Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Registration ongoing for 2015 Youth Evangelism Celebration in Lafayette

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – For the second consecutive year, the Cajundome is the site for the annual Youth Evangelism Celebration. The largest gathering of Louisiana Baptists each year, YEC is scheduled for Nov. 23-24 and will feature high-energy music, inspiring messages, fellowship and much more. Due to on-going renovations at the Rapides Coliseum in Alexandria, and an unknown date of completion, the Cajundome will be the home for YEC through 2017. The theme for this year’s YEC is Moments, based off Psalm 119:32. This year’s lineup includes: Acton Bowen, a speaker and New York Times best-selling author who has served in the local church, led a city-wide student Bible study in Gadsden, Ala., and was the host of x|roads TV, a worldwide broadcast viewed weekly by millions of teens and adults in every city in America and over 170 countries around the world on network television. Bowen is now co-host of Top3 on the JuceTV Network and a regular contributor on Fox News Channel where he serves as a correspondent on Faith and Religion. Isaac Wimberly, a worship pastor at the Village Church in Texas, is a featured “spoken word” artist. Meredith Andrews & Vertical Church Band, a … [Read more...]

LifePoint Church asks for urgent prayers following two shootings that have left Marksville community hurting

By Message Staff MARKSVILLE – The pastor of LifePoint Church is asking for urgent prayers after two shootings just blocks away from each other has left the community of Marksville hurting. One of the incidents – a nine-hour standoff -- involved several members of his church while the other, which took place the night before, saw a 6-year-old autistic boy tragically killed. “Pray for our community,” said LifePoint Pastor Jacob Crawford said. “It is hurting and in shock. “Pray for the family involved and also the officers who risked their lives,” he said. “We are trying to minister to all those affected and are asking for your prayers.” The incident, which directly affected Crawford’s church members – the police officers who responded and the suspect’s mother, a member of the church for the last eight years -- happened Wednesday morning, when members of the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Marksville police, Moreauville police and Simmesport police responded to a shooting on Addison Street in Marksville. According to KALB News Channel 5, the suspect, Will Lachney, stole a shotgun from a hunter, returned to the Marksville Housing Authority with the weapon. A neighbor saw him and called the Marksville Police … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist and State Rep. Mike Johnson addresses adultery and policy issues in governor’s race

  By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana State Rep. Mike Johnson has weighed in on the governor’s race, comparing and contrasting U.S. Senator David Vitter with State Rep. John Bel Edwards on the issues, but also bluntly addressing the “very serious sin” Sen. Vitter admitted to in 2007 when his phone number was found in a list of the infamous “D.C. Madam.” FORGIVEN In a post titled “Louisiana for Liberty,” Johnson reminded “Christian friends” that Vitter “had asked for forgiveness, worked towards restoration, and sought reconciliation.” “He was forgiven by God and his extraordinary wife, they saved their marriage, and they are faithful believers,” Johnson wrote. “They have a truly inspiring Christian testimony.” Moreover, Johnson assured evangelical voters “that David Vitter is already privately assembling an incredible group of some of the most wise and widely-respected pastors in our state, from multiple Christian denominations, to serve in a spiritual advisory capacity once he is elected.” He added his endorsement that “A leader who recognizes such a need is precisely the kind of leader we want.” TWO “GOOD MEN,” TWO DIFFERENT VISIONS Although going to lengths to vouchsafe for … [Read more...]

FBC Minden blesses NOBTS students, families with gift cards

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS communications NEW ORLEANS – Coinciding with its “every member a missionary” focus and Cooperative Program emphasis this month, First Baptist Church Minden, donated gift cards totaling nearly $5,400 to international women students and to the homeschool community at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Leland Crawford, pastor, and wife Rose Crawford delivered the cards along with canvas school bags filled with school supplies for each of the 93 homeschooled children while visiting the seminary campus for the Oct. 14 fall trustee meeting. Leland Crawford, an NOBTS alumnus, currently serves as a trustee. Eleven countries – South Korea, Egypt, Romania, India, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, Taiwan, Argentina, Burkina Faso and Haiti – were represented at a reception for trustee wives and international students and international student wives hosted by Rhonda Kelley, president’s wife. “My international friends and I were super excited and thankful for the gift cards. They were such a blessing and came at the right time,” Tone said. “We praise God for always providing.” The 218 “Cards of Blessing” marked the third year First Minden has provided gifts to students. The gift cards were valued at … [Read more...]

Trustees approve 5-year strategic plan; learn of record enrollment

By Gary D Meyers, NOBTS communications NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees approved a five-year strategic plan for the seminary and voted to establish a new extension center in Columbus, Ga., during their fall meeting. Seminary President Chuck Kelley also shared news of the record enrollment of 3,952 students. In his report to trustees, Kelley recounted the ways in which God provided for the seminary following Hurricane Katrina. In the 10 years after the storm NOBTS has witnessed the restoration of the campus and the launch of numerous new programs and scholarship initiatives, he said. For Kelley, the most exciting post-Katrina news came at the end of this summer when he learned of the record-setting enrollment of students during the 2014-2015 school year. Kelley said the Katrina experience helped the seminary learn to be a more resilient institution. Defining resilience as “the ability to continue when normal dramatically changes,” Kelley listed four keys to NOBTS resiliency: a comprehensive curriculum (featuring both traditional and distinctive programs); multiple delivery systems (main campus, extension, online, mentoring, travel courses); enhanced fundraising efforts; and a faculty … [Read more...]

