By Message Staff Three Louisiana Baptist associations previously under one director of missions have reorganized under a new structure of leadership. With the May 31 retirement of Alan Knuckles, who served as director of missions for the associations, the Louisiana Baptist Association called Jacob Crawford as its leader and Mt. Olive Baptist Association asked Wayne Jenkins to serve in an interim capacity. Acadia Baptist Association is searching for its director of missions. CRAWFORD DOUBLES UP Crawford will remain as pastor of Life Point Community Church in Mansura, a church he began in 2007. Life Point has since planted locations in Bunkie, Cottonport, Plaucheville and Simmesport. The church, which averages 160 people for Sunday morning worship and baptized 70 individuals in 2016. Additionally, the church also hosts the Mansura Care and Hope Center. A graduate of Louisiana College and Liberty University, Crawford said he is excited about how God will continue to use his association’s churches as they try to reap a great harvest of souls. “I see God doing an amazing thing in our association,” said Crawford, who was voted in as director of missions May 22. “There is so much potential here and God has blessed us … [Read more...]

By Message Staff MANSFIELD – A detour to get home at first seemed like an inconvenience for Thumper Miller, but looking back on the incident, he said God divine intervention probably saved his life during a powerful storm Sunday, May 28. Miller, who is pastor of First Baptist Church in Mansfield, had just finished attending the church’s annual crawfish boil Sunday evening and was headed home when he noticed a number of downed trees and power lines blocking the road leading to his house. Thus, Miller was forced to take a 15-minute detour to reach his destination. Once he arrived, Miller and his wife, Tracy, discovered a fallen tree on their house – which he said could have come down on the structure with him inside had it not been for God’s intervening and delaying his arrival. “There were neighbors standing in the street taking pictures of the tree on our house because they heard the crash from their homes,” said Miller, secretary-treasurer for the Louisiana Baptists 2016 Pastors Conference. “We believe God caused us to take that detour which in turn kept us from being inside our home when the tree fell.” Mansfield was one of many communities affected when violent storms rolled through parts of north and central … [Read more...]