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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Baptist Global Response launches third annual Well Dig Dare

By Global Baptist Response NASHVILLE –Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist humanitarian aid organization, is challenging Southern Baptists to take on its third annual Well Dig Dare. In 2018, BGR supporters raised over $30,000, providing 30 wells for communities in need. In 2019 the organization's goal is increase once again and raise $40,000 for 40 wells and water systems. In conjunction with World Water Day, BGR will launch the Well Dig Dare on March 22. Donors are challenged to raise $1,000, which is about the cost of one well and will have until April 30th to reach their fundraising goal. This year, participants will have access to online resources where they can choose to make a donation or fundraise with others. “Last year, generous friends of BGR provided over 800 total community water systems around the world. This gave clean water to almost 250,000 people!” says Jeff Palmer, BGR CEO. “About 30 of these wells came from partners who participated in the Well Dig Dare program. This year, we would like to provide 40 wells through our 2019 Well Dig Dare initiative. That will give clean water and the hope of living water to almost 8,000 people! It is always a wonderful experience to see a community turn on the … [Read more...]

Seventh Circuit panel rules unanimously to uphold constitutionality of minister’s housing allowance

By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled that the minister’s housing allowance is constitutional under two landmark legal precedents, reversing a lower court’s ruling that declared the minister’s cash housing allowance unconstitutional because it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That ruling — issued December 31, 2017 — had been stayed until 180 days after all appeals were exhausted. The same lower court had made a similar ruling in 2013 that was overturned on appeal in 2014. In oral arguments in October 2018 in Chicago, Justice Department attorney Jesse Panuccio defended the housing allowance as constitutional, arguing that it satisfies the requirements of Lemon v. Kurtzman, a 1971 United States Supreme Court decision that articulated a three-prong test for determining whether a legislative act violates the Establishment Clause. He also argued that the provision is constitutional under Town of Greece v. Galloway, a 2013 Supreme Court decision regarding prayers before the opening of a legislative session that suggested that Establishment Clause challenges must be viewed by reference to historical practices and … [Read more...]

Jesus and prayer

By Waylon Bailey Jesus was a man of prayer, and He left His church to be a people of prayer. One of the many things that stand out about Jesus was His devotion in prayer. Mark noted how Jesus prayed. At the beginning (Mark 1:35), middle (Mark 6:46), and end of the Gospel (Mark 14:32), Mark showed that Jesus prayed. He prayed with intensity and purpose. The first reference sets the tone for the prayer ministry of Jesus: “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.” Jesus often talked about prayer and modeled it for His disciples. Mark 11:20-26 seems to particularly teach us about prayer. Three takeaways from what Jesus said about prayer in Mark 11:20-26. First, prayer is essential for the church and the mission God has given us. The only thing limiting us is our prayerlessness. Notice how the early church prayed, and notice how the early church carried the gospel to the lost world. Within 300 years, the early church reached millions of people so that the Roman world could be called Christian. Second, we cannot pray without faith in God. It simply is not possible. You cannot have prayer without faith in God. What would prayer be … [Read more...]

Fream challenges LC students to be champions for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Don’t be satisfied for a participation trophy, but rather to always strive to become a champion for Christ. John Fream, pastor of Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, challenged students at Louisiana College campus revival March 12-14 to go all out for Jesus Christ and hold nothing back. “What God has called us to is to be are champions in everything we do,” said Fream. “Do everything you can to be your best for the glory of God. We’re not called just to participate. Part of the problem in the Christian world is that we think we’ve just got to show up, to just do enough so we can get an award because we participated. No, we need to be the best in everything that we do.” Drawing off 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Fream said the only way to become a champion is to place one’s trust in Christ. “Nothing else compares to that,” Fream said. “What does it profit a man or woman to win a Super Bowl, to win a Grammy, to win an Oscar, to make millions and millions of dollars, but yet lose their soul for eternity?” Fream said some of life’s greatest leaders possessed five common traits that set them apart from others: incredibly focused, a “can-do” attitude, hard work, power of … [Read more...]

We are to be like Jesus – intent on finding the lost

By Jeff Ginn It was an exciting day when I got my high school senior ring. Not long afterward I was riding with my friend in his new pickup truck. We were headed to play a basketball game. I decided to take off my ring and lay it on the dashboard of the truck. As we rounded a curve in the road, the ring slid along the dash and promptly dropped into the AC vent. We tried to fish out the ring but with no luck. My friend took his truck to the dealership but they said that it would cost more to take out the dash and retrieve the ring than it was worth. As far as I could see, there was nothing to be done. Months went by and my friend sold his truck. For all I knew, I had kissed that ring goodbye forever. Years later my family and I were living in South America as missionaries. The phone rang and my mom said that someone had returned my ring! I could scarcely believe my ears. Here’s the story of how it was returned. The truck had ended up in a junkyard as scrap. Someone had taken out the dashboard to salvage a part. In doing so they spotted a ring. They saw that it was from West Memphis High School and the year was 1979. My name was carved into it as well. Armed with that information (and a good dose of old-fashioned … [Read more...]

