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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana residents prepare for first storm of 2017

UPDATED 1:47 P.M. JUNE 20 Early Tuesday afternoon, June 20, the National Hurricane Center upgraded Potential Tropical Cyclone Three to Tropical Storm Cindy. The third named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Cindy was about 265 miles  south of Morgan City at 12:30 p.m. and had maximum sustained winds near 45 m.p.h., with some gusts higher. Tropical Storm Cindy is expected to approach the coast of southwest Louisiana late Wednesday or Wednesday night, and move inland over western Louisiana and eastern Texas on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said. ORIGINAL STORY By Message Staff The entire Louisiana coast is under a tropical storm warning and is bracing for a “significant rain event Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday.” In their latest update, National Weather Service officials said Potential Tropical Cyclone No.3 has become better organized since Monday but still not enough to the point of being upgraded to a tropical storm. "The system could be classified as a tropical or subtropical cyclone later today," the NHC said. Depending on which expert one listens to, projected rainfall totals from the storm could produce three to five inches of rain with locally higher … [Read more...]

Outgoing SBC registration secretary Jim Wells remembered as humble, Christ-like servant

By David Roach OZARK, Mo. (BP) -- Jim Wells, a 15-term Southern Baptist Convention registration secretary known for his humble leadership style, died June 17 following a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 69. First elected registration secretary in 2002, Wells oversaw messenger registration, ballot counting and reporting of vote totals at SBC annual meetings among other duties. He served alongside eight SBC presidents. SBC President Steve Gaines called Wells "a humble servant of Jesus Christ." Wells "was a diligent servant and a godly, Christ-like man," said Gaines, pastor of Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn. "He was a great encouragement to me and to many other presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention. We will miss him." When the advanced stages of cancer prevented Wells from attending this year's SBC annual meeting June 13-14 in Phoenix, messengers adopted a resolution of appreciation that stated "countless volunteers" on the SBC Credentials Committee and among convention tellers "have witnessed transformative servant leadership through Wells' humble, yet principled leadership style." As recently as June 9, the resolution stated, Wells said he was "confident in these final hours … [Read more...]

Kelley: NOBTS centennial to focus on Gospel and missions

By Marilyn Stewart, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary communications PHOENIX (BP) - New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley greeted convention delegates with a good news/bad news scenario in his seminary presentation at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting Wednesday, June 14. "Are you ready for some good news?" Kelley asked. "Today, we are 100 years old at NOBTS." Centennial events launch Oct. 3 with special activities and emphases on campus and at extension centers continuing throughout the year. But the NOBTS 100th birthday celebration must not be like any other celebration, Kelley said, "because of the present state of the Southern Baptist Convention." Kelley referenced findings by the NOBTS Leavell Center for Church Growth and Evangelism on the continued decline in baptisms in Southern Baptist churches. Presenting a chart of the findings to messengers, Kelley called the statistics "stunning." Kelley said church plants are "absolutely essential" but the drop in baptisms demands Southern Baptists' attention, with the NOBTS centennial being no exception. "We need to celebrate in a way that will strengthen our seminary and our churches," Kelley said, issuing a challenge … [Read more...]