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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Refugees, immigrants mean big money for charities

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor BALTIMORE, Md. (LBM) – While the crisis at the U.S. southern border and civil wars around the world have stretched thin governmental resources that provide shelter and other basics of humanitarian aid, faith groups, which are considered essential service providers both in this country and abroad, have seen their budgets boom with government grants and contracts. The most extreme example of this growth industry is the Catholic Relief Services, the humanitarian arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 10 years the organization has grown from receiving $361,186 in government contracts and grants within revenues of $599,258 (which included $126,822 in noncash donations) to $516.7 million in government grants and contracts (or more than 68 percent) of cash revenues of $755.9 million (with another nearly $282 million in noncash contributions). Sean Callahan, president of Catholic Relief Services, earned $497,416 in compensation for 2017- 2018, according to the group’s latest IRS Form 990, nearly as much as the entire budget from a decade earlier. The remaining 10 paid officers and executives for CRS received an average compensation of $209,288, while the other 6,895 employees … [Read more...]

Suburban renewed after recent rebuild

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – On Feb. 7, 2017, an EF-3 tornado ripped apart the worship center and education building of the Suburban Baptist Church in New Orleans. But in 2019, the congregation has experienced a spiritual rebirth marked by nine baptisms, coinciding with the final repairs to the facilities. “For the last two years I have been inwardly focused trying to rebuild what was destroyed by the tornado,” Pastor Jeffery Friend told the Baptist Message. “God sent a mighty army of volunteers from across the country to rebuild our church and I knew the least we can do was to fill our buildings again for Him. “People have been inviting others to worship services and the neighborhood has been curious about what was happening as teams came in to rebuild,” he continued. “Many folks have known our church’s facilities were destroyed by the tornado. They wanted to see what the progress looked like on the inside. We took advantage of their curiosity and have seen God work in great ways.” Suburban Baptist Church averaged 200 people in Sunday morning worship before the tornado reduced that number to 30. However, the congregation refused to disband and used the facilities at Gentilly Baptist … [Read more...]

1,835 new Brazilian believers!

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MONTES CARLOS, Brazil (LBM) – A 56-member mission team recently continued the Gospel vision of former Louisiana Baptists Director of Evangelism Wayne Jenkins with a nearly two-week mission trip to his beloved Brazil. Jenkins, who previously led 34 mission trips to Brazil, took his final mission trip to that country in July 2018 before his death Nov. 13 after a lengthy battle with cancer. His son-in-law, David Denton, said Jenkins’ love for the Brazilian people was felt by the team members who participated in the trip, July 5-16, in Montes Carlos, Brazil. “It was an emotional trip, in some aspects, but God was gracious and the trip went smoothly,” said Denton, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia and coordinator of the trip. “We miss Mr. Wayne.  But he and (his wife) Mrs. Martha loved the Brazilian people and were instrumental in helping people catch a vision for partnership missions. Mrs. Martha continues to be an important part of the work there. Beyond the Walls remains focused on the same objective of sharing the life transforming message of God’s grace in Christ.” The Louisiana Baptist-led mission team partnered with Beyond the Walls – a Louisiana-based ministry … [Read more...]

Trump profanes God’s name, twice

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor GREENVILLE, N.C. (LBM) -- During a July 17 campaign rally in Greeville, North Carolina, President Trump cursed twice, invoking God’s name both times, while speaking to supporters in Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University. Afterward, most mainstream media outlets took issue with a “send her back” chant by the crowd, directed at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), after Trump criticized anti-Semitic comments she has made and other statements in which she minimized the 911 terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists. However, at least a few attentive viewers took issue with the president’s use of foul language that demeaned God. Trump used the offensive phrase, first, while telling an anecdote about a businessman who reluctantly conceded he was prospering because of the president’s economic policies, and a second time while describing the outcome of a hypothetical military strike against Iran. Criticism lit up social media, but died down just as quickly. But a West Virginia lawmaker took the matter to heart and wrote a formal letter to respectfully express being appalled that the president “chose to use the Lord’s name in vain.” Paul Hardesty, a state senator, is … [Read more...]

