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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

No Phase Three, churches still restricted to 50 percent capacity

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana will remain in Phase Two of reopening the state’s economy, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday. During a news conference, Edwards said that he had hoped to move into Phase Three on Friday, which would have eased additional restrictions. The state has been under the current order since June 5. Under the order, churches will continue to be restricted to 50 percent capacity, and, a 250 person indoor maximum was added. Edwards said the decision was based upon data from the Louisiana Department of Health showing that new novel coronavirus related cases and hospitalizations have increased statewide. He said the state has seen an increase of hospitalizations in three regions, and ranks seventh out of 23 states across the nation experiencing an increase in positive COVID-19 cases. He added that Louisiana surpassed 50,000 positive cases and 3,000 deaths on Monday. The state’s population, according to the U.S. Census, is estimated to be around 4.6 million. “We have to continue to work to flatten the curve, to keep it flattened and make sure that we are moving in the right direction as it relates to case growth and to hospitalizations,” Edwards said. “I am convinced we … [Read more...]

Who is advising you?

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - King Joash of Judah was only seven years old when he became king. During those years, Joash was advised by Jehoiada the priest. As long as Joash was under the authority of God’s priest, he did only good things. Most notably, he rebuilt and repaired the temple. However, as soon as Jehoiada died, Joash failed. He began listening to the wrong advisors and worshiping idols. Joash became so hardened that, even though God sent many prophets to bring the nation ...back to Him, Joash would not listen. His heart-hardness reached its climax when Jehoiada’s son Zechariah spoke against him. In response, Joash completely forgot the kindness of Jehoiada and had Zechariah stoned. Joash’s story is tragic. A good king became an evil king - all because he started listening to the wrong people. It matters to whom you listen. The people you choose or allow to speak into your life can radically alter your course. These people include your friends and family but also the people you read, listen to on the radio or podcasts, or watch on television or online. Be discerning in whom you allow to speak into your life. The wrong voice can lead you down the wrong path. Proverbs tells us that plans succeed … [Read more...]

Basile congregation thankful after fire

By Message Staff BASILE, La. (LBM) – First Baptist Church of Basile is thankful after a recent electrical fire caused only moderate damage and left no one injured. Mike Fontenot, pastor of First Baptist Basile, told the Baptist Message the fire was reported around 6:10 p.m. June 4 by leaders of the church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry who were preparing for their meeting. Fontenot said the fire was started in the church’s food pantry storage room, and clean-up of the facility was completed Wednesday. While the fire damage was covered by insurance, First Basile must replace two refrigerators and one freezer that was used to store items that were distributed by the food pantry ministry. “We are so very grateful to God that we have been spared heavy damage and for all who have shown support through financial gifts and prayers,” Fontenot said. He said he is also thankful for a financial gift from Louisiana Baptists to help with repairs and replacing lost equipment. John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team director, delivered a check from the state disaster relief fund to Fontenot Monday. “It’s rather unusual that in my 10 years as missions and ministry director we have not had the amount of fires to … [Read more...]

Mike Huckabee, Kelvin Cochran, Charles Stanley among national leaders of Conservative Baptist Network

By Message Staff BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM) – The Conservative Baptist Network has identified prominent Southern Baptist leaders, including Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas; Kelvin Cochran, a former Atlanta, Georgia, police chief who won a $1.2 million settlement for wrongful termination by the city because of his biblical views about marriage and human sexuality; and, Charles Stanley, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Atlanta, and a former SBC president, as members of its 48-member national steering council. The grassroots movement of more than 5,000 individuals and churches “concerned about the current direction and perceived future of the convention,” also released a schedule of events that figure to help grow the nascent organization as it seeks to connect like-minded Baptists in the effort to "steer the Convention once again to a conservative position." Three events are available for registration: -- Awakening: A Plea for Revival (August 31, 2020, in Bossier City, Louisiana); -- The Conservative Baptist Bible Conference (September 17, 2020, Memphis, Tennessee); and, -- Pastor, Prophet, Patriot: A Freedom and Religious Liberty Event (October 27, 2020, Cleveland, Georgia). According to … [Read more...]

Greear ‘drops’ gavel for racist links, but silent about slave owner’s ties to seminary

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The president of the Southern Baptist Convention has announced his plans to drop the use of a gavel with links to a racist seminary founder whose predeterministic beliefs, like those of many in the South, perpetuated his supportive views on slavery. J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, announced just days prior to the end of his second term as SBC president, his intentions to “retire” the Broadus gavel, a little known artifact except to the few men who use it to bring to order or to end a session of the annual meeting of Southern Baptists. Greear took the position because of the ties to slave owner John A. Broadus, one of four slave owners who founded the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. BACKGROUND Broadus presented “a mallet for the use of the President” during the 17th annual meeting of the SBC, according to the 1872 SBC Annual which recorded the proceedings. It was something “which he had brought from Jerusalem for that purpose.” The entry describes the gavel’s handle as being “made of the balsam tree which grows by the river Jordan forming a large part of that beautiful fringe of green trees which has … [Read more...]

SBC war of words escalated by Maryland leader’s ‘can’t-preach white-boys’ statement

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – At a time of already heightened black-white tensions in the country, the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware has ratcheted up the rhetoric, using racist language on Twitter, June 14, in his defense of the push for women preachers in Southern Baptist pulpits. In supporting an innocuous social media post by Beth Moore -- the best-selling Bible study author for LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, and, someone who in recent years has been strident in her comments about those who oppose women preachers -- Kevin Smith, who is black, wrote, “I see why can’t-preach white-boys oppose her … she has [fire], they have talks, posing as sermons.” Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who once advocated for the ordination of women, is one of several prominent Southern Baptist leaders who has strongly opposed the call for women preachers. Citing 1 Timothy 2:12 (“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence,” NKJV), Mohler argued in a podcast last year that it is a matter of “biblical authority.” “Did the Holy … [Read more...]