A group of current members of the Louisiana College Board of Trustees have issued a joint "Open Letter to Louisiana Baptists" regarding their concerns over issues related to Louisiana College. This is for immediate release and we have chosen to send this to the Baptist Press, the Baptist Message and to The Town Talk of Alexandria, Louisiana. ********************************************************* Dear Louisiana Baptists, The undersigned members of the Board of Trustees of Louisiana College have come to the conclusion that due in part to our fiduciary responsibility to the Louisiana Baptist Convention as duly elected members of the Board of Trustees, and in part to preserve our integrity and testimony before God, our families, and our churches, we are forced to make a public statement regarding our concerns over actions of the administration of Louisiana College. This is a statement that we were ready to make last year upon calling for the resignation or termination of the President of Louisiana College but due, in large part, to the undue influence of the Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention our actions were derailed and the President remained. The great contribution of Baptists in American history has been … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 03/28/2014 - 18:01 Several Louisiana College trustees extend regrets to Executive Director   Current Louisiana College trustee Jim Garlington responded to a contact from Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins concerning his signature on an open letter to Louisiana Baptists. The letter addresses the current situation surrounding Louisiana College President, Dr. Joe Aguillard. Garlington told Hankins he voiced concerns over language in the letter that disparages Hankins influence on the LC board and asked for its removal prior to release.  While supporting the letter’s position regarding Aguillard, Garlington apologized for the comments against Hankins. Hankins indicated at least two other signees have also extended regrets regarding the remarks. Garlington’s email is below:   From: Jim Garlington Date: March 28, 2014 at 1:08:22 PM CDT To: David Hankins Subject: open letter   Dear Dr. Hankins: Please accept this clarification of my position relative to the "Open Letter" to Louisiana. Baptists published in the Town Talk today.  My sole intent was and is to call for a change in the administration (Presidency) of Louisiana College!  My signature … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor PINEVILLE -- Secret recordings made by the former Dean of Louisiana College’s Caskey School of Divinity indicate that LC President Joe Aguillard believed David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, was seeking to advance an anti-Calvinist agenda on LC. Aguillard also believed it was plausible Hankins wanted to oust him from his position at the college so Hankins could install his son as president of LC, the recordings which were made in Aug. 2012 disclose. The recordings were provided by Charles “Chuck” L. Quarles to The Town Talk of meetings he made while employed at the college. The newspaper allowed the Baptist Message to listen to the recordings at the publication’s offices. Voices identified on the recordings, one which lasts just under 37 minutes and another which last 12 minutes and 25 seconds, are of Aguillard, Quarles, Timothy “Tim” Johnson, a former vice-president at LC and Daniel Kirk, administrative assistant to the President The occasion for the longer recording is a meeting where Aguillard says he, Quarles and Johnson need to “get a game plan together” concerning their suspicion that Hankins wanted to further an agenda on LC to remove Calvinists from the … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 02/07/2014 - 10:49 Will and Bethany Butterfield are foster parents for Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home. They live in Central Louisiana and have two biological children. Shortly after being certified, the Butterfield family welcomed two siblings into their home as foster placements. In the fall of 2013, the children were freed for adoption. The Butterfields are currently in the process of adopting them. Will and Bethany Butterfield are foster parents for Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home.  They live in Central Louisiana and have two biological children. Shortly after being certified, the Butterfield family welcomed two siblings into their home as foster placements.  In the fall of 2013, the children were freed for adoption. The Butterfields are currently in the process of adopting them. “For He who calls is faithful.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). We knew God was calling us to adopt. What we didn’t know was how He was going to accomplish that plan. One week after we began praying over that decision, Beth Green came to speak at our church, The Gathering Place, about orphan care. When she spoke about foster care, we knew God was calling us to foster-to-adopt. Receiving our first placement was … [Read more...]