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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana Notables

IN REMEMBERANCE Jeffrey L. Woodrich, 57, passed away April 4. An accomplished carpenter, painter, and cabinet maker, the lifelong resident of Walker took those skills on the road when the Lord called him into the ministry. He and his wife started Louisiana Volunteer Mission Builders, which later turned into Jeffrey Woodrich Baptist Builders. He worked for the Louisiana Baptist Convention for 17 years as the associate and then Mission Builder Strategist building numerous church buildings across the state. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Erin Dawn Higginbotham Woodrich, his three sons, Toby Keith and wife Amanda and their two boys Jordan and Kyle; Cory James and his wife Sarah and their daughter Elena Belle; and Jeffrey Andrew Woodrich; his mother, Melba Janette Woodrich; his sister, Deborah Ann McMorris and husband Brett along with their two children Austin and Jenna.; his in-laws, Louis Lodney and Mary Higginbotham and sisters-in-law, Patricia and Tereasa Higginbotham. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Ernest “Woody” Woodrich and his grandparents, Ernest and Helen Woodrich and Toby and Ola Haynes. A memorial service took place April 8 at Judson Baptist Church in Walker. ON THE MOVE Steven Hicks is the … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist women urged to reach the lost

By Jamie Stephens, Regional Reporter WOODWORTH – Speakers encouraged more than 175 ladies representing 70 different churches and 26 associations to pray and listen as they seek to reach the lost in Louisiana and around the world. The women gathered April 1-2 for the 116th annual Women’s Missionary Union meeting, held this year at Tall Timbers Conference Center, to hear a number of messages around the theme of “opened eyes to follow” based on Matthew 20:32-34. THE LORD’S ARMY “You are a mighty army of Southern Baptist women who are steady and intent on serving the Lord through missions,” said Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins in welcoming the attendees to the annual meeting. Referencing 2 Kings 6:13-20, Hankins recalled Elisha’s prayer for the young servant. “We should be driven to our knees in prayer as we reach out to younger generations. We must open our eyes to the cross, to the Promise, to the potential, and to the next generation so that the following generations can have their eyes opened to the Lord,” said Hankins. With Hankins’ remarks fresh on their minds, attendees took part in several breakout sessions about engaging the younger generations and a variety of other topics, including the … [Read more...]

GAO to investigate how Planned Parenthood spends taxpayer dollars

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), along with U.S. Representatives Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Pete Olson (R-Texas), issued the following statements regarding the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision to investigate the use of federal funding allocated to Planned Parenthood and other federally funded organizations that perform or promote abortions in response to the Members’ request last month. “For years Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion allies have deceived the public on how they spend their taxpayer dollars,” said Senator David Vitter. “We absolutely need to shed light on how these types of organizations are spending federal funds, and I suspect the forthcoming GAO report will confirm our fears of Planned Parenthood’s inexcusable misuse of taxpayer dollars for abortion.” “I thank the GAO for acting responsibly and committing to carry out our request for an independent review of the taxpayer funding provided to Planned Parenthood and related organizations,” said Congressman Diane Black. “As a nurse for more than 40 years, I know that abortion is not healthcare and I am incensed that, year after year, my constituents see their money sent to Washington and distributed to … [Read more...]

Our founding fathers and the sanctity of human life

By Ron F Hale The United States Declaration of Independence gushes with life liberating language supporting the sanctity of human life for all U.S. citizens. The second paragraph begins with these remarkable words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We can’t understand what it feels like to be born in a time when America was divided up between freeman and slave. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery around 1818, and escaped human bondage becoming a famous orator in the American antislavery movement. After serious study of the text of the Declaration of Independence, Douglass grew hopeful while other abolitionists assailed the document as bygone dribble. Douglass held high the precepts and promises of the Declaration of Independence and spoke truth to power. Like a Jonas Salk holding up his miracle vaccine against poliomyelitis (polio) before the American people on March 26, 1953, with all its curative promise, years before, Douglass held up the Declaration of Independence to all America and spoke so eloquently of its benefits and blessings (for … [Read more...]

Is America too far gone ever to be redeemed?

"The church is too far gone ever to be redeemed," wrote John Marshall (chief justice of the United States Supreme Court) in a letter to Bishop James Madison, in the early 1800s. Is America too far gone ever to be redeemed? After the end of the Revolutionary War, in 1783, Christianity plummeted in America. The effects of The First Great Awakening were still seen as late as the 1770s when as much as 40 to 50 percent...of the population attended church. But by the 1790s only 5 to 10 percent of the adult population were church members. Christianity hit an all time low in 1794 in America. In the same year missionaries from six different denominations were welcomed into the Cherokee Nation for the first time. The overall situation seemed so hopeless that a friend wrote to George Washington in 1796, near the end of his two terms as president, "Our affairs seem to lead to some crisis, some revolution; something that I can not foresee or conjecture. I am more uneasy than during the war. " Washington replied, "Your sentiment...accords with mine. What will be is beyond my foresight." The Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, wrote to Bishop Madison of Virginia and said, "The church is too far gone ever to be redeemed." The … [Read more...]

