COMINGS AND GOINGS -Nathan T. Rush (wife Sara), new as pastor First Baptist, Morgan City. -David Theriot (wife Leah), new as pastor Immanuel Baptist, Morgan City. -Scott Breland new as youth minister Little Pass Baptist, Charenton. AVAILABLE -Tim Lee available for supply, interim pastor; call 318.452.4547. -Choir Robes available from Trinity Heights Baptist, Shreveport; call 318.221.2695. NEEDED -Minister of Education/Administration at First Baptist DeRidder; send resume to First Baptist Church, Attention Personnel Committee, 313 West First St., DeRidder LA 70634. ORDINATIONS -DEVILLE – Longview Baptist: Joshua Dean Sikes to the gospel ministry; Robby Poole, pastor. LICENSES -DEVILLE – Longview Baptist: Gerald “Junior” L. Salard to the gospel ministry; Robby Poole, pastor. HOMECOMINGS -PROVENCAL – Harmony Baptist: 140th Homecoming 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 14; Wayne Hicks, speaker; Randy Olliff, pastor. -SPEARSVILLE – Canaan Baptist: Homecoming 10:45 a.m. Sunday, June 14; Connie Smith, speaker; Tim Post, music; Richard Abel, music. ANNIVERSARIES -FLORIEN – Christian Baptist: 1st Anniversary celebrated Sunday, June 7; Gervis Martin, pastor. DEDICATIONS -DEVILLE  - … [Read more...]

Antioch Baptist Church Concord UnionBaptist Association  FARMERVILLE – Even with new pastor Greg Dunn, Antioch Baptist in Farmerville has not missed a beat. The church stays busy with an average of 300 in attendance each week and many programs and events as well, said Judy Savage, secretary for the last seven years. On June 14, Antioch Baptist will host its first “Sunday in the Park,” an outreach that will hopefully draw the interest of new people in the community. The event will begin at 2 p.m. and will have swimming, volleyball, entertainment and testimonies for people in the community.  “We’re real excited about it,” Savage said. “June is a very busy month for us.” June 14 is also high attendance day for Sunday school. “We try to reach everybody that we can to come to church and we follow the Great Commission,” Savage said. Vacation Bible School is set for the week of June 22 through 26. With success in the previous years, VBS will be held in the evening from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In July a six-person mission team will be going to Honduras on mission to build houses. As a way to involve the whole church with the mission, a garage sale is planned for June 13 to raise money. Church members will bring items … [Read more...]

Imagine: You’re standing in front of several hundred people, and are asked to give a scriptural response to a question like, "What does the Bible say about learning God’s word?" COVINGTON – Imagine: You’re standing in front of several hundred people, and are asked to give a scriptural response to a question like, "What does the Bible say about learning God’s word?"   You have five seconds to pull the correct verse – Deut. 11:18-19 – out of the hundreds you have memorized, find it in the Bible, and recite it. Could you do it?   "You’re all winners," LBC Bible Drill Coordinator Linda Aguilliard told the dozen students from eight states who competed at the high school level, after they had gone through five grueling tests to gauge their biblical proficiency.   June 19 was the first time for Louisiana to host the National Invitational Tournament; it did so at First Baptist Covington.   Junior and senior high school students from eight states competed in three events over a three-hour time span: Youth Bible Drill, High School Bible Drill, and Speakers Tournament.   Gov. Bobby Jindal via video congratulated the students on their study of the Word of God, and parents on their … [Read more...]

Churches and individuals are invited to answer the Call 2 Fall on Sunday, July 5. The initiative is aimed at praying for the healing of America and declaring dependence on God immediately after celebrating the nation’s independence from Great Britain. WASHINGTON (BP) – Churches and individuals are invited to answer the Call 2 Fall on Sunday, July 5. The initiative is aimed at praying for the healing of America and declaring dependence on God immediately after celebrating the nation’s independence from Great Britain.   "It’s incumbent upon the church to assume the responsibility for where the nation is and leading us forward, not from a political standpoint but from a spiritual standpoint," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said. "If the spiritual things are in order, the political things seem to be a lot easier to solve."   Shortly after Perkins announced the multidenominational initiative via conference call with Christian media May 19, more than 3,500 people had clicked "I’m in" on the website Call2Fall.com, which is hosted by the Family Research Council.   Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, participated in the conference call and … [Read more...]

wenty-four Southern Baptists from a broad cross-section of the denomination comprise the new North American Great Commission Task Force set to meet for the first time on Tuesday, June 23, prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Louisville, Ky. ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Twenty-four Southern Baptists from a broad cross-section of the denomination comprise the new North American Great Commission Task Force set to meet for the first time on Tuesday, June 23, prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Louisville, Ky. Commissioned by North American Mission Board President Geoff Hammond, the task force is designed to dovetail with the Great Commission Resurgence declaration issued by SBC President Johnny Hunt, who will be kept apprised of the group’s progress. To date, more than 3,700 Baptists have signed Hunt’s call for a return to the Great Commission. "The North American Mission Board joins with our SBC president in this focus and takes this call seriously," Hammond said. "NAMB is called and is in the unique position to mobilize this convention in a Great Commission resurgence." David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue … [Read more...]