Berkley, California, becomes ‘no man’ land

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor BERKLEY, Calif. (LBM) – In the 1960s, Berkley, California, was known as the epicenter of the countercultural revolution. In 2019, the city has become the center of a movement to ban gender-specific language, including the word “manhole” which must now be referred to as a “maintenance hole” because of an ordinance passed July 23. The move will replace all gendered language from the municipal code, according to the measure’s sponsor Rigel Robinson, a 23-year- old councilman and recent graduate of U.C. Berkley, in an effort to avoid bias against non-binary persons (those who do not identify as either male or female). City manager Dee Williams-Ridley concurred with the measure, explaining in a memorandum to the council that the “broadening societal awareness of transgender and gender-nonconforming identities has brought to light the importance of non-binary, gender inclusivity.” “Firemen” will be referred to instead as “firefighters,” and, “policemen” will be addressed as “police officers.” References to women will be abolished as well: “Pregnant woman” will become “pregnant employee.” Likewise, all pronouns which identify the sex of a person will be changed: “He” and “she” will … [Read more...]

SBC lawmaker fails in third attempt to impeach President Trump

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – U.S. Rep. Al Green (D- Houston) lost in his July 16 attempt to impeach President Trump by a vote of 332-95 to table the issue. It was Green’s third such attempt. He previously introduced articles of impeachment in December 2017, when Republicans controlled the House, and again in March of this year with House Democrats in control. Both times he was soundly defeated. On Wednesday, 137 Democrats voted to kill Green’s resolution and 95 supported it. He is listed as the lone Southern Baptist Democrat serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Baptist Press, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, previously reported Green is a member of Cullen Missionary Baptist Church in Houston. Green’s complaints against the president cited Trump’s tweets (which were condemned as “racist” in a separate House resolution vote largely along political party lines) against four congresswomen, and accused the president of bringing “the high office of the president of the United States in contempt, ridicule, disgrace and disrepute” causing “discord among the people of the United States.” His two other attempts accused the president of causing racial … [Read more...]

Grawood Baptist offers rest and Hope through bed ministry

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – More than 150 members of Grawood Baptist Church gathered after Sunday morning worship, May 19, to build 60 beds for needy children in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Some assembled the beds while others served food or watched the children of members constructing the beds in less than three hours for the Bossier Parish chapter of the non-profit organization Sleep In Heavenly Peace. According to its website, Sleep in Heavenly Peace was founded in 2012 and its motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” Volunteers built 4,144 beds last year for children across the U.S. Grawood Pastor Chris Willcutt said was he thrilled to see his members display a spirit of oneness to reach the Kingdom. “From a pastor’s heart that makes me excited,” Willcutt said. “The greatest commandment of all is to love God and love others. Over the years as leadership we tried to pour out to our congregation that we need to love others. What they do for each other tends to trickle out to the community for others. I am seeing that going out into the community.” Members raised nearly $20,000 to build the beds. The largest fundraiser was through a gun raffle and clay shoot that was … [Read more...]

1. Skills of Louisiana Church Planters

By John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team leader I am an avid sports fan. Basketball, golf, football, baseball – it doesn’t matter, I love them all. One of the most fascinating things for me about athletics is the skill levels of players. Some are gifted physically, blessed with height and a big body frame, for example. But, they are not necessarily the top performers in their sport because they do not possess the same level of skills of the great players. Take basketball for example. If it just took physicality, every tall and strong person could play in the NBA. But obviously, that is not the case. The NBA has its share of big players, but these men have honed their skills in shooting, dribbling, passing and rebounding in ways few have mastered. In football there are positions filled by “skilled players” – quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, field goal kickers (people who put points on the board) and punters (guys who keep the other team on the other side of the field). They are “specialists” who have developed unique skill sets in order to make a team. In his biography, legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant made some key observations about the differences between natural physical … [Read more...]