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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Wayne Sheppard set to ‘redeploy’ to reach the lost

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – For the past nine years, Wayne Sheppard has been on mission with Louisiana Baptists, fulfilling a Great Commission commitment in a number of ways. He has given leadership to a project to build a pastor’s training center and children’s village, helping Louisiana Baptists establish a strategic foothold in Haiti. Likewise, he led the effort to engage Louisiana Baptists in the evangelization of Belarus through the distribution of Bibles – with 4 in every 10 recipients surrendering their lives to Christ! Now Sheppard is set to retire, Dec. 31, as missions partnership mobilizer for Louisiana Baptists. However, he will continue to pursue his passion for reaching the lost – as pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona. “I never dreamed God would have allowed me to serve Louisiana Baptists in this role by connecting them with missions opportunities here in the United States and around the world,” Sheppard said. “But the Lord opened that door to help me live out a passion of helping churches do missions to the ends of the earth. We’ve been able to make so many connections and build so many relationships to see some significant things happen since we’ve … [Read more...]

LBC DOMs’ offer hope, gift cards to Texas pastors, DOMs

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – Two Louisiana Baptist directors of missions took a recent out-of-state road trip to deliver a heartfelt love offering to Texas pastors and directors of missions whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Ron Thompson, director of missions for District 8 Baptist Convention, and Stan Statham, director of missions for Baptist Associations of Southeast Louisiana, on the behalf of the Louisiana Directors of Missions Fellowship, visited 12 associations along the Texas Gulf Coast, Oct. 24-25. By the end of the tour, they had given nearly $30,000 in gift cards to 12 directors of missions to distribute in $300 bundles to 95 pastors. Two of those directors of missions also were given a $500 gift card. Thompson, who is treasurer of the Louisiana Directors of Missions Fellowship, told the Baptist Message that every association in the state participated in some way, from praying to giving money during a four-week period leading up to the two days of gift cards distribution, and, he said the effort to give back to Texans who helped Louisianans during the 2016 floods was heartwarming. “Like any disaster relief work, we’re always able to do far more together than we are … [Read more...]

Triumph emerges from Puerto Rico tragedy

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PONCE, Puerto Rico (LBM) -- Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team members are rejoicing about 14 souls saved by Christ during a recent mission effort in Puerto Rico. The team of 10 from Baton Rouge, Eastern Louisiana, North Rapides, Two Rivers and Washington Baptist Associations arrived in Puerto Rico Oct. 28 to a scene of nearly complete destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in early September. They worked alongside six college students from the Canadian National Baptist Convention and a missionary of the International Mission Board, performing a variety of tasks to help meet physical needs of the island’s residents during the eight-day trip, but also attending to the peoples’ eternal needs. “Very quickly we realized the Holy Spirit had gone before us to prepare the hearts of those we encountered,” Bruce Worrell, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, told the Baptist Message. “Although we met some strong believers in Christ, most of those we encountered had no assurance of salvation. But they were ready to hear what the Word of God said, and they listened attentively to the plan of salvation, and asked through genuine repentance for God to forgive them of their … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

ON THE MOVE Ken Schroeder has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Mandeville. Kenneth Austin has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Simmesport. HOMECOMING First Baptist Church, Delhi: 12th Anniversary Celebration, December 2, 6:30 p.m. Special Music: Sanctuary Quartet, Southern Revelation, Ben Waites, Chad Tingle, and Keith Lee. Pastor: Stacy Morgan. REVIVAL Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Ridgecrest: Revival, November 26-29. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Special Music: Mackey Willis Family.  Pastor: Dennis Baker. Open Door Baptist Church, Moss Bluff: Harvest Sunday, December 3. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Pastor: Sonny Simpson. Willow Point Baptist Church, Shreveport: Harvest Sunday, December 10. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Pastor: Billy Stephens. LAGNIAPPE First Baptist Church, Slidell: “Pia Noel” -- Christmas piano concert by a group of the area’s outstanding pianists, November 26, 6 p.m. The concert is at the beginning of the Advent season Cost: Free. Pastor: Casey Stark. Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, Greenwell Springs: The Foto Sisters in Concert, November 26, 9 a.m. Pastor: Tony Perkins. Riverview Baptist Church, Alexandria: The Perrys in Concert, December 1, 7 p.m. A love offering will … [Read more...]

