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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

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 Chris Stephens is the new pastor at Rocky Springs Baptist Church, Lisbon. Randy Burdeaux has resigned as pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, West Monroe. Bill Fowler is the new pastor at Twin Oaks Baptist Church, Bastrop. Brandon Gill is the new pastor at Pine Ridge Baptist Church, DeRidder. Jerry, wife Sonja, Medlin is the new executive pastor at First Baptist Church, Lafayette from First Baptist, Rogers, Arkansas. Berkley Boyd retired as pastor at Magnolia Baptist Church after 52 years of service in the gospel ministry. Brock, wife Netta, Hoffpauir is the new pastor at Moreauville Community Church, Moreauville. Thumper Miller resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Mansfield at the end of June 2021. He is currently doing pulpit supply. Nelson, wife Haleigh, Molnar is the new … [Read more...]

‘Weekend warriors’ needed for mud out, chainsaw crews

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) — Individuals and church teams are being urged to volunteer as “weekend warriors” to aid in the massive cleanup of damaged churches and homes from Hurricane Ida. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief strategist Stan Statham said, “We have 70 chainsaw work requests alone just in Laplace. Multiply that by the hundreds of affected communities and the thousands of downed trees around homes and it’s easy to see that we need some supplemental help for the 1,000 boots on the ground we have for the entire state.” Any person or church team that can volunteer time during a weekend is encouraged to sign up on the “Churches Helping Churches” webpage. In the box for question “1,” simply note you are signing up to be a “Weekend Warrior.” Also, indicate what work you would like to contribute, set off by parentheses -- e.g., Weekend Warriors (chainsaw crew). Volunteers are needed for chainsaw crews, mud-out teams and food distribution. … [Read more...]

‘Churches Helping Churches’ initiative launched to aid 91 congregations, 85 pastors facing serious losses

By Baptist Message staff   ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)—State convention leaders are asking Louisiana Baptists as well as the larger Southern Baptist family to pray for and partner with congregations who have been devastated by Hurricane Ida.   The storm wreaked havoc in New Orleans but caused severe damage in Houma, Thibodaux, Cut Off, South Lafourche, Larose, Laplace and many more small communities. Just among Louisiana Baptists, 91 churches were seriously impacted, with 22 experiencing catastrophic losses. At least 85 pastors are facing significant personal property replacement costs for cars, homes and belongings, according to Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief reports.   Steve Horn, Louisiana Baptist Convention executive director, told the Baptist Message that these churches and pastors “have a tough path ahead.”   “Some of these churches do not have the resources to carry wind and hail coverage on their property because it is so expensive near the coastal areas,” he explained. “Therefore, they don’t have insurance funds to repair and restore their churches.”   Yet, he added, while they are recovering, “they still are ministering to – assisting others – in their communities.”    Horn called on individuals and … [Read more...]

CENLA Pregnancy Center banquet celebrates ‘Gift of Life’

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Pro-life supporters have a chance to be part of modern-day miracles taking place through the CENLA Pregnancy Center, former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson said during the center’s annual Gift of Life Banquet, Sept. 14. “Everyday miracles are taking place at CENLA Pregnancy Center,” Johnson told a crowd of nearly 900 gathered inside the Randolph Riverfront Center. “Every time a woman walks in and she hears about the Lord, it’s a miracle. Every time a mother walks in and learns how to be a better mom, what to expect when she is pregnant, when she has a baby, that’s a miracle. There are miracles taking place every single day here in your community. And what an amazing opportunity it is that you get to be a part of those miracles, that you get to invest in the miracles that God is doing right here in your community. Johnson was the keynote speaker for the fundraiser, which netted $363,713.77 for the CENLA Pregnancy Center. The event also featured remarks by other pro-life advocates, musical entertainment by a Louisiana College graduate who now is a Southern Gospel recording artist in Nashville, Tenn., and an announcement that the center … [Read more...]

Gift of ice affirms pastor’s praying, believing

By Baptist Message staff GOLDEN MEADOW, La. (LBM) - Ice was no where to be found in Golden Meadow, Sept. 1, three days after Hurricane Ida. So, Pastor Shane Terrebonne lifted a request to God, believing. Moments later, just as he said "amen," a truck arrived at Gulf Coast Baptist Church with two bags of ice. He had not met the driver before and has not seen him since, causing Terrebonne to describe the incident was an example of God’s faithfulness. “God is on time, every time when you need Him,” Terrebonne said. “And He answers prayer.” Terrebonne added his thanks for the ongoing prayers from churches and their encouragement to his congregation as they continue to minister to the community. “God uses his people to show love to those who need it,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the prayers and support from other churches, we would have a more difficult time doing ministry.” … [Read more...]

