By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (LBM) – A Louisiana Baptist-led mission team which ministered in Brazil witnessed more than 700 people turn to Christ and celebrated the fulfillment of Wayne Jenkins’ dream to construct 75 church facilities in the country. Jenkins, who had led 34 mission trips to Brazil, died of cancer on Nov. 13, 2018, having catalyzed the effort to build 68 chapels. Prior to his death he served as the director of evangelism for Louisiana Baptists and co-founded Beyond the Walls, the Louisiana-based ministry that continues to serve in Brazil. In 2019, his son-in-law, David Denton, picked up the baton and began leading this overseas emphasis. “The theme for this year was God’s faithfulness,” Denton, senior pastor with Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia, told the Baptist Message. “We were eyewitnesses of God’s faithfulness to work through His people but also in His people." “This trip was not just about reaching a goal,” he continued. “It was about the treasure of the Gospel in jars of clay. We heard testimonies of what God was doing in people's lives to bring healing and to further them along in their walk with the Lord.” GOSPEL HARVEST Sixty-nine … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ZWOLLE, La. (LBM) – Mary Gore has seen many souls added to the Kingdom during 32 years of “fishing for men” as director of the Toledo Bend Resort Ministry. With the help of staff and hundreds of volunteers, the Gospel has been shared at more than 30 parks, marinas and low-income housing projects through worship services, block parties, fishing tournaments and area fairs. HARVESTS REAPED This year, the ministry has reaped Gospel fruit because of multiple outreach events: -- During Easter weekend, volunteers from 15 churches shared Christ’s love during a block party attended by 250 people at Wildwood Resort in Zwolle and 128 at a worship service held during the block party that Saturday morning. There were also 30 people who attended the ministry’s first Easter Sunrise service the next morning on the pier at Wildwood Resort. -- In May, eight people made decisions to follow Jesus through a children’s fishing tournament at San Miguel State Park in Zwolle. -- In July, a team from First Baptist Church, Cotton Valley, Texas, saw three people indicate a need to come to Christ during a Backyard Bible Club held at several apartment buildings in Zwolle. -- Also in … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Send Network Louisiana churches celebrated a Gospel harvest to start the new year, producing 190 decisions for Christ and 115 baptisms by 44 church plants from April to June. Additionally, the Louisiana Baptist church plants reported 6,959 Gospel conversations and an average of 72 in weekly worship attendance, according to a recent second quarter report by Send Network Louisiana. Since January, these newly formed congregations have seen 341 come to Christ and baptized 183 new converts. Send Network Louisiana Director Lane Corley said the work would not be possible without Louisiana Baptist churches who contribute to the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Georgia Barnette Louisiana Missions O­ffering. “Baptisms doubled in church plants this quarter from quarter one,” he said. “Church planting is evangelism that leads to a new congregation. It’s great to see churches starting through healthy evangelistic growth.” GOSPEL VISION The Send Network Louisiana partnership 1 between Louisiana Baptists and the North American Mission Board, which went into e­ffect Aug. 1, 2023, has helped the state further its God-sized vision to … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Casey Williamson was at a spiritual crossroads in early 2023. A former professional baseball player, Williamson had hung up his glove and spikes to serve with Campus Outreach, which hosts student ministries on more than 100 campuses in 10 countries. As the years passed, Williamson and his wife, Jill, saw fruit at Louisiana State University, Southeastern Louisiana and University of Louisiana at Lafayette but had gotten to a point where their passion had grown more to minister to students who had graduated and now had families of their own. Williamson knew he had been called to be a pastor and that God had him there to prepare for this next step. After a season of prayer, Williamson and the other leaders of the sending church, Christ Covenant Church in Baton Rouge, were approached by Trinity Baptist Church in the city with another to donate their facility while its congregation remained in the building for weekly worship. The aging congregation had dwindled in worship attendance (from 60 in 2019 to 20 in 2023) and sought the Lord to use another church to reach the community for Christ. After a series of conversations with the leadership of Trinity, … [Read more...]