From the Arkansas border to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Mississippi border to the Texas state line, Southern Baptists in Louisiana are “at work in the fields of the Lord.” STATEWIDE – From the Arkansas border to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Mississippi border to the Texas state line, Southern Baptists in Louisiana are “at work in the fields of the Lord.” Churches are reaching out in their communities and around the world, as are associations and, for that matter, the Louisiana Baptist Convention. New opportunities for service continually emerge and at the same time, several ongoing needs require attention. “I believe across Louisiana we are seeing the Spirit of God move in unusual ways,” said LBC Executive Director David Hankins at the spring meeting of LBC’s executive board. Hankins included Jena in his remarks – noting that God has opened the door there for responsive action from the people of God – as well as New Orleans and the I-20 corridor. “We are to be conveyors of well-being,” Hankins said. “Every person we meet is a potential recipient of the peace of God.” In Louisiana, “conveyors” come in a variety of guises. Bill McCullin, who lives in Pineville and works at a fitness center, buys … [Read more...]

You can’t tell a thing from the road. It looks like just one more house on Hickory Grove Road in Holloway, just off Highway 28, east of Pineville. HOLLOWAY – You can’t tell a thing from the road. It looks like just one more house on Hickory Grove Road in Holloway, just off Highway 28, east of Pineville.  You can’t really tell anything as you drive closer. But drive on around the house to where the backyard ought to be and that’s when you realize there’s something special going on. The 12 acres that used to be cropland have been transformed.   It’s part RV park – with spots for 219 units – and part outdoor music stage with a covered performance area that can seat hundreds.  It’s called the Hickory Grove Music Park and it’s all about bluegrass music. “Bluegrass is a style of acoustic music that originated in the 1940s when Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs combined elements of country/western, gospel and blues music with the British, Irish, and Scottish music of their Appalachian mountain heritage,” explains Elizabeth Burkett on an internet site about the musical genre. “It is played most commonly on the mandolin, fiddle, five-string banjo, six-string guitar, and upright bass, but the resonator guitar … [Read more...]

How did it happen that Louisiana’s Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke recently at a Sunday morning worship service at First Baptist Church in Winnfield, as well as many other churches across the state? WINNFIELD – How did it happen that Louisiana’s Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke recently at a Sunday morning worship service at First Baptist Church in Winnfield, as well as many other churches across the state? Rev. Jerold McBride, pastor of First Winnfield, explained that he received a call from the governor’s assistant who said that the governor wished to worship at the Winnfield church and would welcome the opportunity to share his faith. “I replied we’d be thrilled,” McBride said. “The governor will use the time the normal sermon would be. That will be tremendous because we’re starting the Winn for Jesus Crusade and to kick it off, the governor of the whole state will be here, sharing his experience of coming to know Christ as his savior.” The First Winnfield pastor said he first heard Jindal’s testimony during a governor’s prayer breakfast last November with about 1,200 other participants.  He said that during the last interview of the recent campaign, he was asked about the single most important event in his life, McBride … [Read more...]

Submitted by Staff on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 02:00 … [Read more...]

Statistics and their interpretation are not unimportant (3,000 saved on the Day of Pentecost). However, they often function in Southern Baptist life to remind me of a search for goblins that have no reality. Statistics and their interpretation are not unimportant (3,000 saved on the Day of Pentecost). However, they often function in Southern Baptist life to remind me of a search for goblins that have no reality. LifeWay recently released statistics gathered from reports of the churches. Doomsayers and analysts immediately began to explain to readers what the numbers “meant” and why such catastrophic shrinkage had occurred in Southern Baptist churches. So, to paraphrase Luke, “since many have taken in hand” this assessment, maybe one more will do no harm. In fact, another perspective might even be helpful. At the outset one can only say that the picture does not look the way those of us who played a role in the Conservative Renaissance had hoped. We did not embark upon that massive effort merely for the sake of truth, even though such would surely have been noble. Neither were we convinced that full confidence in the truth of Scripture would result in more evangelism and missions because we knew of historical cases of … [Read more...]

