LBC Executive Board urged to ‘change me’
By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – Recognizing the need for personal revival, Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn announced a 28-day personal revival guide that he hopes hundreds of churches and members will engage with later this year. “We are in a desperate situation,” Horn told Executive Board members during their May 4 meeting at Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth. “We are doomed. I am asking the Lord and seeking the Lord about what could be my part in helping that. I am not even sure we are ready for revival in terms of mass evangelism right now, but instead what we are desperate for is personal revival.” State missions services staff began a joint focus on personal revival May 9 and will conclude June 5, using Horn’s booklet, “Change Me.” The effort is based on Psalm 139:23-24. “It is my prayer, my vision and my dream that we will have hundreds of churches in Louisiana at the end of 2021 or to start 2022 that will seek the Lord for personal revival,” Horn said. “And, so, pray for us as a staff over the next 28 days as the Lord brings that to your attention and pray that each one, most of all me, would have a sense of God doing something new, fresh and real in our … [Read more...]
Russell Moore to leave ERLC for Christianity Today
By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, announced on russellmoore.com, May 18, he had “struggled with the decision” but that he was leaving his position with the Southern Baptist Convention to join Christianity Today as “public theologian and as director of a new venture, the Christianity Today Public Theology Project.” Moore had served since 2013 as head of the Nashville, Tennessee-based ERLC. Prior to that he was “provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics,” according to his website. Sharing his gratitude for the opportunity to serve Southern Baptists, he made special mention of his work on “national conferences such as MLK50 and Caring Well” as well as “a string of special successful engagements on matters of public policy.” He also praised his team for their “work of evangelism and cultural engagement.” Moore was staunchly pro-life during his eight-year tenure. One of his special emphases was providing ultrasound machines to pregnancy care centers through the ERLC’s ongoing Psalm 139 Project. The sonograms these medical … [Read more...]
Storms wreak havoc in Louisiana
By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) - Heavy rainfall on Monday, May 16, dumped up to 15 inches in parts of southwest Louisiana and other areas of the state still recovering from Hurricanes Delta and Laura that devastated the region last year. “We know that this situation is becoming a little too familiar for a lot of us in Lake Charles,” Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said in a video update on the city’s Facebook page. “This is another challenge, but it is not a challenge that we are not capable of handling.” Accuweather said the rainfall on Monday was the third-wettest day on record for Lake Charles. According to the National Weather Service, more than 15 inches of rain fell in south Lake Charles and other areas received up to 12 inches of rain. The excessive rain caused flash flooding that stranded cars in city streets and sent water inside homes. The Advocate newspaper reported that 10-12 inches of water fell in the Baton Rouge area, flooding streets and stranding some motorists m in their cars. St. George Fire Department crews performed multiple water rescues of motorists who drove into high water. Motorists also were stranded at the intersection of Camellia Blvd. and Johnston Street in Lafayette, … [Read more...]
E-mail troubles (Cartoon: Joe McKeever)
They were listening to them
By Bill Britt HAUGHTON, La. – Of all people, the Apostle Paul could have legitimately complained about the circumstances that he endured throughout his life. When we look back to the beginning of Paul’s journey as a believer, we see that he received a message from the Lord that illuminated the path he was about to embark on. Luke wrote the account of Paul's conversion in the book of Acts. Paul had been known as Saul until the time of his encounter with Jesus. We know that Saul had been persecuting the church, and he truly believed that he was doing God a favor. You can read about the amazing life change that brought Saul to become Paul in Acts 9. It is only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that can change the heart of any man or woman. Saul was given a message from God through a man named Ananias. This is that message. Saul would become a great man of God and would preach the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as to the children of Israel. He would preach to both royalty and the common man. However, he would suffer many things for the sake of Jesus (The Lord has never watered down the cost of following him.) Paul heard the command of the Lord and knew it would not be easy. In light of this revelation from the Lord, … [Read more...]
