By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Deep in the heart of New Orleans’ most impoverished neighborhoods, the missionaries and staff of Baptist Community Health Services treat not only the body but also the souls of the more than 10,000 people who pass through the medical ministry’s doors each year. With a mission of “demonstrating the love of Christ by providing high quality primary medical and behavioral healthcare in underserved communities” BCHS provides needed services while sharing the love of Christ, according to CEO Shawn Powers. BCHS operates four medical clinics in New Orleans, and is the only known federally qualified health center connected to a Southern Baptist local association of churches, he said. The New Orleans Baptist Association, with the help of the Baptist Community Ministries (a foundation set up with proceeds from the 1995 sale of the Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans) and Southern Baptists’ North American Mission Board, launched the medical ministry in 2014. “We are thankful for the many partners, including BCM, NAMB and NOBA, who invested in the vision of what is today a thriving Christ-exalting healthcare mission,” Powers told the Baptist Message. “We pray our … [Read more...]