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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Landry declares victory as legal challenge to Louisiana’s pro-life laws dropped

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – A Shreveport abortion clinic and multiple doctors who perform abortions have voluntarily dropped their lawsuit that challenged the state’s clinic licensing regulations. Hope Medical Group for Women, formerly June Medical Services, originally filed the case in 2016 and sought to invalidate most of the state’s health and safety requirements relating to abortion, including those to ensure informed consent, provide for the reporting of accurate data on abortion complications, require compliance with the sanitary code and require abortion clinic medical staff to meet basic qualifications for competency. The U.S. Fifth Circuit of Appeals reviewed the case in October and called into question both the plaintiffs' standing to bring the challenge the “cumulative effects” theory they argued. The case had returned to the U.S. Middle District Court in Baton Rouge when it was dismissed, and last week Hope Medical Services and the physicians who perform abortions dropped their challenge to the lawsuit. “The abortion industry's voluntary dismissal of their radical lawsuit aimed at dismantling nearly every one of Louisiana’s health and safety requirements related to abortion is further … [Read more...]

LC ‘Strives’ to provide support for low-income, first-generation students

By LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Louisiana College has partnered with nonprofit Strive for College to strengthen college opportunities for low-income, first-generation college students. According to LC President Rick Brewer, by becoming a Strive for College Partner, the school has demonstrated a commitment to enrolling and graduating low-income and first-generation college students. Campus programs and support services for students also will be strengthened through Strive’s programs. “Louisiana College has implemented many services in the last several years to assist first-gen students, and we are committed to offering programs to ensure all our students reach their full potential,” Brewer said. “We are very excited to enter this partnership with Strive for College as this is the kind of resource prospective students and families need when considering which college to attend. “LC continues to find ways to make a Christian college education both affordable and accessible for all college students.” The College was ranked fourth highest return on investment (ROI) among private colleges in the state and fifth highest among public schools offering bachelor of arts degrees according to a report released by Georgetown … [Read more...]

Mid-year Cooperative Program report now available

The Louisiana Baptist Convention has released its 2020 mid-year Cooperative Program report, which can be found by clicking here. The Cooperative Program is the Southern Baptist Convention’s method of supporting missions and ministries of state conventions and the SBC. … [Read more...]

Abraham seeks to deny abortionists access to CARES Act loans

By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON, D.C. (LBM) – Congressman Ralph Abraham has joined 20 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives to introduce a bill that would restrict abortion providers from receiving future funds through the Paycheck Protection Program. The Abortion Provider Loan Elimination Act, H.R. 7792, was introduced Monday. If passed, the bill would investigate how Planned Parenthood was able to receive PPP funding and would prohibit the organization from being among those who would get future PPP loans. The PPP was created as part of the CARES Act legislation that was passed to provide eligible small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. LifeSiteNews reported that no less than 43 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country received loans of at least $150,000, with many being much higher. The Planned Parenthood affiliates collectively secured between $65.8 million and $135 million in PPP funds. Abraham urged Louisiana Baptists and other pro-life supporters to contact the Democratic leadership in the House and ask they bring the bill to the floor for consideration. “Unfortunately we have the … [Read more...]

BLM manifesto attacks traditional family and dads’ roles

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement by high profile black sports figures has shed light on the Marxist doctrine underpinning the organization. The movement is tied to violent attacks in U.S. cities, which have overshadowed the protests against injustice after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin, who pinned his knee against Floyd’s neck during an investigation into an alleged attempt to spend counterfeit money. Retired NFL pro bowl defensive end Marcellus Wiley, now an analyst with Fox Sports 1, rejected the move by the NBA to paint “Black Lives Matter” on its courts, pointing to the BLM mission statement which contains goals to “dismantle the patriarchy practice” (dismissing men as heads of homes) and “disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure” (an attack against intact biological families). Meanwhile, in a video posted on his Twitter account retired NFL pro bowl running back Herschel Walker declared that the Black Lives Matter movement “does not represent me.” He also blamed Democrats for the plight of African Americans, and decried the nightly violence that has continued in some cities for more … [Read more...]

Two prominent state officials join leadership team of growing Conservative Baptist Network

By Staff, Conservative Baptist Network BOSSIER CITY, La. (CBN) — The Conservative Baptist Network has named Arkansas state Sen. Peggy Jeffries and Florida state Sen. Dennis Baxley to its national steering council membership. “I am so grateful for Senators Jeffries and Baxley, for their lifelong devotion to Southern Baptists, but especially for their willingness throughout their careers to serve boldly in the public arena for Christ,” Conservative Baptist Network spokesperson Brad Jurkovich, also pastor of the First Baptist Bossier in Bossier City, announced on the organization’s website, July 29. “They have been the very definition of salt and light, and it’s an honor to get to work with them now toward a better future for our SBC.” Jeffries was the first Republican woman elected to the Arkansas Senate and was the only woman in the Senate during her service. She also was elected Republican National Committeewoman for Arkansas and served on the Republican National Committee Platform Committee. The former executive director of Arkansas Eagle Forum, Jeffries was a lobbyist in both Arkansas and Washington, D.C. for education, pro-life and family issues. At the age of 12, Jeffries trusted Christ as her Savior and Lord, and … [Read more...]

Three words for such a time as this

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - As we pass the mid-point of what seems like an extremely long year, several words come to mind that would be descriptive of how I feel about 2020. Unexpected would definitely be one of those words. No one expected COVID-19. No one saw the social unrest that has unfolded over the last several months. Another word would be uncertainty. It’s no surprise that unexpected events such as the ones we’ve experienced lead to uncertainty. Economic uncertainty. Health uncertainty. Emotional uncertainty. What can we do? What should we do? But even in the midst of these unexpected and uncertain times, I would include the word grateful. I’m grateful God has been faithful. Samuel sums it up well for me when he said, “So far, the Lord has helped us.” These unexpected and uncertain times have not caught Him off guard. I’m grateful for the spirit I’ve seen in Louisiana Baptists. You’ve been creative, stretching yourselves, utilizing unfamiliar technology for many of you, as you’ve continued to minister to each other and your communities. You have exhibited a God-honoring spirit that shows we may have been confined, but we were not contained. You cannot quarantine good news. I am grateful for your faithfulness … [Read more...]

Baptisms celebrate son’s, mother’s spiritual bond at Metairie’s Memorial

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer METAIRIE, La. (LBM) - Mateo Alvarez experienced plenty of fun and games at the 2019 CentriKid summer camp, but in the end also came away with something much greater – the gift of salvation. During an evening worship session at Timber Creek Camp in Polanski, Mississippi, Alvarez, who was 10 at the time, realized the need to confess his sins and stepped forward to publicly declare Jesus as Lord. “The decision just made sense,” Alvarez told the Baptist Message. “That evening was something I never will forget because that was the day that I shared with everyone there that I am someone who is a new creation in Christ.” Alvarez had completed the church's foundational course on discipleship and subsequently set a date to be baptized in the spring. But COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings interrupted his plan. Finally, on July 5, Alvarez was able to step down into the baptistery -- with the double blessing to have his mom, Mary, by his side. She had accepted Christ 20 years ago, but was baptized then under another denomination's doctrinal beliefs about baptism. She wanted to follow through in believer's baptism -- an act of obedience symbolizing her faith in a … [Read more...]