The American Bar Association first published its "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance" in 1985. In 2005 the ABA issued an updated version titled "The Black Letter Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance." Both documents articulate the qualities an individual should possess if he or she is to be considered a competent judge. The American Bar Association first published its "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance" in 1985. In 2005 the ABA issued an updated version titled "The Black Letter Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance." Both documents articulate the qualities an individual should possess if he or she is to be considered a competent judge.   Among the traits the ABA believes make for an effective jurist are legal knowledge, integrity, freedom from bias, effective communication, courtroom etiquette, management skills, punctuality, service to the community and the profession, and the ability to work well with colleagues.   Since justice is supposed to be blind, the ABA guide stresses the need for judges to treat people with equity. Specifically mentioned are the following:   n "Absence of favor or disfavor toward anyone, including but not limited … [Read more...]

Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh ... but I did. My Nineveh was Iraq. I’ve always dreamed of ministering to our troops in Iraq. Little did I know that it would include a Muslim guide, government contractors and private security specialists. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh ... but I did. My Nineveh was Iraq. I’ve always dreamed of ministering to our troops in Iraq. Little did I know that it would include a Muslim guide, government contractors and private security specialists. This is my Easter story. I have had some special Easter services in my lifetime, but none so memorable as my recent trip to Iraq. I served the local church as a pastor for 22 years. Then in 1995, I was commissioned by my most recent past pastorate (First Baptist Church, West Monroe, La.) to become "America’s Minister of Encouragement." I love encouraging people with laughter and a view of life on the lighter side. Literally thousands of times I have exhorted people to "Loosen up, Laugh and Live." Never did I realize I would get to do exactly that in Iraq. By the way, Iraqis laugh, too! Dr. Steve Cretin – a friend, previous associate staff member and now mission strategist – organized our trip to Amman, Jordan, and Erbil, Iraq. I wanted to assist … [Read more...]

Summer is here and all that goes with it – beaches, sun burns, and BASEBALL! Summer is here and all that goes with it – beaches, sun burns, and BASEBALL!   Parents with multiple budding ballplayers can find themselves at the ballpark every night of the week. Additionally, a growing trend is kids who participate in "travel ball."   If a child plays travel ball, this entails extra practice, weekend tournaments, and yes, even playing on Sundays.   The rationale some coaches use for promoting travel ball is that it is necessary if a parent wants his or her child to eventually excel at baseball. A zealous coach will insist that if a kid desires to succeed at the high school level, or beyond, playing travel ball is an imperative.   Many parents readily agree with the coach’s assessment and conclude that their child must play travel ball. Once that choice is made, a Christ-loving family is face with a dilemma. Weekend tournaments require playing on Sunday.   "It will just be a Sunday here and a Sunday there," is how some parent’s seek to justify their decision. "Besides, we can always go to early church or watch a service on television." Some even have devotions with other families at the hotel on … [Read more...]

America is where she is right now – morally, spiritually and culturally, because the church has been asleep at the wheel. For years pastors have been alienated and criticized for mixing politics with the pulpit. As a result, biblical influence has been divorced from the political process. America is where she is right now – morally, spiritually and culturally, because the church has been asleep at the wheel. For years pastors have been alienated and criticized for mixing politics with the pulpit. As a result, biblical influence has been divorced from the political process.   Americans ignored righteous values in the most recent presidential campaign. If John McCain had been elected, the American church would likely have rolled over and just gone back to sleep, just as it did after 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Iraq War. We would have been content living in Laodicea.   We now have a president who has no respect for the life of the unborn. He wants to make Roe v Wade constitutional law. He believes hard-earned wealth should be distributed evenly among all Americans. The Presidency of Barack Obama, it seems, is more prophetic than historic.   It is now high time for the churches of this great country to awake … [Read more...]

Lloyd Whitman, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dry Prong, recently received the 2008 J.D. Grey Preaching Award from the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation. DRY PRONG – Lloyd Whitman, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dry Prong, recently received the 2008 J.D. Grey Preaching Award from the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation.   Louis Reames, secretary of the foundation’s board of trustees, announced the presentation.   The Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation is an educational/religious foundation, organized in 1942. One award given annually is the J.D. Grey Preaching Award, according to information supplied by Ken Ward, LMCF executive director.   Grey was pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans for 35 years before being named pastor emeritus in 1972, until he died in 1985.   "Throughout his ministry, in a magnificent way, he continued to affect the moral climate, not only in the city of New Orleans, but throughout the state and nation as well," Ward said. "LMCF remembers him not only as one of the leading founders of LMCF, but also as one who literally breathed the breath of life into this organization. Most remember him for his outstanding preaching."   Like other LMCF programs, the … [Read more...]