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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SBC annual meeting helped mobilize a new generation of Southern Baptists

By Joe Luna, Director of SLU BCM NEW ORLEANS (LBM) - Equipping students to be mature followers of Jesus who impact the campus and become catalysts for advancing the Gospel globally is at the heart of the mission of Baptist Collegiate Ministries across Louisiana, according to Mark Robinson. He is the director of Baptist Collegiate Minis[1]tries for Louisiana Baptists. Louisiana BCMs accomplish these growth objectives by training students in evangelism and mission outreach as well as preparing them through church life and leadership experiences, Robinson said. Moreover, he was enthusiastic about the extraordinary opportunity the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting provided in giving insights to these young men and women about the size and scope of the work Southern Baptists do worldwide, while giving these students the opportunity to serve and grow as leaders. As Louisiana Baptist BCM student ambassadors, these volunteers helped register, greet, and be the face of Louisiana Baptists to the more than 12,000 messengers who came to New Orleans this year. “The ambassador program is a reimagining of the state council from the past, expanding it to involve more leaders,” Robinson said. Moving forward, … [Read more...]

NOBTS’ Fred Luter Jr. Student Center dedicated

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS communications NEW ORLEANS (NOBTS communications) – More than 4,000 friends and dignitaries gathered in front of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College June 14 to celebrate the dedication of the Fred Luter Jr. Student Center, and to hear the presentation of a state resolution accompanied by local proclamations honoring “the pastor of New Orleans.” Meanwhile, the air of festivity was enhanced by the smell of New Orleans’ signature char-grilled oysters cooking onsite combined with the sound of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church choir’s singing. DOUBLE HONOR Jamie Dew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College president, turned to the guest of honor, Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, during the ceremony and asked him to survey the large crowd. “Do you see them?” Dew asked. “Do you see the people you’ve had an impact on? Do you see the people throughout our Convention that you have had an impact on? “You have been faithful. You have been diligent. You have labored hard, and God, through your humble obedience to Jesus Christ, has used you profoundly,” … [Read more...]

Louisiana notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Larry Anderson retires as music minister at First Baptist Church, Bastrop. Seth Forque is the new youth minister at Highland Baptist Church, West Monroe. Thomas Hodge is the new youth minister at First Baptist Church, Swartz. Freddie Williford resigned from Ford Park Baptist Church to take the pastorate at Beulah Baptist Church, Mansfield. Dan Lay, business administer has retired from Trinity Heights Baptist Church, Shreveport. Grant, wife Kara, Rose takes the pastorate at Springs of Grace Baptist Church, Shreveport from Denton, Texas. Josh, wife Teresa, Jacobs resigns from Potsboro, Texas to become youth minister at Woodridge Baptist Church, Shreveport. Logan, wife Lyndsy, Brock is the new pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, Natchitoches. Philip Caples is the new pastor at First Baptist … [Read more...]

LBDR teams serving residents impacted by weekend storms

By Baptist Message staff SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – After powerful storms caused damage to homes and businesses and left thousands in the dark in the state over the weekend, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams have continued to “give a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name” to those impacted. According to LBDR Disaster Relief Coordinator Stan Statham, a quick response feeding team from central Louisiana and Rolling Hills Ministries in Ruston have cooked and served 500 meals and manned a cooling station in the community room of an apartment complex in Shreveport since arriving in the area on June 19. Chainsaw teams also were activated for debris removal in Blanchard, Bossier City, Shreveport and Wisner. Additionally, since June 18, First Baptist Church, Haughton, has hosted a cooling station and shower trailer, washing machines and driers (provided by Mt. Olive Baptist Association) for 135 residents. FBC Haughton church members also distributed seven generators that were donated by area businesses, according to Equipping Pastor Brandon Lewis. LBDR teams working in the area are staying at Calvary Baptist Church’s Hispanic mission, Shreveport. According to the National Weather Service office in Shreveport, an EF-1 … [Read more...]

LCU receives RRAC Sportsmanship Award for second year in a row

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University has been awarded, for the second year in a row, the highest honor given by the Red River Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award. "Being recognized with this award speaks volumes to the type of coaches and athletes we have at our institution,” said LCU Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Reni Mason. “Honoring others is a staple in the Kingdom of God. It is truly an honor to be amongst such a fine group of people." LCU President Rick Brewer said the award is a testament to the school's mission and vision being amplified by the character and leadership of its coaches and student-athletes. “Receiving this honor in consecutive years is emblematic of the commitment our coaches and student-athletes have to the mission and vision of Louisiana Christian University,” Brewer said. “LCU’s student-athletes excel on and off the courts and fields of competition. And, the upside for each of LCU’s student-athletes is filled with opportunities to lead, serve, and flourish in their God-directed careers.” WORSHIP ARTS AND PRODUCTION DEGREE ANNOUNCED LCU will launch, this fall, a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in worship arts and … [Read more...]

