By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are preparing to execute a plan to rebuild the St. Matthew Baptist Church in the Grand Bahamas, which was essentially leveled by the 185 miles-per-hour winds of Hurricane Dorian Sept. 2. The 128-year-old St. Matthew Baptist Church is one of nine of the 13 Baptist churches on the islands severely damaged or completely destroyed by the storm – and the destruction crippled the faith community which enjoys a central role in Bahamian culture. According to Gibbie McMillan, state director for Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief, three mud-out teams will serve at separate times in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, between Dec. 8 and 21. Louisiana Baptists from churches and Baptist Collegiate Ministries in the state will work alongside teams from the Mississippi Baptist Convention in ‘Bahama Rebuild,’ a joint partnership with the International Mission Board and Baptist Global Response. The North Carolina and Alabama state conventions are sending additional teams to undertake other rebuild projects on the islands. “Having served as a state disaster relief director for 14 years, this particular response will be, by far, as difficult as Hurricane Katrina … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Steve Horn, during his first Louisiana Baptist Convention executive director’s report, called on messengers to unite for the sake of the Gospel. “As I have travelled our beloved state, I have verified what I have long since believed,” Horn said during the Nov. 11 evening session of the LBC Annual Meeting. “We are different. We don’t all agree on every issue in Southern Baptist life. But, taking the picture that the Bible gives to us about the different parts of the body of Christ, we should celebrate our differences instead of complain about our differences. “And in addition to a renewal of commitment to our Lord and to one another, we need a renewal of our commitment to our cooperative ministries,” he continued. “You are here at the convention because you believe in that spirit of cooperation or at least are curious about what we could do in cooperation with one another. This is a great time to renew our commitments because so much is new.” PROGRESS MADE Horn said Louisiana Baptists have much to celebrate. Since the 2018 LBC Annual Meeting, five new Southern Baptist entity heads have come on board, in addition to the LBC approving its new executive … [Read more...]

By Message Staff OAKDALE – Members of Oak Hill Community Baptist Church in Oakdale are mourning the loss of the wife of their pastor, who was killed in a car accident Tuesday, Nov. 19. “Pray for the family as they make arrangements today, and for their comfort and peace as they face the days ahead,” Mt. Olive Baptist Association Director of Missions Jerry Johnson told the Baptist Message. According to a news release from the Louisiana State Police Troop E, Myra Turner, the wife of Pastor Don Turner, died after the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze she was driving westbound on state Highway 489 collided around 4:30 p.m. with a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, driven by an unidentified driver, southbound on state Highway 121. Turner, who was the only person in her vehicle, was wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, but was pronounced dead. The crash remains under investigation. A memorial service is scheduled for Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. at Oak Hill Community Baptist, with visitation at 9 a.m. Online messages of condolence may be posted at rushfh.com. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer POLLOCK, La. (LBM) –Seventy-three years have passed since Gene Tiley served in World War II as a member of the U.S. Navy; but rarely does a day go by when he does not think about friends who perished in battle. Known as the Greatest Generation by historians, those who fought in the last large-scale war are largely known to shy away from any attention given to the heroics they might have displayed. For many war survivors, some memories are painful to recall but at the same time each is an important reminder about the necessity to be vigilant in defending the freedoms won by the many sacrifices made in combat. “I think about those old boys that I fought alongside, especially those who lost their lives,” Tiley, 93, told the Baptist Message. “People risked their lives during the war, and others made significant sacrifices at home. “When I hear the word ‘Greatest Generation’ a sense of pride comes across me,” he said. “I was always proud to be a part of it.” Tiley, who is a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Pollock, entered the Second World War at the age of 17 in May 1944, a year before the war officially ended. “If you were warm and breathing, you were expected to defend our … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COLFAX, La. (LBM) – On his most recent birthday, World War II veteran Willis Prather celebrated a century of memories, with special appreciation for his time of service to the country. The 100-year-old Prather was a member of the famed 82nd Airborne Division. As he scanned the crowd during the Sept. 22 party at the Bethel Baptist Church in Colfax, he was speechless while remembering those who served with him overseas and those who were waiting for him when he returned home. “It was just a time when we had to be very, very, very thankful,” Prather, who accepted Christ when he was eight, told the Baptist Message. “I knew the good Lord had to be there taking care of His people. He wasn’t visible, but in your heart you knew He was there right beside you in each battle. I prayed and talked to Him many times, and thanked Him for the day He brought me home.” Prather joined the 82nd Airborne Division in 1943 as a 23-year-old from Eunice, and was assigned to a field artillery regiment at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. From there, he traveled to several states and countries until he reached Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944 -- when Allied forces invaded northern France by … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Jeff Vincent was running from the call to pastor after he completed his tour of duty with the Army in 2010, but a burden to see his community reached with the Gospel prompted him to reverse course and plant Hope Church in Baton Rouge six years later. Vincent’s obedience has allowed him to see the church grow from just a handful in 2016 to more than 50 in early October. “We planted Hope Church at a moment in our lives when we really needed hope,” Vincent told the Baptist Message. “We were recovering from some pretty serious hurt and disappointment, and struggled and wrestled with God because we thought we had hit a dead end. After some serious prayer and investment into our healing by other leaders, we realized that this pain had a purpose and there are no dead ends when living on mission for Jesus.” Vincent was raised near Jennings in an impoverished family closely tied to the biker culture. His desire was to flee the situation one day, and the only way out was through the military. After graduating from the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, injuries abruptly ended his military career. Vincent then moved with his wife, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ANACOCO, La. (LBM)—In the past Bill Blackmon drove his big rig cross-country in pursuit of big hauls and big bucks. But since 1993, after repenting for salvation at Good Hope Baptist Church in Anacoco, he has been driven by the desire to share Jesus among truckers, treating them as a unique people group who need to hear the hope of the Gospel. “I didn’t go to church growing up and the trucker lifestyle was really all I knew,” Blackmon said “The last thing I was thinking about was where I would spend eternity. But when I found Jesus, my purpose changed from hanging out at the bars, during my off time, to spending time with others to share with them the Good News of Jesus. “Truckstop Ministries has given me another tool to share the hope that is found in Jesus with so many people whom I share a common bond with across our country,” he added. Since 2017, Blackmon has served as a chaplain with Truckstop Ministries and has seen hundreds saved at nearly 80 truck stop chapels in 29 states. He is among 600 volunteer chaplains and “missionary” truckers who have a presence at the ministry’s designated truck stop chapel buildings. According to the group’s website, the Jackson, … [Read more...]