Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Bibles continue to reap bounty in Belarus

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MINSK, Belarus (LBM) – Andrew Ryzhkov has good news about an international partnership to share with churches in our state: Though Louisiana Baptists are 6,000 miles away, they are helping to change the spiritual future for thousands of Belarusians, one Bible at a time. GIVING Ryzhkov, founder of the Byelorussian Mission in-country ministry, said financial gifts from Lousiana Baptists have helped purchase some of the more than 30,000 Good and Evil Illustrated Bibles that have been distributed in the country from January through early November, compared to 27,000 Bibles that were handed out in 2020. He said that four out of 10 people who have received the special Bibles have turned to Christ, and such evangelistic success only cost just $10 per Bible. “With Louisiana’s help, we can be stronger and go to even 40,000-50,000,” he said. “We need Bibles. And we need people to come and join us in spreading the Gospel.” GOING Louisiana Baptists have been actively engaged in evangelizing Belarus since 2014, helping to establish local churches, complete construction projects and conduct training of pastors and lay people. This year a major focus of the ministry has … [Read more...]

First West celebrates 100 years of changed lives

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer WEST MONROE, La. (LBM) – More than 1,200 members and guests of First Baptist Church, West Monroe, gathered in late October to celebrate 100 years of impact[1]ful ministry, missions, baptisms and changed lives in northeast Louisiana and beyond. The 100th anniversary weekend at First West included a panel, Oct. 23, featuring Pastor Michael Wood, Associate Pastor Mark Fenn (also the longest-tenured staff member) and former pastors Dennis Swanberg, David Uth and John Avant. Swanberg, who served from 1991-1995, uses humor at events to encourage others around the world; Uth, who served from 1996-2005, is pastor at First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla.; and Avant, who served from 2007- 2013, is president of Life Action Ministries, Buchanan, Michigan. The following day, members and guests gathered for a special worship service that featured a prayer time at the altar and three baptisms. Since the church began, more than 9,500 new believers have been baptized. “I’m so grateful for what God has done in this church over the last 100 years,” Wood told the Baptist Message. “Words don’t describe the incredible honor to get to be a small piece of what God has done and is doing in this … [Read more...]

Lawmakers vote down school requirement for ‘deadliest’ vaccine

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee, during a hearing Dec. 6, voted 13-2 against Gov. John Bel Edwards’ effort to mandate that students take the COVID-19 vaccine before being allowed to attend school. The supermajority vote came after explosive testimony by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy, who described the COVID-19 vaccine as the “deadliest” ever made. Kennedy is founder and chairman of the Children’s Health Defense, which describes itself as dedicated to ending childhood health epidemics. Meanwhile, Joseph Kanter, state health officer with the Louisiana Department of Health, called Kennedy’s presentation of Pfizer data “gross distortion” and “misinformation.” TESTIMONY Landry During the hearing, Attorney General Jeff Landry spoke strongly against the proposal that would have added the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required shots for students 16 and older, declaring that the proposed requirement did not pass state constitutional muster. “I’m asking you to take back the police powers of this state,” Landry said. “We cannot allow an executive branch to … [Read more...]

Trinity’s worship center rededication celebrates God’s faithfulness

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – More than 2,000 members and guests are expected to pack the newly remodeled central venue worship center of Trinity Baptist Church, Lake Charles, for two special services Sunday, Dec. 5. The center, which sustained heavy damage, became a lighthouse to the community. “Lake Charles dealt with COVID like everyone else did, then when you added two hurricanes, then had the freeze in February and then the floods in May, you have the makeup for a very challenging year,” Pastor Steve James said. “Our folks were up to the challenge. We have got a core of people at Trinity who helped us carry on despite all of the difficulties we faced.” Renovations to the 27,000-square-foot central venue were completed in November. With theatre-style seating for 1,000, it is the largest of three venues used for various worship services on the 39-acre campus: the central venue hosts blended-style worship, the north venue features contemporary worship, and the chapel venue is home to the Hispanic service. Since the $5.2 million project began in January 2020, the church has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, three hurricanes, a flood and an ice storm. During this time, Trinity became a hub for … [Read more...]

