By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT - Less than a football field away from the Red River, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams are working on homes heavily damaged by the river's recent floodwaters. Teams arrived earlier in the week to begin work on homes throughout the Shreveport/Bossier area. The teams that are on site are the incident command, chaplains, assessors, feeding, laundry, childcare, medical professionals and the in the trenches mud-out recovery teams. A childcare team will arrive Saturday to give comfort and games to kids of those families seeking help from volunteer agencies of VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) as well as a variety of government agencies. Additionally, a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief medical team that includes a medical professional on call for physician level will be assisting in the recovery effort as well. The wheeled units on site this week are from Bellaire Baptist, First Baptist Blanchard, Zoar Baptist, Rolling Hills Ministry, and Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association Some of these same units will join up with other units coming in next Monday. Operations will be from Eastwood Baptist Church in Haughton to Summer Grove Baptist Church … [Read more...]
Ronnie Floyd unopposed as SBC president
by Barbara Denman, Baptist Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd was reelected without opposition to a second term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 16 during the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Registered messengers totaled 5,277 messengers at the time. Floyd was nominated by North Carolina pastor J.D. Greear, who said, "God's hand has been upon Brother Ronnie. I believe he is the man God has raised up to lead us for another year." All other SBC officers for the coming year also were elected without opposition. Kansas pastor Steve Dighton, senior pastoral adviser at the Kansas City-area Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kan., was elected as first vice president, nominated by Texas pastor and former SBC president Jack Graham. Elected as second vice president was Chad Keck, senior pastor of the Dayton-area First Baptist Church of Kettering since December 2010, nominated by David Starry of Vandalia, Ohio. John L. Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention since 2011, was reelected to a 19th term as recording secretary, nominated by Joshua Hedger of Kansas City, while Jim Wells, strategic partners team leader for the Missouri Baptist Convention, was … [Read more...]
ERLC to open Mideast office, honors embattled florist
By Art Toalston & Erin Roach, Baptist Press COLUMBUS (BP) -- An international religious freedom office in the Mideast will be opened by the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Russell Moore announced at the SBC annual meeting June 17. Moore, the ERLC's president, told messengers, "We must contend for religious freedom for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for everyone else wherever they are on the globe." He added, "We will not stand idly by while those with whom we will share eternity are being led to the slaughter." Also during the ERLC report, Barronelle Stutzman, the Washington state florist punished for refusing to participate in a same-sex wedding, received a standing ovation by messengers at the convention in Columbus, Ohio. "Mrs. Stutzman knew that the truth is not up for sale and the Gospel doesn't bend to the highest bidder," Moore said, "and faithful Christians do not stow away their convictions in a blind trust when they enter the public square." International religious freedom The ERLC announced the appointment of Travis Wussow of Austin, Texas, as ERLC director of international justice and religious liberty in a news release, also on June 17. Through … [Read more...]
SBC panel: Value love, Gospel with LGBT community
By Tom Strode, Baptist Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Christians should not undervalue the effect of love or the Gospel in relating to gays and lesbians, recognizing, however, that faithfulness to the biblical definition of marriage will prove costly, members of a special panel told messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention. During the Wednesday afternoon session (June 17), five panelists answered questions from SBC President Ronnie Floyd about how churches and pastors can minister in an American culture that increasingly approves of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The discussion occurred about two weeks before an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could result in gay marriage's legalization nationwide. Same-sex marriage already is legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, the conversation came on the same day Floyd and 16 former SBC presidents released a statement saying they will not perform and the churches they pastor will not host same-sex ceremonies. Rosaria Butterfield, an author who has chronicled her journey from lesbianism to Christ, told messengers not to "deny the power of the Gospel to change lives and to travel at the grass-roots level. Your friendships … [Read more...]
Message unveils a more user-friendly, redesigned website
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Continuing efforts to improve its footprint on the Internet, the Baptist Message launched a redesigned website June 4 offering a variety of features making baptistmessage.com easier to navigate and a better complement to Louisiana Baptists’ newspaper. “The digital redesign is a great improvement, incorporating new features that make the online Baptist Message a better partner for the print edition,” said Will Hall, who recently joined the news journal as editor. “But also, it reflects well on the professionalism and commitment of the news staff for completing such a large change effort while in the midst of a leadership transition,” said Hall. “It’s exciting to be joining this Baptist Message team.” The new features include a more user-friendly presentation of articles, a PDF version of the print edition and an improved archives section that allows searching for articles by descending order of date whether published in print or online. Video clips may be added to articles, and users may now comment on reports and easily share stories through social media links such as Twitter and Facebook. The new website also offers new advertising possibilities. Churches, … [Read more...]
