By Deanna Wallace, Louisiana Right to Life BATON ROUGE – A federal judge struck down the 2014 Louisiana law requiring abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges to a hospital with obstetrical and gynecological services with 30  miles of the clinic where the abortion is performed on Jan. 26. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, who presided over a June trial of a lawsuit challenging the admitting privilege requirement, said the requirement in Act 620 violates the constitutional right of Louisiana women seeking abortions. In his ruling, deGravelles wrote the admitting privileges requirement would place an undue burden on Louisiana women seeking an abortion, and issued a preliminary injunction preventing the law from being enforced against the abortion clinics involved in the challenge -- Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, Bossier City Medical Suite in Bossier City, and Causeway Medical Clinic in Metairie. Upon reviewing the court's opinion, Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, stated the following, "Louisiana Right to Life firmly believes the admitting privileges requirement in HB 388 / Act 620 would increase the health and safety of women seeking an abortion in the state … [Read more...]

By Julie Cupples, Louisiana Baptist Children's Home and Family Ministries communications MONROE - Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries was presented the Faith in Families Award from the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. The award was given for LBCH’s efforts and commitment to promoting adoption awareness and community support for children in need of permanent families. The Children’s Home Connect 1:27 Foster Care and Adoption ministry seeks to recruit and certify Christian foster and adoptive families and works with churches to establish support ministries for foster care and adoption. If you or your church would like to learn more about helping children in need contact Beth Green at 318.243.2244. … [Read more...]

NATCHITOTCHES - Christmas has come and gone, but the impact some Louisiana Baptists made in the city is eternal. A group gathers one Saturday each year during the annual Festival of Lights in Natchitoches to distribute Bibles to those attending the event. Below is a video recap of the 2015 See the Light Bible distribution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7AbBcAbdg … [Read more...]

The Message is preparing to launch a special feature on its website to celebrate every baptism of Louisiana Baptists by publishing a picture or brief video clip of each one on www.BaptistMessage.com as a kind of yearbook of evangelism within the Louisiana Baptist Convention. “Our aim in celebrating each walk of faith into the baptismal waters is that it will inspire Louisiana Baptists to be even bolder in proclaiming the Gospel and lead to even greater harvests of souls,” said Will Hall, editor of the Baptist Message. March 1 is the target start date for the initiative and The Message is asking churches as well as individual Louisiana Baptists to email a 10-15 second video clip or a high resolution photo file to brian@baptistmessage.com and include the baptized person’s name, pastor’s name, church name and date of baptism.​ … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT -- Snow and cold temperatures may have kept the numbers down but it could not dampen the enthusiasm as Saturday mornings 3rd annual Louisiana Life March North in Shreveport/Bossier. “We were delighted by the thousands of folks who braved the cold today to make this important stand for life,” said State Rep. Mike Johnson, event organizer and legal counsel for Louisiana Right to Life. “It was a great event, and a tremendous opportunity for all of us to reach out a renewed hand of compassion again and raise more awareness about this critical issue. “We can save more lives if we get more people talking and working for the cause,” said Johnson. Check back later for an in-depth story on the march. … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional reporter An estimated crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 attending the 6th annual Louisiana Life March South, walked five blocks through downtown Baton Rouge on Saturday from the Old State Capitol to the new Capitol building. A bright, sunny day belied a bitter wind that howled through the canyons between the tall buildings chilling participants but they soon warmed up at the Capitol steps where speakers, including Tommy Middleton, Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge Director of Missions, encouraged the crowd to stay involved in pro-life issues. Check back later for an in-depth story and additional photos. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DOWNSVILLE – In early 2015, Bobby Kranz was brokenhearted. Facing personal setbacks in his own life, the long-time pastor was searching for God’s direction and wondering if he would preach again, so he prayed for direction. God answered those prayers and led him to a church seeking a pastor who would join them as they headed down the path in search of brighter days. When he became pastor of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Downsville, March 2015, attendance for Sunday morning worship was around 30. Today, the congregation regularly has 100 in worship and has baptized 20 people, including eight on one Sunday. Kranz believes the growth is nothing he has done as pastor but rather a gift from the miraculous hand of God. “If I had to boil it down to one word, it’s brokenness,” Kranz said. “This church was broken-hearted over strife. They realized if something didn’t change, and quickly, the life of the church could be gone. “I’ve been at a lot of churches and I’ve never seen anything like it,” he continued. “It’s all to the glory of God. It’s not about me. It’s about Him.” Early in his Christian life, he attended a church where Wayne Jenkins, now the Evangelism and Church … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE - The day after President Barack Obama delivered his last State of the Union speech, evangelist Franklin Graham declared, “the state of the union is broken.” Graham spoke to an estimated 4,000 Louisianans in the capital city’s downtown N. Blvd. Town Square Park, as part of his ambitious 50-state “Decision America Tour” calling the nation back to biblical values, encouraging Christians to stand firm for their faith and to get involved in the political process. “We’re here today because we see that our nation is in trouble - that’s the state of the union,” Graham declared as the crowd agreed – many waving miniature U.S. flags. “We are in trouble spiritually, racially, economically and we’re in trouble politically,” Graham said. “No political party is going to be able to turn this thing around – only God can fix it.” “I have zero hope in the Democratic Party,” he said to more cheers, adding, “but before you Republicans start high-fiving each other – I have zero hope in the Republican Party – or any other political party. The only hope for our nation is the Almighty God.” Graham described how Nehemiah and the Jewish remnant rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls – destroyed by … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer In just eleven days (Feb. 9), thousands of festival-goers will descend upon the state for Mardi Gras and Louisiana Baptists are working to make sure the message of Jesus is the highlight of their experiences of a parade, king cakes and beads. Using different outreach methods, churches will be sharing the same Good News of Jesus Christ to those coming to the city for good times. “Our city knows how to party, admittedly often for the wrong reasons, but we see no better time to engage them with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Dean Ross, pastor of Restoration Church in Metairie. For the third year, his congregation will host Restoration Fest -- a block party on Feb. 6 featuring food, games, inflatables and opportunities to share the Gospel. Three churches are assisting in the effort: Broadmoor Baptist, Madison, Miss.; Agricola Baptist, Lucedale, Miss.; and Vaughn Forest, Montgomery, Ala. Every year, Ross and others are able to use the event to share the Gospel with people lining the parade route which runs near the church. During Restoration Fest in 2015, volunteers engaged a neighborhood Muslim family waiting for the parade to begin. “We offered them a time--before … [Read more...]