Whereas, the Executive Board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention recommended to the messengers to the 2002 Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting an initial plan of action designed to return oversight.. Whereas, the Executive Board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention recommended to the messengers to the 2002 Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting an initial plan of action designed to return oversight and employment of the directors of missions to the respective associations of churches, and   Whereas, the messengers to the 2002 Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting adopted the Executive Board proposal, and   Whereas, Dr. Dean Doster, acting in his capacity as executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and chief fiduciary steward of the Cooperative Program budget for the Louisiana Baptist Convention subsequently made the discovery that the adopted proposal, though well-intended, was financially and functionally unfeasible, and   Whereas, Dr. Doster, after seeking counsel from various leaders in the Louisiana Baptist Convention, communicated his concerns with the Executive Board prior to its January 2004 meeting, informing them that he had taken action to … [Read more...]

Setting the stage for change: LBC Executive Director Dean Doster closed last week’s state Executive Board meeting by announcing his plans to retire Setting the stage for change: LBC Executive Director Dean Doster closed last week’s state Executive Board meeting by announcing his plans to retire   Following more than seven years of service, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director Dean Doster has announced plans to retire, effective January 31, 2005.   "It is after much prayer (that) I believe the Lord has shown me the timing is right for Louisiana Baptists to select a new director who can build on the work we have accomplished during these eight years," Doster told state Executive Board members at the close of their meeting last week. "It is time all of us refocus and climb to a new level of growth."   Doster, 60, had given no earlier indication of his intentions - and his announcement marks the second major transition Louisiana Baptists will face within the span of a year. Louisiana College also is experiencing a leadership change as President Rory Lee leaves his post in mid-May.   A Louisiana College search committee already is at work to nominate a new … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers apparently will be asked this fall to affirm the decision to give complete financial and administrative control of local directors of missions to Baptist associations. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers apparently will be asked this fall to affirm the decision to give complete financial and administrative control of local directors of missions to Baptist associations.   LBC Executive Board members previewed a resolution last week that calls on messengers to adopt the statement "as an expression of support for the decision to return oversight and employment (along with funding) of the directors of missions to the respective associations of churches."   Although board members delayed a vote on the resolution until their September meeting, it was presented last week as an object of prayer and consideration prior to that time.   The resolution is titled as an affirmation of LBC Executive Director Dean Doster and local directors of missions. It outlines the process by which the decision regarding directors of missions was made. That decision came in January 2004, when Doster announced full control of directors of missions would return … [Read more...]

An "extremely promising" outlook for the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering convinced trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to send an additional 200 workers overseas this year. An "extremely promising" outlook for the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering convinced trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board to send an additional 200 workers overseas this year.   However, not all was celebration during the recent trustee meeting, which also was marked by lengthy discussion regarding perceived disagreement among trustees.   Still, the news of additional missionary appointments was exciting for trustees.   With still more than a month to go before the books close, the offering stands at almost $127 million - about $19 million ahead of the previous year’s pace. Estimates indicate the final total May 31 will exceed the base goal of $133 million.   In response, board trustees agreed to add $13 million to the 2004 budget, including an additional $5 million to send 200 long- and short-term missionaries who otherwise would not have been sent because of appointment restrictions imposed in 2003.   Another $4 million in additional … [Read more...]

The number of hungry people in the United States and the developing world is greater now than it was when international leaders set hunger-cutting goals in the mid-1990s, a recent report said. The number of hungry people in the United States and the developing world is greater now than it was when international leaders set hunger-cutting goals in the mid-1990s, a recent report said.   At the World Food Summit in 1996, global leaders set a goal of cutting hunger in half by 2015 - which would have meant reducing the number of hungry people in developing countries from 800 million to 400 million.   However, in its 14th annual report on world hunger, the faith-based, anti-hunger organization Bread for the World noted there are 842 million hungry people worldwide now - and the number is rising by 4.5 million a year.   The report attributed the hunger growth, in part, to a slowing world economy, wars and natural disasters.   In addition to the world goal, pledges by United States leaders to cut the number of Americans living in hunger - from 30.4 million to 15.2 million by 2010 - also are lagging.   Currently, about 35 million Americans either do not know where their … [Read more...]