“God blesses the church that blesses the world,” said David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, to members of the Executive Board gathered at Tall Timbers for its regularly-scheduled spring meeting. WOODWORTH – “God blesses the church that blesses the world,” said David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, to members of the Executive Board gathered at Tall Timbers for its regularly-scheduled spring meeting.  Hankins was talking about giving from the churches to missions through the Cooperative Program, the Southern Baptist Convention’s method to strengthen state conventions and global missions outreach.  Hankins’ report was the first in a newly streamlined agenda designed to compress the business of the board into a one-day event.  Year-to-date, Louisiana Southern Baptist churches have given $830,000 more to missions through the Cooperative Program in 2008 than in 2007, an 11.16 percent increase, Hankins reported. “I believe across Louisiana we are seeing the spirit of God move in unusual ways,” Hankins said as part of his executive director’s report to the Executive Board.  “Second Wind” is to be the theme of the annual meeting, set for Nov. 10-11 in New … [Read more...]

Submitted by Jerry Love on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 02:00 … [Read more...]

With appropriate pomp and circumstance, 158 undergraduate students from 14 states and three nations – counting the U.S.A. – received their earned degrees from Louisiana College Saturday, May 10. PINEVILLE – With appropriate pomp and circumstance, 158 undergraduate students  from 14 states and three nations – counting the U.S.A. – received their earned degrees from Louisiana College Saturday, May 10. In addition, T.C. “Tommy” French Jr., 50-year pastor of Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, received an honorary doctorate in ministry, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal received an honorary doctorate in law at the LC graduation ceremonies. “Our graduates have gotten a wonderful education at Louisiana College,” Jindal said during the commencement address, making note of the Christian worldview taught in LC classes. “She went here kicking and screaming, but after one semester, she decided to say,” said Clarence Robinson Jr. of his daughter, Brittany Robinson, one of the Class of 2008. “It cost me a pretty penny, but she got good Christian values and a good education out of it, so it was worth it.” Guinn Auditorium on the LC campus was standing room only for the graduation ceremony, which graduates said would have … [Read more...]

This year’s youth and high school Bible Drill, Xtreme Bible Challenge and speakers’ tournament events sponsored by the LBC Evangelism/Church Growth Youth Ministries team had a total of 418 participants. PINEVILLE – This year’s youth and high school Bible Drill, Xtreme Bible Challenge and speakers’ tournament events sponsored by the LBC Evangelism/Church Growth Youth Ministries team had a total of 418 participants.  There were 275 Children’s Bible Drillers, 72 Youth Bible Drillers, 64 High School, 3 Xtreme Bible Challenge Teams and 6 Youth Speakers’ Tournament participants, participated at Louisiana College. Youth Bible Drill: 7th Grade Bible Drill – There were 6 people recognized as winners in three 7th grade groups.  They were: Inah Hong – Williams Blvd., Kenner; Savanna Whitten-Lakeshore, Monroe; Kaeli Morgan-Woodlawn, Baton Rouge; Alex Dease-FBC, Covington;Kadee McKoin-Lakeshore, Monroe; Rachel Haines-Heritage, Shreveport. 8th Grade Bible Drill – There were 4 people recognized as winners in two 8th grade groups. They were: Mary Katherine Schober-Heritage, Shreveport; Paul Vige’-Bible Baptist, DeQuincy; Victoria Rutledge-Crossroads, Kenner; Naomi Law-FBC, Gonzales.      9th Grade Bible Drill – The first & … [Read more...]

Associations Seek Leaders • Northeast Association needs pastors at Fairbanks Baptist Fairbanks, Peniel Baptist West Monroe, Fellowship Baptist Monroe, First Baptist Swartz, Memorial Baptist Monroe. Ministers of music needed at Clark Springs Baptist Eros, Edgewood Baptist West Monroe, First Baptist Monroe, Lighthouse Baptist Monroe, Loch Arbor Baptist Monroe. Ministers of youth needed at Bethel Baptist West Monroe, Clark Springs Baptist Eros, Emmanuel Baptist West Monroe, Highland Park Baptist Monroe, Lighthouse Baptist Monroe, New Light Baptist Monroe. Children’s Minister needed at Fairbanks Baptist Monroe, Mt. Vernon Baptist West Monroe. • Northwest Association needs pastors at: Cypress Baptist Benton, Fillmore Baptist Princeton, Northwoods Baptist Shreveport, Oak Hill Baptist Plain Dealing, First Baptist Vivian, Willow Point Baptist Shreveport, Woodland Hills Baptist Shreveport. Minister of Music/Education needed at: First Baptist Haughton. Minister of Evangelism/Discipleship needed at: First Baptist Haughton, Kingston Road Baptist Shreveport. Ministers of Youth needed at: Kingston Road Baptist, Shreveport; Mooringsport Baptist Mooringsport, North Keithville Baptist Keithville, Northwoods Baptist Shreveport, First Baptist … [Read more...]