Seminaries: Training NextGen to engage culture

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – The presidents of the six Southern Baptist seminaries held a joint report, June 14, and shared how they continue to prepare the next generation to engage the culture for Christ. NOBTS New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Jamie Dew welcomed SBC messengers to the city and told them the city is a great training ground for ministry anywhere in the world. “We have said from day one that we believe if you can do ministry in our city, you can do ministry anywhere because this city brings everything to bear on your formation and on your ministry,” he said. “We have a little bit of everything here. We’ve got Baptists, we’ve got Catholics, we’ve got brokenness, we’ve got opportunity, we’ve got wealth and poverty.” Dew said that theological education matters now perhaps more than ever before as they train the next generation of leaders. “Consider the brokenness and the chaos and the confusion of our cultural moment,” he said. “At every single turn there is a wrong idea, a mistruth at play in the lives of those people that are going in those directions. Which means correcting those lies, those mistruths with the truth of God’s word is … [Read more...]

ARITF reauthorized for another year

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – A year after voting to form a task force to investigate sexual abuse allegations in Southern Baptist churches, messengers to the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting, June 14, extended the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force another year. Additionally, the task force announced the formation of a new website to help churches keep track of “credibly accused’ individuals and access a toolbox with prevention resources and response information. The page, found on sbcabuseprevention.com, offers resources such as a sample application, sample reference questions, sample interview questions, Fair Credit Reporting Act Summary of Rights and authorization for background check form. Marshall Blalock, chairman of the ARITF and also pastor of First Baptist Church, Charleston, S.C., told messengers that an allegation alone will not place anyone on the list. Rather, he said the “credibly accused” individual will be investigated by a licensed and qualified firm, have the charge or charges reviewed by an independent Christian legal team, and have the opportunity to appeal. “My heart breaks for those young people who have been burdened with this horrible pain,” Blalock said. “So where do … [Read more...]

Saddleback, two other churches disfellowshipped by SBC messengers

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Messengers voted, June 13, to disfellowship three churches who were found to be "not in friendly cooperation" with the Southern Baptist Convention. The tally of three ballots was revealed the next morning, June 14. During the Tuesday session of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, representatives from Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California (three ordained women pastors), Fern Creek Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky (female senior pastor), and Freedom Church, Vero Beach, Florida (mishandling of sex abuse allegation), made appeals regarding their respective cases. After each of these speakers, a representative of the Convention responded. Messengers then cast a ballot vote. The results were overwhelming to sustain the disfellowship of each congregation: Fern Creek, 9,700 (91.85 percent) "for" and 806 (7.63 percent) "against" expulsion; Freedom Church, 9,984 (96.46 percent) "for" and 343 (3.31 percent) "against" expulsion; and Saddleback Church, 9,432 (88.46 percent) "for" and 1,212 (11.36 percent) "against" expulsion. BACKGROUND All three congregations were voted out as SBC members in February by the Convention's Credentials Committee … [Read more...]

Crossover, Serve Tour yield 336 decisions for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – A weekend of block parties, door-to-door witnessing, prayer walks, compassion projects and other evangelistic efforts produced a spiritual harvest of 336 known decisions for Christ, June 9-10. During the North American Mission Board report, June 13, Southern Baptist Convention messengers were told that 84 Crossover and Serve Tour events across Houma, New Orleans and the Northshore had 1,300 volunteers from 21 states. Furthermore, the events drew 12,180 individuals and resulted in 3,487 Gospel conversations. Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn (joined on stage by Serve Tour Coordinator Alex Brian, Crossover Coordinator Jacob Crawford, New Orleans Baptist Association Executive Director Jack Hunter, Northshore Association Missions Strategist Don Pucik, Bayou Baptist Association Director of Missions Joe Arnold, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Professor Preston Nix, Louisiana Baptist Evangelism and Church Growth Team Director Keith Manuel and NAMB Send Relief and Send Tour National Project Director Sammy Simmons) said he was thankful for those who helped during Crossover and Serve Tour. “What a blessing this year has been for us to prepare for … [Read more...]

FIRST-PERSON: Gaining altitude – WMU celebrates 135 years of SBC missions

By Sandy Wisdom-Martin According to an insect identification database, 647 types of bugs and insects are found in Alabama. Some downright scare me. I looked at images of each until I located the entry most resembling the flying insect I watched from a chair on my back deck. I believe it was a common whitetail skimmer dragonfly that captured my attention. I can’t be totally sure since there are 5,000 species of dragonflies. I’m comfortable with that guess since the common whitetail is prevalent in North America. The behavior of the dragonfly drew my interest. It dipped below the top of the deck railings. Then it kept circling inside the deck over and over again because it thought it was trapped by the rails. Only by gaining altitude could it break free from perceived captivity. Watching the dragonfly provided a good lesson. Often, we are caught in a continuous loop, unable to rise above self-imposed limitations. Gaining altitude would enable us to see a larger picture and view things in new and different ways. It was 135 years ago when 32 delegates from 12 states endeavored to gain a new perspective and caught a vision for how God wanted to work in their midst. Woman’s Missionary Union was birthed. Those who have gone before … [Read more...]