I served as the Chairman of the Tellers’ Committee at the annual meeting of the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention, my first LBC convention to attend. I served as the Chairman of the Tellers’ Committee at the annual meeting of the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention, my first LBC convention to attend. I wish to publicly thank those who served on the committee with me. Your support and assistance were wonderful and are deeply appreciated.   I must commend Bro. Tommy French for the excellent manner in which he and the parliamentarian and the Sergeant-at-Arms handled the proceedings of the business sessions.   However, my commendations do not extend to those who chose to behave themselves in a manner that is inconsistent with standards of Christian deportment. While I am fully aware that there are many issues in our convention that divide us, attacks on the character and integrity of other Christians are always in poor taste. I was labeled by at least one person as a "turncoat" and by another as an "invader." Personally, I turned against no one and invaded no one’s turf.   Rudeness and inconsiderate acts have no place in a public forum. We as Christians are to be a light to the world. … [Read more...]

During the recent LBC, it became very obvious to me that I had sinned against fellow messenger and brother in Christ -Dr. Perry Sanders. During the recent LBC, it became very obvious to me that I had sinned against fellow messenger and brother in Christ -Dr. Perry Sanders. My sin was a violation of the ninth commandment - I harmed his good name and reputation by attributing comments to him that did not accurately reflect his real sentiments. My sin was intensified by the fact that I put these comments in print on the back page of the special convention issue of the LIFe Line, the official publication of the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship. I repented to Dr. Sanders and to the messengers at the convention, confessing my sin and asking forgiveness. (I regret that I did not take this action before the noon break, when most of the messengers were still in attendance.) Because I believe that repentance should occur in the same sphere in which the sin occurred, and because many messengers left the convention before I could confess my sin to them and ask forgiveness, I hope the remaining messengers will read this and know I am truly sorry for sinning against Dr. Sanders and against all who were in attendance. I am deeply … [Read more...]

Charges were leveled against the Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference in the recent Executive Board meeting by Scott Shaver.  Those charges included that we are a Bible Conference for LIFe. Charges were leveled against the Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference in the recent Executive Board meeting by Scott Shaver.  Those charges included that we are a Bible Conference for LIFe.  Our speakers included LC staff; Dr. Wilton, who preached at last year’s convention; an evangelist; a pastor; and the  president of our convention. No one from LIFe was presented, and no endorsements were made. In my desire to see our state convention continue its historic ties to the national convention, Paul Pressler was invited to challenge pastors to "stay the course."   The LBPC was accused of being "staffed largely by representatives of the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship," and yet Perry Sanders was nominated for president of the LBPC in 1989 but lost to Everett Geis, Sr., now pastor of Victory Baptist Church of Monroe.  The fact that Bro. Sanders was Mainstream’s candidate at the convention suggests he does not consider himself a representative of LIFe. If we are political, why was he and those who nominated and voted … [Read more...]

Am I the only Louisiana Baptist who finds Bill Ascol’s comments to our state convention "very interesting?" Am I the only Louisiana Baptist who finds Bill Ascol’s comments to our state convention "very interesting?" While it is commendable that Ascol felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the courage to confess his "intemperate" and "sinful" comments toward Perry Sanders, I lament both his actions and the timing of his admission. Ascol is the voice for fundamentalism in Louisiana. He displayed a willingness to totally misrepresent Perry Sanders to Louisiana Baptists so that his candidate could win a denominational election. Whatever you think of Perry Sanders, his ministry has stood the test of time and speaks of integrity.   This "ends justifies the means" mentality disturbs me greatly. What adds to my concern is that Ascol represents a group that promotes biblical fundamentalism. The Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship is on the band wagon for "doctrinal purity." I heard a saying that applies: "Your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks." I am perplexed that a leader for fundamentalism and doctrinal purity in our state would so blatantly say one thing and do … [Read more...]

For the week of December 7, 2000 Christmas Programs •ALEXANDRIA - Calvary church: Calvary choir presents " A Christmas to Remember," Dec. 10, 6 p.m.: Dec. 11, 7 p.m.; Sam Jones, minister of music, David Brooks, pastor.   •PINEVILLE - Pineville Park church: "Sing We All Noel" musical; Dec. 10, 10:45 a.m.; Thomas E. Lott, Jr., minister of music; Herb Dickerson, interim pastor.   •BATON ROUGE - Woodlawn church: "A Christmas to Remember" musical; Dec. 16-17, 6 p.m.; Brian Jemison, minister of music; Tommy Middleton, pastor.   •WEST MONROE - Ridge Avenue church: "A Night Before Christmas" musical; Dec. 16-17, 7 p.m.; David McCormick, minister of music; David Maxwell, pastor.   •BATON ROUGE - Goodwood church: "Loves Transcending" musical; Dec. 17, 6 p.m.; Richard Stevenson, minister of music; David H. Campbell, pastor.   •ZACHARY - First church: "A Christmas Celebration" musical; Dec. 16, 4 p.m.; Dec. 17, 7 p.m.; Billy Causey, minister of music; Wayne Barnes, pastor.   •SULPHUR - First church: "Christmas Fantasia" musical; Dec. 9-10, 6:30 p.m.; Donald W. Dukes, music minister; Ronnie Burke, interim pastor.   •BASTROP - First church: adult choir … [Read more...]

