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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Kelly takes over as Gulf Coast Baptist Association bi-vo DOM

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MORGAN CITY – A Morgan City pastor has begun serving as bi-vocational director of missions for Gulf Coast Baptist Association. An association of 15 churches primarily in St. Mary Parish, Gulf Coast Baptist Association previously shared with a director of missions with Evangeline Baptist Association. Steven Kelly assumed his role as director of missions on Aug. 1. Bert Langley, who has retired as director of missions for Evangeline Association, but is remaining as interim, approached Kelly with the idea a few months ago and the churches in Gulf Coast Baptist Association agreed the timing was right to make the move. “Before, we shared a director of missions with an area much larger than our own,” said Kelly, who is pastor of Bayou Vista Baptist Church, where the new associational office will be located. “Bi-vocationally I can give it the same attention a new director of missions would do. For our churches, we now have our own identity.” Kelly will continue to serve full time as pastor and will work one day a week as director of missions. While his role as pastor will prevent him from serving as an interim pastor at other churches on Sundays, Kelly plans to meet with pastors during … [Read more...]

Brazil mission trip sees 3,500 accept Christ as their Savior

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MANAUS, Brazil – Even a battle with cancer could not keep Wayne Jenkins from helping lead his 31st consecutive mission trip to Brazil. “I’ve been doing this 31 years and I couldn’t see me not going,” Jenkins said. Jenkins, who serves as evangelism and church growth director for Louisiana Baptists, was among 162 men and women who were on mission in Manaus, Brazil, as part of the Louisiana Baptist-led evangelism outreach in the country. While there, the teams participated in street evangelism, puppets, Vacation Bible Schools, drama, sports clinics, construction of churches, BMX demonstrations and medical, dental and eye clinics. The majority of those ministering in Brazil were from Louisiana, though a handful came from Canada and states including Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Utah. By the end of the group’s mission trip, 3,500 people accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Among those who went on the trip was Brad Bennett, who led the BMX and gospel presentations. Bennett is president and founder of Real Encounter Ministry of Springfield, Mo. “We counted it a blessing to be able to work with the Louisiana Baptist Convention on the mission trip to … [Read more...]

North Shore Association born from Katrina’s destruction

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter HAMMOND – Before Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast there were three small Baptist associations in the southeast part of Louisiana and now there is one, the Northshore Baptist Association. “That was one of the many positive outcomes from that horrible time,” said Lonnie Wascom, Director of Missions for the 90-some church association headquartered in Hammond. Wascom, like Ron Lambe, former administrative pastor at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, remembers Katrina in Dickensian terms, “the best of times and the worst of times.” “The first week and a half was definitely the worst of times,” Wascom said during a recent phone interview. Katrina’s winds and its colossal storm surge that rolled up to six miles into southeast Louisiana wiped out tens of thousands of homes and businesses, made many thousands of people homeless and wrecked most major infrastructure like power lines and highways. Parts of Interstate 10 were closed for months because bridges were destroyed. “This may sound terrible but – the best of times was when the levees breached in New Orleans – because of that, all of a sudden, it got the attention of everyone – especially the Baptists,” Wascom … [Read more...]

To our readers there is Good News in Louisiana!

By Dr. Will Hall, Editor ALEXANDRIA – Great reports are coming in about the impact of the Good News across Louisiana. Baptist Message readers might have made note of George Warshaw in our last edition. He became a babe in Christ in July at the age of 101 years old! Warshaw has been a faithful attender for many years at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, and his wife Lou had been faithfully praying for his salvation since they married in 1991. Other churches, large and small, have shared great reports about the power of the Good News working in their communities as well. Pisgah Baptist in Forest Hill, which has about 70 worshippers Sunday mornings, reported baptizing 10 new believers this summer, 12 for the year (a marked increase over the 4 baptisms it averaged per year for the last decade or so). Likewise, First Bossier reported baptizing 22 born again disciples July 19, including 17 at Splash Kingdom, and has baptized 171 converts total through the first week of August. Meanwhile, Celebration Church in New Orleans baptized 92 during its “All In” weekend in July, bringing their total to 384 baptisms for the year and keeping them on pace to meet their goal of 520 baptisms by the end of the 2015. Louisiana Baptists’ … [Read more...]

Family Serve weekend a unique chance for parents, children to serve together

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAKE CHARLES – Parents and children will have the opportunity to serve alongside one another during the upcoming Family Serve weekend in Lake Charles. Scheduled for Sept. 25-26, Family Serve will encourage families to be on mission through a variety of local ministries in the city. The weekend begins on Sept. 25 at 5:30 pm, with a dinner, opening worship and mission team social at First Baptist Church in Lake Charles. The following day, families will eat breakfast and worship together before heading out to work at mission sites. Mission opportunities on Sept. 26 include sharing the gospel at block parties, prayer walking in neighborhoods, operating free wellness checks at a block party and assisting church plants with outreach. The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will have its Mobile Pregnancy Care Center stationed at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church to offer free ultrasound and pregnancy testing. Family Serve weekend will conclude with a worship celebration, led by Jeff Slaughter who wrote songs for LifeWay Christian Resources’ Vacation Bible School for 16 years. The $40 registration cost per person includes program fee, three meals, church lodging, t-shirt and funds for local … [Read more...]