On medical marijuana, should we trust ‘sense’ over science?

By Will Hall BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Senate is considering a bill that would expand the list of diseases which would qualify for treatment with medical marijuana in Louisiana. Unfortunately, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee which moved the bill out of committee without objection April 13 did so largely on the basis of Sen. Fred Mills' call for good "sense" – which argued against the prevailing body of scientific research that overwhelmingly does not support his position. Mills, who chairs this committee and authored SB 271, is a pharmacist who owns a pharmacy in Marks, Louisiana. But despite coming from a medical background, he seemed to eschew the science which should have contributed more heavily to the decision. It's fair to say his position can be represented in part by comments from his opening statement in support of his own bill. Talking about the "memory lane" of how this bill came to the committee in its present form, Mills talked about the various constituents who had some say in the process. "We would expand on disease states," Mills said they promised each other. "We would find an opportunity that we would not open the door for every single solid disease state that didn't 'make sense' – which is not … [Read more...]

‘Special’ call leads to ‘special’ baptism

By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter NEW ORLEANS – The phone call Alexis Leslie received from Calvary Baptist School in New Orleans last year began with words every parent loves to hear. “I have awesome news,” Leslie said the principal told her. But when Leslie heard her 11-year-old son Liam had made a commitment to follow Christ, she was not sure she understood. “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know a whole lot about the Baptist religion. I’m Catholic,” Leslie said. “I really wasn’t quite sure what ‘saved’ meant.” The unusual phone call was followed by an unusual baptism when Liam Leslie, a fifth-grader, was baptized Oct. 28 in front of the entire student body, K-8th grade. The school is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans, and when a Sunday morning baptism could not be worked out, the church approved the baptism during school hours, a first for the school. “We couldn’t seem to find a perfect fit for a Sunday baptism date with the family,” said Laekan Carter, the school’s children’s coordinator and a chapel teacher. “Liam asked me weekly, for months, when he could be baptized.” Liam’s commitment to Christ had come months earlier after Carter had shared during a school chapel program what it meant “to have … [Read more...]

Ex-Soviet satellite ripe for harvest

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Louisiana Baptists have a golden opportunity – bring the Gospel to a former Soviet founding republic whose population is just 1 percent evangelical. Although Belarus has few believers among the population of 9.6 million, it does not mean the people are closed to the message of Jesus Christ, those behind this Gospel movement contend. Jeff Ingram, senior adult strategist for Louisiana Baptists, has participated in previous mission trips to Belarus and plans on going again in May. He said once a person travels to the country, the people find a place in your heart. “After going twice, I see a real open field for the Gospel,” said Jeff Ingram, adult ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “People have lived without hope for so long that they are desperate for Christ. “Belarus’ people and pastors feel like they have been forgotten by the rest of the world,” he continued. “Just our presence is a huge encouragement for the pastors and church members. The government and the people are more open to the Gospel than they have been in 100 years.” Since 2015, Louisiana Baptist churches have participated in mission teams in the country, in partnership with Byelorussian Mission. By 2018, plans … [Read more...]

Haiti mission center one step closer to being reality

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA  – The vision to build an orphanage and church planting center in Haiti is closer to becoming reality, after a deal was finalized to purchase land for the proposed campus. “I am exhilarated that we have reached this stage,” said Wayne Sheppard, executive assistant to the executive director, and partnership missions strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “This process has been long, but it is all according to His timing. The Lord has directed each step, and we have watched Him grant a secure footing with amazing opportunity. Louisiana Baptists are focused on raising up Daniels and Esthers in Haiti and on planting churches to help win thousands to Jesus Christ.” Sheppard traveled to the country in early March to sign papers for the 3.1 acres of land. The next step is building a deep-water well and a wall that will surround the property – projects Sheppard expects to be completed sometime in the spring. “The well will not only provide water for the children at the facility but also will allow others from the community to get water too,” Sheppard said. “In Haiti, having good, healthy drinking water is a premium. Providing pure healthy water will allow the opportunity for many to … [Read more...]

Jay Strack to keynote LC’s 160th Commencement

By Norm Miller, LC communications PINEVILLE - Louisiana College announces Dr. Jay Strack as keynote speaker for its 160th Commencement service. The May 7 ticketed event will be held in Guinn Auditorium. An effective communicator, author and minister, Strack has spoken across the US and in 30 countries to an estimated cumulative 15 million people in churches, and stadiums, such as the Georgia Dome, Astrodome, Super Dome, Reunion Arena, and the Olympic Village Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Strack's motivational oratory has gained corporate attention and includes the following speaking engagements: NASA, Walmart, Chick-fil-A, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Pfizer Pharmaceutical, Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, RDV Sports and more. NFL, NBA, & MLB teams and events, including featured speaker for two NBA All Star Games. The Air Force Academy faculty and students. "Jay is the most dynamic communicator I have ever met," said Dr. Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. "I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will be exposed to Jay's insights, and his encouragement as well a challenge to pursue new levels of Christian leadership for the sake of the future and for God's kingdom." Brewer and Strack … [Read more...]