By Will Hall, Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Alexandria, Louisiana, is 130 miles north of the shoreline where Hurricane Laura made landfall with 150 mph winds. Still, a number of residents in this crossroads city were not spared catastrophe from the fierceness of the storm and yet some received blessings despite tragic damage to their homes. NEEDS ASSESSED The North Carolina Baptist Men disaster relief teams were some of the first out-of-state responders to arrive in Alexandria to offer aid in the form of tarps, bottled water and food, and to deploy chainsaw crews to remove trees that had fallen on homes or that threatened private houses. Tony Hodge and Bill McCumbee, members of East Belmont Baptist Church in Belmont, North Carolina, were dispatched Sept. 16 to Dartmouth Street and later, Sept. 18, to 15th Street to perform needs assessment and also to prioritize work in these neighborhoods. “We were writing up what it would take to help the people get back in their homes,” McCumbee recalled. “They had such a story that touched Tony and me such that Tony decided to hold back the reports” (to personally oversee completion of the work orders instead of submitting them through normal … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) –The site for the Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting in 2020 has been changed to Guinn Auditorium on the campus of Louisiana College in Pineville, the LBC Executive Board announced during its Sept. 29 business meeting. The meeting at will be held Nov. 10 from 12:45 to 5 p.m. and will not include exhibits or auxiliary meetings such as seminary luncheons. The Pastors’ Conference also will not take place. Originally, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans was named the host, but on June 30 the decision was made to change the venue due possible attendance restrictions in the city relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The reason that we are recommending this is because this allows our messengers from most any point in the state to drive to Pineville in the morning, attend the meeting, and return home that evening if they would choose to do so,” Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn told board members at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth. “The annual meeting at Louisiana College at Guinn Auditorium also allows for us to have maximum social distancing guidelines that are important for us to maintain during this … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation has gifted the Louisiana Baptist Convention $25,000 to cover insurance deductibles for four Baptist Collegiate Ministry sites, as well as the Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center and the Baptist Building -- all damaged by Hurricane Laura. While insurance adjusters have not completed full assessments for all the facilities, preliminary reports estimate there is at least a combined $1.2 million in damages, according to Dale Lingenfelter, business and information services director for Louisiana Baptists. The BCM facilities at McNeese State University, Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana and Louisiana State University, Alexandria, will need either partial or complete roof replacements. The roof of the Louisiana Baptist Building, the state mission center in Alexandria, also needs repairs. Meanwhile, Tall Timbers must repair one of its cabins, the ropes course and the loading dock that were damaged by Laura. “The damage to McNeese BCM was extensive,” Lingenfelter told the Baptist Message. “The roof damage allowed a lot of water inside which will call for a complete rebuild of the interior and replacement of all … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer RAYVILLE, La. (LBM) – Pastor Eddie Wren turned on his television hours after Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana and was heartbroken as he saw images of damaged homes and residents weeping. He knew the needs would be great in the days ahead and believed First Baptist Church in Rayville would step up to help, just as they did for Suburban Baptist Church in New Orleans after it was destroyed by a tornado in 2017. Wren, who recalled that Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn previously mentioned disaster relief response costs were high after storms like Laura, proposed during a Sept. 13 deacons meeting that they approve a $25,000 donation to disaster relief efforts. One deacon, who thought the goal should be higher, suggested the amount be doubled to $50,000 and that the church should hold a supply drive to fill a 6 by 12 ft. trailer. Both motions were approved unanimously, and on Sept. 24 Wren and two members of his church delivered the $50,000 check to the state missions team at the Louisiana Baptist Building in Alexandria before they dropped off donated supplies at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. “We are thankful we are able to do that,” … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer HACKBERRY, La. (LBM) – Monte Rowse was speechless as he stood near a pile of debris inside the worship center of First Baptist Church, Hackberry, four days after Hurricane Laura passed through the community. Though he knew the road to recovery would be lengthy and tiresome, Rowse was certain God would provide and renew the strength of the weary congregation. Soon, multiple churches came alongside First Baptist Hackberry: -- First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, gave the congregation $10,000 to pay the insurance deductible, allowing the church to rebuild facilities. -- Praise Church in Beaumont, Texas, donated money to cover the staff salaries through the end of the year, and continues to send teams to serve the Hackberry community. The Lone Star state congregation also provided lodging on their campus for the Rowse family while their home was being rebuilt. Rowse said the outpouring of support by other churches in four states has been humbling. “If there is a need, I just pick up and call my partner churches,” Rowse told the Baptist Message. “God is meeting our needs every single day. We didn’t go out searching for it but God is providing when we least expect it. “If … [Read more...]