By Message Staff Three days after Hurricane Irma made landfall in the U.S., the first Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams are headed to Florida. Northshore Baptist Association feeding unit, a Mount Olive Association shower and laundry unit, a First Baptist Church in Mangham water purification unit and a Rolling Hills Ministry generator left First Baptist Church in Slidell Wednesday morning, Sept. 13, Louisiana Baptists State Disaster Relief Director Gibbie McMillan told the Baptist Message.. They will be stationed at Riverside Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Fla. McMillan reiterated the importance of all Louisiana Baptists praying, giving and going to get the job done in areas hit hard by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. “Many are in Texas and others are in Florida helping, while a host of faithful ones are praying and giving,” he said. “Thanks to all who are doing what they can. This is a picture of the church on the move. As you give, remember our entire budget comes from the Georgia Barnette Offering. Please pray and give.” According to North American Mission Board statistics, the response by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams to areas impacted by Harvey through Sept. 12 teams has resulted in 810,292 meals … [Read more...]

By Message Staff LAFAYETTE – The relief efforts by Evangeline Baptist Association churches has truly been a team effort. Not only after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and then again in Louisiana, churches in the association along with assistance from numerous non-profit organizations and churches from other denominations have coordinated a response to help those impacted by the storm. First Baptist Church in Lafayette served as a collection site, receiving 6.5 tons, or $42,000 worth, of supplies, Pastor Steve Horn told the Baptist Message. The supplies filled 26 pallets in a semi which transported the items to First Baptist Church in Vidor, Texas. Horn said he and his congregation have applied Titus 3:14 to areas of service and their daily lives and the response to Harvey relief efforts was such a time they could place the words of the verse into action. "This was one of those occasions when we saw our church and others do this," Horn said. "This has also given us a primary point of contact to do continued ministry in Vidor, where we have a team now doing mud-out work." Horn added that past connections were used in the collection effort. The driver and truck were donated by a trucking company in … [Read more...]

By Message Staff WOODWORTH –Tony Mathews reminded 45 pastors and their spouses of their responsibility to live out God’s missiological plan for the world during the first ever Louisiana Baptist African-American Missions Conference. “The personnel of the mission agenda is us,” the president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention African American Fellowship said during one of his messages. “You are employed by Jesus.” Throughout the conference, Mathews drew from his experiences of participating in mission trips with North Garland Baptist Church where he serves as pastor to challenge those in attendance to realize how they can influence the ends of the earth. Near the end of his final message, Mathews challenged pastors to join him in a mission trip to Ecuador in October, with two responding to go. Held Sept. 8-9 at Tall Timbers Conference Center, the retreat also featured intensive training led by Mathews and worship led by Thomas Keys, worship minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport. The pastors also heard encouraging words in breakout sessions from David Hankins, executive director for Louisiana Baptists, Leroy Fountain, church health strategist for New Orleans Baptist Association, Barry Calhoun, … [Read more...]