Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Kennedy votes to send disaster aid to Louisiana and extend flood insurance, Senate passes

By Jess Andrews, Office of Sen. John Kennedy WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has voted in support of a short-term funding bill that would send disaster aid to Louisiana and extend the National Flood Insurance Program without raising the debt limit. The Senate passed the bill on Thursday, Sept. 30, which now moves to the House of Representatives. “If you even glance at the storm damage levied on Louisiana over the last year, you know our people need disaster relief," Kennedy said. "I’m thankful the Senate did the right thing by voting to send aid to our state, extend the flood insurance program Louisianians depend on and keep the government open." Senate Republicans attempted to pass a bill similar to Thursday's legislation on Sept. 27, but Democrats blocked that move before eventually removing the debt ceiling provision from their funding bill and bringing that measure for a vote today. Kennedy has explained the need for disaster aid and criticized the political gamesmanship that originally led Democrats to tether that aid to lifting the debt limit. Video of Kennedy’s comments made on Sept. 27 is available here. … [Read more...]

LC revival: Wilton urges students to become ‘new’

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Don Wilton challenged Louisiana College students, during the campus revival service Wednesday, Sept. 29, to examine their own relationship with Christ and surrender all to Him. Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., based his message on Colossians 1:25. He emphasized to the students that they could experience the same transformation that the apostle Paul experienced in his encounter with Christ. He also offered that each follower of Jesus will experience the fullness of God’s Word if they surrender their life to Him. “Do you know Jesus,” Wilton asked the students gathered inside Guinn Auditorium. “It begins with your relationship with Christ. Maybe today you need to give your heart to Jesus. Pray that simple prayer. Just do it.” Wilton was the featured speaker for the revival services, Sept. 28-30, which resulted in numerous decisions for Christ. Campus faculty will follow up with the students and disciple them. The decisions come as 30 students already have professed their faith in Jesus during the fall semester through the “Awakening” worship services featuring evangelist Curtis Zackery of Franklin, Tenn.,  Aug. 14-16 and the “Arrival” … [Read more...]

CRT: Three problems that evangelicals must navigate

By Ron F. Hale In times of headlong cultural change and confusion, secular philosophies tend to taint our biblical values and virtues. Distinguishing fact from fiction becomes harder. This is even harder when new media-driven narratives automatically put you in a defensive posture as an oppressor of others due to the color of your skin and gender. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

Children’s home opens new recreation center

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries has opened a new recreation center that not only will provide a place to swim, play basketball and enjoy birthday parties but will offer healing to the many children on campus. “This place will be special because it will be filled with joy and laughter of our children,” LBCHFM President and CEO Perry Hancock said during his remarks at the dedication ceremony, Aug. 20. “For them, that is more than special. Most of them have experienced neglect. Many have faced abuse. But here, they will be able to relax and enjoy life. And while they are playing, God will be at work healing their minds and hearts.” The 18,300 sq.-ft. Children’s Recreation and Activity Center includes an indoor pool, gymnasium, and gift room (Christmas and birthday surprises are processed and stored here), and replaces the former gymnasium and pool, which were more than 60 and 40 years old, respectively. Though the project was announced in 2018 and set to open in 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic, hurricanes and unexpected rising construction costs delayed the dedication until this year. The recreation and activity center … [Read more...]

Letlow, Scalise, Graves, Higgins and Carter ask the Corps to speed up Operation Blue Roof

By Office of Congresswoman Julia Letlow WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) has joined Minority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Garret Graves (LA-06), Congressman Clay Higgins (LA-03) and Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02) in sending a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking them to speed up the completion of Operation Blue Roof. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, more than 62,000 Louisiana households have applied for assistance under the program, but only 3,743 installations have been completed to date. The bipartisan group noted that while the Corps is dedicating additional resources to the program, even the advanced completion rate will not meet the pressing need in Southeast Louisiana. “While we appreciate the accelerated speed under this ramp up, at that rate it would take approximately 98 days to complete installation for every applicant under the Blue Roof program,” the letter states. “This timeframe is unacceptable and will lead to additional damage to homes while people’s roofs remain exposed to the elements.” The letter also included a request for the Corps to provide regular updates on the status of the program to Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation, including regular reports of … [Read more...]

Print edition archives

2015 June 4 June 18 July 2 July 16 July 30 Aug. 13 Aug. 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 Oct. 8 Oct. 22 Nov. 5 Dec. 3 2016 Jan. 14 Jan. 28 Feb. 11 March 10 March 24 April 7 April 21 May 5 May 26 June 9 June 30 July 14 July 28 Aug. 11 Aug. 25 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Nov. 3 Nov. 17 Dec. 1 Dec. 15 2017 Jan. 12 Jan. 26 Feb. 9 Feb. 23 March 9 March 23 April 6 April 20 May 4 May 18 June 22 July 6 July 20 Aug. 3 Aug. 17 Aug. 31 Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 9 Nov. 23 Dec. 14 2018 Jan. 11 Jan. 25 Feb. 8 Feb. 22 March 8 March 22 April 5 April 19 May 3 May 17 May 31 June 14 June 28 July 12 July 26 Aug. 9 Aug. 23 Sept. 13 Sept. 27 Oct. 11 Oct. 25 Nov. 8 Nov. 22 Dec. 13 2019 Jan. 10 Jan. 24 Feb. 14 Feb. 28 March 14 March 28 April 11 May 9 May 23 June 9 June 20 July 4 July 18 Aug. 1 Aug. 15 Aug. 29 Sept. 12 Sept. 26 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Nov. 7 Nov. 28 Dec. 12 2020 Jan. 16 Jan. 30 Feb. 13 Feb. 27 March 12 March … [Read more...]

Georgia Barnette Offering helps rescue women and children from sex trafficking

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – Lindsey Crawford had not realized how prevalent sex trafficking was in her community until she met a young mother who was a former victim. For several weeks, Crawford could not forget the incident and asked God how she could be a part of the fight to end human trafficking in her hometown and beyond. What resulted was the creation of “Freedom13,” a jail ministry that focuses on outreach to formerly trafficked people in northeast Louisiana with the intentions of rebuilding their dignity. The ministry’s name is based on Galatians 5:13: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” “At ‘Freedom13’ we want to provide opportunities for women to start over,” Crawford said. “But more than that, we want women to know how important they are to the Lord, to us, and to the Body of Christ. We hope they will find or be reminded of their Gospel-centered, God-given purpose and walk it out, every day.” Since its founding, “Freedom13” has helped rescue more than 20 women and children from the sex trafficking industry and offers them resources to gain a new life through a … [Read more...]