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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Baptisms mark launch of FBC Moss Bluff’s second campus

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer DERIDDER, La. (LBM) – Sensing God’s call to plant a church for several years, Bubba Sharpton said it was easy to say “yes” in June 2023 to an invitation to become pastor of a second campus of First Baptist Church, Moss Bluff. Ten months later, the church’s second campus celebrated its first service, March 31, with four baptisms and 420 people packing the congregation’s temporary home at the Wooten Theater in DeRidder. “We were overwhelmed and humbled at the tangible joy and excitement experienced by all who were able to join us,” Sharpton told the Baptist Message. “God exceeded our expectations and moved in a powerful way through baptism, song, and the sharing of the Word.” BACKGROUND In 2020, Sharpton was enjoying a career in the chemical plant industry when he and his wife, Brandi, who were both members of FBCMB at the time, sensed that God wanted them to get their finances in order. As the couple began to pay down their home mortgage, FBCMB staff conducted a survey on the church’s health and readiness to take the “next step” in following God. Compiling the inputs, a plan emerged to plant a second campus in DeRidder. By early 2023, FBCMB Pastor Bryan Carter … [Read more...]

SBC EC declines transparency motions

By Baptist Message staff INDIANAPOLIS (LBM) – Leading up to the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, the Executive Committee declined to act on two motions that called for enhanced transparency in the financial reports provided by Southern Baptist entities. Presented by messengers during the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the motions would have required Convention entities to provide Southern Baptists with detailed information about highly compensated individuals -- like other tax-exempt organizations that are mandated to submit the Form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service. The motions would not have required entities to submit Form 990 to the IRS, but only provide the detailed breakout information about executive salaries to Southern Baptists. Instead of requiring such transparency, the EC urged Convention entities to uphold all current reporting standards and promised to review the Business and Financial Plan “to determine ways to enhance transparency and clarity of reporting to the Convention, and will report its findings and recommendations to the messengers at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas.” … [Read more...]