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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

FBCC’s Bailey to headline E4+ conference

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Waylon Bailey, senior pastor with First Baptist Church, Covington, is the keynote speaker for the 2024 E4+ Preaching Conference, scheduled for Sept. 24, in the facilities of the First Baptist Church, Pineville. Bailey, who has served as FBCC senior pastor since 1989, will bring messages during the general sessions of the annual conference. According to the FBCC website, Bailey has seen worship attendance grow from 300 to 2,200 since he became pastor and in 2001 led the congregation to move from a downtown location to the current campus. Since relocating, the church has baptized 2,612, according to the Annual Church Profile of statistics. Bailey, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and his wife, Martha, have two grown adult daughters and four grandchildren. “I am excited and thankful to be speaking at the E4 Conference,” Bailey told the Baptist Message. “I learned early in my ministry that I would only be able to speak to most of our people on Sunday morning only. I realized how important it is to preach the Gospel and to make it plain and simple, as well as applicable to everyday life. I am always appreciative of the … [Read more...]

Ministry helps terminally ill ‘gift’ family

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Patients who receive a terminal diagnosis experience physical and emotional trauma, so one non-profit ministry has created an opportunity for them to record a special message to emphasize something other than the trials to loved ones. Since 2019, Jewels of Remembrance, derived from Malachi 3:16-18, has given families this blessing of a legacy of love. Dianne Miller, a member of Parkview Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, said the complimentary videotaped messages allow the individuals to pass down words that their families will cherish for years to come.  Miller started the ministry after she videotaped a conversation with her dad, Richard, then 96 years old. Her father suffered from multiple health issues and died in 2023 at age 100. She realized the importance of capturing a visual memory of her dad and felt others who had loved ones who received a terminally ill diagnosis could benefit from similar videotaped messages. A year later, Miller started offering to make complimentary recordings for others. Those who participate submit in writing their agreement to being videotaped and participate in two “visitation” sessions before taping. During those … [Read more...]