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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

God protects Louisiana Baptist deacon during height of Ida’s fury

By Baptist Message staff PORT FOURCHON, La. (LBM) – Donald Autin, a deacon at Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City, is thankful for God’s protection as he and others aboard a boat survived wind gusts of 172 mph in Port Fourchon as Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Aug. 29. According to Steven Kelly, pastor of Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City and director of missions for Gulf Coast Baptist Association, Autin is safe but unsure when he will return to port. Autin is a chief engineer on a supply boat that services oil rigs and handles other marine needs in the Gulf of Mexico. Port Fourchon is where Ida made landfall on the Louisiana coast with sustained winds of 149 mph. Kelly shared with the Baptist Message a text he received from Autin’s wife, Gina, once the storm passed: “Just heard from Donald. They are on the tail end of it. They clocked winds at 200 mph. He said to thank you for praying. They had 2 extremely close calls with huge ships breaking free from dry dock and he said the ‘hand of God’ moved them at the last moment and kept their boat from being crushed.  He said that boats had sank and flipped. Major damage for sure but they still are unable to see much because of the heavy … [Read more...]

Pastors use social media to encourage others after Ida

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist pastors used social media a day after Hurricane Ida as a means to encourage members and others impacted by the powerful storm. Dennis Watson, lead pastor of Celebration Church in Metairie, encouraged his members and others to stay strong. All of the church’s eight campuses had some damage, including the Kenner campus building that lost a roof and the River Parishes campus facility in LaPlace that took in water. “We will get through this,” he wrote. “The Lord has brought us back from destruction in times past, and He will do so again. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10: ‘We think you ought to know . . . about the trouble we went through . . . We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God . . . And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us.’” Dean Ross, pastor of Family Church NOLA in Kenner, which was in the path of the eye of the hurricane, said his church and the area will be resilient … [Read more...]

Pre-season decisions include faith, football

By LC News PINEVILE, La. (LC News) - Louisiana College Wildcats had been hard at practice preparing for their first game in the NAIA, but an even more important decision was made by 21 football players recently, as they made professions of faith, accepting Jesus Christ as their savior. ”As a coach you want to have a lasting impact on your players, that's why you get into this job,” said Head Football Coach Andrew Maddox. “The best feeling in the world is when a player turns his life over to Christ. The best part about being at Louisiana College is that we don't have to hide who we are here, and our players get to hear everlasting truth.” Even though Louisiana College is a Baptist, Christian institution, students come to the college from all different faith and no-faith backgrounds. President Rick Brewer said he expects even greater things on the horizon on LC, as the Lord has his hand on the College. “We have the largest freshman class in history, and we have already had some spirit-filled speakers share the Word of God in relevant ways for today’s students,” Brewer said. “We also have a lot of new and outstanding athletes on our teams. We expect great changes in the hearts and minds across campus this … [Read more...]

Ida wreaks havoc in south Louisiana

By Baptist Message staff GRAND ISLE, La. (LBM) - Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Sunday, Aug. 29, as a powerful Category 4 storm. Ida came ashore around 11:55 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, just seven mph short of Category 5 status. The storm made landfall west of Grand Isle Louisiana along the southeastern Louisiana coast near Port Fourchon, according to the National Weather Service. At 7 p.m., Ida was a Category 3 storm, with winds at 120 mph. More than 990,000 Louisiana businesses and homes had no electricity at 10 p.m., according to poweroutage.us, but that number was expected to increase as the storm continues to move across the state. The entire city of New Orleans had no power Sunday evening due to “catastrophic damage,” EntergyNOLA wrote on Facebook. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Jamie Dew posted on Facebook Sunday evening that the school was without power and had major tree damage. He added that no flooding was taking place on campus. “Pray that holds,” he wrote. “We will know much more at daylight. If evacuated, DO NOT attempt return until we communicate when that is possible. For now, pray for #NOLA.” “Thanks again for the prayers and support,” he wrote. “Praying … [Read more...]

