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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Fire heavily damages Trinity Fellowship Hall

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – A fire heavily damaged the fellowship hall at Trinity Baptist Church in Pineville Sunday evening, April 18. According to Pastor Kevin Roberts, he and other church members were visiting in the parking lot at 8:30 p.m. when they noticed smoke coming from the roof of the building. Fire crews from Alpine, Kolin, Holiday Village and Pineville were on the scene four minutes after Roberts and other church members called 911. The cause of the fire was still under investigation Monday morning, April 19. He asked for continued prayers as they determine what to do next. “We are very grateful no one was inside when the fire broke out,” Roberts told the Baptist Message. “Had we not been here when the fire began, it may have jumped to other parts of the campus. We are very grateful we were here and caught it so fast, and that so many fire departments got here as quickly as they did.” … [Read more...]

Louisiana Athletic Club celebrates its 20th anniversary April 20

PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Athletic Club has a series of special events planned this month to coincide with its 20th anniversary. The venue, which was established in 2001 and was jointly owned by CHRISTUS and LC for 19 years, is now solely owned by Louisiana College following the transfer of ownership last year. LAC will celebrate its anniversary on April 20 at 3 p.m. with refreshments, treats and door prizes along with performances by the Louisiana College band and LAC tap ladies. School President Rick Brewer, club manager Ronnie Schwartz and a representative from CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria will deliver remarks and the public is encouraged to attend. “LC continues the outstanding tradition that LAC had with Cabrini for many years,” Brewer said. “And we will continue to work to improve upon the outstanding service that people have grown accustomed to receiving over the last two decades.” Louisiana Athletic Club also will reveal new logos to coincide with the anniversary celebration, which will more clearly identify its affiliation with the college. The club will be re-launching its pro shop with new apparel featuring the rebranded logos. Leading up to the celebration, LAC will host a … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist DR teams respond following weekend storms

By Baptist Message staff Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief crews spent the weekend assessing damage and clearing debris from properties that were impacted by a strong line of storms that came through the state. Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptists state disaster relief coordinator, told the Baptist Message that crews from Wilda Baptist Church, Boyce, and Big Cane Baptist Church, Morrow, removed a tree that fell on a home in Bayou Jack. DR members Reggie Saxton and Tom Rabalais also assessed homes in Palmetto, which was heavily damaged by an EF-3 tornado packing 140 mph winds. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down on Bolden Road in St. Landry Parish at 2:06 am Saturday. The tornado destroyed several homes, including a single wide mobile home that rolled for more than 320 yards and caused the death of a man inside the residence. St. Landry Parish Police Jury President Jessie Bellard confirmed the fatality as Jose Antonio Higareda, 27. The National Weather Service also reported that seven other people in the area were injured, 15 homes were damaged, numerous trees and power lines were snapped and some barns and outbuildings were destroyed. Further north, Jerry Smith, 48, died after a tree … [Read more...]

Calling and career focus of LC C3 event April 13

By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Dry Creek native and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Professor R. Keith Loftin will headline Louisiana College’s second “Christ Church Culture” lecture of the year on April 13. Loftin, the author of several books including “Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel,” will share with students, faculty and members of the community a presentation on “calling and career.” "As human beings, we are created in God's image,” Loftin said. “We are created with purpose. We are created to work. Indeed, we are created to flourish. These truths harmonize in the Christian notion of vocation, and that notion can revolutionize how we think about education." The event comes months before LC launches its new Quality Enhancement Plan, which will focus on service-learning. Brewer said he wants to make sure students understand the importance of their academic education is preparation for real-world service. “No matter what call God has placed on your life, our role is to serve others and represent His kingdom,” Brewer said. “Our QEP, which launches in the fall, is LC Serves. Live Connected. This seminar will focus on better understanding on how college education … [Read more...]

LC to recognize Dean’s List, Honors students April 15

By Staff, LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – Louisiana College will recognize academically outstanding students April 15. Students will be recognized at an honors convocation at 11 a.m. and at a pair of dean’s list ceremonies at 5:30 and 7 p.m. All three in-person award ceremonies will take place at Guinn Auditorium. Social distancing will be practiced and attendees should wear masks. The honors convocation will recognize students for their outstanding academic efforts and will include scholarship awards. The Dean’s List ceremony includes students who have earned all A’s and B’s in their courses in the fall semester. Freshmen and sophomores will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. while juniors and seniors will be honored at 7 p.m. Students from the fall semester will also be recognized during this time. … [Read more...]

Church attendance rises for resurrection celebrations

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Easter Sunday felt like a long-awaited family reunion, Pastor Fred Luter told the Baptist Message. In 2020, Luter preached to an online only crowd from inside a nearly vacant worship center on Easter. But for Resurrection Day 2021 Luter shared his Easter message to 800 people (limited by New Orleans’ social distancing restrictions), the most since COVID-19 attendance restrictions shut down in-person services in late March 2020. Luter’s son, Chip, who recently became associate pastor, preached at the second service to another crowd of 800. “It was like opening presents on Christmas morning,” the senior Luter said. “I looked at the people in the room and told them it was good to see them, especially those who had not been here in more than a year. While we have learned this past year that you can never count on tomorrow, I am anticipating and praying that we will continue moving forward closer to what we knew was normal. We are trusting God to see us through this.” Fortunately, churches outside New Orleans did not face capacity restrictions, and across the state there were reports of similar boosts in attendance on Easter Sunday. Louisiana … [Read more...]