Faithfulness, courage lift state past Katrina

By Will Hall, Message Editor NEW ORLEANS – A decade ago, it was difficult to see anything more than the devastation that accompanied Katrina as she swept across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. But looking back now, it’s possible to see the triumph that emerged from the tragedy. After passing over the Florida panhandle as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, then weakening to a tropical storm, Katrina grew in ferocity fueled by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, growing in intensity to a 200-mile wide Category 5 tempest. But before it made a predicted direct hit on New Orleans, dry air from the Midwest absorbed some of its energy, dropping it to a strong Category 3 system and causing it to shift direction, making landfall about 25 miles east of the city, according to the Houston Chronicle. Moreover, the winds over New Orleans (where the weakest part of the storm passed) reached only Category 1 levels and the storm surge failed to top the levees as predicted. But, where a natural disaster of the predicted magnitude failed to materialize in New Orleans a manmade one burst forth. Levees along the Mississippi River held, but some holding back Lake Ponchartrain, Lake Borgne and the waterlogged swamps and … [Read more...]

American Sniper’s widow to share testimony Aug. 30 at First Bossier

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY – The widow of American Sniper Chris Kyle will share her testimony during two worship services at First Baptist Bossier City on Aug. 30. Taya Kyle will share about her husband’s commitment to fighting for his country and the impact his Christian faith had on him. Throughout his book that became a New York Times bestseller, Chris Kyle mentions numerous times of his reliance on Christ. Known as the most lethal sniper in US military history with more than 160 kills, Kyle was honorably discharged in 2009. He died in 2013 while visiting a shooting range with a friend when another man, Eddie Ray Routh, allegedly killed the two men. His story was made into the movie “American Sniper” and was released in 2014. She will speak during the 9:15 and 10:45 am worship services as part of the church’s “Honor Our Heroes Sunday.” Active military, police, firemen and first responders will be honored during the services and at a breakfast reception at 8:15 am and lunch at 12 pm. Brad Jurkovich, pastor of First Bossier, said the day allows his church to actively serve those who protect them. “We need to encourage these families as much as possible,” Jurkovich said. “They all are on the … [Read more...]

Leavell College, NOBTS mourns the loss of beloved professor, John Gibson

By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications Director NEW ORLEANS – The first day of a new semester was marred by sadness as New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Leavell College students learned of the death of beloved professor John Gibson. Gibson, 56, died Aug. 24. A memorial service for Gibson will be held in Leavell Chapel on the seminary campus Aug. 28, at 10:30 a.m. The service is a joint effort between NOBTS and First Baptist Church, New Orleans where Gibson’s wife, Christi, served as minister of discipleship and missions. Gibson was discovered at his home on the seminary campus at approximately 5:30 p.m., Aug. 24, by his wife when she arrived home from work. After finding Gibson unresponsive, she immediately notified emergency medical service. EMS workers were unable to revive him, and Gibson was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death is still undetermined. Born in Louisiana to a long line of Baptist ministers, Gibson spent many of his formative years in Mississippi where his father served in pastoral ministry. Gibson earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi College and went on to earn a master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees at NOBTS. Gibson served as youth minister and … [Read more...]

Long-term investors should focus on objectives during market volatility

By Timothy Head, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS — Monday’s stock market drop, on the heels of disappointing performance over the last few days, led to headlines and some investor concerns, but long-term investors should continue to consider their objectives and time horizons. David S. Spika, global investment strategist at GuideStone Capital Management, LLC, offered a commentary posted on GuideStone’s website explaining the nature of current volatility, as well as offered perspective on the current market. “As volatility rises, the best course of action is to ensure you invest with active managers who possess a strong track record, stay focused on the long term, and remain well diversified,” Spika wrote, likening market volatility to a roller coaster. Many observers have expected some level of correction to occur at some point given that markets had been on a long-term growth pattern since the market trough in 2009. The S&P 500 Index®, spurred on by quantitative easing and a near-zero Fed Funds rate, had gained more than 200% since 2009 and has not had a 10% or greater correction in more than three years, Spika observed. Active management firms, like GuideStone, are thought by many to be better suited for … [Read more...]

Injunction extended while GuideStone awaits appeal

By Timothy E. Head, Baptist Press DALLAS (BP) -- The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 21 it would keep in place the preliminary injunction won by GuideStone earlier at the District Court level while GuideStone's appeals it case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The preliminary injunction, which protects certain ministries from providing abortion-causing drugs or devices in their health plan, or face crippling fines, was first issued by a federal judge in December 2013. Upon the government's appeal, a three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit of Appeals ruled 2-1 to end the injunction. GuideStone, along with co-plaintiffs Reaching Souls International, an Oklahoma-based missions-sending organization, and Truett-McConnell College, a Georgia Baptist institution, appealed the Tenth Circuit's ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court in July. Churches and integrated auxiliaries of churches, including GuideStone, are already exempt from the mandate and its penalties as religious employers. GuideStone's current litigation was sought to protect other ministries it serves, such as children's homes, colleges and other ministries not controlled by a church or association of churches, from the mandate and its penalties. "What this means is … [Read more...]