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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Jeffreys selected as LCU’s new executive vice president

By Elizabeth Clarke PINEVILLE, LA (LC news) – Louisiana Christian University President Rich Brew has announced the addition of David Jeffreys as the new executive vice president and chief operations officer for the school. Jeffreys has been serving as associate pastor at Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia and head of Highland Baptist Christian School since 2002. He recently completed a six-year term on the LCU Board of Trustees which included serving at chairman of the board in 2020. “I am personally excited about David and Stephanie joining our team at LCU and know he will be of extreme help to me with resource development, facilities management, denominational relations, strategic planning and special projects,” said Brewer. Jeffreys and his wife, Stephanie, met while students at LCU. He is a 1992 graduate in business administration, who went on the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a master’s degree and a doctoral in Christian Education. "I never would have imagined 34 years ago as an incoming freshman to Louisiana College that I would one day be called to serve as Louisiana Christian University’s Executive Vice President,” Jeffreys said. “My wife Stephanie and I are excited about this … [Read more...]

Holloway Baptist to honor Pastor Jack West on his retirement

By Staff, Baptist Message Jack West, pastor of Holloway Baptist Church in Deville, will be honored on his retirement on Jan. 23. The church, where West has pastored for the past 37 years, will have Sunday School at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. followed by a meal after worship. A reception for the Jack and Becky West will be held at 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend this special occasion as it honors him and his wife Becky. After graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he pastored First Baptist Church in Peterman, Alabama. In January of 1985, he came to Holloway where he has served ever since. … [Read more...]

LCU celebrates addition of Pizza Hut to food court

By Lexi Rachal, Wildcats Media PINEVILLE, La. (Wildcats Media) – Louisiana Christian University has added another dining option to the food court at the Hixson Student Center food. President Rick Brewer, who was on hand, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open a new Pizza Hut on Jan. 11, said the restaurant was added after the student body, in the spring 2021 semester, indicated they most wanted pizza and wings as new food court offerings. “It was really in response to students,” Brewer said. “That’s why we did it.” Students such as Jai Melancon waited in line up to 30 minutes before the ribbon cutting to receive one of the 100 free t-shirts handed out by the school to mark the occasion. “I love that our school’s investing back into the student body,” Melancon said. Pizza Hut joins Starbucks, Subway and Wildcat Grill as dining options available to students. Brewer said he is hopeful LCU will add even more food options in the future. … [Read more...]

‘Shepherd’s Rest’ ministry offers encouragement to pastors

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Pastoral Leadership Director Ray Swift announced that resources are available for ministers who need someone to lean on. Swift said the Convention’s ‘Shepherd’s Rest’ ministry provides support for a pastor to take a brief sabbatical (up to four Sundays) with the assurance that the church where he serves will have pastoral oversight. This ministry is provided at no cost to the pastor or congregation. “Pastors should know they don’t have to face it alone,” Swift told the Baptist Message. “The reality is every pastor, every church, is facing similar distractions, difficulties and problems. The best resource we have is to reach out to one another and speak to another pastor and engage in guidance from the LBC. Most of all we have God. His promise is He is going to build the church and no pandemic or hurricane can stop that.” Swift also shared that the Pastoral Leadership team is available to help congregations seeking a permanent pastor – by providing training for search committees, something he said should be helpful at this time when 257 of 1,611 congregations are without pastors. For more information about the ‘Shepherd’s Rest’ … [Read more...]

Biden’s 2021 judicial appointments outpaced Trump, Obama, Clinton and Bushes

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The White House released a statement celebrating President Biden’s success in appointing federal judges during his first year in office. In 2021, “40 circuit and district court judges were confirmed – the most since Ronald Reagan was president,” the press release noted, adding that another 35 nominees have been announced although not acted upon by the U.S. Senate. “Eighty percent of those confirmed judges are women, with 53 percent being people of color.” The announcement comes amid controversy about the claimed conservative makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court and former President Donald J. Trump’s remaking of the federal benches following the eight-year term of former President Barack Obama. When Obama took office, there was only one liberal bench among the 13 U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, but when he left there were nine Democratic majority appointed courts. He also appointed two judges to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump was successful in appointing three judges to the Supreme Court and also shifted three federal appeals courts from a Democrat majority of appointments, so that seven of 13 were conservative leaning. He also nearly flipped the liberal … [Read more...]

U.S. military purges Christians

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON (LBM)—The United States Department of Defense has begun discharging military personnel after denying every vaccine religious exemption request to date. As of Dec. 29, 2021, there were 18,548 combined religious exemption requests among active-duty forces in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy. None had been approved, although some cases are pending. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps already has discharged 206 of those who made religious exemption requests and the Air Force has separated 27 airmen. Both the Army and Navy have said they will wait until January to begin proceedings against those who have been denied a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. Now, a federal judge in Texas has issued a preliminary injunction against the vaccine mandate in a lawsuit brought by elite members of the U.S. Navy. U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor, with the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth, ruled, Jan. 3, that the DoD has violated the sailors’ constitutional right to refuse the vaccine based on their religious beliefs. The plaintiffs are 26 enlisted or chief warrant Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) members, five enlisted special warfare combatant craft … [Read more...]