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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LBC EB highlights insurance crisis, evangelism growth

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – During the May 7 general session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board, LBC Executive Director Steve Horn encouraged members to be passionate about sharing the Gospel. He also provided an update about efforts to resolve the church insurance crisis plaguing congregations of all denominations across the state. EVANGELISM MOVEMENT Horn said that since the Aug. 1, 2023, launch of Send Network Louisiana, the evangelistic growth initiative has produced 35 church planters, with two more headed to an assessment retreat in late May and an additional 29 potential planters in the assessment pipeline. An assessment retreat center has been established with Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, that will allow for two retreats annually, with the goal of producing 12 candidates per retreat. The Louisiana Baptist partnership with the North American Mission Board has a God-sized vision to see His Kingdom expanded in Louisiana by one percent (about 28,000) over the next decade. Researchers estimate that 60 percent of 4,648,794 Louisianans are lost (about 2,789,276). If successful, 28,875 Louisianans will be added to the Kingdom through 231 new … [Read more...]

SBC 2024: President

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (LBM) - Six individuals have been announced as intended nominees for Southern Baptist Convention president. The following Annual Church Profile information is presented to allow readers to assess the evangelistic effectiveness of the individual’s home church (per capita baptisms) as well as the congregation’s financial commitment to the cooperative missions and ministries of Southern Baptists (Cooperative Program percentage of undesignated receipts). Finally, some personal information is provided about the candidate. For comparison, the average baptism to worship attendance ratio for the entire SBC is 1:18 (226,919 baptisms, 4,050,668 average worship attendance, 2024 ACP). Also, the Convention average CP percentage is 4.59 percent ($457,417,314 total Cooperative Program gifts for state and national causes, $9,962,910,482 combined undesignated receipts for all congregations, 2023 SBC Annual). SBC Bylaws, Article X “Election of Officers and Voting” provides a process for runoff elections: “If an officer does not receive a majority of votes cast on the first ballot, subsequent ballots shall carry the names of those who are included in the top 50 percent … [Read more...]

Crawford ready for church planting movement

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Jacob Crawford is on a mission to help Louisiana Baptists meet a goal of expanding God’s Kingdom in the state by 1 percent over the next decade. As a new Send Network Louisiana church planting strategist, Crawford is excited about how planting 231 new churches by 2033 could reap eternal fruit. “I really believe we can see a movement take place in our state as people come to know Jesus and more disciples are made and churches are planted across the state,” Crawford told Baptist Message. “Our heart is Louisiana. We want to see Louisiana come to Christ. “Louisiana Baptists have continually blessed my family and the churches that we planted over the years. We have experienced first-hand the amazing work of God that results from the prayer, partnership, and participation of Louisiana Baptists. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve Louisiana Baptists and seek to have a Kingdom impact in the state.” A veteran church planter for 18 years, Crawford started Life Point Community Church, Mansura (2006-2020). During that time, he saw the church grow from 10 to over 250 and baptize 435. Through the years, he served in a variety of other ministerial … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Ray Bowman is the new associate pastor at Teche Baptist Church, Breaux Bridge. He comes from First Baptist Church, Delcambre. Lisa, husband Clay, Broussard is the new associate director of Tall Timbers Conference Center. Max Hutto, music minister, is retiring at Mooringsport Baptist Church, Mooringsport. Donald, wife Sandy, Fuhrmann passed away on April 24. He worked for several years as a Volunteer for the Missions and Ministry Team. He also worked part-time from July 2002 to December 2003. HOMECOMING/ANNIVERSARY French Corner Baptist Church, Ponchatoula: 75th Anniversary, June 1-2, Saturday, 6 p.m. and 10:30 a.m., June 2. Special Music: The Lefevre Quartet, The Southern Plainsmen, Bros4 and Chronicle. Pastor: Eric Hattaway. Pleasant Grove … [Read more...]

LBF reports 16-year high short-term fund rate

By Baptist Message staff (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Foundation has reached its highest short-term fund rate in more than 16 years. According to LBF Executive Director Jeff Steed, the annualized rate of 4.00 percent is being earned by churches and other ministry accounts all over the state. Like a savings account, the short-term fund allows churches to invest their money with no minimum balance or investment period, limitless and penalty-free withdrawals, deposits and accounts, and daily-earned interest that helps steward funds for Kingdom impact. Steed added that the fund often offers higher interest rates than those provided through a traditional bank while providing access and availability each business day by phone, email, fax, mail or in-person visit to the foundation office inside the Louisiana Baptist Building in Alexandria. “In the last 12 months, over $4 million was generated for short-term fund accounts for churches and other ministries,” Steed told the Baptist Message. “We are very grateful that God is continuing to bless the Foundation’s ministry through maximizing impact for those whom we have the honor to serve.” The short-term fund is one of many ways the foundation partners with Louisiana Baptist … [Read more...]

