Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LBCH’s new foster care approach engages associations

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries has introduced a new model to help associations better engage churches in foster care and adoption ministry. “While each individual church may be involved in foster care and adoption ministry independently, this model encourages a coordination of efforts to serve the foster care community as an association,” Kerri Byrd, director of Connect1Child foster care and adoption services for the LBCHFM, told the Baptist Message. “The model helps to prevent a duplication of services among member churches and provides a more streamlined approach to meet urgent needs.” Under this new approach that was introduced during a meeting at the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association in late January, an associational foster care and adoption ministry coordinator (trained by LBCHFM staff) will organize foster care and adoption ministry efforts throughout his or her association. Through this model, the association can establish support groups for foster parents, provide life essentials for foster children and sponsor events for foster families. The coordinator will serve multiple roles: -- recruit a foster care … [Read more...]

EASTER REFLECTIONS: Who killed Jesus?

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)—Perhaps there is no more controversial question than “Who killed Jesus?” In the early 1960s there was a contentious debate among scholars about whether Jews or Gentiles had killed Jesus. There were charges of anti-Semitism on the one hand and counter claims of bias against Italians, with neither ethnic group wanting to bear the burden of having murdered Christ. The matter had reached such a boiling point that in 1965 the Catholic Church (Vatican II) attempted to negotiate a neutral position, publishing a treatise of sorts on the matter, “Noestra Aetate,” in which it declared that “Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ” but that such blame “cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.” But despite the attempt to assuage Jewish umbrage, the document still asserted that “some” Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death. On the other hand, historian Mark Allan Powell wrote about the other prevailing view that Jesus was “a Jewish victim of Roman violence. “A Gentile Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, condemned Him to death and had Him tortured by … [Read more...]

Bayou State Baptisms: Churches shared Christ during disaster-plagued ‘21

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Despite a plague of weather disasters amid a worldwide pandemic, Louisiana Baptists continued to sow and reap in 2021. According to the Annual Church Profile, Celebration Church (campuses in the New Orleans and Northshore areas) had the most baptisms of any Louisiana Baptist congregation in 2021 (317). Rounding out the top five were: Cypress Baptist Church, Benton (286); First Baptist Church, Covington (105); Bayou Church, Lafayette (95); and Journey Church, Pineville (93). The database showed that churches of all sizes continued to reap spiritual harvests, and those listed below had the most baptisms, per capita (using average worship attendance), among congregations of similar size. Louisiana Baptist Evangelism and Church Growth Team Director Keith Manuel said he is thankful for the many churches who baptize and have a zeal to shed the light of Christ in a world that faces uncertainty. “Easter is always one of the highest attended days of worship,” Manuel told the Baptist Message. “This year -- in light of the crises of health, inflation, and war -- may be one of the great[1]est opportunities to touch hurting people with the Gospel. This … [Read more...]

RAs to prep boys for combat

By Baptist Message staff WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – First through sixth grade boys will have the opportunity to enlist in the Lord’s Army during the 2022 Royal Ambassador Congress. The event, April 8-9 at Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth. will feature a military-themed obstacle course, re-enactment of biblical battles and encouraging messages by Casey Casady, a chaplain with the National Guard and college minister at Temple Baptist Church, Ruston. “Join the Army of the Lord” is the theme, based RAs to prep boys for combat on 2 Timothy 2:4. RA Congress also will include a Pinewood Derby, soap box races and presentations from missionaries. The missions offering collected will go to the National Guard’s family readiness program, which offers resources to help families navigate military life. “I’m excited about our boys learning about some of the battles from the Bible and learning respect for those defending our country and help in times of need,” RA Consultant Mike Collie said. “Hopefully some of them will have a life-changing event while they are there to be involved in some of these areas.” Visit louisianabaptists.org/RACongress (download registration form; more info). … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Richard Gill is the new pastor at Temple Baptist Church, DeRidder. Brian Gunter has resigned as pastor at First Baptist Church, Pollock to become the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Livingston. Dwayne Irwin has been called as the new pastor at Pine Grove Baptist Church, Ruby. Eddie, wife Sabrina, Henson is the new pastor at Briarwood Baptist Church, Franklinton. He began the first week of January. Kyle, wife Gaylynn, Bryan is the new pastor at Clark Springs Baptist Church, Eros. Nathan Davis has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Coushatta. Wes Faulk has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Vidalia to do ministry work overseas. Brian Lassiter is new as minister of music at New Hope Baptist Church, Choudrant. Aaron Dickinson resigned as pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...]

SBC CP dollars hire pro-LGBTQ lawyers

By Don Hinkle, The Pathway editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Up to $2 million of Cooperative Program funds will be paid by the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Executive Committee (EC) to cover legal fees of its newly-retained law firm that supports the Nashville Pride festival, the LGBTQ Bar, and is praised by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ organizations. Bradley Legal was highlighted in Human Rights Campaign’s material, and the firm has touted the link in several releases. “Bradley is pleased to announce that the firm scored a 90 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality,” the law firm reported on its web site. “I am pleased to see the firm’s hard work recognized once again in the Corporate Equality Index,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. Bradley apparently meets all the criteria for HRC’s “Corporate Social Responsibility,” which would require written guidelines that prohibit the firm’s “philanthropic support” of non-religious organizations that draw distinctions based … [Read more...]