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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Bivo Mark Crook equips his church to follow God’s lead

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer VIVIAN – The bivocational pastorate was an idea unknown to the search committee of Trees Baptist Church when they first interviewed Mark Crook in June 2010. But once they and the congregation discovered how the position would benefit both Crook and Trees Baptist, they knew this was God’s direction for revival in the church and future tremendous growth. “I think that many do not understand the term or at least define it in different ways,” Crook said. “I explained to [the search committee] that I would still be on call 24 hours, 7 days a week, however the bulk of my salary would be paid by my full-time employer which would free up some funds to add additional staff in the future. They issued the call and 42 people were present to vote for me as their pastor.” Since that day he was called to serve as pastor, Crook has seen God move in mighty ways at the Northwest Louisiana church. When he first arrived, attendance on a Sunday averaged between 30 and 40, a far cry from the 110 who once attended every week for worship services. Six of the 12 deacons felt led to leave the church and those remaining members were heartbroken over the loss of family and friends who felt God leading … [Read more...]

Experienced Gaspard has learned the dos, don’ts of being a bivo

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer OPELOUSAS – When it comes to serving as a bi-vocational pastor, Gregory Gaspard knows the dos and don’ts of ministry. A bi-vocational pastor for all but the past six years of his 23 years at Unity Baptist Church in Opelousas, Gaspard has enjoyed seeing nearly a quarter-century of planted seeds grow into a harvest of mission-minded members. “In my 23 years here, I have never looked for something bigger and better,” he said. “I have embraced this church, taking it as a serious calling. We’ve enjoyed the great fellowship of people here and seeing them reach out to our community through outreach.” Gaspard’s path to ministry began in 1973 at Emmanuel Baptist Church in his native Eunice, two years after marrying his wife Elizabeth. While at Emmanuel Baptist as a layperson, Gaspard taught Sunday school and Royal Ambassadors, in addition to serving as a deacon. His involvement there prepared him for his eventual call to the pastorate. He made that decision public in 1989 and became interim pastor at Prairie Home Baptist Church in Eunice. “Serving with the different ministries stirred up in my heart that desire to pastor a church,” said Gaspard, who became pastor of Unity Baptist … [Read more...]

Louisiana College hosting Bi-Vocational/Small Church National Celebration

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Hundreds of Ironmen will convene upon Louisiana College next week, but not for a grueling 140.6-mile triathlon. Called by some as the Iron Men of the Southern Baptist Convention, these bi-vocational ministers, pastors of smaller churches and their wives will meet for the annual Bi-vocational and Small Church Leadership Network National Celebration. Scheduled for June 26-27 at LC, the theme for the annual conference is “God Has A Plan For You And Your Church.” The focal scripture will be Jeremiah 29:11. Philip Caples, Vice President of Integration for Faith and Learning at LC and director of this year’s conference, said the school and the Louisiana Baptist Convention are trying to connect with bi-vocational pastors in the state to encourage them to come to the event because of the much-needed training it will provide for their congregations. “One reason that we are excited about this opportunity is because Louisiana College wants to be a resource for all churches in our state,” said Caples, a member of the Bi-vocational Small Church Leadership Network. “However, with approximately 70 percent of Louisiana’s Southern Baptist churches having less than 100 in worship … [Read more...]

Live webcast available for Pastors Conference, SBC Annual Meeting

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Messengers are meeting for the Pastors Conference and Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting through Wednesday. If you are unable to attend, a live webcast is available for both events, which are in Columbus, Ohio. Click here for the live webcast for the Pastors Conference and Southern. Baptist Convention Annual Meeting … [Read more...]

IMB personnel policy may draw messenger questions

By Baptist Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- A Louisiana director of missions has urged pastors in the Baptist association he leads to raise questions about new personnel policies of the International Mission Board during the IMB's report at the June 16-17 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to a June 10 report by the Southern Baptist TEXAN newsjournal. Lonnie Wascom, a former IMB trustee and director of missions and ministries for the Northshore Baptist Association in Hammond, wrote in a June 2 email to the nearly 100 pastors in the association that he has major concerns" related to the missionary qualifications policy adopted by IMB trustees during their May 12-13 meeting in Louisville, Ky. Wascom told the Baptist Message that he has nothing personal against anyone at or affiliated with the IMB but just wants people to ask questions. “I love the IMB,” Wascom said. “I pray that God will continue to use the missionaries that Southern Baptists affirm and support to push back the darkness to the ends of the earth. But I’m about the gospel the New Testament teaches, not the one we make up.” SBC President Ronnie Floyd told the TEXAN he hopes any questions posed by messengers during the IMB's report … [Read more...]

Is Christianity a ‘lost cause?’

