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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

‘Pledge of Allegiance’ changed at DNC

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor MILWAUKEE (LBM) -- At least three leaders of groups represented on the digital broadcast of the Democratic National Convention proceedings either deleted or added phrases to substantially alter the Pledge of Allegiance. The DNC Caucus and Council Meeting: Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly as well as the DNC LGBTQ Caucus Meeting were started by reciting the pledge, but “under God” was deleted both times. Meanwhile, the DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council began its meeting with the pledge, with an addition, “with liberty and justice for all … some day.” Although available online, none of these controversial segments have been broadcast on network or cable stations except Fox News. Meanwhile, the DNC platform committee passed a resolution ahead of the virtual meeting of Democrats that applauds the religiously unaffiliated while at the same time condemns people of faith who do not support a liberal political agenda. The “Resolution Regarding Religiously Unaffiliated Demographic” cites the growth of the number of religiously unaffiliated among Democrats, calling the demographic “the largest religious group within the Democratic Party,” and praises the fact that … [Read more...]

Louisiana job losses due to COVID-19 double those lost after Katrina

By Will Hall, Baptist Message staff writer LAFAYETTE, LA. (LBM) -- The Acadiana Advocate has published information from a report compiled by Gary Wagner, an economist with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, showing sharp job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his report, Wager stated, “Louisiana lost more than 218,000 payroll jobs between the first and second quarters of 2020. This represents an 11% reduction and is the largest quarterly loss in jobs for periods in which we have economic data. To put this figure into perspective, the state lost just over 6% of its jobs in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina.” Wagner further noted that “More than 800,000 individuals have applied for initial unemployment claims since March 14, 2020 in excess of the state’s historical average.” For context, he shared that for the last 34 years, “the state averages around 3400 new unemployment claims per week in August.” But, even with the dire news regarding lost jobs and surging jobless claims, Wagner is optimistic about the economy in the near term, according to the Advocate. The state economy will pick up, although Wagner predicts it will be 7 percent smaller than in 2019, the Advocate reported, noting that increased … [Read more...]

Six Baptist state executives say there’s no partnership in new NAMB ‘strategic cooperative agreement’

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor VANCOUVER, Wash. (LBM) – Executive directors representing five Western state conventions and a Midwestern one have written a passionate letter, Aug. 12, 2020, addressed to Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, and his trustees, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and its president, Ronnie Floyd, repudiating what they describe as a lack of partnership in the new “Strategic Cooperative Agreement” that NAMB presented to “non-South Baptist state conventions, dated June 26-30, 2020.” The six leaders include Randy Adams (Northwest Baptist Convention), Bill Agee (California Southern Baptist Convention), Joe Bunce (Baptist Convention of New Mexico), Randy Covington (Alaska Baptist Resource Network), Jack Kwok (State Convention of Baptists in Ohio) and Chris Martin (Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention). Saying “we work most effectively when working in collaboration and harmony, especially in our non-South states where the local context and cultures of our mission fields can vary so significantly,” they described NAMB as becoming increasingly centralized and unilateral in its strategies and relationships with state conventions, adding … [Read more...]

EDITORIAL: Use science to drive COVID-19 policies

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – COVID-19 continues to kill people in our state and across our nation even though government officials know what is causing the complications leading to hospitalizations, ventilations and deaths and why COVID-19 affects a very specific vulnerable population in such dramatic ways. As of this writing, there have been about 4,500 deaths from the coronavirus in our state, with 41 percent of these lost lives being suffered by nursing home residents, according to Louisiana Department of Health data. Indeed, more than 3,000 deaths (67 percent) have stricken those 70 years old or more. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published information showing that half of the 176,000 COVID-19 deaths, so far, have taken the lives of those 78 years old or more. But what these victims share in common is not age. Instead, they have a condition also shared with younger victims of hospitalizations, ventilations and deaths – an increased volume of angiotensin converting enzyme 2, a protein that regulates blood pressure. It is a factor in hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease, chronic kidney disease and obesity, all of which are comorbid … [Read more...]

Louisiana College starts new year with revival on campus

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Curtis Zackery challenged Louisiana College students to move beyond only knowing about the Bible and to enter into a life centered on following Christ. “Right now in this cultural moment some of us have been wooed and have been deceived to think the most important thing is we need to know stuff,” Zackery said during the “Awakening” revival series. “What we really need is to understand the power of Jesus Christ. “We don’t need to just know in our heads ideas about the Bible,” he continued. “We need to believe in our hearts that awakening can actually happen in our city, in our country, in our world.” Zackery, a youth evangelist from Franklin, Tennesee, shared from Mark 8 about how Jesus used the healing of a blind man to move the disciples from knowing about Christ to understanding Him. “This is going to be the thing that will help as a community going into the school year with some purpose, some vision and direction,” he said. “This difference between knowing and understanding is such a big deal that I think it can be the key for us to navigate our current cultural moment.” Zackery’s message during the revival, Aug. 14-16, was among many … [Read more...]

Kennedy urges Edwards to label places of worship as “essential” and rescind capacity cap

By Office of U.S. Sen. John Kennedy MADISONVILLE, La. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) wrote Monday, Aug. 17, to Gov. John Bel Edwards, asking that he rescind the capacity cap currently on places of worship and extend the same Phase 2 capacity rules guiding protesters and “essential businesses.” “According to your guidance, “essential businesses” do not have uniform capacity limits and instead are trusted to determine individual safety requirements in coordination with the state. Places of worship, therefore, should also be exempt from mandatory capacity limits and their pastors and leaders entrusted to choose the best course of action for their congregations. . . . I disagree with this uneven application of Phase 2 guidelines, as I find no reason to assume the best of protestors and patrons of “essential businesses” but the worst of worshipers,” wrote Kennedy. On June 4, Edwards signed an executive order to move Louisiana into Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. “I, therefore, respectfully ask you to treat people of faith by the same standards you have treated protests and “essential businesses” and that you rescind the capacity cap on churches and other places of worship,” Kennedy concluded. Kennedy’s letter is available … [Read more...]