For the week of May 20, 2004 Baptist Message officers   Louisiana Baptist Message trustees elected officers for the new year during their scheduled meeting last week. All three were elected by acclamation. They are: Chair Larry Thompson, pastor at First Baptist Church of Westlake; Vice Chair Naida Sexton, a member at Trinity Heights Baptist Church in Shreveport; and Secretary-Treasurer Don Rudd, pastor at Quitman Baptist Church in Quitman.   No to vouchers   There will be no expansion of the small school voucher plan run by the Louisiana government. Members of the state Senate Education Committee recently voted no to any expansion. It was the second straight year the committee has denied the efforts by New Orleans Catholics to expand the program. The state currently operates a small program, providing state-paid, private preschool tuition to about 1,500 students from disadvantaged families. Opponents of the expansion bid said it would siphon needed money from the public school system. The measure to expand the program fell on a 3-3 vote when the committee chair declined to vote. A measure must receive a majority vote to proceed for debate on the full Senate floor.   Drug … [Read more...]

The phrase "a picture is worth a thou-sand words" certainly can be said for First Baptist Church of Florien’s missions picture collage. The phrase "a picture is worth a thou-sand words" certainly can be said for First Baptist Church of Florien’s missions picture collage.   "It acts as a stimulant to encourage others to do missions," Pastor Bobby Franklin says of the two-sided, 4 foot-by-4 foot board filled with photographs from church members’ missions trips.   Eighteen states and 12 foreign missions trips are represented on the board. Past trips include efforts in New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Colorado, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Ukraine and Russia.   The idea originated earlier this year.   Franklin says the church originally planned to post names of military personnel serving overseas. However, when church member Claire Thompson proposed the idea of placing pictures of past missions trips on the board, the missions collage was born.   After collecting pictures from various church members, Thompson says she improved the "look" of the older pictures with a photo editing computer program.   The entire process took four months.   "I have no … [Read more...]

Back in the mid-1980s, Joe Salter really never had considered entering the world of politics - his chosen field was education. Indeed, Salter had spent some 33 years in the world of elementary and secondary education. Back in the mid-1980s, Joe Salter really never had considered entering the world of politics - his chosen field was education.   Indeed, Salter had spent some 33 years in the world of elementary and secondary education.   Then, some good friends gave him a call.   The area state representative was leaving his seat. Would Salter be interested in running for it, they wanted to know.   Thinking about it, Salter realized he may be. He asked for time to pray about it and to talk to his family.   One of those he talked to was his mother-in-law, who offered some succinct - and pointed - advice.   "I think you need to do it because I’ve always heard a honest man can’t get elected, and if he does, he can’t stay that way," she told Salter.   "I’d like to see you do it in order to prove that wrong."   In the end, Salter took up the challenge.   Now, 18 years and several additional elections later, by the testimony of … [Read more...]

Lynn P. Clayton announced last week he plans to retire as editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message at the end of 2005. "No one could have enjoyed a job more than I have enjoyed being editor of the Baptist Message, ..." Clayton said in a letter presented last week during the scheduled meeting of newspaper trustees. Lynn P. Clayton announced last week he plans to retire as editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message at the end of 2005. "No one could have enjoyed a job more than I have enjoyed being editor of the Baptist Message, ..." Clayton said in a letter presented last week during the scheduled meeting of newspaper trustees. "But ... the time has come for Louisiana Baptists to hear a different voice on the editorial page of their Baptist Message and read of a newer dream for the ministry of the paper." By the time Clayton retires, he will have reached the age of 65 and will have served more than 27 years as editor of the Baptist state newspaper. "We regret to receive this retirement announcement," said Nathan Luce, chair of the Louisiana Baptist Message trustees and pastor at Broussard Grove Baptist Church in Prairieville. "Lynn P. Clayton has served Louisiana Baptists extremely well for more than 25 years and has … [Read more...]

As Rory Lee relocates to his native Mississippi, he will carry a favorite memory from his time as president of Louisiana College. As Rory Lee relocates to his native Mississippi, he will carry a favorite memory from his time as president of Louisiana College.   It occurred after Lee had been at the school a few years. Enrollment was climbing to new highs. The campus environment had been changed, had become more vibrant as the number of residential students rose.   But here was Lee, returning to his office following a chapel service, only to find a female upperclassman student waiting for him, crying.   Lee sought to learn the cause for her tears.   "Her response was, ‘I had to stand in line at the cafeteria,’" Lee recalls. "And I didn’t know how to respond to what she said. Then, after she got her composure, she said: ‘I’ve been here three years, and I haven’t had to stand in line. And it bothered me that this was where I chose to be and that others were not choosing Louisiana College.   " ‘Now, others are choosing to come to school here. It makes me know my choice was right.’"   It is easy to see why Lee chooses such a memory.   When Lee was … [Read more...]