Victory for Special Education Employee Reprimanded for Telling Coworker, “I will pray for you”

By First Liberty Institute AUGUSTA, ME—Today, the Augusta School Department sent First Liberty client Toni Richardson an updated memorandum acknowledging Richardson’s protected First Amendment right to privately discuss religion among her co-workers. In May, First Liberty and Maine-based law firm Eaton Peabody filed charges of religious discrimination and retaliation against the school district with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Richardson’s behalf.   Although school records show that Richardson has been an exemplary employee, last year the school district threatened her with disciplinary action or dismissal if she continued to privately discuss her faith with her coworkers in any manner at school, even among coworkers who attend the same church as Richardson.   “It is important for each of us to defend the religious liberty of every American,” Timothy Woodcock of the Maine law firm of Eaton Peabody and lead counsel for Toni Richardson, says. “Toni’s case should be a reminder to employers everywhere that you cannot discriminate against employees who privately discuss their faith at work.”   “The Supreme Court has been very clear on this: Neither students nor teachers lose their First Amendment … [Read more...]

Gerald Long to keynote CENLA Pro-life Prayer Breakfast, Nov. 17

By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE (LBM) — Organizers for the CENLA Pro-life Prayer Breakfast have announced that Gerald Long, president pro tem of the Louisiana Senate, will be the keynote speaker for the annual event. Furthermore, they reported tickets still are available ($20 per person, or, $10 for students) for the Nov. 7 gathering which will take place 7:30 a.m. in the Granberry Conference Center on the campus of Louisiana College. Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock, said the fundraiser will be a time to unite congregations across the region in the pro-life movement. “Gerald Long has been a longtime advocate for the unborn and their mothers,” Gunter told the Baptist Message. “I'm looking forward to hearing his perspectives on where we are now in our state, and, where he thinks we are headed.” Tickets may be purchased at the door. Or, you may order them in advance from Gunter, 318.312.9861, or bgunter3@hotmail.com. Additional information is available at http://www.prolifelouisiana.org/cenla. … [Read more...]

Gaines, Page gather with Sutherland Springs community to pray, heal

FLORESVILLE, Texas (BP) -- "We take care of our own," stated Frank S. Page, formerly a Texas pastor, as he and Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines and his wife Donna spent three days helping to serve families distraught over the Nov. 5 massacre of half of the congregation of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. The broader Southern Baptist family -- from the Gaineses to Tony Wolfe, pastor/church relations director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention -- demonstrated servanthood by visiting grieving families, and injured congregants and praying for area folks suffering from the tragedy. In the hours following the Sunday morning massacre by a deranged gunman from New Braunfels who eventually took his own life, local ministers accepted the SBTS offer to host a community-wide prayer meeting at nearby Floresville Independent School District's Eschenburg Field, setting local pastors free to minister to the flock of the targeted church and their extended family of God. A reported shooting incident at a nursing home a half-mile away, chilly temperatures and the threat of rain did not deter an estimated 2,500 or more area residents and more than 100 media representatives from attending the prayer … [Read more...]

Editorial: Does the ERLC represent the SBC?

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – When an unnamed staffer “boasted” to the online media outlet Think Progress in October 2014 that Russell Moore had “completely rebranded” the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, few could have imagined what this meant. However, Moore’s all-in campaign against presidential candidate Donald Trump, highlighted by his most recent attacks on Liberty University for hosting Trump at a student convocation, reveals something quite unexpected about Moore when he was elected to lead the ERLC in 2013—a penchant for disdain for Christians who think differently than him. Moore rightly points out Trump’s moral flaws—and character should count—and he has a right and responsibility to comment on Trump’s policies and to share his view of what these might mean in terms of Christian values. But Moore’s dislike for Trump goes beyond the pale, translating into disrespect and even contempt for any Christian who might weigh these considerations differently than Moore when comparing the range of personal beliefs and behaviors as well as public records of ability and achievement within such a large field of candidates for the White House. DISRESPECT FOR OTHERS In an editorial for the New … [Read more...]

Mission giant Hodnett passes away at 85

CHARENTON -- Bobby Hodnett passed away on October 16, 2017 at the age of 85. A native of Colfax, Louisiana, and a resident of the Baldwin and Franklin area for the past 50 years, passed away Monday, October 16, 2017. At the time of his passing, he was the pastor of Cypremort Point Baptist Mission and associate pastor at Little Pass Baptist Church. A former semi-pro baseball player, he gave his heart to Christ and pursued ministry with all that was in him for 60 plus years. He came to First Baptist Church in Franklin in November of 1968 and served as music and youth pastor.  He then went to the Myette Point Baptist Mission in Franklin. In 1973, he restarted Little Pass Baptist Mission in Charenton as their pastor.  He led them to tremendous growth as a fully constituted church.  Under his leadership, the church was moved from the levee to a piece of land across from the Charenton post office.  He then lead the church to build a sanctuary, fellowship hall, and a two story education building.  He retired in 2009 as Senior Pastor but never retired from ministry. Hodnett was well known for missions and evangelism. At one time in his career, he pastored Little Pass, the Baldwin Mission and Cypermort Point Baptist … [Read more...]