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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

BESE president addresses LCU education students

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Educators President Holly Boffy recently encouraged Louisiana Christian University education students to be the light of Christ. “There is not anything more important that we can do than education,” Boffy told the students during a stop at the school, April 25. “It’s an incredible field. You guys will have every day to sow seeds and spread light.” Boffy, also principal of W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center, Lafayette, said her position as BESE president has allowed her the opportunity to visit churches around the state, talk about the importance of educators and encourage people looking for a career or a career change to consider education. She encouraged the students to read the Bible and devotionals aimed at the role of an educator and find an accountability partner. Boffy explained there are more than 1,200 classrooms in Louisiana are without teachers. “People don’t understand the magnitude of the problem because it’s spread across the state,” Boffy said. “But what if every one of those classrooms was filled with a Christian?” For more information on LCU teacher education programs, email education@lcuniversity.edu or … [Read more...]

Family Church reports theft of trailer

By Baptist Message staff KENNER, La. (LBM) – A block-party trailer was reported stolen from Family Church Tuesday, April 25. According to Pastor Dean Ross, the trailer, acquired after Hurricane Ida made landfall in 2021 and used to assist with disaster relief efforts following Ida, was taken from the church parking lot. “The Lord provides,” Ross told the Baptist Message. “We trust in Him.” Anyone with information about the theft should contact the Kenner Police Department at 504.712.2200. … [Read more...]

Stone to be nominated for 2023 SBC president

Mac Brunson of Valleydale Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, has released a video announcing Pastor Mike Stone has agreed to accept a nomination for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the video posted on April 26, Stone stated there were two issues that prompted his willingness to receive a nomination when Southern Baptists meet in New Orleans, June 11-14. He cited the need for “a Biblically based response to the horrific issue of sexual abuse” and expressed his commitment to a national evangelism initiative. Stone said that a Biblical approach would include caring well for victims while “embracing Scriptural principles of due process and of handling and publishing accusations.” Noting that when abuse occurs, it happens in local autonomous congregations, the Georgia pastor said the Convention should focus its resources on “helping local churches deal with these matters Biblically, legally, and compassionately.” He also noted that where help from outside the SBC family is needed, Convention leaders should only partner with those that are “driven by the facts and informed by the truth.” The Georgia pastor also stressed his commitment to a national evangelism strategy which he called, “Crossover America.” … [Read more...]

Thankful thoughts on the ministry of Charles Stanley

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - We learned Tuesday of the passing of Charles Stanley. We all have our memories of this Southern Baptist iconic leader. My earliest memories of him are his familiar voice on radio and television. In my town, he was about the only Baptist on the radio. I never met Dr. Stanley, but I do have an occasion where our paths intersected in a most God-ordained way. While I was pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia, my administrative assistant alerted me one morning that I had a couple, not members of our church, who desired to see me. They lived down the street from the church. After a few minutes of conversation about who they were and common people that we knew, the woman pulled out a book, and asked, “Do you believe what is in this book?” The book was Charles Stanley’s Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? I confessed to them that I had not read the book, but I knew who Charles Stanley was, and based on the title, I was reasonably sure that I believed what was in the book. This middle-aged couple went on to tell me that they had picked up the book in Wal-Mart simply because of the title. The woman had read the book in one evening. The husband had read enough of it the next morning, and now … [Read more...]

LBDR trains 234 for disaster response

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – During recent training sessions, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials trained 234 volunteers to serve in future responses to natural disasters and other emergencies. Held at six locations around the state in January, February and March, the sessions included training for mud-out, feeding, chainsaw, chaplaincy and shower/laundry operations. More than 80 new volunteers were trained, and two new teams were formed. The training followed a fruitful year of ministry for LBDR teams. In 2022, LBDR teams responded to multiple tornadoes across the state and completed 27 rebuild projects at homes and churches damaged by Hurricane Ida in Houma a year earlier. Projects ranged from smaller jobs like replacing fence boards to more complex ones such as drywall installation, electrical line re-wiring and plumbing replacement. Teams also were deployed to Naples, Florida, a community impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Units stationed at First Baptist Church, Naples, Oct. 3-Oct. 28, 2022, prepared more than 102,000 meals for residents, and another 4,000 for Southern Baptist DR team members. Teams also were able to complete 373 mud-out jobs and celebrated … [Read more...]

Cowboy Church ropes in lost souls

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LEESVILLE, La. (LBM) – When Jason Nolde left an established pastorate in early 2022 to start Branded for Christ Cowboy Church, he believed God would use the new church plant to reach a special people group. A year later, his faithfulness has been rewarded with an attendance increase from a core group of 10 who met for home-based Bible study in its infancy to 80 who now gather for worship in a Leesville municipal building. Importantly, Nolde has baptized five new converts and seen even more grow deeper in their Christian walks. Nolde, formerly pastor of Canaan Baptist Church, Leesville, credits a focus on relationships, disciple[1]ship and simplicity as the keys to growth. “Everything we will do is inspired by the western culture,” Nolde told the Baptist Message. “We seek the lost, seek the fallen away and seek to grow.” Branded for Christ Cowboy Church was recognized in November 2022 as the 300th Louisiana Baptist church planted since 2010. The congregation, which held its kickoff service at the Vernon Parish Rodeo Arena in Leesville on Nov. 13, 2021, conducts several targeted outreaches every three months. They have continued meeting in homes on Wednesdays since July … [Read more...]

Despite perils, Louisiana Baptists continue overseas ministry in Haiti

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Escalating violence may have forced Louisiana Reach Haiti to halt most operations in the country, however, the ministry has found other ways to share the hope of Jesus in Haiti. Ministry President Darrin Badon said he wishes LRH could have continued “business as usual” in Haiti, but he is grateful the Lord has allowed the ministry to move forward despite the many challenges. The ministry is a partnership between the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Haiti Baptist Convention, Louisiana Baptist churches and the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries. “It’s been a faith builder,” Badon said. “We may not be able to send teams or have as many ministries happening there as in the past. But we do have kids in our Children’s Village and staff who depend on us to provide for them each month. The kids still need the Gospel, too, and the board members feel like we can’t fail them. “We are still in the trenches,” he continued. “We are still restoring families and still are making a difference in the lives of them and the staff; and we need help to be able to continue to do that.” BACKGROUND In January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an … [Read more...]