Louisiana College names Reni Mason men’s basketball head coach
By Norm Miller, Louisiana College Communications PINEVILLE --Louisiana College athletic director Dennis Dunn announced on May 30 Reni* Mason of Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La., will succeed Gene Rushing as head men’s basketball coach. Mason, 44, takes the helm on June 1. “I have always viewed Louisiana College as one of the premiere coaching jobs in D3 basketball because of the respect I have for my predecessors there,” Mason told LCNews. “This is an exciting time for my family and me,” he continued. “And that’s not just because of basketball, but because of the Christ-centeredness and family atmosphere on the LC campus. Those things are very important to us as a family.” Mason brings a 154-53 record from his seven-year stint at Evangel, including three district championships and district coach of the year in 2010, 2011 and 2015, respectively. A graduate of the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in General Studies, Mason played collegiate ball at Louisiana Tech and UNO. He brings almost 30 years of experience as a player and a coach at the collegiate and pro levels alike. Mason was general manager and assistant coach of the Dodge City Legend (USBL) in Dodge City, Kansas; coached at UNO and the University of … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting 2015 schedule
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention Committee on Order of Business has released this year's schedule for the annual meeting in Columbus. This year's annual meeting theme is "Great Awakening: Clear Agreement, Visible Union, Extraordinary Prayer," based on Romans 13:11. In addition to following the schedule, messengers can stay updated on this year's annual meeting with the 2015 SBC mobile app that is now available. The app can be downloaded on your mobile device by accessing the App Store or Google Play or selecting one of the options at sbcannualmeeting.net. This year's preferred Twitter hashtag will be #sbc15. SBC 2015 schedule TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 16, 2015 8:15 Opening Worship -- Julio Arriola, Convention music director, global worship pastor, Cross Church, Springdale, Ark. 8:25 Welcome and Call to Order -- Ronnie Floyd, SBC president, senior pastor, Cross Church, Springdale, Ark. Announcement of Committee on Committees, Credentials Committee, Tellers Committee, and Resolutions Committee 8:30 Scripture -- Jordan Easley, senior pastor, Englewood Baptist Church, Jackson, Tenn. Prayer -- Daniel Cho, college pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Cambridge, Mass., chaplain, Harvard … [Read more...]
Dakota farmer’s legacy lesson in giving
By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) -- A small-town grain and cattle farmer's estate and charitable gifts to Southern Baptist Convention entities is a prime example of how everyone can support Southern Baptists, said Warren Peek, president of the Southern Baptist Foundation. Merv Goehring, a lifelong South Dakota farmer who served briefly in the U.S. Army, left gifts totaling more than $550,000 to the SBF, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the SBC Cooperative Program upon his death at age 87 in 2014, Peek said. While Goehring served for many years as a church teacher and deacon, Peek noted the farmer's generous charitable annuities and estate gifts to Southern Baptist entities are remarkable. "This gentleman had modest income and modest wealth, lived in a small house, did not attend a Southern Baptist church, was not a Southern Baptist," Peek said. "Mr. Goehring stayed at home and watched 'the best preachers in America,' and realized they're Southern Baptists. And he had a picture of Adrian Rogers on his wall. Rogers, who died in 2005, was longtime pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., and served three terms as SBC president. "And later [Goehring] got the opportunity to hear Dr. Albert … [Read more...]
Believing God for our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention
By Ronnie Floyd, President of the Southern Baptist Convention COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- There are years when we come together as Southern Baptists annually, having little to no expectation of what God may want to do among us. For the sake of a very lost America and an ever-growing lost and dangerous world, let's come together in Columbus believing God to work in us, among us and through us. Let's refuse unbelief I am reminded of the words recorded in Matthew 13:58, "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief." I am convinced this is the reason we see a limited work of God in many churches in America. I assure you, in our own church, business as usual is Satan's weapon to create unbelief. This year in our convention gathering, let's refuse unbelief! It is the opposite of faith; therefore, we should refuse it in every way. As pastors and church leaders, let us not be guilty of what we accuse our people of at times: coming together with little to no expectation of God doing anything among us. As leaders coming to Columbus, Ohio, we do not need to sit, listen, evaluate and critique. Let's refuse this way of thinking along with all attitudes and actions of unbelief. Let's believe God I love the words of our … [Read more...]
In Nepal, forgotten village receives food
By Susie Rain, Baptist Press NEPAL (BP) -- The Nepali man pulled brick after brick off a pile of rubble that was once his home. He passed along anything that was salvageable to his children to set aside. Finally, down in a hole, he found what he was looking for -- their food storage. The splintered, dusty woven basket held their entire harvest of rice. Before the April 25 earthquake in Nepal, this basket brimmed with white grains. Today, he pulled out one handful of red-stained rice. "It might taste like dirt now, but we can still eat it," he said. "It will fill our stomachs." He excitedly instructed the children to help sift through the rubble to find more food -- garlic, onions, peppers and rice -- in the remains of their home. Their tedious labor stopped abruptly when they heard shouting up the hill. A neighbor yelled down for everyone to come quick. Someone had brought food! For days on end, the villagers took turns sitting on the edge of the main road trying to get help. From the road, you couldn't even see their collapsed village up on the mountainside. They watched as big trucks of relief supplies passed them by, headed to larger towns down the road. Hope of receiving any kind of help began to die little by little -- … [Read more...]
