NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tonya Hancock, a homemaker from Monroe was elected in June by messengers at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention to serve on the board of trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources. Hancock attended her first board meeting Sept. 10-11 at the LifeWay headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tonya Hancock, a homemaker from Monroe was elected in June by messengers at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention to serve on the board of trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources. Hancock attended her first board meeting Sept. 10-11 at the LifeWay headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.  Hancock and her husband, Perry, are members of First Baptist Monroe. Hancock has served a variety of administrative roles at the local church, associational, state and SBC level, and served for 10 years as administrative assistant to the provost of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. LifeWay’s 57 trustees come from a wide range of vocations. More than half are pastors or staff ministers. The current board also includes a director of missions, a basketball coach, an evangelist, and Frank Page, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. LifeWay’s full board meets twice a year.   … [Read more...]

DEVILLE – Longview Baptist’s Annual Thanksgiving Pig Roast is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21. Robby Poole is pastor. COLUMBIA – Welcome Home Baptist is to host a community Thanksgiving service at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14 . C. R. Martin, speaker; Bill Gueringer, pastor. MANY – The annual community Thanksgiving service is set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 at First Baptist. Steve Kelly is pastor. PINEVILLE – Tioga First Baptist is to host a churchwide Thanksgiving meal, Sunday, November 18 following the morning worship service. David Cranford is pastor. PINEVILLE – Pineville Park Baptist’s 6th annual Thanksgiving feast is set for 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18. Greg Carroll is pastor. BOGALUSA – First Baptist’s churchwide  Thanksgiving dinner, Sunday, Nov. 18, following worship. Bob Adams is pastor. BLANCHARD – First Baptist is to host a community Thanksgiving service at 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18. James D. Hill is pastor. DEVILLE – Philadelphia Baptist’s churchwide Thanksgiving dinner is set for 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. A holiday program of Secret Santas for adopted seniors is to begin Sunday, Nov. 25 and a Revealing Dinner is set for Sunday, Dec. 9. Philip Robertson is pastor.  PINEVILLE – A Louisiana College … [Read more...]

It has been over 56 years since the Louisiana State University Baptist Collegiate Ministry was built at its present location, so it was about time for a little renovation. Well, make that a lot. BATON ROUGE – It has been over 56 years since the Louisiana State University Baptist Collegiate Ministry was built at its present location, so it was about time for a little renovation. Well, make that a lot. The facility was in desperate need of a new roof, electrical and plumbing work, and a new heating and air conditioning. It also needed to expand to meet the growing number of students, who utilized the facility. It was a major renovation with a major price tag – $1,836,977. A capital campaign, which was started in 2002, has raised $1,623,816.38 so far, which leaves $213,160.62 left to complete the project. The BCM has raised over $811,908.19 from alumni, parents, churches, and current students and the Louisiana Baptist Convention has pledged up to $900,000 in matching funds to assist with the project. “We’ve asked for prayer to help raise the remaining funds,” said Masters. “We have come a long way both with the money and the work. There is still plenty of work to do, especially on the interior. They still have to put … [Read more...]

COMINGS, GOINGS Gary Funderburk, new as congregational care pastor of East Bayou Baptist Lafayette. Hochul Song, new as youth minister of Korean Baptist Lafayette NEEDED Bienville Baptist Association needs pastors at the following churches: First Castor, Old Saline Castor, Calvary Homer, Calvary Springhill, Cotton Valley First and Fellowship Dubberly. Youth minister is needed at First Baptist Arcadia. Part-time youth director is needed at Smyrna Baptist, DeRidder. Call 337.328.8558. REVIVALS AND RELATED EVENTS GIBSON – Gibson Baptist has set revival services for 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 14 – 17 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Eldon Myers is evangelist. John Williams is pastor. PIONEER – New Prospect Baptist has set revival services for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 15 – 17 and 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. A Thanksgiving meal is to be served following the service. Woody Sonnier, speaker; Frank Self, music director. Walter Cloud, pastor. WINNSBORO – Oak Grove Baptist has set revival services for 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25 and 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 26 – 28. Jack Daniels is evangelist. Cory Bruce is pastor. CONCERTS NATCHITOCHES – The senior adult choir of … [Read more...]

In the not so distant future, the Youth Evangelism Celebration – YEC – may be forced to leave the Rapides Parish Coliseum. ALEXANDRIA – In the not so distant future, the Youth Evangelism Celebration – YEC – may be forced to leave the Rapides Parish Coliseum. And when that happens, Kevin Boles, Coordinator of YEC and the Youth Ministry Team at the Louisiana Baptist Convention, will go happily, because it will mean the event has finally outgrown the facility. “We are already looking at four to five years down the road of having to find another venue,” Boles said as he prepared for the 19th annual YEC on Nov. 18-20.  “We are having to rearrange the chairs in order to get more people in the building.” Last year, the event, despite some residual effects from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, drew approximately 4,100 of which 362 made decisions for salvation. This year, Boles expects those numbers to swell. “I believe we could easily surpass 5,000,” Boles said. “Leading up to the two storms, we averaged 5,000, This year, though, I think we could see a significant increase in those numbers – significant.” The star-packed lineup should only help overflow crowds. “Students and adults come to YEC for the speakers, … [Read more...]

