Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Bayou Baptists unite, 12 join Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer THIBODAUX (LBM) - The 33 churches of Bayou Baptist Association united around a call to share the Gospel with their respective communities, and 12 people turned to Christ during an area-wide evangelistic outreach. Attendance averaged 150 each session of the ‘Churches United’ Crusade, March 28-30, at three separate locations, nightly, records show. The harvest of souls included 11 acts of repentance for salvation during the first night at Cut Off Youth Center and another the final evening at Peltier Auditorium on the Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux, officials shared. No one repented for salvation or restoration during the second night of the crusade at South Terrebonne High School in Bourg, but many cried out to God for personal revival, said J.P Cox, the crusade director. The crusade included powerful messages by Preston Nix, an evangelism professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and Duane and Iris Blue, Mission Service Corps volunteers with the North American Mission Board, said Cox, pastor of the University Baptist Church in Thibodaux, adding that special music was presented by a multi- denominational praise team. “The Spirit moved mightily in … [Read more...]

Baptisms billow a tide of revival at New Hope

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DEQUINCY – Revival has come to New Hope Baptist Church in Dequincy and all signs point to the spiritual renewal continuing for the foresee-able future. Since February, 22 people have professed faith in Christ, with 16 coming forward during the revival, March 24-27. Many have been baptized already. Pastor Roland Hebert said a mighty move of the Holy Spirit has been an unexpected blessing. “It thrills me,” he said. “That’s what preachers live for. I can’t tell you anything we did to cause it to happen. It was a God thing. God opened the doors of Heaven and poured out a blessing.” During recent revival services, the worship center was filled to capacity each evening. A men’s wild game supper in the family life center the day before the revival was a catalyst for 12 people turning to Christ. Four more people repented during the nightly services and committed to live for Christ, and another person surrendered to the ministry. Evangelist Sam Moore, who shared the Gospel each evening, said the church embraced the effort. “The Gospel was preached with a lot of hunting illustrations, and a Gospel invitation given after each message,” Moore said. “The Spirit moved and 12 men … [Read more...]

Despite attacks, Chick-fil-A set to surpass Subway

By Will Hall, Message Editor Airports in San Antonio, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, have rejected Chick-fil-A stores as did Rider University in New Jersey. But, despite these and other political attacks, Chick-fil-A, a faith-based company, is on pace to become the third largest restaurant chain in U.S. sales this year, leapfrogging from seventh place. A Kalinowski Equity Research report indicates Chick-fil-A sales were up 15.5 percent last year (about $10.4 billion) – a nearly $1 billion increase from 2017, when the chain experienced a sales jump of 14.2 percent. Chick-fil-A only has 2,100 stores, which are closed on Sundays, but its market strength is demonstrated by remarkable per store sales of $4.1 million each in 2017, beating Macdonald’s, Starbucks’s and Subway’s combined per store take of $4.0 million. Moreover, despite activists’ efforts to shut down the chain, Chick-fil-A has been named number one in food quality and customer service among fast-food eateries (limited service), but its scores best even the top dine-in restaurant, Texas Roadhouse (full service). Now, a 2019 survey of 8,000 teens, with an average age of 16.3 years, shows Chick-fil-A is the restaurant of choice among Generation Z, preferred … [Read more...]

‘Unplanned’ an unbelievable pro-life box office success

By Will Hall, Message Editor The pro-life movie “Unplanned,” based on the true story of former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, who quit the organization in 2009 after witnessing an abortion at 13 weeks, has exceeded critics’ expectations. The film ranked fourth in money made during its opening weekend (behind “Dumbo,” “Us,” and “Captain Marvel”) and remained in the top 10 after its second week-end in theaters, grossing more than $16 million, so far, while costing only $6 million to make, reported BoxOfficeMojo.com. The hit movie overcame the obstacles of an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (de-spite no profanity, nudity or immodesty) and having its ads banned on major television channels as well as a temporary ban by one of the largest Christian radio networks – until fans objected. Only Fox News and the Christian Broadcast Net-work aired television commercials for Unplanned. Meanwhile, K-LOVE, which says its mission is to encourage a meaningful relationship with Christ, had to backtrack from its position of not promoting anything “political” after a severe backlash from listeners, according to The Blaze. Twitter also piled on with an “accidental” suspension of the movie’s … [Read more...]

Arsonist accused churches of being ‘brainwashed’

By Will Hall, Message Editor OPELOUSAS (LBM) – The suspect in the burning of three historically black Baptist churches claimed members were “brainwashed people,” according to CNN. Holden Matthews, 21, also reportedly commented via Facebook that he “can’t stand all these Baptists around here” and accused them of “trying to find happiness in a religion that was forced on their ancestors just as it was on mine,” lamenting that “more blacks” did not pursue “ancient beliefs of pre Christian Africa.” Police arrested Matthews, April 11, for setting fire to the St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, March 26, as well as the Greater Union Baptist Church, April 2, and the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, April 4, both in Opelousas. The congregations have been ministering in their respective communities for more than 100 years each. On social media Matthews described himself as “a metal fan to the bone,” an apparent reference to black metal music, a genre connected with musician Varg Vikernes, who was convicted for the 1992 burning of three churches in Norway. CNN described Matthews’ belief system as “paganism” with interests in Norse mythology. Matthews faces three state counts of arson as well as three state counts of a hate … [Read more...]