State Dept orders evacuation of non-emergency US personnel from embassy in Beirut
Ponchatoula mission team spots a hometown bus in Honduras
By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MARCALA, Honduras (LBM) – A team from First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, experienced a “God-wink moment” during a recent mission trip to Honduras. While serving in the village of Marcala, the team stumbled upon a school bus formerly used by the Tangipahoa Parish School District, where Ponchatoula is located. Associate Pastor Robert Parkin said the group felt it was another confirmation that God had called them there to serve. “The best way to describe it is just a clear reminder of God's faithfulness and his calling for our church to serve these people,” Parkin told the Baptist Message about the sighting of the bus, which was bought by someone with no connection to the team. “How else do you end up with the school bus from your parish in the same community that you are committed to serving and reaching with the Gospel? So, it was quite shocking to see, and (Honduran) Pastor Juan thought I was crazy, because I had to chase down the bus while going up switchbacks in the mountains, to get a photo of it.” Parkin was among 14 members of the mission team that served in Marcala, Jan. 31 - Feb 7, as part of a medical effort that served 575 patients (ranging from two … [Read more...]
CENLA hymn sing scheduled for March 8
By Baptist Message staff TIOGA, La. (LBM) – Faith Baptist Church, Tioga, will host a hymn sing, March 8 at 6 p.m., to bring together Central Louisiana churches for a time of joint worship that also will include Scripture reading and prayer, according to an announcement by Clark Palmer, who is pastor of FBCT. Kevin Boles, bi-vocational pastor with Lone Star Baptist Church, Hineston, will direct the congregational singing and Sylvia Murrell will accompany on piano. “Hymns build our faith and lift our spirit,” Palmer told the Baptist Message. “We sing about the faithfulness of God and it gives us hope. We sing about the cross and we are moved to deep gratitude. We sing about the greatness of God and we are moved to worship. We hear the voices of the gathered congregation singing and we know we are not alone in our faith.” … [Read more...]
U.S. Fifth Circuit vacates preliminary injunction against Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law
By the Office of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill NEW ORLEANS (Office of Louisiana Attorney General) - The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the American Civil Liberties Union, allowing Louisiana public schools to immediately start posting displays of the Ten Commandments. This comes only a month after the whole Fifth Circuit heard oral argument in the case. “Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally. Louisiana public schools should follow the law," said Attorney General Liz Murrill on the ruling, issued on Feb. 20. When the law went into effect in the beginning of 2025, Murrill issued guidance to all Louisiana public schools regarding compliance with the law. You can find that guidance here. Read the ruling here. … [Read more...]
Jeffreys begins new chapter as LBCHFM president, CEO
By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – David Jeffreys, a long-time minister and most recently Louisiana Christian University administrator, will succeed Perry Hancock, effective Feb. 16, as president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries. Jeffreys told the Baptist Message he is excited about leading a time-honored institution that has impacted so many families. “The Children’s Home has always been one of those ministries where you get to do some incredible things and to really reach out and help people in their time of need with physical and emotional support, but also with the Gospel,” Jeffreys said. SAVED, CALLED A native of New Iberia, Jeffreys turned to Jesus at 14 years old while attending a youth camp at Acadian Baptist Center, Eunice. His parents and other members with Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia, continued to disciple him until he left to attend Louisiana College (now LCU) in 1988. During his sophomore year, while working as a summer camp counselor at Dry Creek Baptist Camp, Jeffreys responded to the Holy Spirit’s call for him to pursue vocational ministry, he said, noting that LCU Professor Welby Bozeman … [Read more...]
Goliath the Poet (Cartoon: Beyond the Ark)
PREVIEW (“Overflowing Peace”): Our Shepherd is Personal
By Tara Dew, special to the Baptist Message NEW ORLEANS (LBM) -- This is the second of four excerpts Tara Dew has made available to Baptist Message readers from her newly released book, “Overflowing Peace,” a follow-up work to her best-selling book, “Overflowing Joy.” “The LORD” (or Yahweh) is the only name in Scripture used to describe the personal relationship that God has with His people. This is His particular, covenantal name for Himself which declares how He desires to relate to His people. God desires to call His chosen people by the name of “His” own sheep who are under “His” care and in “His” pasture (Ps 95:7,100:3). Said another way, He looks at His people and considers them My sheep. But what about the other side of the relationship? How far is the personal nature of God allowed to reach? Can His people dare to say “my” toward Him in return? This is exactly why David says, “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1, italics added). The intimacy goes both ways! David contrasts the greatness of Yahweh with the intimate, personal pronoun “my.” In this one sentence, we see God’s deity and transcendence contrasted with His humanity and eminence. David juxtaposes the Almighty, powerful characteristics of God, with the … [Read more...]
APOLOGETICS 101 (Part 2): Science confirms the Bible’s creation account
By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor This is the second installment of a 12-part series about evidence that the Bible is truth. ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – When Bible critics attack the creation account, they almost always first argue that “every religion has a creation story” or make some similar dismissive statement that attempts to shut off discussion without looking at the facts. However, lumping the Bible’s creation account in with other religions’ creation mythologies is an act of sophistry (deliberate lie) or fallacy (unintention al deception) because it ignores the extraordinary differences that make the Bible’s record of events distinct in its trustworthiness. Outside of Christianity, regardless of the religion or the culture, creation stories tend to fall into one of several categories: (1) The world resulted because of fighting among various gods. (2) The world resulted from intimacy between a fertility goddess and another god. (3) Some creation myths describe their gods as emerging from the world (i.e. the world always existed, and their god was produced by nature – not the other way around). In stark contrast, only Genesis 1 narrates an orderly process that is scientifically plausible: … [Read more...]
Louisiana Notables
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Cas, wife Kayla, Sullivan have been called to be the new BCM Director for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. David, wife Stephanie, Jeffreys new President & CEO of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries, effective February 16, 2026. Mark, wife Karen, Robinson is the new interim pastor at Longview Baptist Church, Deville. David, wife Debbie, Martinez called as an associate Pastor at First Baptist Church, Zwolle. Corey Coleman is the new pastor at Bethesda Baptist Church, Shreveport. Marty Wright is the interim pastor at Oak Hill Baptist Church, Plain Dealing. Kelly McGuffee is the new Children’s director at South Bossier Baptist Church, Bossier City. Jeremy Fortenberry resigns as music director at Summer … [Read more...]