Louisiana abortion rate continues to fall

By Louisiana Right to Life NEW ORLEANS – The number of abortions performed in Louisiana dropped 8 percent from 2017 to 2018, and the abortion rate is at a 10-year low, according to numbers provided by the Louisiana Department of Health. Unofficially, 8,048 abortions were performed in Louisiana in 2018. In 2017, 8,706 unborn babies were killed by abortion. This is the fourth consecutive year abortion numbers have fallen in Louisiana. While the total number of abortions has been made available, breakdowns on things such as gestational age of the baby, age of the mother, and race of the mother have not yet been released. "Every baby lost to abortion is a tragedy, but we can celebrate the 658 babies alive today who might have been aborted in 2017," said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life. "We believe our nation is waking up more every day to the injustice of abortion, and these numbers show the continued statewide and national trend toward life. We celebrate all those in the pro-life movement who offer support to pregnant moms before and after birth and those who help them choose life. We will continue to work until every baby is protected by law and welcomed with love." … [Read more...]

Foundation starts new year with new members, new reports

By Jerry Love, Director of Planned Giving ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- Louisiana Baptist Foundation trustees met Feb. 5 to discuss investment performances and welcome three new board members. Fran Barbato, member of FBC Lafayette, Errol Wilken, member of Metairie Baptist Church, and Chad Hardbarger, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Shreveport, were introduced at the meeting and then joined the other 11 board members in receiving reports and approving policies regarding the work of the Foundation. MARKET NEWS Lee Morris with Graystone Consulting addressed the recent difficulties experienced by equity markets. Morris said the fourth quarter in 2018 reversed many of the gains made during the year through the third quarter, and shared that the last three months of last year represented the worst performance for a fourth quarter since 1931. He added that the equity market downturn in early October was led by large growth (tech) stocks. According to Morris, the Global Investment Committee of Smith Barney had warned of this decline since early summer 2018. Moreover, he said, GIC has concluded that the “rolling bear” market ended when the S&P 500 index bottomed at 2400 in the fourth quarter. He said the equity markets … [Read more...]

Worldly grief turns to godly sorrow for Spearsville woman

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SPEARSVILLE – Cheryl Upshaw was held captive by grief following a motor vehicle accident that left her partially paralyzed in 2004. But Upshaw experienced release from the spiritually oppressive emotions related to the tragedy after someone cared enough to question her about her eternal destiny. Upshaw’s “2 Corinthian 7:9-10 moment” took place during an in-home visit. “When I asked her about her salvation experience she began to cry because, while she had spent many years in churches, no one had ever asked her if she had one,” explained Marcell McGee, pastor of Union Baptist Church in Spearsville. “After I led her to the Lord, I wanted to make it special for her and used water from the Jordan River I had taken back with me in some bottles on a prior visit. It was special because of Cheryl’s desire to be a witness of what God did in her life.” “Coming from the Jordan River where Christ was baptized made it so sentimental,” Upshaw said. “I still have a little bit of it in a vile that I like to show people as part of my testimony. I have gone from a person who had so much guilt into one who now is free through Christ.” UNITED IN MINISTRY Since he arrived in February 2012 as … [Read more...]

Former LC professor Thomas Howell debuts book at alma mater

By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews) -- Louisiana College is elated to welcome home one of its own, Dr. Thomas Howell, as he debuts his book, Soldiers of the Pen, Friday, March 15, in LC’s Norton Library at 9:15 a.m. Howell highlights the Writers’ War Board -- a group of media figures who volunteered to create propaganda for the WWII effort. Members included notable names such as Pearl S. Buck and Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Louisiana College’s former history professor argues that the WWB’s history remains largely unknown because it was not recognized as an official part of the government’s war effort even though it received federal funds supporting its work. “Dr. Howell remains a favorite among our Louisiana College family, and we are proud to claim him as a Wildcat,” said LC President Rick Brewer. “Not only was he beloved by faculty and students alike, he was an avid sports fan and is a member of our Louisiana College Sports Hall of Fame.” Howell is among the few who graduated from LC with a 4.0 GPA.  He left Louisiana College in 2006 for a position at William Jewel College, from which he recently retired. … [Read more...]

Family’s badges, faith are legacies at New Light

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MANGHAM – New Light Baptist Church recently paid tribute to three generations of law enforcement officers in its congregation. The three men – Jerry Sr., Jerry Jr. and Jerry Spencer III – were recognized during the Dec. 16 service at New Light Baptist, which averages about 35 worshipers on Sunday mornings. “It was unusual we had three generations of families that have been in law enforcement,” Pastor William Waller told the Baptist Message. “We thought it needed to be a special time in our service to ask for blessings in light of what has happened in recent months with law enforcement officers throughout the country. “We recognized them not only as servants to the community but servants to this church for so long,” he added. “It is real heart-warming to know what these gentlemen have done.” A FAMILY LEGACY Collectively, the Spencers have served nearly 63 years in law enforcement. The eldest Spencer developed a passion for becoming a peace officer when Lorell Graham, his cousin and Mangham police chief at the time, allowed the then-teenager to accompany him in a cruiser during patrols in the town. When he turned 25 years old, in 1975, Spencer achieved his dream, … [Read more...]