God takes strangers and makes them friends through Disaster Relief

By Maggie Evans, TAB Media HOUMA, LA. -- When Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers hear that they’re needed, individuals from across the state put their lives on hold and descend on an area. And these strangers form teams, work long days and pour themselves out into disaster-ridden areas. “It’s amazing how God works — how He puts teams together of people with different skill sets for this work we’re doing,” said Farrell Hataway, a “blue hat,” or team leader for the feeding unit in Houma. Take the team in Houma, for example. “We’ve got a gentleman on a forklift who has had a knee replacement and both shoulders are bad,” Hataway said. “But he’s the best forklift driver I’ve ever seen. He can land what we need on a dime target.” Even through near constant rain Sept. 14, the team in Houma has big smiles behind their masks and jokes keep the atmosphere upbeat, even when things don’t go to plan. Alabama Baptists were called out to Louisiana after Hurricane Ida struck the state Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm. This team is hosted by Mulberry Baptist Church in Houma. More volunteers are expected to arrive Sept. 15. For Cheryl Davis, who’s a member of Hunter Street Baptist Church in Hoover, this was her first time … [Read more...]

Retiree cancels vacation to serve those affected by Hurricane Ida

By Maggie Evans, TAB Media HOUMA, La. -- The week of Sept. 12, Cheryl Davis was all set to go on a vacation with a friend. Then Hurricane Ida hit Aug. 29, and the call went out that volunteers were needed to serve in a variety of ways including feeding ministry — the area where Davis just received training. “I thought to myself, ‘Why did I train if I’m not going to serve?’” So, she canceled her trip and headed down to Houma, Louisiana, south of New Orleans, to wake up at 3 a.m. every day and help produce thousands of meals for the community. “I can’t replace everything they lost, but I can feed them a hot meal today,” said Davis, a member of Hunter Street Baptist Church in Hoover. “Why would you not want to be a part of that?” Davis considers her retirement an opportunity to serve people with her more flexible schedule. She heard about a Disaster Relief training session at The Baptist Church at McAdory in McCalla and decided to check it out since she didn’t know much about it. “The woman who taught the class was just so passionate,” she said, and it made her want to invest in this ministry. “[Disaster Relief] is a very good opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ like God has commanded us to be,” … [Read more...]

Couple’s DR work leads to four professions of faith

By Maggie Evans, TAB Media METAIRIE, La. -- Ever since Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm, Metairie Baptist Church outside of New Orleans has hosted an average of four teams a day, according to Sonny Davis. Davis serves as the “white hat” for the command center that works out of Metairie Baptist, meaning he’s the person in charge of all the teams coming and going out of that location. It’s his job to know where everybody is and what they’re doing. The “blue hats,” who serve as team leaders, keep their focus on what’s going to happen in that particular day. “I’m concerned about what’s ahead,” said Davis, who works to keep everything flowing as efficiently as possible, which includes a computerized tracking system for teams, the priority levels of incoming jobs and data. There are currently 70 volunteers working out of this command center. “I do a lot of work in the off season to try and make the process run as smoothly as possible,” he said. Sonny and Terry Davis pull up their map of jobs in the area where they’re working. The different color pins denote different priority levels. The visual mapping helps the pair coordinate teams. And while he has a lot of data to keep track of, … [Read more...]

‘Through a barbecue sandwich’ Alabama DR volunteers bring Christ to Louisiana community

By Maggie Evans, TAB Media HOUMA, La. -- Ferrell Hataway approached the car that pulled up by the tents where industrial cooking equipment and supplies were housed. A man was behind the wheel, and an 8-year-old girl was in the passenger seat. As Hataway was talking to him, he learned that this family’s trailer had been destroyed by Hurricane Ida, and the family of five had lost most of their earthly possessions. Hataway invited the family to come under the tent and shared some snacks and drinks with them, and as he did, he knelt down in front of the three daughters, two of whom were twins. “I said, ‘Girls, I want you to know something. These are hard times. Y’all have lost a lot, and we know that. But I just want to mention to you a few things you haven’t lost. You haven’t lost God, because He’ll never forsake you. And you’re so lucky because you’ve got your momma and daddy, and they love you. And you’ve got people like us … who are here to help you and to represent Christ in your life and help you get through these difficult times.” Hataway and his wife, Connie — members of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham — got to pray with the family. That’s what Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief work is all about. “In … [Read more...]