By Will Hall,  Baptist Message Editor There’s been a lot of talk about the recent Pew report announcing the growth of “nones” in the United States during 2007-2014. Overall, the number of adults in the nation grew by nearly 18 million during that seven-year span, expanding from 227 million to 245 million, and the “unaffiliated” segment (atheists, agnostics, and those who named “nothing in particular” as their religious preference) picked up all this gain and then some, growing from an estimated 36.6 million to 55.8 million. At the same time, those who claimed a Christian identity fell in actual numbers, 178.1 million to 172.8 million, dropping from 78.4 percent to 70.6 percent of the adult population. The mainstream press played up the angle that this decline points to signs Christianity is dying in our country, and evangelical commentators were quick to object: -- Some dismissed the sweeping changes as nothing more than “nominals” – those who are Christian in name only, and not committed to the faith – finally being honest that they really are “nones.” -- Others took solace in the fact the actual number of evangelicals increased by an estimated 2 million new members, even if “market share” possibly dropped by … [Read more...]

NOBTS among seminaries urging tax-exempt protection

By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) - Southern Baptist educational leaders are among 74 signatories to a June 3 letter urging Congress to pass a bill protecting the tax-exempt status of schools in the event the U.S. Supreme Court approves same-sex marriage as a civil right. If the Court establishes gay marriage as the law of the land, educators are concerned there may be legal precedent to withdraw tax-exempt status to schools that uphold the biblical truth that marriage is between one man and one woman. "It is out of concern that schools adhering to traditional religious and moral values could lose tax-exempt status that we urge support for the Government Non-Discrimination Act, which would ensure that the federal government cannot discriminate or take action against private entities because they act in accordance with a moral or religious belief that marriage is between a man and a woman," the letter reads. "This bill, introduced in the 113th Congress with more than 100 House and Senate cosponsors and which will be introduced soon in the 114th Congress, would protect against government discrimination of those who believe in natural marriage." Christian educators are concerned after an April 28 exchange … [Read more...]

Louisiana College, seminary students with Louisiana ties graduate

Students from Louisiana College, as well as those from Southern Baptist seminaries recently graduated. Below is a list of the graduates. LC President Brewer addressed the 148 graduates and hundreds of onlookers May 16 at the college’s 158th commencement ceremony. His message was entitled "And Then Some," with the goal of challenging the graduates to "do hard work, and then some." Meanwhile, Daniel Akin told the spring graduates of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, that "Our God is a global God. He is always with those who are on mission with him." The seminary's 61st graduating class of 274 graduates heard Akin, the president of the seminary, issue a challenge with Jesus’ last words in Matthew 28:18-20. He highlighted God’s sovereign power, plan and promise. And at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., 297 graduated on May 14, with 107 graduating from the seminary's Boyce College on May 8. Seminary President Albert Mohler Jr. charged the new Southern graduates to "Take your place in line and fulfill your ministry with eyes wide open, knowing your destiny in Christ. Go into the world of darkness as brave children of the day." Click here for 2015 graduate listings … [Read more...]

New beginnings at Standard Baptist Church in Olla

By Joe Dupree, Message Staff Writer OLLA - Out with the old and in with the new. That seems to be the popular way of doing things nowadays. For the folks at Standard Baptist Church, it was just time to replace an aging sanctuary with a larger and newer building that would house congregants comfortably. The original church structure, which was made of wood, was built back in 1945. The current structure was built later in the 1960's. But as time progressed, the building began deteriorating and the leaders of the church decided it was time to build a new, larger sanctuary. "Our old building has some age issues, " said Rodney Shelton, chairman of deacons, Standard Baptist. "Our attendance has grown. The Lord has blessed us with our attendance growing and with this building project. "With our growth, there's just a good chance they'll be uncomfortable," said Shelton. It was about a year ago the church decided a new sanctuary was needed to accommodate the large growth in congregants. "If you talk about the history of the building, that's one thing," said Shad Tibbs, pastor of Standard Baptist. "The history of this church five years ago, what I saw, is a very small group of people who were, in reality, tired of … [Read more...]

The future of the Southern Baptist Convention

By Doug Munton, pastor and author I’m neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. That’s a bad start for confidence in my predictive powers. But let me speculate on the future of the Southern Baptist Convention with whom I have been associated my entire life. In many ways I am describing what is more than what will be. Perhaps this is more of where we are than where we are headed. While it seems likely we will have more of what we currently have, God can change things dramatically. Perhaps we will have a great revival. Perhaps we will have ruin. But here is where it seems we are and where we are headed. (Keep in mind the “neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet” part.) 1. We will be less evangelistic. It is hard to imagine a denomination being much more evangelistic than the SBC was for several decades. While not all churches were evangelistic, and certainly many individual members weren’t, the denomination as a whole was focused on reaching people. For a variety of reasons, we are less so now. Focusing on those reasons is for another blog. (Is it theological, cultural, because evangelism is so hard, etc.?) But it seems obvious we are less likely to be involved in evangelistic activities. We even talk about … [Read more...]