By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – The upcoming Royal Ambassador Congress will honor those who serve and protect the United States at home and abroad. Scheduled for April 7-8 at the Tall Timbers Conference Center, the RA Congress for first through sixth grade boys will feature testimonies from law enforcement and armed forces officers as an emphasis of this year’s theme, Honor the Protectors. “Many of the boys may never have had much interaction with a law enforcement officer or someone else who protects them,” said Mike Collie, RA consultant for Louisiana Baptists. “This year’s RA Congress will allow them some time with those on the front lines while exposing them to the Gospel.” RA Congress also will include its annual Pinewood Derby, where participants display their cars before the race, and soap box races, camp craft skills competitions and presentations from David Cheatwood, a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer, and Bill Robertson, pastoral leadership director for Louisiana Baptists. The cost for RA Congress is $63 per person, based on multiple-occupancy of rooms, and includes lodging, three meals, a shirt and registration. March 31 is the deadline to register. For more … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NOVA SCOTIA/NEW BRUNSWICK – Louis Charrier was putting the finishing touches on his famous southern Louisiana gumbo and already a line of 15 people was forming, eager to get a taste of the Cajun dish at a Labor Day block party in Dieppe, New Brunswick, far from the Bayou state. Moments later, some fellow Louisiana Baptists begin serving the cuisine by the bowl, along with an evangelism tract telling the purpose of their trip to the Canadian province. One of three trips Louisiana Baptists have taken to Nova Scotia and neighboring New Brunswick in 2016, the Cajun Connection is a joint effort by churches around the state. While there, they minister with a church to conduct door-to-door surveys, Vacation Bible School and student ministry. This outreach, which aims to connect the culture of Louisiana with its northern roots, began in 2004 with Louisiana missionaries Winter and Betty Case from Stonewall, who spent two years in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and opened a door of opportunity to share Christ. HISTORICAL TIES Cajuns are descendants of the French Canadians who came to Louisiana more than 260 years ago, moving from Nova Scotia starting in 1755, when Great Britain acquired … [Read more...]

IN REMEMBERANCE Gene Williams, 89, went to be with his Lord and Savior Dec. 18. He was born in Corsicana, Texas in 1927 to Henry and Iola Williams. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor, a Master of Divinity degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After listening to the radio broadcast of old-time evangelist Mordecai Ham, nine-year-old little Gene accepted Christ as his Savior. Later at the age of 15, he started preaching in 1942 when the pulpit supply minister did not show up for a service. By 1944 he had started working at his first church, a Baptist church that met half-time, sharing a building with the Methodists. In 1945 he was ordained into the Gospel ministry and in 1948 was pastoring his first church full-time when he married the former Dorothy Fiew. After serving as pastor of churches in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, he entered vocational evangelism in 1957. Williams conducted his first missions focused overseas crusade in 1960 in Jamaica. He has led over 2,000 revival meetings in America and over 135 overseas crusades in foreign countries. He founded Williams Ministries in 1959 and in addition to leading revival meetings, Williams served as chairman of the board … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MANDEVILLE – Scheduled for March 31-April 1 at First Baptist Church in Mandeville, the Louisiana Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union will hold a Mission Celebration and its 117th Annual Meeting, highlighting how the WMU is participating in what God is doing in the state, North America and around the world. “The scriptural focus for this year’s Mission Celebration is Jeremiah 17:7-8, which challenges us to be grounded, knowing our purpose; to be growing, actively involved in missions with mind, body and soul; and to be bearing fruit, to be productive kingdom women,” said Janie Wise, Louisiana Baptists’ women’s missions and ministry strategist. “When we meet in Mandeville, we will celebrate missions and WMU organizations on mission in our churches. We also desire to be challenged to seek God’s guidance in all our mission efforts.” The event kicks off Friday evening with a missions fair at 5 p.m. and a general session at 6:45 p.m. Saturday morning, at 7:15, the Louisiana Baptist Nursing Fellowship will hold its annual breakfast, which is open to members and other interested health care professionals. There will be a prayer experience during the morning session and new WMU officers … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RUSTON – Business is booming for the Rolling Hills Ministries’ thrift stores with no signs of slowing in sight. Unexpected warm weather in February not only caused an early need for donations in the thrift stores, but the demand has also spilled over into Monroe – the future site of a new thrift store ministry location. The ministry has purchased land at 5339 Desiard St. in Monroe to construct its fourth thrift store. A possible ground breaking is scheduled for April, with a projected completion date of late December. Financial donations for making a difference in Monroe are being accepted for the $1.8 million thrift store ministry center. Once complete, the 14,000-sq.-ft. store will provide clothes, furniture and other items at a deeply discounted price. The Rolling Hills Ministries’ Monroe thrift store ministry center will be partnering with the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home, and will be offering a career center where women will learn job readiness skills, life skills and receive spiritual guidance. “Our hope is the ladies will gain spiritual and educational assistance through the career center, and develop needed skills by volunteering in the thrift store ,” said … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer TROUT – A year after floodwaters destroyed the nearly 100-year-old building which serves the congregation of Zenoria Baptist Church, members celebrated the remarkable progress that has been made on a new facility. Friends and neighbors from around the community, including congregants of other area churches, gathered with the saints of Zenoria Baptist, March 11, 2017, to commemorate how nearly 80 Kingdom Builders literally raised a new building from the slab up over the course of a five-day period. Located at 3133 Hwy. 500 in Trout, the new worship center will seat 138, and there will be classrooms and a fellowship hall when the structure is completed. HOPE & THANKS Pastor Joel Johnson is hoping his congregation of 65 will be in their new spaces by Easter Sunday. “It’s going to be a time of jubilee,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t have pulled this off without the help of people in the community, sister churches and the Kingdom Builders. We’re not finished yet but we’re approach ing a place where we can soon meet together again.” The former building was destroyed after 9 feet of water from the Little River – located less than a half-mile away – submerged the church, March … [Read more...]

By Marvin Jones PINEVILLE – Imagine a world where racial tension and racial inequity does not exist. A SKIN SIN Imagine a world where issues of biological racism are never given credence or credibility – where prejudice towards another person because of his family or race doesn’t exist. Biological racism can only survive when we deny the imago dei to all human beings. Biological racism survives when one ethnic group considers another ethnic group to be sub-human because of their birth. So imagine a world where people consider their fellow human beings valuable and worthy of respect because of their status as God’s creation in His image. SOCIAL SEPARATION Imagine a world where cultural racism is non-existent – where cultural differences no longer create barriers that divide the populace. Imagine a world that does not advance the cause of racial tension in cultural dynamics. Imagine a world where humanity does not promote racial distinction as harmful but embraces racial differences, gender differences, social, and economic differences as God given design to promote the well-being of all humanity. RECONCILED IN CHRIST The problem is that any given society – all of humanity for that matter – can only … [Read more...]