By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Data from the Louisiana Department of Health as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the state is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases among those who are relatively young adults, but with few deaths resulting in this age group. However, morbidity from the disease is surging among the elderly and those residing in nursing homes. Graphoc: http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/ On Monday, the LDH reported nearly half of new cases affected 18-29 years old. However, the data pertaining to deaths on the LDH website indicate the disease is most profound in its impact primarily among the elderly and infirm. ELDERLY/NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AT RISK In the chart "Additional Data on COVID-19 Deaths in Louisiana" the median age of death is identified as 76 years old. This means half of the deaths caused by COVID-19 occur among those older than 76 years of age. Furthermore, the chart "Cases/Deaths by Age Group" show COVID-19 adds to that information to show that COVID-19 has taken the lives of 2,157 persons age 70 and older, or 68 percent of the 3,170 COVID-19 deaths in the state as of July 3. Moreover, supplemental information on … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The annual ReGroup Sunday school training conference is going all digital this year. Originally scheduled for August 8th in Baton Rouge and August 15th in West Monroe, both ReGroup events were moved from in-person formats to a virtual platform because of  concerns for the safety of participants who planned to attend as well as caution about potential attendance restrictions by the state in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Now scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11, the conference will focus on four areas of the ReGroup strategy – sharing the gospel, developing biblical community, helping believers mature spiritually and equipping believers to live missionally. General topics will include reaching and connecting in a social distancing world, leading Bible study in-person as well as online and finding new ways to minister and care for people. Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn is the keynote speaker, and will be joined by other guests with expertise in various areas of ministry. Digitial ReGroup will kick off at 6 p.m., Aug. 10, with a session for pastors, ministers of education and Sunday school directors, followed by a second session at 7:30 p.m. for adult … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the seventh in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS SIX Launch “Operation Highways and Hedges,” a multi-year, multi-platform media strategy designed to provide every person in Louisiana the opportunity to say yes to a relationship with … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Christian PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – Louisiana College has received a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to improve classrooms and teaching facilities on campus. The $87,330 department enhancement grant will be used to renovate classrooms in Guinn Auditorium, which houses the Missions and Ministries Division, the Physician Assistant Program and the Bolton Chapel classroom. "This grant will help transform teaching and learning on the campus of Louisiana College," said Henry Robertson, coordinator of sponsored programs. The Louisiana College funding proposal was written by Justin Langford, associate professor of missions and ministries. Work has already begun, and the project will continue during the 2020-2021 academic year. Langford said the grant was one of 21 proposals to be fully funded of the 147 the Board of Regents received for the 2019-2020 cycle. “The upgrade to classroom furnishings will move us away from small, individual desks to full-length seminar style tables, which will increase student mobility and give easier access to desk space for students with disabilities,” Langford said. “This will also allow for better classroom collaboration.” Major upgrades are also planned for … [Read more...]

By LC Sports Information Department PINEVILLE, La. (LCSports) – Louisiana College announced Wednesday that its athletic department has formally applied for admission to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), with an eye on joining the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) for all sponsored sports except football, which aims to join the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). "After the better part of the past year analyzing the college's athletic program, in addition to numerous conversations with Reni Mason, athletic director as well as men's basketball coach, and with our Board of Trustees and other external stakeholders, we have decided to apply to the NAIA. This move was supported unanimously by the college's board of trustees," said LC President Rick Brewer. The Wildcats offered five points for the move to the NAIA: fit, fan engagement, regional alignment, a core footprint, and a level playing field for the student-athletes. "This move reflects a desire to provide our student-athletes an outstanding experience as we believe LC's athletic programs will be competitive in each sport with the genuine opportunity to compete for conference and national titles," Brewer explained. "The college's best … [Read more...]

By Message Staff FOREST HILL, La. (LBM) – Family, friends and members of Calvary Baptist Church in Forest Hill are mourning the loss of their Pastor Wayne Dunn, who died unexpectedly from prior medical complications, June 25. His wife, Kathy, said her husband was a testimony of how Christ can transform a person’s life. The two met in 1988, two years before Dunn accepted Christ during a battle with drug addiction. “He’s not dead,” she told the Baptist Message. “He just started living and is rejoicing today.” Born June 4, 1953, in Houston, Texas, Dunn accepted the call into Gospel ministry in 1990, and three years later became pastor of Center Hammock Baptist Church in Rapides Parish. Through the years Dunn also served as pastor of the First Baptist Church, Lone Pine, Laurel Heights Baptist Church, Winnfield, Macedonia Baptist Church, Effie, Good Hope Baptist Church, West Monroe, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Oakdale, Hopewell Baptist Church, Elizabeth and Calvary Baptist. Jessica Martin, a member of Calvary Baptist, appreciated Dunn’s desire to see his members grow closer to the Lord. “When I left church I knew that I was being led down the right path,” she said. “He would tell you he was the lowest of the low and … [Read more...]

ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- Due to recent spikes in COVID-19 cases across the state, the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention will not be held in New Orleans on Tuesday, Nov. 10, as originally planned. Franklin Avenue Baptist Church was slated to host this year’s gathering in that city. The LBC Executive Board, as directed by Article XII of the LBC Articles of Incorporation, will recommend an alternative venue. That new site will be announced during the Board's regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth. According to Steve Horn, LBC executive director, the decision was prompted by the state’s extension of Phase 2 in its COVID-19 restrictions, coupled with New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s efforts to keep the city from repeating the health crisis it experienced earlier in the year. “Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue, and I visited via phone Tuesday and we determined in light of continued uncertainties relating to COVID-19 restrictions, it would be best for the church and the Convention to make alternative plans for this year’s annual meeting,” said Horn. “We appreciate Franklin Avenue’s willingness to host the annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Morgan Moses was looking to restart her life when her uncle, Perry Moses, invited her in early March to attend Cross Branded Cowboy Church in Pineville. She found a loving church family and the Holy Spirit guided her to a spiritual rebirth that culminated with baptism on her physical birthday, June 29. Steve Speer, pastor of His Church in Pineville, performed the baptism because the church is without a pastor at this time. “I felt like this was meant to be,” she told the Baptist Message. “While I didn’t plan to be baptized on my birthday, God knew exactly what was going to happen and I’m so excited that he allowed me to share my joy with so many people.” Morgan Moses was among two new converts who participated in a baptism service during Cross Branded’s weekly Monday night service, which averages 70-80 people inside its worship center. COWBOY-STYLE MINISTRY While Cross Branded opens its services to anyone, it especially draws in those who are part of the cowboy culture. Started in 2008 as a mission of Pine Grove Baptist Church in Ruby, this cowboy-style congregation began with 20 people, and a year later grew to 30 members. Four years … [Read more...]