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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Times slams Obama for ignoring Syrian Christian refugees

By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner WASHINGTON (Christian Examiner) – President Obama's indifference to Christian persecution in the Middle East is part of a "scandal of enormous proportions," the editorial staff of theWashington Times has written in a scathing rebuke of the administration. "Expressions of concern by the leaders of the West are few. The fact is that Christians face more persecution, in more countries, than any other religious group," the editorial said before launching into an attack on the president's human rights record with respect to Christian refugees from Syria. Click here to read the rest of the article. … [Read more...]

Good grief! Kentucky school district censors ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

By Staff Alliance Defending Freedom Communications PAINTSVILLE, Ky. – Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter Dec. 15 to Johnson County Schools to encourage it to ignore a single complaint it received about biblical references in a student play based on the classic Charles Schulz television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” “Schools should not have to think twice about whether they can allow students to perform a classic Christmas production simply because it contains biblical references,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Sharp. “‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ has become an iconic Christmas story and tradition. Are school officials going to start demanding that other classic productions, such as Shakespearean plays, be censored just because they contain religious references?” After receiving the lone complaint from a family at W.R. Castle Elementary School, the district announced its intent to censor all religious references from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and any other Christmas plays at the district’s schools. Parents, students, and cast members have expressed dismay over the decision. “There is no violation of the so-called ‘separation of church and state’ by allowing children to learn about theater and the origins … [Read more...]

Court allows lawsuit of unjustly fired fire chief to go forward against city of Atlanta

By Staff, Alliance Defending Freedom Communications ATLANTA – A federal court ruled Dec. 16 that an Alliance Defending Freedom lawsuit filed on behalf of former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran will go forward against the city for unjustly firing him because of his religious beliefs. While the court agreed to dismiss some claims, the court is allowing the lawsuit to go forward on Cochran’s primary claims of retaliation, discrimination based on his viewpoint, and the violation of his constitutionally protected freedoms of religion, association, and due process (firing without following proper procedure). At oral arguments in October before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Cochran v. City of Atlanta, ADF argued that the city’s arguments themselves confirm Cochran’s claim that the city fired him for holding and expressing religious beliefs city officials didn’t like. “A religious or ideological test cannot be used to fire a public servant, but the city did exactly that, as the evidence and facts of this case clearly demonstrate,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot, who argued before the court. “We look forward to proceeding with this case because of the injustice against Chief Cochran, … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

TO PLACE INFORMATION IN NOTABLES: Please call (318.449.4345), fax (318.445.8328 or email (philip@baptistmessage.com) your church’s event three weeks before the event takes place. Include church’s name, date, time, cost, and pastor’s name. CORRECTION Dick DeBusk is the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Tullos. In the article in the Dec. 3rd issue of the Message on page two, the church he pastors was not correctly identified. ON THE MOVE Marcelle Ronquille is the new pastor at Bosco Baptist Church, Monroe. Jeff Robinson is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Hammond. Coy Raiford is the new associate pastor at First Baptist Church, Hammond. Lynn Puryear is the new children’s director at Airline Baptist Church, Bossier City. Robert Trigo is the new associate pastor/nations campus at Woodland Park Baptist Church in Hammond. Michael Stringer is the interim pastor at Life Journey Church in Shreveport. Chad (wife Lori) Hebert is the new Youth Pastor at Little Pass Baptist Church, Charenton. Richard Gambill is the new pastor at First Baptist Church in Bastrop. IN REMEMBERANCE Arnold Norsworthy of Alexandria passed away on Nov. 23 at the age of 82. He was employed with the Louisiana Baptist Convention … [Read more...]

At commencement ceremony, Louisiana College graduates challenged to make difference for Christ

By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor PINEVILLE – Long before a student even knew what career they intended to pursue, God had not only  determined what that career would be but had also prepared the way to obtain it. Speaking at Louisiana College’s 159th commencement ceremonies Dec. 12, Miranda Klein’s message to the gathering and the graduates was a simple one, “All of us are about to move on and graduate to the most important job in the world not because we chose it but because it was the one prepared by God for us.” In continuing a tradition begun by LC President Rick Brewer at last spring’s commencement, two graduates – Klein and Dallis Coleman – addressed the audience and the graduates. “Even before most of us had an inkling of what we wanted our future to be God knew," said Klein, who is married to LC alumnus Mark Klein, who received his degree in the spring. "There are no sacred or secular jobs, just those prepared for us by the Lord." Coleman, a veteran of the US Air Force and mother of two, talked about her experience in completing LC’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Coleman’s husband is stationed at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport. Louisiana College conferred degrees to 135 graduates at … [Read more...]

