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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

CENLA gathers to pray for schools, community

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist pastors joined other concerned citizens from Central Louisiana, Oct. 2, to pray for students, teachers, families and the community. Held outside the Rapides Parish School Board offices in Alexandria, the event was marked by special music and prayer led by pastors of various denominations and by small groups who prayed for an area recently impacted by social media shooting threats involving several schools, Sept. 27-29. Juveniles who published the threats against Alexandria Senior High School, Peabody Magnet High School, Pineville High School and Tioga High School have since been arrested on charges of “terrorizing” and  were placed into the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria. The Peabody Magnet High School principal as well as local officials and law enforcement considered the social media posting against that school to be a credible threat and consequently cancelled the homecoming parade and football game that had been scheduled for Sept. 27. Brad Webb, pastor with Family of Grace Church, Alexandria, said that the events of the week did not take God by surprise and that God still is on His throne. “Today, God, we come, … [Read more...]

Miss LC 1966 comes home to serve as pageant judge

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – The Miss LCU pageant will be held Oct. 16 during Homecoming Week and for one judge it will feel like even more of a homecoming. “I’ve done my homework,” said Judy Griffin Perkins, Miss Louisiana College 1966. “I’ve been researching what judges do, and what questions we can ask.” Perkins, a vocal music/music education major who sang an operatic aria for her talent, refelected upon her own time competing in the Miss LC pageant. Perkins said the contestants today are fortunate because they can move on to the Miss Louisiana competition. “At that time, the student body voted on the 16 contestants,” she said. “Ten were selected for interview, tea and talent. We met in President (G. Earl) Guinn’s home. Mrs. Guinn was such a fantastic hostess.” After being chosen Miss LC in 1966, Perkins felt challenged to be the best representative of the school for life. She said she and her husband, Larry, who she met as a student, have done their best to give back to the school from the many blessings they have received in their lives. They have established several scholarships and routinely give to the Board of Visitors, which supplies scholarship money to deserving students. … [Read more...]

LCU President Mark Johnson offers encouragement amid school social media threats

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Shortly after several Central Louisiana schools received social media threats of possible shootings, Louisiana Christian University President Mark Johnson travelled to be the light of Christ on the campuses of Alexandria Senior High School, Peabody Magnet High School, Pineville High School and Tioga High School, Sept. 29-30. “Normally I’m allowed to go and visit with students in lunchrooms but recently they've had a lot of shooting threats in our area,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “We’ve been having a lot of opportunities to sit alongside young people and remind them they’re going to be okay. “I went from being president to pastor real quick because they're nervous over these last few days,” he continued. “And it turned out to be a time of great encouragement and hearing from the students.” All four schools received threats on social media, Sept. 29, though the shootings never took place. The juveniles who made the threats were arrested, placed into the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria and charged with terrorizing, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Peabody Magnet High School’s homecoming parade and football … [Read more...]

LCU becomes first university in state to accept SAT, ACT test alternative as TOPS qualifier

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University has become the first university in the state to accept the Classic Learning Test as a qualifier for Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarships. While similar to the ACT and SAT that also include sections that test reading, verbal, math and logic skills, the CLT focuses on classical literature, moral philosophy and history. The test also takes two hours to complete, compared to the ACT’s three-hour minimum rate. Additionally, the CLT can be taken online and proctored electronically, compared to the ACT and SAT, which must be taken at an official testing center. “Current research suggests that 10 to 30 percent of secondary education students experience test anxiety at some point in their educational experience,” LCU Director of Counseling Services Amy Dufrene. “High-stakes tests, such as the SAT or ACT, can be triggering for those who experience this type of anxiety, due to the unfamiliarity of testing sites and/or time constraints associated with the exam.” Shortened testing time and the ability to access the examination at home with remote proctoring can be significant for these students, she said. “When test … [Read more...]

Cenla Hymn Sing scheduled for Oct. 26

By Baptist Message staff TIOGA, La. (LBM) – Faith Baptist Church will host a hymn sing, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m., to bring together central Louisiana churches for a time of joint worship. The sixth annual hymn sing will include reading of scripture, prayer and singing of hymns under the direction of Kevin Boles, a bivocational pastor with Lone Star Baptist Church in Hineston “They are wonderful times together,” Faith Baptist Pastor Clark Palmer told the Baptist Message. “The sound of brothers and sisters in Christ singing with full hearts and full voices is a rich and uplifting experience. I hope you will join us.” … [Read more...]