EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Doyle L. Adams was recognized on April 27, 2018 for his 60th year in the ministry at a ceremony at Lone Cherry Baptist Church, Mangham, where he is presently pastoring. For his long, faithful service, he received a plaque from the Louisiana Baptist Pastoral Leadership team and also was recognized by the Richland Baptist Association. During his career, he has preached at Antioch Baptist Church, Rayville; North Central Baptist Church, Delhi, Forty Necessity Baptist Church, Fort Necessity; Lone Cherry; Coax Baptist Church, Baskin; First Baptist Church, Gilbert. Trey, wife Jessica, Etheridge is the new Pastor of Worship and Discipleship at First Baptist Church, Jonesboro.  He was formerly the pastor of Briarwood Baptist Church in Reidheimer. Michael Hawley will retire as pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer CROIX DES BOUQUETS, Haiti – Cole Permenter was helping to lead a training conference for 140 Haitian pastors when the large-scale social unrest exploded in Port-Au-Prince late Friday, July 7. During the next two days, Permenter and the other members of a Louisiana Baptist team heard sporadic gunfire and saw smoke rise in the distance while sheltered inside their secure missionary compound in Croix des Bouquets, on the outskirts of the capital city. But prayers from many around the world and assurance from their leaders kept them at ease in the less-than-ideal circumstances. “Our excellent leaders, Tommy Middleton, Darrin Badon and Stan Statham, brought the team together for a briefing and began to tell us about what was going on,” said Permenter, pastor of Bluff Creek Baptist Church in Clinton. “It is because of their leadership our team was able to remain calm and still be eager for what was to come. “We coveted the prayers of all our brothers and sisters stateside,” continued Permenter, who boarded a return flight back to the U.S. with his team Tuesday, July 10. “It’s an amazing feeling to know that the church was united in their prayers for us. “We were overwhelmed by the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WEST MONROE – While state Rep. Frank Hoffmann awaited the birth of his new granddaughter in a Texas hospital July 11, he shared some thoughts with the Baptist Message about his personal mission to protect the unborn. LOUISIANA LEADER A long-time pro-life supporter, Hoffmann has used his tenure in the Louisiana legislature to push through key pro-life bills, for instance, preventing insurance companies in the state from offering coverage of elective abortions, and, requiring abortion clinics in Louisiana to post information informing women about the alternatives to abortion. Most recently, he championed House Bill 891, now Act 498, prohibiting Louisiana from transferring any public funds to an abortion provider, or, to any entity tied “physically [shared facility] or financially” to an abortion provider. The significance of the legislation became clear when Governor John Bel Edwards signed the legislation into law May 23 just hours after a U.S. District judge ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit to force the state Department of Health and Hospitals to issue a license to perform abortions in the same New Orleans facility where Medicaid funded “family planning” … [Read more...]