In Jefferson Parish, Silent Night does not mean Holy Night

By Mike Johnson These days, the assault on religious liberty never takes a holiday—even at Christmastime. For this reason, every conscientious citizen, and all of us who work to defend our most fundamental freedoms, can’t take a break.  In some places, like Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, people of faith will get steamrolled by local officials unless we take a stand. On December 10, my good friends and colleagues at Liberty Institute filed a federal lawsuit against Jefferson Parish on behalf of Vintage Church, after parish officials entered the church, fingerprinted the pastor, and issued a criminal summons against him for the horrific crime of being “too loud.”  Apparently, the noise level of 60 decibels—the equivalent of a running dishwasher or a conversation in a restaurant—is just too much to tolerate from a worship service. While parish ordinances single out churches for strict sound limitations, they impose no such restriction on much louder categories of noise like power tools, lawn mowers, and construction activities. This is not the first time Jefferson Parish has wound up in federal court for trampling upon the First Amendment rights of Christians. Back in 2004, I represented a number of other churches in a similar … [Read more...]

ECON features powerful lineup of speakers and worship

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – Reaching the Next Generation and Every People Group are two aims of the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference (ECON) – with a focus on moving Louisiana Baptists closer to achieving the goals of the President’s 2020 Commission Report. Evangelism & Church Growth Team Director Wayne Jenkins believes this year’s lineup of featured speakers and worship leaders will be able to accomplish this task. “ECON 2016 is a conference for the entire church,” Jenkins said. “Along with great music and powerful preaching, pastors and church members alike will be able to take home ideas from the breakout sessions about how to reach these two audiences in their community.” First Bapitst Church Lafayette will host this year’s ECON from Jan. 25-26. Based on 1 Corinthians 9:22, this year’s ECON seeks to inspire, lift spirits and provide participants with a number of unique fellowship opportunities. Preceding ECON two days earlier [Jan. 22-23], First Lafayette will also host the Hispanic Evangelism Conference. Here is a brief profile on this year’s speakers: STEVE GAINES Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., is a firm believer in prayer and … [Read more...]

Uncontained joy: container provides needed supplies in time for Christmas

By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor COVINGTON – You would think just about everyone has heard, contributed or volunteered for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. Since 1993, the project, which was begun by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, has collected and delivered more than 124 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories just in time for Christmas. This year, the project, which has more than 100,000 volunteers involved in collecting, shipping and distributing these shoeboxes, estimates it will collect enough shoeboxes to reach another 11 million children. Yet, there is another ministry, albeit a much smaller one, who will also be bringing plenty of smiles and a lot of memories to several hundred children this Christmas as well. The ministry is Fairhaven Ministries, located just 10 miles outside of Covington in rural southeast Louisiana. For more than 40 years Johnny and Sissie Huffman have been faithfully serving the Lord at Fairhaven Children’s Home by ministering to children in their care – 15 at last count – as well as their community and communities in the Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi Delta and on Indian reservations in Montana and … [Read more...]

Religious liberty and homeowners’ rights at odds in Louisiana lawsuit

By Message Staff METAIRIE – Vintage Church, a Louisiana Baptist congregation, has filed a lawsuit against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson Parish, because of a dispute regarding sound levels during Sunday worship services conducted in a tent serving as the congregation’s temporary meeting area. The tent, erected in August, is intended to be a short term arrangement while the congregation expands attendance capacity in its permanent building—a project estimated for completion in nine or 10 months. The petition filed jointly by local attorney Roy Bowes and the Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm which focuses on religious liberty issues, accuses Sheriff Newell Normand and his officers of intimidation tactics in attempting to essentially shut down weekly worship services because of noise complaints by a single individual, and they also describe the noise level ordinances as flawed. On the other side, at least one neighbor in the community claims the church is not being considerate by allowing musicians to warm up as early as 7 a.m. Sundays, and she claims she is not alone in opposing the noise levels coming from the tent. “The 911 calls will show that it’s not just me,” said Lisa Caracci, who … [Read more...]