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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SBC EC trustees vote down Wellman as president, CEO

By Baptist Message staff DALLAS (LBM) – Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee trustees, during a special called meeting May 1, voted not to elect Jared Wellman as the next president and CEO. According to news reports, only 30 of the 81 trustees at the meeting inside the Grand Hyatt DFW hotel cast their ballots for Wellman. Wellman, pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas, took to Twitter after the meeting to thank Southern Baptists for the opportunity to serve as a trustee of the EC. He recently served as EC chairman and a member of the search committee. “Our lives are in the hands of a sovereign God,” he wrote. “We’re called simply to be faithful and put our ‘yes’ on the table (Gen 22). My prayers are with the EC. I’ll always cherish getting to serve.” David Sons, EC chairman and a member of the previous search committee, said in a news conference after the meeting that a new search committee will be formed. According to the Baptist Paper, the new search committee members are: Corey Cain of Tennessee, Neal Hughes of Alabama, Drew Landry of Virginia, Nick Sandefur of Kentucky, Sarah Rogers of South Carolina and Nancy Spaulding of Michigan. Sons will serve as an ex-officio voting member … [Read more...]

SBC EC trustees reject Jared Wellman’s nomination

DALLAS - In a special called meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee trustees, May 1, a vote to elect Jared Wellman as the next president and CEO was defeated. According to Lonnie Wilkey, editor of the (Tennessee) Baptist & Reflector, members rejected the nomination by a margin of 50-31. A press conference is set to begin at 3 p.m. and a story will follow. … [Read more...]

LBC pastors part ways with revival

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor INDEPENDENCE, La. (LBM) – Six Louisiana Baptist pastors have decided to break from the nearly seven-month-long revival services which began with Old Zion Hill Baptist Church in Independence, and then expanded to a greater community-wide emphasis and moved to a tent in Hammond. Speaking on behalf of this core group who prayed together for months before launching an area outreach in October 2022, OZHBC Pastor Gary Dennis told the Baptist Message, April 26, that the men wanted to be sensitive to the work the Holy Spirit had accomplished in reviving many believers in the various congregations and in awakening hundreds of lost people in the community. However, he said, there has been a perceived change in emphasis from soul winning with a recent decision by the revivalist, D.R. Harrison, and that was the catalyst for parting ways. Specifically, Dennis pointed to the planned addition of Greg Locke to the services, beginning May 19. Locke adheres to “deliverance” theology (practices and rituals to cleanse people of evil spirits) and has published the “Deliverance Handbook.” Moreover, during a Jan. 23 sermon, “Desperate for Deliverance,” Locke asked and answered himself, “Are … [Read more...]

BESE president addresses LCU education students

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Educators President Holly Boffy recently encouraged Louisiana Christian University education students to be the light of Christ. “There is not anything more important that we can do than education,” Boffy told the students during a stop at the school, April 25. “It’s an incredible field. You guys will have every day to sow seeds and spread light.” Boffy, also principal of W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center, Lafayette, said her position as BESE president has allowed her the opportunity to visit churches around the state, talk about the importance of educators and encourage people looking for a career or a career change to consider education. She encouraged the students to read the Bible and devotionals aimed at the role of an educator and find an accountability partner. Boffy explained there are more than 1,200 classrooms in Louisiana are without teachers. “People don’t understand the magnitude of the problem because it’s spread across the state,” Boffy said. “But what if every one of those classrooms was filled with a Christian?” For more information on LCU teacher education programs, email education@lcuniversity.edu or … [Read more...]

Family Church reports theft of trailer

By Baptist Message staff KENNER, La. (LBM) – A block-party trailer was reported stolen from Family Church Tuesday, April 25. According to Pastor Dean Ross, the trailer, acquired after Hurricane Ida made landfall in 2021 and used to assist with disaster relief efforts following Ida, was taken from the church parking lot. “The Lord provides,” Ross told the Baptist Message. “We trust in Him.” Anyone with information about the theft should contact the Kenner Police Department at 504.712.2200. … [Read more...]

Stone to be nominated for 2023 SBC president

Mac Brunson of Valleydale Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, has released a video announcing Pastor Mike Stone has agreed to accept a nomination for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the video posted on April 26, Stone stated there were two issues that prompted his willingness to receive a nomination when Southern Baptists meet in New Orleans, June 11-14. He cited the need for “a Biblically based response to the horrific issue of sexual abuse” and expressed his commitment to a national evangelism initiative. Stone said that a Biblical approach would include caring well for victims while “embracing Scriptural principles of due process and of handling and publishing accusations.” Noting that when abuse occurs, it happens in local autonomous congregations, the Georgia pastor said the Convention should focus its resources on “helping local churches deal with these matters Biblically, legally, and compassionately.” He also noted that where help from outside the SBC family is needed, Convention leaders should only partner with those that are “driven by the facts and informed by the truth.” The Georgia pastor also stressed his commitment to a national evangelism strategy which he called, “Crossover America.” … [Read more...]

Thankful thoughts on the ministry of Charles Stanley

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - We learned Tuesday of the passing of Charles Stanley. We all have our memories of this Southern Baptist iconic leader. My earliest memories of him are his familiar voice on radio and television. In my town, he was about the only Baptist on the radio. I never met Dr. Stanley, but I do have an occasion where our paths intersected in a most God-ordained way. While I was pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia, my administrative assistant alerted me one morning that I had a couple, not members of our church, who desired to see me. They lived down the street from the church. After a few minutes of conversation about who they were and common people that we knew, the woman pulled out a book, and asked, “Do you believe what is in this book?” The book was Charles Stanley’s Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? I confessed to them that I had not read the book, but I knew who Charles Stanley was, and based on the title, I was reasonably sure that I believed what was in the book. This middle-aged couple went on to tell me that they had picked up the book in Wal-Mart simply because of the title. The woman had read the book in one evening. The husband had read enough of it the next morning, and now … [Read more...]