By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE (LCNews) — Membership with the Board of Visitors is growing, individual donations are on the rise in volume and amount, and in general, Louisiana College’s donor base is on the upswing. “As the turnaround at Louisiana College continues since 2015, alumni, donors, and friends are getting on board -- and some back on board -- with the new direction on the Hill in Pineville,” said LC President Rick Brewer. “We appreciate the return of so many prayer partners and financial supporters.” The college recently received a substantial gift from the Cason Foundation, and within two weeks, the Foundation doubled the gift, Brewer said. “Words fall short in expressing how grateful we are for the open-handed generosity of Edgar and Flo Cason.” “We’ve heard about the good things happening at Louisiana College,” Flo Cason said. “And when we met with Rick and Cathy, Edgar and I were convinced that LC is in the very best of hands.” Edgar Cason told LCNews: “Our consideration for Louisiana College is two-fold: We fully endorse the college’s vision for ‘Preparing Graduates and Transforming Lives’ as we wholeheartedly support the leadership of President Rick Brewer and his leadership team.” Though … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY - Members of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City are facing a “new normal” after a fire destroyed 75 percent of their facilities, but Pastor Brad Jurkovich believes the congregation’s greatest days are ahead. “We will move forward and rebuild,” Jurkovich said Dec. 16 during the first Sunday worship service following the devastating fire. “And I believe God will use First Bossier to reach thousands for Jesus in the coming years.” On Dec. 10 a three-alarm fire began at 5:30 a.m., originating with an uninterruptible power supply backup battery for a computer. The flames began in an office space near Faith Chapel — the original worship center — and spread quickly to the attic and other buildings including the childcare center and various youth facilities. About 65 firefighters fought the blaze, finally extinguishing it about 3:30 p.m. that same day. The congregation held a meeting in the Bossier Civic Center on Wednesday, Dec. 12, to pray, worship and organize for recovery, but the Sunday service was the first post-fire gathering on campus. There was an extended time for expressing gratitude to first responders and thanking officials for their support Dec. 16, … [Read more...]

By Kirbi Cochran, Message Staff Writer MELVILLE – For more than a decade, the First Baptist Church in Melville had declined in numbers, dwindling to just nine members as recently as 2015 and at risk of closing its doors for good. But in just three years, the congregation has experienced revitalization with more than 30 worshipers regularly attending Sunday services. Pastor Nathaniel Dutton told the Baptist Message he sensed a spiritual malaise among the members during his first Sunday in the pulpit in December 2015. “They were in a deep funk,” said Dutton, “They were playing church: Come Sunday morning -- come to Sunday school, come in and listen to the service -- and go home. “That was their church life,” he said. Dutton, who was named a 2018 Louisiana Baptist Convention Exemplary Bivocational Pastor of the Year for his dedication and hard work at his secular job and his congregation, is pastor of First Baptist Church, Meville. Also photographed are Stacy Morgan, church administration strategist for Louisiana Baptists, and Jacob Crawford, pastor of Life Point Community Church in Mansura and director of missions for Louisiana Baptist Association. said the key to his revitalization approach has been to love them, … [Read more...]