By Norm Miller, Louisiana College News PINEVILLE --Louisiana College’s 160th Commencement service will feature keynoter Jay Strack, author and minister from Orlando, Fla. Strack’s topic: “The History of the Future.” Attendees must have a ticket to be admitted to the May 7 event that begins at 10 a.m. Strack has more than 40 years as a dynamic speaker among leaders in business, education and religious sectors. He has addressed more than 15 million people in 30 countries in churches, as well as stadiums such as the Georgia Dome, Astrodome, Super Dome, Reunion Arena, and the Olympic Village Stadium in Moscow. He is a graduate of Charleston Southern University, and has known Dr. Rick Brewer, LC’s president, for 35 years. Charleston Southern University took a chance on the former drug addict, giving Strack a semester to prove himself. In spite of being labeled a “trouble student” (with ADD and dyslexia), he earned degrees in religion and psychology. “I went from totally unmotivated to a doctorate degree,” he said. Strack is a licensed and ordained Southern Baptist Minister, who served as senior pastor of a mega-church for five years at the age of 26, and later became a prominent evangelical evangelist. He has spoken 26 times at … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press NEW ORLEANS (BP) - New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is assisting police in the disappearance of John W. Russell, a 39-year-old master of divinity student reported missing April 25th. Russell was last seen April 21 at NOBTS around 7:45 p.m., and last had contact with his mother April 22, NOBTS Director of Public Relations Gary Myers confirmed to Baptist Press. NOBTS informed the New Orleans Police Department of Russell's disappearance after receiving a call from his mother April 25th, Myers said. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley told BP, "At this time we are assisting the authorities in every appropriate way to find John Russell, and we are praying for his safe return to his family." Russell, a commuter student, is described in news reports as 5'9" tall, 190 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. According to New Orleans police, he was last seen wearing a long sleeve blue shirt and jeans, and drives a gray 2007 Chevy Silverado with Louisiana license plate C30-9240. In Facebook and Twitter posts, Russell is described as the son of Jan (Hays) Russell of Memphis suburb Collierville, Tenn. Various friends and family members have asked the public to pray for Russell's safe return. "Pray, … [Read more...]

By Message Staff PINEVILLE - Larry Cordaro believes his purpose is bigger than winning two conference championships in his first two seasons as head coach of the LSU-Alexandria men’s basketball team. Though Cordaro strives to be successful on the court, the Ruston native is also intent on building better men, God’s way. “I’m wanting my players to be champions in three areas – the classroom, the community and the court,” Cordaro said during his message today at the monthly First@First Business Leaders Lunch at First Baptist Church in Pineville. He added that two of his players have been baptized – one before and one after the most recent season. Cordaro said knowing that some of his team will graduate with a deeper relationship with Christ – whether it be accepting Him as their personal Lord and Savior or gaining wisdom through an assigned mentor from the community – makes his role rewarding. "God has given me a passion for coaching basketball and has put me in a leadership role that I am grateful for," said Cordaro, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. "My purpose is to equip these young men I am responsible for to enter life after college with Godly values and habits." Since he became head coach at LSU-A in … [Read more...]

By Staff, Louisiana College News PINEVILLE -- Biblical Studies major Jeffrey Breaux represented Louisiana College this spring in a worldwide effort to examine and transcribe select New Testament manuscripts of 1 Timothy. Breaux -- who recently won academic awards for his achievements in both Hebrew and Greek -- said, “This is a rare opportunity for me as an undergraduate student because work like this is typically done at the graduate level." More than 60 universities and colleges worldwide participated in the collaborative effort among students and their scholastic mentors. “The opportunity to work with scholars and students all over the world on this project is both a blessing and a privilege,” said Dr. Justin Langford, assistant professor of Christian Studies. “Students can deepen their knowledge of textual criticism by sitting under the instruction of top scholars in the field.” Breaux, from Morgan City, was assigned several Greek manuscripts from 1 Timothy for transcription, and was mentored by Langford. “Believe it or not, there are still some Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that have not been thoroughly examined or included in electronic databases,” Langford said. The 1 Timothy project is sponsored by the … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional reporter DENHAM SPRINGS  – When Willis and Shannon Easley accepted the call to Christ’s Community Church eight years ago the Louisiana Baptist congregation was meeting in a junior high school cafeteria and attendance could be counted on the fingers and toes of two people. Now they are meeting in a spacious new building south of town, holding two Sunday services, averaging 500 in attendance, and, last year they baptized 135, Willis Easley said. What is the key to the growth? “Immediately we started doing outreaches – sowing seeds,” Easley said. “We’ve seen people come into the church as a result of ministry outreach that we’ve done and we’ve seen people come into the church for the opportunity to be part of something. It comes from both directions.” “We pretty much have people with tattoos and piercings every Sunday,” Shannon added. “We really create an atmosphere that no matter who you are, no matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done or what you have on – you will feel loved and accepted. Our job is to love you and let God do the work. We teach the truth but we let God do the work.” Last fall, for example, they had a back-to-school event which provided free haircuts and school supplies. One … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Millions of Christians are expected to gather at churches and various sites throughout the United States May 5 with the single purpose of calling out to God as part of the annual National Day of Prayer. Created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry S Truman, this annual observance is held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. Louisiana Baptist Convention President Gevan Spinney said now is the time to cry out to God for a revival and the National Day of Prayer presents the perfect opportunity to focus on that one task. He plans to join fellow members at First Baptist Church in Haughton, where he serves as pastor, in the worship center from noon to 1 p.m. “We have lost many of our freedoms in America while we sleep,” Spinney said. “As believers prepare to gather around our country on May 5, 2016, we are reminded that we have a freedom that can never be lost, and that freedom is prayer. In my lifetime, this country has not been at a greater crossroad than we are right now. As the church, we must cry out to God for revival, for a move of the Holy Spirit of God that would shake us and wake us … [Read more...]