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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Lottie Moon giving slumps, on pace for historic drop

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Editor RICHMOND (LBM)—The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has released data showing relatively stable Cooperative Program giving but a flagging Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that is trending toward a record single-year fall. Comparing receipts from Oct. 2016 through March 2017 with totals for the same period a year ago, gifts through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ primary channel for funding all national causes, are down less than one percent, or about $967,597 below last year. By contrast, contributions to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which benefits only the International Mission Board, Southern Baptists’ overseas-missionary-sending entity, have tumbled almost $13.5 million, a nearly 12 percent drop, for the same time frame. Importantly, these figures reflect only funds received through the SBC Executive Committee -- some LMCO gifts are donated directly to the IMB. Also, the accounting year for the LMCO is June 1 through May 31, but the difference with the SBC Executive Committee fiscal year does not change the negative trend in LMCO giving. According to past reports out of Nashville, March is the third month in a row for the special offering to … [Read more...]

Louisiana College launches inaugural apologetics conference

by Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews)--Louisiana College’s inaugural C3 Conference April 8 will focus on the necessity for Christians to discern among the world’s competing philosophies, and to proclaim the superlative character of biblical truth. “In a culture where truth claims are as variant as they are plentiful, there has never been a more critical need for the singularly exclusive truths of Christianity to be taught and told,” said  Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. Featuring a professor and a pastor, LC draws keynote speakers from the academy and the church for the conference, which is part of the college’s Great Commission Seminar. Rhyne Putman, assistant professor of Theology & Culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, will present a biblical view of sexuality with his topic: “Identity & Faithfulness in a Gender-Confused Culture.” “Sexuality is one of those issues that Millennials naturally feel very different about than previous generations. We are the grandchildren of the sexual revolution,” Putman said. “Sex outside of marriage is so normalized in our cultural programming, as is every sexual preference under the sun. The problem, even for many Christians, is that it … [Read more...]