They are just well, just kids, teenagers. Imagine how incredibly difficult their lives have become since that vision. They are just well, just kids, teenagers. Imagine how incredibly difficult their lives have become since that vision. He is a day laborer and days are tough. Besides eking through a hardscrabble existence, he has to pay all those taxes. And now, he discovers his fiancee is expecting a baby and they have never been together. An angel appeared explaining the pregnancy to him and his fiancee, but they were private audiences. People talk, even good people, church people. O, sure, they can tell about the angel, but that just seems to compound and complicate the talk. At the time she should be resting for the delivery of her baby, word comes from the government that they have to travel from the north part of the country to the south part. And he is a day laborer; if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get paid, and things are already tight, real tight. They had been saving to buy a tiny house, but this trip knocks that out of the picture. Every cent they have this trip takes. They get there, and are fortunate to find a man who will let them stay in a cave with his animals. They are thankful; most people who … [Read more...]

Aman stands in a darkened street in the fall of 1969, looking up at the sky above his home. Magic is at play there as waves of color ripple and weave across the nightscape. The aurora borealis – luminous bands of light sometimes visible in northern skies – has begun. Aman stands in a darkened street in the fall of 1969, looking up at the sky above his home. Magic is at play there as waves of color ripple and weave across the nightscape. The aurora borealis – luminous bands of light sometimes visible in northern skies – has begun.   But for this man, the magic of the sky is the mere beginning of wonder. In a few minutes, he will walk inside his home and begin to talk on the ham radio with his son.   It will not be the seven-year-old son sleeping in an upstairs room. Well, it will be – except it will be the seven-year-old son grown up to be a thirty-something-year-old man, the seven-year-old son whose father died when the boy was just a child, the seven-year-old son who is grown and living in the same desk as his father in 1969, talking on the same ham radio.   Confused? Never fear. It is the magic of film – and the mystical storyline of the movie, "Frequency."   The plot … [Read more...]

By the time this issue of the Baptist Message arrives in your mailbox, the United States Supreme Court will have ruled on the Florida recount of the votes cast in the presidential election. By just about all accounts, this should end the uncertainty of who will be the next president of the United States. By the time this issue of the Baptist Message arrives in your mailbox, the United States Supreme Court will have ruled on the Florida recount of the votes cast in the presidential election. By just about all accounts, this should end the uncertainty of who will be the next president of the United States.   While the ordeal of the presidential election and ensuing recounts and court cases have been tiring, frustrating and aggravating, we can take great encouragement at the way such disagreements are settled in this country.   There are many countries in this world that would settle such disputes not with the suit but with the sword. Presidential candidates would line up divisions of the nation’s armed forces and try to take by power what seemed uncertain by vote. And, too often, the armed forces would be for sale to the highest bidder. One has only to travel to a number of foreign countries to … [Read more...]

At this year’s Louisiana Youth Evangelism Celebration, the youth of your state convention under the leadership of Kevin Boles took up a love offering to assist the Baptist youth of Nevada. At this year’s Louisiana Youth Evangelism Celebration, the youth of your state convention under the leadership of Kevin Boles took up a love offering to assist the Baptist youth of Nevada. This love offering was collected to help the Nevada Baptist Convention hold an additional State Youth Evangelism Conference in 2001. The Louisiana Baptist youth gave an astonishing $3,112.72. Due to the size and poor road conditions of our state, our churches have difficulty financing and traveling to our YEC every year. This money will provide the financial resources necessary to help us begin having two annual State Youth Evangelism Conferences.   Being a native of Louisiana and having served the Louisiana Baptist Convention, I was very proud to announce to Nevada Baptists the good news of this generous gift. We look forward to seeing the great things God does with our youth in 2001. Tim Robinson Evangelism Associate Nevada Baptist Convention … [Read more...]

This latest convention was confusing for me. It was confusing for me, because I didn’t know every Baptist in Louisiana. This latest convention was confusing for me. It was confusing for me, because I didn’t know every Baptist in Louisiana. So, when nominations were made, I really didn’t know who the person was and what they stood for. I and the messengers from our church had to depend on the labels all these nominees had assigned to one another.   It was confusing to sing great hymns of praise to the same God and Lord of us all and then walk into the hallways and side rooms and hear hushed conversations about "them" and "us." Of course, I’m always surprised when children of the same father can, because of conflict, decide they don’t belong to that same father.   I would love to have the time to go to all the meetings, meet all the Baptists, learn who is who and who is not, but I have been called to a ministry that takes all the time I have. I have been called to pastor a great church in a great part of our state.   One thing was not confusing. It was not confusing when a man stood and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ. That man was David Uth. I want to thank him and those of … [Read more...]