By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BLANCHARD (LBM) – On a day when the nation faced uncertainty from the pandemic of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), members of the First Baptist Church in Blanchard witnessed the hope found in Christ with the baptism of four new converts on March 15. BAPTIZED BY WATER Andrew Roe, 18, was among those who shared their testimony of belief through baptism that day,and one of nine believers baptized by the congregation in 2020. He professed his faith in Christ during a church-wide revival that saw 100 people turn to Christ, Feb. 16-21. His dad, Jamie Roe, was given the honor of baptizing Andrew, and described the moment as emotional. “I cried like a baby when I did it,” the father told the Baptist Message. “I was so happy when we trusted God and we had worship that day. It does give us a sense of hope, knowing that Jesus is still in the saving business.” Pastor Clay Fuqua credits prayer as a factor for the Holy Spirit moving during the revival, which drew as many as 211 worshipers for one of the sessions. During the month prior to the revival, the congregation participated in 21 days of prayer, and fasted every Thursday. Additionally, they received a daily text … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are facing a new normal since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to the shutdown of schools, restaurants, entertainment venues, other businesses and churches in mid-March. President Donald J. Trump has essentially closed down U.S. borders, banning foreign travel to our country from coronavirus hot spots in Europe as well as Asia and the Middle East. He also has issued guidelines for protecting individuals from infection, asking Americans to work from home if at all possible and to limit assemblies to no more than 10 people. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a proclamation March 13 that mandated all events of more than 250 people in attendance be halted through April 13, but days later decreed even tighter limits, restricting gatherings to no more than 50 people, leaving many people of faith wondering how to worship on Sundays and hold other church-related activities. In response to the directives from federal and state officials, the Louisiana Baptist Building in Alexandria closed March 18 and will reopen April 1. All state mission service personnel has been assigned specific tasks which can be done at home. LBC events … [Read more...]

By Louisiana Baptist Children's Home communications MONROE, La. (LBCH) - Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries is joining efforts to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. All administrative and support service offices on the Monroe campus will be closed from Saturday March 21st through Sunday April 5th, LBCH President and CEO Perry Hancock said. Administrative staff will continue their work through remote access portals. Granberry Counseling Centers will serve clients through a secured teleconferencing network. The Children’s Home will continue services for all children, young adults, and families in residence. The campus will be closed to visitors. Campus tours and church group activities will be rescheduled. These measures and others will reduce the exposure that our residents and staff have to the virus, Hancock said. "Ultimately, we trust God to accomplish His will and purpose through this crisis," Hancock said. "Know that our LBCHFM family is praying for you as you pray for us. Remember Philippians 4:6, 7 - 'Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews)—Based on advisories from local, state, and federal health officials, Louisiana College administrators have updated responses to the coronavirus COVID-19. All public events previously scheduled for the current semester have been postponed. The May 9 Commencement services are rescheduled for August 8 and will be held in Guinn Auditorium: one at 10 a.m. for undergraduate students and the other at 2 p.m. for graduate students. Both services will be livestreamed. On March 30 and for the remainder of the semester, face-to-face classes will transition to online classes for remote learning. “For students without Wi-fi access, we are asking local churches to give students access to their Wi-fi,” said Louisiana College President Dr. Rick Brewer. For students who opt to remain on campus for the rest of this semester, Louisiana College’s food service will remain uninterrupted. However, all cafeteria meals will be take-out. No meals will be served in the cafeteria. For the foreseeable future, LC is discontinuing all campus food service to the local community. During the March 23-27 Spring Break, the Den and Starbucks will be closed. Subway will remain open. The Student Success … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) –  During a special time of prayer March 16, Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn told state missions staff to not succumbed to panic but to pray. “We pray because we should always pray,” Horn told the Baptist Message. “Specific to our present crisis, we pray because we need God’s intervention. We also need God’s wisdom. Pastors are literally having to throw out one model of ministry and develop an entire new model for ministry. We are having to do that as a state mission services staff as well.” Horn led state missions staff in prayers for God to stop the pandemic and save lives; for President Donald Trump and other government leaders; for the Lord to grant wisdom in this moment of fear; and for God to protect SBC missionaries and their families, and emergency responders. The same prayers were the focus of Southern Baptist churches during a day of prayer on Sunday, March 15. Horn offered Luke 18:1-8, James 1:5 and 2 Chronicles 6:28-31 as encouraging verses to look toward in the days ahead. State missions staff will continue to pray at 9:30 a.m. daily at the Baptist Building in Alexandria until further notice, Horn said. