By Staff, Baptist Message The Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers are gearing up for a busy 2018-19 concert season that includes a stop at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. With the first performance just a week away, this group of 55 music ministers and laymen are eager to hit the highways and bi-ways of the state and share God’s love through their variety of music that includes a cappella spirituals, hymn arrangements and contemporary Christian tunes. “The spiritual and musical challenges of being in Singing Ministers builds our abilities to be used by God ‘on the road’ and especially when we go back to our individual home churches,” said Frank Nihard, public relations officer with the group. Since they organized in 1974, the Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers have presented concerts at churches, detention centers, intervention program facilities and prisons. During each performance, the group collects an offering for needy students. The collection helps fund the Louisiana Baptist All State Choir and scholarships for two Louisiana College and two New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary students preparing for music ministry. Several former scholarship recipients are now members of the group. The … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Richard, wife Vickie, Blue is the new Associational Missions Coordinator for Easter Louisiana Baptist Association. Blue resigned as the senior pastor of Walker Baptist Church, Walker to take the new position. Daryl Stagg is the new Director of Missions for Big Creek Baptist Association and the CENLA Baptist Association. Joel Murrah ordained to the Gospel ministry by Christ Church, Lafayette.  He is commissioned to pioneer a new celebrate recovery ministry at the church, which starts in October. Chad Ward is the new pastor at Victory Baptist Church, Walker. Cole Headrick is the student minister at Bayou Oaks Baptist Church, Monroe. James (wife Wanda) Lovell is the new pastor at Pine Grove Baptist Church, Castor. Jason Dubea resigns as pastor at Gateway Bible Church, Ball. Destry McFearin … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COVINGTON – Lonnie Wascom has one final prayer request as he closes out his time as director of missions for Northshore Baptist Association Oct. 1. “If God favors me, He’ll let me go out like Elijah,” Wascom said. “I do not want to burn out; I want to burn up. I want to see people saved. I want to see our churches revived. I want to see an awakening before I die.” Wascom, director of missions for Northshore Baptist Association since its formation in 2011, announced in early May of this year his intention to retire. At the time, Wascom said in his e-mail blast he had served in vocational ministry for 55 years, and the decision was one he did not take lightly. With retirement just weeks away, Wascom said serving the association’s 90 churches has been an honor. “I’ve loved being a director of missions,” he said. “I never saw myself in this office, but I’m still excited. One brother asked what I am doing when I retire. I said ‘I will keep praying, I will stay in the Word, I will keep sharing my faith with people, I will preach as I have opportunity, and I’m going to encourage pastors and ministers. If God wants me in a local church as a pastor or another role, I’m going to do … [Read more...]

By Ken Schroeder Just a couple of weeks ago, someone asked me, “So how do you like being an interim pastor?” I responded, “I am not an interim pastor. I am a transitional pastor.” He gave me a look of incredulity and drilled down, “What’s the difference?” While the two terms appear to be interchangeable, the differences lie in the intentionality of the transitional pastor. An interim pastor fills the gap or vacancy caused by the departure of the previous pastor by generally preaching on Sundays and leading the Wednesday prayer meeting or service. He may provide some additional leadership, but generally he has no specific charge for him to lead the congregation. He may even be considered as the permanent pastor. With Transitional Pastoral Ministry, the congregation and the transitional pastor enter into a covenant relationship whereby the transitional pastor agrees to provide spiritual leadership to the church and lead the church throughout the transitional period. The church agrees to be loving and gracious to the transitional pastor and his family and to pray for spiritual power in his life and work. The church further promises to relate to him as a God’s anointed leader for the task, to support his leadership, and to … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message Staff All eyes are on Tropical Storm Gordon. In a 10 a.m. update Tuesday, September 4, the National Hurricane Center said Gordon was moving toward the north Gulf of Mexico, and was located about 145 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Reports from separate NOAA and Air Force Reserve Unit flights monitoring the storm measured winds near 65 miles per hour with higher gusts. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials, along with others, have been closely monitoring the disturbance. "We are praying for the storm not to intensify," said Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptists state disaster relief director. The New Orleans area remains under a tropical storm warning, though the warning has been discontinued for areas in Louisiana west of Grand Isle. A hurricane warning is in effect for the area from the mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida state border. The tropical storm warning for the area west of Grand Isle was discontinued Tuesday morning, but a tropical storm warning remains in effect from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. A storm surge watch is still in effect for the areas west of Shell Beach to the … [Read more...]