God is moving in unprecedented ways around the world and Southern Baptists face the challenge of joining their missionaries in “whatever it takes” to make disciples of all peoples, International Mission Board trustees were told during their Nov. 6-7 meeting in Springfield, Ill. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (BP)–God is moving in unprecedented ways around the world and Southern Baptists face the challenge of joining their missionaries in “whatever it takes” to make disciples of all peoples, International Mission Board trustees were told during their Nov. 6-7 meeting in Springfield, Ill. Eighty-two new missionaries were appointed to overseas service in a ceremony held in conjunction with the 100th annual meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Southern Baptists were challenged to make the same kind of sacrificial commitment the new workers are making – laying aside careers, families and lifestyles to take the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ to those who might never hear otherwise. “We can look around the world and see God is doing something unprecedented in the history of the International Mission Board and its work,” Gordon Fort, IMB vice president for overseas operations, told the trustees. “God is planting His … [Read more...]

Bivocational pastor's sermon is highlight. ALEXANDRIA - A bivocational pastor's sermon was the high point of the 160th annual meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, which took place Nov. 12-13 at the Riverfront Convention Center with "Empowering Kingdom Growth--Louisiana" as its theme. When, during a time of new pastor introductions, Chaz Estes identified himself as Hardy Estes' son, the annual meeting attendees spontaneously took the opportunity for a fourth extended time of applause for Estes' plain-spoken convention sermon that likened sin to a fancy fishing lure wiggling its way through the water. Estes' message was filled with references to the outdoors and being a soldier of the Lord even when the conditions are miserable. Hardy Estes, pastor of Marlow Baptist in Pitkin, La. for the last seven years, works in house painting and Sheetrocking. His son Chaz is youth pastor at Trinity Baptist, Oakdale. “Hardship’s not easy, and ‘must’ say it’s coming,” Estes preached, referring to 2 Timothy 2:3-4 – You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ – after describing how his son found him face down in the dirt one long, hard day of church work. He was kicking and flailing and punching the … [Read more...]

Several months ago, a small group of women serving vocationally in Louisiana Baptist churches and entities began discussing the possibility of and need for an affinity group. ALEXANDRIA – Several months ago, a small group of women serving vocationally in Louisiana Baptist churches and entities began discussing the possibility of and need for an affinity group. About 30 women gathered Nov. 12 at Emmanuel Baptist to discuss at greater length the concept of such an organization. By the close of the three-hour session the consensus was that enough interest existed for a second meeting, set to take place prior to the LBC Evangelism Conference in January. “This first gathering was inspiring and encouraging to me as a woman in ministry,” said Andrea McKenzie of Oakdale, who spearheaded the group’s organization. “I can’t recall a time, even at seminary, being in a room with so many women who have also experienced God’s call on their lives.” Women seated at half-a-dozen round tables were welcomed by McKenzie to the meeting and invited to partake of “chocolate and caffeine” set up at one end of Emmanuel’s fellowship hall; she then gave her reasons for wanting to help birth the organization. “There are a lot of women serving … [Read more...]

Dear Lord: Thank You for bearing with us for another year. Your mercy never ceases to amaze. RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—Dear Lord: Thank You for bearing with us for another year. Your mercy never ceases to amaze. For those who continue to believe that human nature must be improved by effort and good intentions – rather than redeemed by Your grace – this past year has been another case study in failure. Given the choice between peace and violence, traditional enemies continue to fight. “New” hostilities that burst upon international awareness, such as the blood feud between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, are actually centuries old. Other hatreds persist with depressing reliability. With few exceptions, nations still seek their own interests first and last, which is what nations have done throughout history. If others benefit, it’s often a happy accident, not a policy. Allies typically help each other because it is expedient, not because they love each other – or You. Nations act like people: Our individual lives follow the same pattern of self-interest and indifference toward others. We tend to look out for ourselves and our families – and the devil take the rest (he is only too happy to oblige). All have gone their own way. None … [Read more...]

The vast majority of us were taught from an early age that we should express gratitude upon receiving something from someone. The vast majority of us were taught from an early age that we should express gratitude upon receiving something from someone. Whether it was a compliment or a gift, we were instructed to say “thank you” to the person that extended the kindness. As we mature, our sense of gratitude develops and finds expression in one of two forms and is determined by the quality of the gift or kindness we receive. One form is what I call “polite gratitude.” Polite gratitude is reserved for those “it’s the thought that counts” gifts. If you have ever received a Chia Pet for Christmas, you probably used the polite form of gratitude. A polite “thank you” is utilized when you are less than thrilled about the gift you have received. You muster a smile as you accept the combination toilet brush/can opener and mouth “thanks,” but inside you feel like you have just been notified that you are being audited by the IRS. The other form of gratitude that develops in our lives is “profound gratitude.” This expression of thanks occurs when you receive something significant, even life-altering. Words are woefully inadequate … [Read more...]