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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana ministry touches needy in Israel

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer COVINGTON, La. (LBM) – Johnny Huffman, founder of Fairhaven Ministry in Covington, has issued an ur-gent call for donations that will be placed in a 40-ft. container and shipped to Israel. “Recently, as I have watched the news, I watch people here in the US, as well as countries around the world, turning against Israel,” Huffman told the Baptist Message. “The Lord has impressed on me that if there was ever a time that Christians need to stand with and support His people, it is now. It is my opinion that the Lord gives us these opportunities. What we do with them is our decision.” Fairhaven Ministry, through a partnership with God’s Warehouse that is operated by Nolachucky Baptist Association in Morristown, Tennessee, is collecting items that will be shipped to and distributed by the non-denominational Joseph Project in Israel. According to its website, since 2000, the Joseph Project has received nearly 800 containers and provided more than $100 million in humanitarian aid to Israelites. Israel experienced 11 days of fighting between the country’s army and terrorists in the Gaza Strip before a cease fire was in effect, May 20. At least 230 Palestinians were killed, … [Read more...]

Congresswoman Letlow says faith is critical during challenging times

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow won Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat in March, only three-and-a-half months after her husband, Luke, died from COVID-19 complications, Dec. 29, 2020. He was just five days from taking office after he had won the election the month before to succeed Ralph Abraham, who retired from Congress. She told the Baptist Message that the prayers of others helped her during that difficult time. “It’s hard for me to put into words how overwhelmingly beautiful and impactful and precious those prayers were to me,” Letlow said. “Even while we were in the hospital and Luke was in bad shape, we treasured those intercessory prayers that people were saying on his behalf and on ours. I know that they enveloped him, and he wasn’t alone, and he was at peace, and he had hope. To feel that on a visceral level -- thou-sands if not many thousands of prayers going up -- I will never be able to put into words what that means to me and my family.” Her husband’s death was not the first loss of a close loved one, she said. When she was a junior at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, her brother, Jeremy, 17, died from injuries sustained in a … [Read more...]

PHOTO GALLERY: Louisiana Baptists at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting

By Baptist Message staff NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Louisiana Baptists gathered in Nashville, Tenn., for the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. While 633 registered as messengers, many more came as guests for a time of fellowship, business meetings and even a Youth On Mission experience. Their time in Nashville was captured in photographs submitted to the Baptist Message. … [Read more...]

Cindy Walker, FBC Minden, honored with WMU’s 2021 O’Brien Leadership Award

By Trennis Henderson, WMU National Correspondent NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WMU)—Cindy Walker has led Girls in Action and Acteens mission groups at First Baptist Church of Minden, Louisiana, for a combined total of more than half a century. One of her encouragers over the years was Dellanna West O’Brien, a former national Woman’s Missionary Union executive director, who retired in 1999 and passed away in 2008. O’Brien was honored in 1998 with the establishment of the Dellanna West O’Brien Award for Women’s Leadership Development. The prestigious leadership award recognizes Baptist women who demonstrate the ability to foster leadership in women, display the potential to be leaders in their community and world and excel in missions education. Coming full circle in terms of honoring a longtime missions leader in whom O’Brien personally invested, Walker has been named the recipient of this year’s O’Brien Leadership Award. “Being honored with the Dellanna O'Brien Leadership Award is an unbelievable distinction,” Walker reflected. “Dellanna played an important role in my life as an encourager and someone whom I greatly admired. To be recognized as a recipient of this award is an amazing tribute that I will cherish always. “Working … [Read more...]

DR Teams restore souls, homes in storm ravaged Lake Charles

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Among the many people in need of help to restore their homes damaged by recent flooding in southwest Louisiana, six also had their souls restored through a Gospel witness by Southern Baptist disaster relief teams. “While it’s wonderful to help people get their homes cleaned out so they can rebuild, we are reminded that those homes are temporary,” Louisiana Baptist disaster relief coordinator Stan Statham told the Baptist Message. “Now, those individuals who accepted Christ are prepared for an eternal home.” Since relief operations began out of Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, teams from Louisiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas have worked in the area, which received up to 15 inches of water in some parts May 17. According to Clark Fooshe, white hat (coordinator) at the Incident Command Center at Trinity Baptist, teams have completed 166 jobs out of 200 requests, distributed 64 Bibles and presented the Gospel 40 times. Teams are expected to remain in Lake Charles until June 19. Another team from Ohio also is working out of Baton Rouge, which received more than 12 inches of rain. “We’ve had a good number of states respond,” … [Read more...]

New Day School Director selected at First Baptist Church Pineville

By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Adrienne Hetherwick has been selected as the new day school director for First Baptist Church in Pineville beginning in June. In a unanimous committee vote, Hetherwick, a 2016 graduate of Northwester State University in Natchitoches, was chosen to serve as the school’s director. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and is presently working on a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in reading from Northwestern. Since January 2017, Hetherwick has taught at Cherokee Elementary in Alexandria. She was voted as Cherokee Elementary Teacher of the Year for the school year 2018-2019. “We are happy to have Adrienne join the ministry of First Baptist Day School as our next director,” said Stewart Holloway, pastor of First Baptist Pineville. “She possesses all the qualities to help us move our program forward and to continue the vital ministry of our Day School.” First Baptist Church Day School began in 1968 and serves families with children six-weeks-old through Pre-K. “Our faith-based program prepares children for a lifetime of learning. Our teachers lay an educational foundation ensuring children are ready to build … [Read more...]

Revival, awakening mark special services at FBC Pineville

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – After months of the Holy Spirit working on his heart, Will Sharbino, 11, finally was convicted of his need for a Savior, during a revival service, March 23, at the First Baptist Church, Pineville. Leading up to that night, Sharbino had been soaking in biblical truths from his family as well as faithful teaching by his FBC Pineville Sunday school teacher, he shared with the Baptist Message. After that revival service, he went home and prayed with his parents, repenting of his sins, and committing to follow Jesus as Lord. “I realized I was a sinner and knew Jesus had forgiven me for what I had done,” Shabrino said. “I then knew He lives inside my heart and that I would now go to live in Heaven one day with God.” INTENTIONALITY Sharbino, along with six others, publicly shared his faith decision during a special baptismal celebration, March 28, at FBC Pineville. The baptisms were visible evidence of the rejuvenation experienced by the congregation from the four-day revival services. Stephen Rummage, pastor of Quail Creek Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, preached and the FBC Pineville worship team and choir led music each night, March 21-24, and … [Read more...]