Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Governor’s Phase Two opens church gatherings to 50 percent capacity

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Nearly three weeks after the state entered Phase One of reopening the economy, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday that churches and many other businesses in the state may increase their percentage use of seating when a new order is issued Friday. Under the new guidance from the state fire marshal, Department of Health and Governor’s Office, congregations will be allowed to fill up to 50 percent of a worship center’s capacity, compared to a limit of 25 percent under the current order that ends after Thursday. Louisianans will be under the new order June 5 through June 25. “We are seeing signs of progress,” Edwards said about the fight against the pandemic during his Monday news conference. “Louisiana is headed in the right direction. “We still have work to do,” he continued. “We still have some restrictions that have to be in place. We are not going to be fully back to normal for some time and certainly not likely until we have a vaccine that is safe, effective, mass produced and then administered to some significant percentage of the population. But we are moving in the right direction.” Other businesses that now can open, with the same maximum occupancy limit of 50 … [Read more...]

Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Background)

By Dr. Chuck Kelley The year 2000 marked a profound turning point for the Southern Baptist Convention. The beginning of a new century brought a new and unexpected problem to Southern Baptists: prolonged decline. Not noticed at the time, the official SBC statistics from the 2000 church year proved to be a harbinger of things to come. It started with baptisms. Because Jesus identified baptisms as a marker for making disciples in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the number of baptisms recorded by its churches has always been an important measure of progress for Southern Baptists. For much of SBC history, the proportional growth in the total number of baptisms consistently exceeded growth in the total number of SBC churches. As the number of churches grew, so did the number of baptisms by those churches. However, in the 2000 church year those trend lines crossed. The number of churches continued climbing, but the number of baptisms by those churches began dropping. That year proved to be a sea change, not an anomaly. A new phenomenon in the Southern Baptist story began to unfold. The graph above was prepared by Dr. Bill Day of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health at New Orleans … [Read more...]

Can you see the light?

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - For over two months now, my oldest son, my mom, and I have spent most Friday mornings at my mom’s clearing overgrown brush. What was planted as a fruit orchard in an open pasture almost thirty years ago has grown into a wilderness of every kind of vine and tree imaginable. How did the orchard get that way? For one, my dad seldom pruned anything. He liked to plant things and watch them grow. Therefore, the fruit trees and grapevines grew too big. That l...ed to the second problem: procrastination. As other trees started to come up among the fruit trees, even though I mowed the area through high school and college, I was not allowed to cut those trees. “We’ll cut them later.” Well, we never did. Daddy said “later” until he died thirteen years ago. When I moved here, mom said, “Sometime we need to cut those trees.” I too said, “Later.” Now, here we are another twelve years later! Guess what? The little trees aren’t so little anymore and now there are a lot more! We have worked hard cutting down trees, pulling vines, and hauling brush to our now three massive piles. We are nowhere near through. However, when we stopped on Friday, we rejoiced because we could see all the way through … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastor loses home in fire

By Message Staff KINDER, La. (LBM) - A Kinder church planter is in need of prayers and financial assistance after a fire destroyed his home Thursday. Trev Talbert, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church in Kinder, told the Baptist Message an electrical fire was to blame, but no one was at home when the incident occurred. Talbert, who also is a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was in New York City Thursday providing medical care to those impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Talbert said he is grateful for the financial gifts received. These include monetary donations from the Louisiana Baptist Convention, St. Paul Baptist members, EJ Kemper, pastor of Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Lake Charles, and others from Carey Baptist Association. “I could never thank the LBC and [Director of Missions] Bruce Baker enough for the love they’ve showered on me since the fire," he said. "This has been one of the most devastating losses I’ve ever had to endure and to have them looking out for me the way they have has definitely made this a bit easier to deal with.” John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team director, delivered a check from the church planter supplement fund to Talbert … [Read more...]

Pineville plane crash tragic for Calvary Baptist family

By Message Staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Blake and Ben Cooper, two brothers who were members of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, were killed in a private plane crash Sunday afternoon. According to City of Pineville officials, Ben was flying the plane when the accident occurred after take off from the Pineville Municipal Airport at 1:20 p.m. Blake’s son, Mason, was thrown from the wreckage, underwent survey and is expected to live, officials said. The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Ben was owner and administrator of Oceans Behavioral Hospital in Alexandria while Blake was executive director of the Central Louisiana Regional Port.   … [Read more...]

HIS Church keeps baptism pace despite pandemic

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Quinton Aldecoa had heard about God's amazing grace before, but in January the concept resonated with him during a message by Pastor Steve Speer at HIS Church in Pineville. He confessed his sins, asked God's forgiveness, and was anxious to make a public profession of faith through baptism at an annual group baptism celebration at Lake Buhlow. After the novel coronavirus pandemic delayed the special service until after all restrictions on public gatherings are lifted, Aldecoa opted instead to be baptized with two others during the first available opportunity following the May 24 in-facility worship service. Friends and family, gathered in an area outside the worship center, cheered on the three new concerts whom Speer baptized inside a portable baptistery in front of a large photo of Lake Buhlow. "Getting baptized was a huge sigh of relief," Aldecoa told the Baptist Message. "I was hit hard a few months ago about my need to follow Christ and to lead spiritually. Our family's discipleship and spiritual growth starts with me." GROWTH THROUGH SALVATIONS Since HIS Church was formed in 2006, 659 persons have been baptized. Membership has grown from 22 … [Read more...]

2020 Commission update: Plant soul-winning churches that multiply

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the sixth in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS FIVE Partner with churches, associations and other Southern Baptist entities to plant healthy, culturally relevant, biblically sound, multiplying churches that seek to fulfil the Great Commission. Since 2010, the Louisiana … [Read more...]