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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

FBC Mandeville holds Bible reading marathon

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MANDEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Nearly 150 staff and members with First Baptist Church, Mandeville, gathered inside the worship center to read all the way through the Bible during the last weekend in March, according to congregational sources. Held for the second year, “Our Eyes on your Word” began at the end of the congregation's Wednesday midweek worship, March 25, and concluded Sunday morning, March 29.  Men, women, boys and girls of all ages read passages aloud for an hour at a time around the clock. Pastor Ronny Cooksey read three times during the marathon: Genesis 1-2 to kick off the event, Ezekiel at 3 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, and Revelation 22 during the second worship service Sunday morning. The church live streamed the entire event so members and others could tune in and be encouraged any hour of the day. Cooksey said the 78-hour event was “low budget but highly engaging.” “It wasn’t very flashy, yet was so fun,” Cooksey told the Baptist Message. “On the one hand, it’s about lifting up the Lord’s Word and devoting a weekend to just elevating His Word. And then we had a team accomplishment feeling, where long-time and even new members came together for a fun event. “When I … [Read more...]

ERLC presidential search committee announces Evan Lenow as the candidate to serve as ERLC president

By ERLC NASHVILLE (ERLC) - The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s presidential search committee has announced Evan Lenow as their candidate to serve as the entity’s next president. The full board of trustees will vote on this recommendation from the search committee at a special called meeting in April. Lenow’s candidacy follows a seven-month search led by the search committee, composed of seven trustees approved by the full board. Lenow currently serves as the director of the Institute for Christian Leadership, director of Church and Minister Relations, and chair of the Christian Studies Department for Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. Mitch Kimbrell, chair of the search committee, commented on Lenow’s presidential candidacy. “Evan is exceptionally qualified and has time-tested experience, but what I’m most encouraged by is how much he loves Southern Baptists and how eager he is to serve by helping us apply the Scriptures and the Baptist Faith and Message to the most important ethical questions of our day. I know that when he represents Southern Baptists in the public square, he’ll do so as one of us.” If elected by the ERLC trustee board, Lenow will assume the role of ERLC president, succeeding Gary … [Read more...]