Election Night Surprises

Houston residents vote down LGBT equal rights measure...   And elsewhere in the country: Pot legalization loses big in Ohio COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters rejected a ballot proposal Tuesday that would have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana in a single stroke — a vote-getting strategy that was being watched as a potential test case for the nation. Failure of the proposed state constitutional amendment followed an expensive campaign, a legal fight over its ballot wording, an investigation into petition signatures — and, predominantly, a counter campaign against a network of 10 exclusive growing sites it would have created. It was the only marijuana legalization question on the 2015 statewide ballots. About 65 percent of voters opposed the measure, compared to 35 percent in favor. McAuliffe and Bloomberg Gun control flop in Virginia Republicans retained their 21-19 majority in the Virginia Senate on Tuesday, prevailing in a more than $43 million off-year election battle with Democrats for control of the General Assembly. With Republicans easily maintaining their 2-1 edge in the House of Delegates, the apparent victory by Glen H. Sturtevant in a key Senate race in the Richmond area … [Read more...]

Brooks’ sermon recounts story of God’s protection of daughter after cardiac arrest

By Hillary Husband, Louisiana College Communications PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Dr. David Brooks, senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana, preached a sermon titled “The Right Place, the Right Time and the Right People” Oct. 29 in Louisiana College’s weekly chapel service. Brooks recounted a personal story of God’s divine protection and mercy in his family’s life. In April of 2015, Brooks’ daughter, 31 year-old Payton McCalmont, a mother of two small children, went into cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture to third-year medical students at LSU Medical Center. She was immediately admitted to the ICU at the hospital. After two long comatose days, she awoke with almost no memory of the incident. Brooks related that his daughter’s memory did returned. Recovered, she is doing well by the grace of God, he said. Despite the devastation that befell his daughter, Brooks indicated the value of his daughter having been at “the right place, at the right time, with the right people.” The right place to experience a cardiac arrest is in a room full of medical students at a hospital. Brooks said his daughter received instant medical care, which improved her chances of survival. Brooks related how his … [Read more...]

Ways messengers can participate at meeting

BOSSIER CITY – This year’s annual meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention will be held at First Baptist Church in Bossier City on Nov. 9-10, 2015. In order for a church to participate in the business of the convention, they will need to elect messenger(s) to represent them. Messengers elected by their respective church are then able to register and participate in the business of the convention. The Credentials Committee oversees the registration process for the annual meeting. Roger Johnson, LBC Credentials Committee Chairman, notes there are five ways that messengers may be certified to participate and vote at this year’s annual convention. The first and simplest way is for messengers to pre-register using the LBC online program, print out their registration card, and bring the card to the annual meeting. Pre-registration in this way allows messengers to be certified within a matter of minutes, Johnson said. Second, messengers may bring a letter  from their church on official stationary stating they are elected messengers. This will allow them to register and be certified to vote. Third, a church officer can phone in the names of elected messengers. Fourth, verification by a fellow registered church … [Read more...]

Conference speakers will encourage pastors to remember their pursuit of their calling

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY – Pastors will be encouraged to remember the pursuit of their calling during this year’s Pastors’ Conference. Scheduled for Nov. 8-9 at First Baptist Church Bossier City, the annual gathering’s theme is “The Higher Call: Personal Holiness, Preaching, Evangelism,” based on Colossians 3:2. “I want to encourage pastors this year to recognize and reflect on the high call of being a pastor,” said Eddie Wren, president of the Pastors Conference and pastor of First Baptist Church Rayville. “I want to encourage everyone to be there. I think it will be a great time of refreshment and refocus and a call back to the essentials of being a pastor.” The conference will begin 6 p.m. Nov. 8 with music by the First Bossier praise band. Brad Jurkovich, pastor of the host church, will preach the first sermon of the Pastors Conference. Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins and LBC President Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church Lafayette, will preach also during the opening session. The following day, the conference will begin 8:45 a.m. with music by Todd Dubose, minister of music at First Baptist Church Minden. Those preaching during the morning … [Read more...]

LC student is called to Uganda

By Karisa Grant, Louisiana College student/first-person account PINEVILLE – For the past three years, I have studied education and social work at Louisiana College and would not trade that for the world. I have experienced more hands on training for my future than I could have ever imagined. During this time, I have been to Uganda twice and have fallen in love with the people there. After the first trip, my whole world was shifted. It was impossible for me to continue to live my life normally. When I changed my major to social work, I began to see so clearly what God wanted me to do with my life. He is leading me to spend my spring semester in 2016 in Uganda for my senior year social work internship. I will receive class credit because LC is a member of Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, which is affiliated with the Uganda Best Semester Program. I believe God is calling me to the mission of using my education to spread the gospel. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to glorify God and show His love. … [Read more...]