Louisiana College closed Monday due to Hurricane Ida

By Wildcats media PINEVILLE, La. (LBM)--Louisiana College will be closed Monday, Aug. 30 due to Hurricane Ida. For residential students, on campus operations including housing and dining services will continue without interruption. Louisiana College will follow its Shelter in Place protocols during the course of the storm. Residential students must notify their Residential Assistant (RA) of their decision to stay or leave campus by 3 p.m. today as we anticipate loss of power. Students who live north and west of Hurricane Ida’s path are encouraged to evacuate today if possible. The College will continue to monitor Hurricane Ida. Updates will be posted on lacollege.edu and official social media accounts. Information will also be communicated through LC email accounts and the Wildcat Alert system. Wildcat Alerts are sent via email and text message. If you have not signed up to receive emergency alerts, please do so through the MyLC portal. … [Read more...]

Associational missions strategist Jerry Johnson passes

By Baptist Message staff OAKDALE, La. (LBM) – Jerry Johnson, associational missions strategist for Mt. Olive Baptist Association, died Friday, Aug. 27. An e-mail from the Louisiana Baptist Convention confirmed that Johnson was surrounded by family and other loved ones at the time of his death. Johnson led the association since 2017, according to the Annual Church Profile. He also served as pastor of Dixie Baptist Church in Sieper (2013-2018), St. Matthew Baptist Church in Oakdale (2011-2012) and Beauregard Memorial Baptist Church in Longville (2001-2008), and as a Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board member (1998-2001). Funeral arrangements are pending. … [Read more...]

LC holds first on-campus job fair for student employment

By Elizabeth Clarke and Sierra Boudreaux, LC News PINEVILLE, La. (LC News) – The newly established Center for Calling & Career at Louisiana College sponsored a job fair Aug. 23 for students seeking on-campus employment. This is the first event of its kind at LC and allowed interested students to apply for any of the 162 part-time jobs on campus. Two-hundred forty-nine students attended the job fair inside Granberry Conference Center, submitting resumes and applications and visiting with representatives of the different college departments looking for assistance in a multitude of roles. Thirty-one departments from the school also accepted applications for different positions available. “Our goal is to teach our students the process of attending a job fair in an effort to learn how to properly speak to a future employer and to go through the process of submitting a resume and interviewing for a position,” said CCC Executive Director Meredith Rennier. “Another goal is to keep our students on campus demonstrating how Louisiana College helps make college affordable by giving opportunities for students to earn money while attending school.” Rennier added that more events like the job fair are planned for this semester, … [Read more...]

First Houma credits prayer for wave of baptisms

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer HOUMA, La. (LBM) – Pastor Steve Folmar baptized at least one new convert during Sunday morning worship services from March 7-June 6 at the First Baptist Church, Houma, and 76 collectively since January. If that pace continues the church will record the most baptisms in a year since Folmar became pastor in 1999, when he baptized 89 new believers. “This was unexpected, and we had no clue this was coming,” Folmar told the Baptist Message. “After five to six weeks we began to sense God was up to something unique. “Our people are loving what God is doing every Sunday with the baptisms,” he continued. “They are excited and come ready to applaud every time someone is baptized.” Ashley Golmon is among those who has shared her testimony through baptism. Golmon first attended worship services at First Baptist Houma in 2014 with her husband, Shane, and for the next seven years many at the church poured into her spiritual truths and on April 18 she finally surrendered her life to Christ. Two weeks later, she stirred the baptistery waters. “Over the years I have felt like I needed to do more, and it was an inner struggle because I was raised in the Catholic Church,” she said. … [Read more...]

LBC seeks resolutions, nominees for committees, boards

By Staff, Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) — Louisiana Baptists are invited to recommend candidates to serve on state convention boards and committees, and, are asked to submit resolutions for possible consideration by messengers at the 2021 Louisiana Baptist Convention. COMMITTEES The Louisiana Baptist Committee on Committees will be conducting its work early this fall to fill 17 openings on five state convention committees: Credentials; Moral and Social Concerns; Nominations; Order of Business; and Resolutions. Nominations should be sent not later than Aug. 17 to Jake Roudkowski, a member of First Baptist Church, Mandeville, who is the Committee on Committees chair. Please forward your recommendations via email, jaker@nobts,edu, or the U.S. Mail, Dr. Jake Roudkowski, 78689 Hwy. 25, Folsom, LA 70437. BOARDS The Louisiana Baptist Committee on Nominations will begin its work, also in early fall, to fill 22 vacancies on the LBC Executive Board as well as the trustee bodies of the Louisiana College, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries, Baptist Message, and Baptist Foundation. Nominations should be sent not later than Aug. 17 to Philip Robertson, the pastor of Philadelphia Baptist Church, … [Read more...]