By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MARKSVILLE, La. (LBM) – John Riddle seemed like the least likely person to become a pas­tor he was in a battle with drug addiction that landed him in the Baton Rouge Salvation Army rehabilita­tion facility in March 2017. But an encounter with God three months into the treatment program, shortly after his release from jail, set him on a path to redemption in Jesus and an eventual call from the Holy Spirit to serve as pas­tor with Life Point Com­munity Church, Mansura. “That night I told the Lord, ‘I want you to be glorified in my life after taking drugs for so many years,’” Riddle told the Baptist Message. “For God to get the glory and what He did in the life of an individual who was so far out there and lost in the darkness speaks to the goodness He can bring on a person’s life. “I love the Lord so much,” he continued. “I have this yearning inside of me to learn the word of God and to preach and teach, and I just want to glorify God and for people to see that God is a God of transformation. “I remember dedicating the following six-and-a-half months in treatment to reading through the entire Bible,” he continued. “When I had completed this task, I took my Bible and … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Solange Parker was beaming with excite­ment as she entered the baptistery at Calvary Bap­tist Church, Nov. 10. With neighbor Justin Langford and personal primary care doctor Da­vid Guillot gathered be­side her, the 89-year-old fulfilled a 50-year dream of stirring the baptistery waters. “It was amazing, excit­ing and very important to my faith,” Parker told the Baptist Message. “I was filled with joy knowing I could get the order of my baptism right after all these years.” Though Parker turned to Christ many years ago, she never followed through with a public declaration of her faith through baptism. But because of a long-term friendship built with Langford and Guillot, the exposure to ongoing baptisms at Calvary and a message on the impor­tance of baptism by Pas­tor Todd Strain, Parker finally took that next step in her faith. “I knew it was a long time coming from the conversations we have had,” said Langford, also a professor of Christian studies at Louisiana Christian University. “After the service, when Todd preached about baptism, she looked at me and said, ‘Let’s make this happen.’” After several more months of delays because of … [Read more...]