By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – During the 2025 Louisiana Baptist Pastors Con­ference, Nov. 10, held in the Randolph Riverfront Center, Alexandria, speakers offered words to encourage pastors. TODD STRAIN Todd Strain, pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, spoke during the opening session from Matthew 6:16-18 and encouraged pastors to consider fast­ing. “I believe for us today if we fast before the Lord as He has called us to do, I believe we will experience His power and provision,” he said. Strain shared that fasting, which is mentioned more than 80 times in the Bible, is an expression of our longing for God, that it will be rewarded, and in volves a plan. Strain said that while the reward from fasting is answered prayer, we also will receive His presence by doing so. “More than His provi­sion, we need His presence,” he said. “The reward from fasting is we get His pres­ence. When we have His presence, we have all we need.” Before fasting, Strain said to define a timeframe such as sunup to sundown, decide to give up something like food and find various times to pray throughout each day. “Overall do a heart check,” he said. “What is God calling you to? Are … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – During the 2025 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Nov. 11, hosted by the Randolph Riverfront Center, Alexan­dria, Louisiana Baptist Executive Di­rector Steve Horn urged messengers to stay on mission together to reach the 4.6 million people who live in the state. “Let’s stay together so that the world may know that God the Father sent the Son,” he said. “Let’s stay together. This is going to require faith. And this is going to require grace. But staying together is going to result in eternal wins. Louisiana Baptists, let’s stay together.” EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNTIES Horn encouraged messengers to commit to reach one person for Christ through the North American Mission Board’s new ‘Who’s Your One in a million’ initiative (a twist on the Southern Baptist Con­vention’s entity’s ‘Who’s Your One?’ personal evangelism effort). This concept challenges one million Christ follow­ers to commit to reach just one person with the Gospel. If one million believers commit to this plan, Lou­isiana could see historical numbers of salvations and subsequent baptisms in churches, Horn said. “It’s not just a lofty goal,” he said. “It’s a very doable … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) — State Rep. Julie Emerson, a member with First Baptist Church, Lafayette, has announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate. “I’m running for the United States Senate because Louisiana deserves a senator who can lead, deliver, and help rebuild America’s confidence,” Emerson said in a news release that announced her candidacy, Oct. 27. “For the first time in years, the future feels brighter than the past.” Emerson will challenge Bill Cassidy, who she said is “the most vulnerable incumbent in the Senate” after he voted to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges. “Voters want a strong conservative senator who can get things done — someone focused on results, not rhetoric,” Emerson said. “I’m running to bring home real outcomes for Louisiana: infrastructure investment, new jobs and a seat at the table where decisions get made.” Emerson, R-Carencro, serves as the chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and was the first woman to chair a finance committee in the state’s legislative history. Moreover, she has sponsored consequential legislation, including bills to cut state income taxes, provide school choice and to end abortion. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, has announced he will retire in October 2026. Luter, who shared about his retirement during an Oct. 19 service that celebrated his 39th anniversary with FABC, said he is grateful to the 65 members who voted to call him as pastor while he was a young street preacher from the Lower Ninth Ward. He also expressed appreciation for being a part of a church that has persevered through four building programs, the COVID pandemic and Hurricane Katrina. During his ministry with FABC, Luter was elected as the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he has seen the church baptize 6,500 new believers, according to church records. “Just looking back on from when it started to up until now, it’s been a joy pastoring Franklin Avenue,” Luter told the Baptist Message. “To see what God has done in this church, with a guy who never pastored before, and then being a part of a church that grew to be one of the largest churches in the state has been a blessing. “And I look at it as God rewarding my faithfulness,” he continued. “I’ve been thankful to God, to His Word, to my … [Read more...]