Strong spring storm hammers state, causes extensive damage
By Baptist Message staff HALL SUMMIT, La. (LBM) – Fifteen members of a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team spent Tuesday, May 11, clearing debris from around homes in Hall Summit that sustained damaged from a storm that came through the area the prior day. Marvin Leleux, incident commander for the team comprised of members from Natchitoches, Red River and Sabine parishes, and Keith Bryant and Matt Trahan with the Shreveport Volunteer Network, removed trees that fell on or near three homes in the community. Leleux, who is also a pastor of Springhill Baptist Church in Ringgold, said the team was grateful to be a part of being Christ’s hands and feet to those in need. “We were thankful in getting those people back on their feet as soon as possible,” Leleux told the Baptist Message. “You can’t pay me enough to do this, but in Jesus’ name I would do this all day long.” The storm destroyed at least one home, ripped off roofs from other homes, damaged vehicles and downed utility trees and poles throughout Red River Parish, KSLA News 12 reported. Hail produced from the storm also knocked out car windows in Caspiano and vehicles at the Joe D. Waggoner Jr. Lock and Dam No. 5, located on Red River south of the … [Read more...]
Robinson ‘followed God’s call,’ earns degree at Louisiana College at 71
By Elizabeth Clarke, LC News PINEVILLE, La. (LC News) - When Mary Robinson came to Louisiana College in 2016, she had already experienced a full lifetime of professional and personal accomplishments—as a teacher, a mother and grandmother—the Peabody Montessori elementary teacher was happy with the challenges God had placed before her. But the Lord knew Mary was up for a new challenge. “My journey was God’s journey,” Mary said. “I enjoyed working with the children, but I heard the call from God to go back to school.” So that’s exactly what she did at age 67. Mary, now 72, earned her degree in missions and ministries, with a psychology minor, last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She participated in Louisiana College Commencement ceremonies May 8. Mary, who grew up in Shreveport, said she has had the call of God on her life since the age of 15. As an adult, she spent many years living all over, as a military wife, finally settling down in Cenla. Robinson worked at Pinecrest State Hospital in Pineville for 30 years, 28 as a manager, before retiring in 1998. Always active in church—the Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church is her current church home—but she has also visited many times at … [Read more...]
LC 166th commencement honors God, celebrates graduates
By Elizabeth Clarke, LC News ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) - U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson told the Louisiana College Class of 2021 graduates that there were “only a handful of institutions in America where God could be honored” the way he was at the Louisiana Baptist Convention college’s 166th Commencement Saturday at the Rapides Coliseum. In his commencement address, Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s fourth congressional district, offered the students words of encouragement on the beginning of their journeys as college graduates. “Walk with the Lord; it’s that simple,” Johnson said. “Be humble and faithful in the little things God entrusts you with today. God will reward your faithfulness with more, and you will be set apart.” LC conferred 178 undergraduate and 65 graduate degrees at the day’s ceremony, which also included many of the 2020 graduates, whose commencement exercises last year were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Rick Brewer recognized the first seven graduates from the C.S. Lewis Honors College. Four students from the first cohort (2017) of C.S. Lewis Honors College graduated Saturday: • Aaron Howe, B.S., biology • Ragan Delrie, B.S., biology • Carson Elliott. B.S., biology and … [Read more...]
LBC’s Horn, Bridges, Bailey lead prayers with governor
By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Three Louisiana Baptists were among 10 pastors and other leaders from multiple denominations around the state who led prayers during a special call with Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday, May 6. Held on the annual National Day of Prayer through Zoom, Edwards and others prayed for children, teachers, health care and other essential workers; those impacted by a Seacor lift boat that capsized April 13; state and local leaders, including Edwards and his family; Louisianans hurt by the pandemic, hurricanes and winter storms last year; and President Joe Biden and his traveling party as they visited Lake Charles and New Orleans on Thursday. “The National Day of Prayer is a pretty simple recognition that God is in control and we are not,” Edwards said during the opening prayer. “And no matter our station in life, whether you are governor in the sixth year or a pastor, the higher your station in life, the more dependent you are, that I am, that we are, on God. “And I think we know that sometimes (our prayers) match with His plan and sometimes they don’t,” he continued. “But when they don’t, it’s because His plan is perfect and our prayers are not. That should reinforce the need for … [Read more...]