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) — Amid event cancellations, school closures and bans on meetings of more than 250 people statewide in the wake of Coronavirus 2019, COVID-19, Louisiana Baptist churches moved ahead with worship services Sunday, March 15. Some churches employed social media to broadcast services, many preceded with normal operations and others added services to accommodate enough worshipers that would allow them to comply with Governor John Bel Edwards' proclamation issued March 13. Edwards mandated that all events of more than 250 people in attendance temporarily were halted to protect the health and safety of Louisiana’s citizens. He also ordered all public schools closed from March 16 to April 13, and reduced face-to-face public interaction at state government buildings. Churches also joined other churches across the Southern Baptist for a dedicated day of prayer for the situation. Bonita Road Baptist Church, which averages 400 people on Sundays, held worship services simultaneously at two locations on its main campus in Log Cabin so it would not exceed the limit on meetings of more than 250 people, Pastor Casey Johnson told the Baptist Message. The church’s campus in Mer … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director I have said through the years that my most memorable time of worship ever was the Sunday after 9/11. The crowd was larger. We sang louder. We had a greater sense of desperation. That’s the way I feel today. The crowds likely won’t be as large this Sunday, March 15, because of fears of gathering in large crowds and the need for many elderly to stay home, but if you are well and can gather, I sense that this will be a special day of worship. I am joining the call of our Southern Baptist Convention leaders in asking every church in Louisiana to have a special moment of prayer in your worship this Sunday. You can view and share their call using this link. Some of you may even be led to dedicate your entire worship service just to prayer. As a pastor I did this on a number of occasions. This was always a meaningful time of worship. Pastors, you can use these suggestions to guide your praying. Send it out to those members who might choose not to attend. Whatever you decide to do Sunday, let us pray in focused, concentrated prayer. As we prepare to pray, I think of these Scriptures . . . Luke 18:1-8, the Parable of the Persistent Widow—Luke introduced this … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Louisiana College’s annual God in the Workplace series continues March 23 at 6 p.m. in Guinn Auditorium. Addressing the topic “Socialism or Stewardship? Doing Business God’s Way,” will be Dr. Jay W. Richards and Mr. Earl B. Heard. Dr. Richards is a Research Assistant Professor at Catholic University of America/Busch School of Business in Washington, D.C. He is the 2010 Templeton Enterprise Award winner, a best-selling author, and co-author of “The Privileged Planet.” Mr. Heard is CEO/Founder of BIC Alliance in Houston and author of seven books. He is also a Louisiana College alumnus. “We are pleased to have such qualified and accomplished speakers to keynote this year’s God in the Workplace Series,” said Dr. Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. “With all the contemporary talk regarding Socialism, I am sure these men will bring a balance as they highlight God’s plan of stewardship not only for business, but for the totality of life.” Pastors, church members, business leaders, and the general public are warmly invited to attend this free, yet valuable event.   … [Read more...]

Greetings, Louisiana Baptists. Whether you believe that decisions regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID-19, are disproportionate to the real threat or believe that not enough actions are being taken, you have to agree that these are unprecedented times. Whether we see widespread outbreak in Louisiana is yet to be known, but the likelihood we will see effects, both economic and life disruption, are almost certain.  Your state missions staff are monitoring information on a daily and even hourly basis. We have not cancelled any events as of this writing with the exception of BCM events in the New Orleans area. One of our commitments to our churches is to be a resource provider. We want to be available to our churches to provide the best information and best practices as they are released.   LifeWay has prepared a thorough, helpful, free resource that can assist you and your church to prepare in case the coronavirus spreads across the state: https://ministrygrid.com/coronavirus. You can also visit the government site, www.cdc.gov, for additional information.   Here are some common sense suggestions we’ve pulled together for your consideration:  • Have plenty of hand sanitizer and wipes available for your people. • … [Read more...]