By Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBMO – Recent data shows that numbers are lagging in 2026 for churches who have submitted the Annual Church Profile. This survey collects essential information across the state and is used to gauge the health and growth of congregations as well as to help plan the cooperative missions and ministries of Louisiana Baptists. So far, only 935 or 62.5 percent of churches have contributed to the database in 2026, compared to an average of about 82 percent for each of the prior three years. Shana Johnson, Louisiana Baptists’ support supervisor for Information Services, told the Baptist Message the numbers of reporting churches “are way behind” at this point in the year, but she also offered resources and assistance to help congregations to catch up. “There are blank ACP forms to print off on LouisianaBaptists.org under ‘ACP Forms and Resources,’” she shared. “Also, if a church does not have their credentials for accessing LaOne.org to complete the survey online, I would be happy to assist them.” The ACP survey is a vital tool for assessing the effectiveness of methods and strategies for church planting and outreach, and it helps to identify areas where there is a need for a greater Louisiana … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief Associate & Volunteer Mobilizer Mark Morelock has been named the new disaster relief specialist with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Morelock will join that staff Nov. 2. He will succeed Wes Jones, who retires in January after ministering in that position for 11 years. “One of the greatest blessings of my life has been serving Louisiana Baptists,”  Morelock told the Baptist Message. “The greatest part of my time here is the relationships built with people in our churches. “Louisiana Baptists are like a family,” he continued. “Whether it is disaster relief, a meeting or stepping into one of our churches, it’s like a family reunion each time.” During his tenure with Louisiana Baptists, Morelock has helped coordinate DR responses to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires and winter storms. He also has assisted in the training of countless leaders of all ages to become members of DR teams and helped implement updated incident management and reporting processes. Morelock said that establishing the first Rebuild Program in Louisiana is a milestone he will always remember. It was launched as a pilot … [Read more...]

By Staff ALEXNDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Convention is sending out letters to explain a change by the Internal Revenue Service in how it qualifies group exemptions for churches. Revenue Procedure 2026-8, issued by the IRS in January, ended a freeze that had been in place since 2026 that prohibited the granting of new group exemptions. The new IRS rule also modified what churches must do to be part of an umbrella Group Exemption like the one granted to the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Now Louisiana Baptist congregations must complete a form that declares their desire to participate in the LBC Group Exemption, instead of relying on the IRS to presume their participation by way of affiliation with the LBC. Dale Lingenfelter, chief financial officer and associate executive director for Louisiana Baptists, told the Baptist Message that completing and signing the form “will not affect the autonomy of the local church.” He also said that a church can choose not to participate and instead seek its own letter of exemption from the IRS. Lingenfelter also shared that churches must complete and sign the form (whether the answer is “yes” or “no”) and return it to the LBC Executive Board in Alexandria via email … [Read more...]

By Staff TYLER, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University football team improved to 8-1 on the season with a 69-6 win against Texas College, Oct. 24. Ranked in two polls at No. 12 and 14 (Victory Sports Network, NAIA Coaches), the Wildcats’ offense totaled 435 yards that averaged 7.1 yards per play. According to LCU Sports Information, LCU scored five touchdowns on the ground and another four through the air. Running back Datlan Cunningham ran for 108 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns. Matthew Cates threw 5-of-16 passes for 96 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, while Phillip Jones went 5-of-8 for 66 yards and a touchdown in the air. Meanwhile, LCU’s defense allowed just 181 total yards and no offensive points. They also recorded five sacks, nine tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries while limiting Texas College to three conversions on 18 third downs. Linebacker Jordan Oglesby had five solo tackles while linebacker Trac McHugh and defensive end Jermarian Jackson each had four tackles. On special teams, kicker Preston Baker made nine of 10 extra point attempts and averages\d 48.3 yards on three punts that all landed inside the 20-yard line. LCU improved to 6-0 in the Sooner Athletic … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Messengers will be chal­lenged with the theme of “Connect” during the 2026 Louisiana Baptist Conven­tion Annual Meeting, hosted by Trinity Baptist Church, Lake Charles, Nov. 10. “We anticipate having a great Annual Meeting,” Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn told the Baptist Message. “Trin­ity, Lake Charles, is a great venue to host us and they are exciting about having us. We hope people will come for the Pastor’s Con­ference on Monday and stay through the day on Tuesday. Our president, Kirk Jones, has a great vision for this meeting regarding connect­ing every report to an imme­diate action. We are excited to have Dr. Jeff Iorg lead us in Bible Study. I will be sharing a vision that propels us for the next seven years.” Jones, pastor with Fel­lowship Church, Prairieville, echoed the thought, urging Louisiana Baptists to attend. “As Louisiana Baptists gather on November 10, we will continue with our theme to connect,” he said. “Over the last year as the LBC leadership has spent time with the leaders and pastors in our state, the need for connection with one another and with our collective work has risen up as our greatest … [Read more...]