learn more about how they can become part of a growing ministry in the state. Since becoming involved in this aspect of ministry in 2011, the Children’s Home has served hundreds of children and families through its foster care and adoption ministry. But despite the success they have achieved in this area, it pales in comparison to then more than 4,700 children in need of a foster home in the state. Through its Connect 1:27 Network, the Children’s Home recruits Christian foster and adoptive families and assists churches in developing foster care, adoption and orphan care support ministries. The network is based upon God’s command in James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Beth Green, director of the … [Read more...]
North Central association schedules series of prayer gatherings
By Message Staff In preparation for a 2017 crusade featuring evangelist Bill Britt, the North Central Baptist Association of churches are holding series of prayer gatherings. Already, six churches have hosted the concerts of prayer this year. More are scheduled through early 2017. Churches hosting prayer gatherings next month include Weston Baptist Church in Jonesboro, on July 17, and Sweetwater Baptist Church in Quitman, on July 31. And on Oct. 16, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jonesboro will hold a concert of prayer. The three prayer gatherings will take place at 6 pm. Marty Black, director of missions for the association, expects more concerts of prayer to take place in the future. While each of the prayer gatherings this year have featured three to four churches coming together at a single location, two larger ones involving as many of the 54 churches as possible in the association are planned for 2017. Jonesboro-Hodge High School will host a prayer gathering on Feb. 26 and Winnfield High School will be the site of another on March 26. Black said the two locations were chosen because they will each host two nights of the association-wide crusade. Jonesboro-Hodge High School is the site for the first two nights of the … [Read more...]
Atheist billboard mocking people of faith taken down after backlash
By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner TUPELO, Miss. (Christian Examiner) – An atheist billboard mocking the religious values of citizens in Tupelo, Miss., has been taken down after complaints from the city's residents. The digital billboard, which features an image of "Uncle Sam" and the words, "God Fixation Won't Fix This Nation," was posted by the litigious Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation on July 1, just before Independence Day. To read the rest of the story, click here. … [Read more...]
FIRST-PERSON: Learning to live in a different America
By Waylon Bailey I lived through the 60s. Those were my teenage years. They were very difficult. This past week was also very bad. Maybe I’ve forgotten a lot, or, maybe this really has taken racism, anger, and bitterness and reset it to a whole different level. How do we learn to live in this very different world? Here are four lessons that immediately come to mind. First, reach out to people who are different. For me, different people would be black or Hispanic. For you they might be white or black or Hispanic. We really can’t learn to live together until we begin learning who we are. I have some wonderful black friends. I enjoy them immensely, and I respect them deeply. It’s time that we get to know one another. Second, find someone to be kind to. Start at home, take it to work and church, and be patient in the grocery store. Sincerely look for people to treat as you want to be treated. Bo Jackson, the athlete, tweeted this Thursday night after the police shootings: “Before you go to sleep tonight, I challenge every single one of you to do something nice for a complete stranger. Our world needs that.” Third, begin looking at people differently. See them for who they are – they are created in the image of God and … [Read more...]
After tragic week, ‘a Word from God’ desperately needed
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer “We NEED a Word from God!” Those sentiments from Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette and former LBC President, perhaps best summed up the feelings of so many following a tumultuous week in which seven died and seven more were shot. It especially sums up the feelings on the day following the deadly sniper attack on police officers in downtown Dallas Thursday evening. “Pray for the pastors of America this Sunday,” Horn wrote on Facebook. “We do not need a word from our President, the Governors, the Chiefs of Police, and certainly not all of the commentators on television. We need a Word from God! “Pray for your pastor to have and deliver that Word from God this Sunday,” he continued. “Pastor, our job is not to offer political commentary; our job is to expound the authoritative Word of God. God, help us!” As everyone tries to make sense of what took place Thursday night, Tuesday in Baton Rouge and Wednesday in Falton Heights, Minnesota, Horn made his impassioned plea to turn to God. And many Louisiana Baptists and law enforcement officers echoed his thoughts and for the desperate need for prayer. “Our hearts are again broken as we hear the news out of Baton Rouge, … [Read more...]
Busy summer as LC undergoes $17 million worth of repairs
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Summertime usually means less activity on a university campus but not Louisiana College, not this summer. The Pineville college is humming with activity as the school is undergoing $17 million worth of construction. Eighteen of the 23 buildings on campus are receiving new roofs, after hail from a storm last year caused extensive damage. Other work includes a number of interior upgrades between now and late 2017. LC President Rick Brewer calls the improvements on campus a miracle. “Transformation is a central theme for Louisiana College both in the classroom and in our campus facilities,” Brewer said. “The blessing we’ve received from the GuideOne insurance claim will impact the entire campus with 18 roof replacements, several interior repairs and the refurbishment of Guinn Auditorium. Indeed, this work accelerates the significant deferred maintenance facing the college.” LC contacted GuideOne insurance company for an inspection, which revealed the refurbishment would be rather costly but agreed to cover all the repairs. The first wave of construction began in late May, when Campers on Mission refurbished a fountain near Alexandria Hall administration building, formed … [Read more...]
Joe McKeever cartoon
Sports film seeks 1 Corinthians 10:31 movement
NASHVILLE (BP) - The struggles of a Christian high school girls' cross country track team are used to discourage self-centeredness in "Remember the Goal," the latest release of brothers Dave and Rich Christiano and Five & Two Pictures. The limited release film highlights 1 Corinthians 10:31, exhorting "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," and drawing from the personal cross country competition and coaching experiences of Dave Christiano, the movie's writer, director and producer. "That one verse alone takes your eyes off self and puts it on the Lord," Christiano said in a press release. "We hope to start a movement among teens called 10:31. "I look around and most teenagers are driven by the ungodly movies and music of the day," Christiano said. "They are plugged into the liberal voices of the media and listening to that wrong voice. The focus needs to change." Substance abuse, jealousy, envy, feelings of inferiority, and parent-daughter relationships are spotlighted in the feature about a young woman facing persecution in her first coaching job out of college and in her attempts to garner the school a state title. "The coach has great wisdom for her young age and she imparts this to the girls covering many … [Read more...]
Cajundome ‘will be ready’ for YEC
By Message Staff LAFAYETTE – State officials have reassured Louisiana Baptists that the Cajundome will be ready for the 2016 Youth Evangelism Conference scheduled for the Lafayette facility, Nov. 20-21. A June 30 report in The Advocate created confusion among the public by stating the arena “won’t re-open for business until Dec. 1.” But apparently, the information was not correct in context of the YEC. “We have been given assurances the Cajundome will be ready prior to our event,” Louisiana Baptist Convention youth strategist Steve Maltempti said in a statement to the Baptist Message. Maltempi shared information with the Baptist Message which cleared up the misunderstanding caused by The Advocate article. “The reason you see Dec. 1st in media reports is we don’t expect or plan to schedule basketball and, hockey games or any major concerts until Dec. 1st, or about 9 days after your event ends,” wrote one Cajundome official to Maltempi. “We have always expected and needed those 9 days to prepare the hockey rink and basketball court on top of the hockey rink in the new arena configuration for the upcoming season after your event.” This official noted that crews will continue the work, which began May 23, up until Nov. 18 and … [Read more...]