YEC 2021: 719 students make decisions for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Organizers and participants of the recent Youth Evangelism Celebration celebrated the 719 students who made a decision for Christ. After moving to a regional format in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns, YEC returned, Nov. 21-22, to its traditional home at the Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria. “It was so good to be back at the Rapides Parish Coliseum and to hear more than 4,000 voices singing to Jesus,” Louisiana Baptist Youth Strategist Brandon Lewis told the Baptist Message. “God moved and hundreds of lives were changed.” YEC challenged 4,600 Louisiana Baptist teens to share their story of how Christ changed their lives through messages by evangelist Clayton King. “Every story that is represented at YEC matters to God,” King said. “Your life matters to God. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in theology, you just have to tell people how Jesus saves you,” he said. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in systematic theology or New Testament hermeneutics, you just have to have a story to say here’s who I was before I met Jesus, here’s how Jesus saved me and here’s how Jesus is changing me now. That’s the power of your story.” During all four … [Read more...]

LBC church plants celebrate first ‘harvest’ in ‘sweetwater’

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ABITA SPRINGS, La. (LBM) – Two Louisiana Baptist church plants recently celebrated their first baptisms, respectively, as corporate bodies. SWEETWATER CHURCH Natalie and Sarah Cowell shared a sweet sister moment, Oct. 31, when they became the first members of SweetWater Church, Abita Springs, to stir the baptistery waters. As the two sisters stepped into a horse trough at the Abita Springs Recreational Center to symbolize their new life in Christ, their mother, Amiee Cowell, was moved to tears because the baptisms signified a spiritual rebirth for the entire family. “My husband had passed away from cancer in 2019 and I was so angry at God I stopped going to church,” Cowell told the Baptist Message. “When Pastor Ken (Schroeder) told me he was planting the church, I knew it was time for us to get back into church and for my daughters to finally take that next step of baptism several years after they had accepted Christ. My girls are so close and do everything together, so sharing this moment is something they will remember forever.” SweetWater Church held its first worship service in September, two years after Northshore Baptist Association Missions Strategist Don … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Home[1]coming, 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@baptist[1]message.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your informa[1]tion three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Justin, wife Alisha, Clark is the new cam[1]pus pastor at First West Fairbanks. Andrew Orr is the new education minister and wife Tracy Orr is the new children’s minister at Blanchard First Baptist Church from Philadelphia Baptist Church, Deville. Jerod, wife Jessica, Gann is the new student pastor at Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. Stuart Graves has resigned as pastor at Red River Baptist Church, Benton. Micah Murrell is new pastor at NOW church, a church plant in Grant Parish. Jonathan Murrell is new worship leader at NOW church, a church plant in Grant Parish from HIS Church, Pineville. Matt Johns is interim music director at HIS Church, Pineville. Roger Dunlap is the new pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church, Holden. Marty Eaves was ordained into the Gospel ministry … [Read more...]

Speakers press messengers to unite for Gospel

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – Prayer is a necessity to spark revival within each person, David Cranford said in his 2021 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting presidential address, Nov. 16, in the North Monroe Baptist Church. Drawing from Matthew 6:5-15, Cranford, pastor of First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, said God has given His children a model to follow in their prayer lives. He said prayer is a practical privilege and refreshingly simple, adding that it involves alone time with God and demonstrates a yielding faith. Cranford said prayer helps center one’s life on God and His Kingdom. He explained that Christ followers live in a time when it is increasingly difficult to be unplugged, but he stressed the importance of intentionally seeking time alone with God. “God wants to change us,” he said. “God wants to transform us. Prayer doesn’t change God. It changes you. So, it then becomes consistent for God to do what he wants to do anyway and that is to change the human heart.” Prayer is not complicated and does not require a secret formula, Cranford said. He encouraged messengers to have a more focused prayer life. “What’s the best way to pray?” he said. “The best way … [Read more...]