LCU graduates challenged to be light for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Several members of the Louisiana Christian University Class of 2024 encouraged their classmates to be a light for Christ during the college’s 169th Commencement, May 4, inside Guinn Auditorium on campus. The school conferred 195 degrees (146 undergraduate and 49 graduate) during two separate but identical ceremonies to accommodate the graduates and their guests, who received the messages from these graduates about their LCU journeys. “Saturday was the living testimony of what we do at Louisiana Christian University,” Acting President David Jeffreys told the Baptist Message. “Our graduates have been equipped and prepared to fulfill the Great Commission as they go and serve Him in all walks of life. Our students shared some incredible testimonies of how God has used the LCU family to impact their lives. They will be missed but will now forever be Wildcats.” In her speech, Noel Schonhoff told the crowd that LCU gave her the confidence and motivation for a fresh start in life. Most importantly, she said, she found Christ during a Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat. “Up until I attended school at LCU, I may have attended church five times,” … [Read more...]

My reflection on the ministry of Billy Graham

By Steve Horn “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” - 1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV ALEXANDRIA, La. - Today, in Washington, D.C., a statue of Billy Graham will be unveiled. My understanding is that the statue depicts Graham pointing toward an open Bible. John 3:16 and John 14:6 are inscribed on the statue. This inscription is appropriate for the evangelist who in his last public sermon preached: I have one message—that Jesus Christ came, He died on a cross, He rose again, and He asked us to repent of our sins and receive him by faith as Lord and Savior, and if we do, we have forgiveness of all our sins. My earliest memory of Billy Graham is watching his Crusades on television as a child with my mother. I would later in life learn that Billy and my mother shared November 7as a birthday. Indeed, he was the most famous preacher of my lifetime. The quality, however, that I admire most about Graham is that he never set out to be famous, just faithful. As I have reflected on Graham’s life, I note these characteristics. He was a man of integrity. Early in his ministry, he wrote out four principles to govern his ministry. He and his associates agreed together that they would secure … [Read more...]

Deadly storms cause damage, knock out power

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Severe storms knocked out power to thousands across Southeast Louisiana and produced multiple tornadoes that caused significant damage and at least two deaths in the state, May 13. According to storm reports from the National Weather Service, tornadoes touched down on the east side of Sulphur and also near the Sasol plant, before moving across Westlake and into Lake Charles. Teams were scheduled to survey the area, May 14. Damage in the area included the sign of a Walmart along with a gas station in its parking lot. Across the street, cars were overturned in a shopping center. A tractor-trailer also overturned on the Interstate 10 bridge in Lake Charles, blocking traffic on Monday evening. In Henderson, Pat’s Fisherman Wharf Restaurant posted on its Facebook page a video of extensive damage to its restaurant. The owners of Pat’s, which opened in 1948, believe possible tornado activity is the cause of the destruction that ripped off roofs and tore through structures on the landmark’s site. The site is a popular tourist attraction located on Bayou Portage just a few miles south of I-10 in Henderson, a small fishing community interconnected by bayous and canals … [Read more...]

Would Jesus preach “Critical Theory” today?

By Ron F. Hale “My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism,” declared  Karl Marx (1818-1883). If only he could have heard and heeded the poetic words of James Weldon Johnson: "Young man – Young man – Your arm’s too short to box with God." Marx was a mere mortal, foolish to think he could dethrone the Almighty, yet the cultural rot and toxic ideology being witnessed on many university campuses today--spring from the mind of this revolutionary. The Frankfurt School was founded in 1923, in Frankfurt Germany on the campus of Goethe University. After the rise of Hitler’s Nazism, even secular Marxian intellectuals of Jewish decent were not safe in Germany. The school folded with Dr. Max Horkheimer receiving an invitation and home on the campus Columbia University in New York City in 1934 and remained until 1950.  Sometimes called the “Horkheimer Circle,” these academics and social scientists, included men like T.W. Adorno, Erich Fromm, Geog Lukacs, Herbert Marcuse, and Walter Benjamen. Critical Theory is synonymous with the Frankfort School. These men trained others to translate the ideology of Marxism from economic terms into practical cultural terms. This new revolution would not promote … [Read more...]