By Message Staff PINEVILLE – Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards highlighted bi-partisanship and teacher pay raises during a meeting of the North Rapides Business Alliance at Louisiana College Aug. 26. “We can still get it done in Baton Rouge,” Edwards said, referencing bi-partisan passage of prison reform measures as an example. “We show up first and foremast as Louisianans, and we’re able to talk to one another, we’re able to work together, we’re able to move the ball forward. “Today in Louisiana we are doing better,” he continued. “We still have our challenges. But relatively speaking we can meet our challenges, the ones that remain, from a position of strength not the position of weakness which is where we were before.” Edwards touted a $1,000 annual pay raise for teachers and $500 raise for support personnel that won approval over a Republican proposal of $1,200 and $600, respectively. Edwards plan also kicked in $40 million to school districts. Republicans and Democrats passed the increases during the last legislative session after Louisiana’s economy saw a lift from the national economic improvement during the last two years. “All the school districts across Louisiana need the ability to attract and retain top … [Read more...]

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 Arron (wife Ashley) McGuffee is the new senior pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, Natchitoches. Paul DeRousse is retiring from Emmanuel Baptist Church, Shreveport. He has served the church as Minister of Music and Senior Adults then Associate Pastor and Senior Adults for the last 20 years. HOMECOMING Second Baptist Church, Jackson: 60th Homecoming, September 15, 10 a.m. Pastor: Clark Fooshee. New Zion Baptist Church, Kentwood: 150th Homecoming Celebration, September 15, 10:30 a.m. A covered dish meal will follow the worship service. Speaker: Gibbie McMillan. Special Music: Jimmy Falker. Pastor: Larry Blades. REVIVAL Palestine Baptist Church, Columbia: Revival, September 1-4. Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: Hudey Beaubouef. First Baptist Church, Dubach: Revival, … [Read more...]

MONROE – Sarah Pierce spent nearly 15 years seeking freedom from alcoholism, but just a few months into 2017 she found deliverance in Christ when she entered HomePlace, the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries program for homeless children and their mothers. Through HomePlace, Pierce received spiritual support from fellow mothers in the program and LBCHFM staff members, who encouraged her to share her testimony of salvation publicly, through baptism. On August 18 she took that step of obedience with another HomePlace resident as they were baptized during a worship service at the North Monroe Baptist Church in Monroe. The women are two of five HomePlace residents (out of 13 women currently in the program) baptized this year, and among numerous others in the program who have been plunged beneath baptistery waters since HomePlace began in 2010. Susan Clark, LBCHFM director of family care ministries, said she has been blessed to witness the life change in Pierce and many other women, who participate in daily personal devotional times, weekly small group Bible studies and monthly large group gatherings, featuring a speaker and testimonies, at the ministry’s Monroe campus. “We give them Jesus, every … [Read more...]

State directors of missions prayed for newly elected Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn during a meeting and fellowship at the Baptist Building in Alexandria August 20. During the meeting, Horn encouraged the directors of missions and fielded questions from several of them. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Many students entered the recent Ministry Fuge camp at Louisiana College looking for an opportunity to serve others and left having had an encounter with Christ. Six campers repented for salvation, eight repented to restore fellowship with the Lord, three indicated a Holy Spirit call to ministry and eight made some other spiritual decision, according to Carol Pipes, media representative for LifeWay Christian Resources. Throughout the week of July 15-19, the 115 middle and high school students from churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas enjoyed a time of worship and Bible study at the Pineville campus each morning and then dispersed into smaller teams to minister throughout the community. Students held Backyard Bible clubs in Pineville at the Wardville campus of the Gathering Place, and in Alexandria packed boxes at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana and spruced up the grounds and facilities at the Hope House for battered women. “We are pleased to continue hosting Lifeway’s M-Fuge summer camps on our campus,” Louisiana College President Rick Brewer told the Baptist Message. “Plans include an expansion of M-Fuge camp offerings at the College in future years … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter ZWOLLE -- Mary Gore fishes at the Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle everyday, but she is not your typical angler. “I would starve to death if I had to fish for my supper, even here on this great reservoir,” said Gore, lake missionary and director of the Toledo Bend Baptist Resort Ministry. Instead of trying to land a trophy largemouth bass for which the 185,000 acre body of water is famous, she casts for souls among the thousands of outdoor enthusiasts who visit each year. For 26 years, Gore and her staff, augmented by hundreds of volunteers have been “fishers of men” while sharing the Gospel at the numerous campgrounds, pavilions, boat landings and bait and tackle shops along the Louisiana shoreline. “My gift is I can talk to people, and I can tell them about the greatest fisherman who ever lived, Jesus Christ. I can tell them how Jesus loves them, and how he changed the world with a handful of fishermen and that He still cares about fishermen today.” Memorial Day weekend, Gore and her volunteers were hard at work passing out hundreds of fliers to invite campers and fishermen to a Sunday morning worship service at four different campsites. “Three people professed faith in Jesus … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter RINGGOLD (LBM) – Marvin Leleux has a passion -- to pedal with purpose. Leleux, the pastor of Springhill Baptist Church in the Ringgold community, most recently rode his custom-designed bike in the June 15 St. Jude Big River Ride in downtown Memphis to help raise funds for the children’s research hospital. “So far, I have raised about $5,000 for this race,” Leleux said about the pledges and donations he has collected to date for the upcoming 60-mile bicycle course. He rides his composite carbon fiber Trek Domane SL6 Pro bicycle for philanthropic reasons, but Leleux believes he is a disciple, too, actively looking for “God moments” with others along his cycling route. As a cyclist, Leleux has an opportunity to make a connection with people who “normally would not talk to a pastor.” “God rides along with me. He puts me in touch with people who do not go to church and who do not know Him. I get a chance to share the Lord with people from all walks of life and even from all different types of faith and denominations,” Leleux noted. “I get asked questions all the time. I cross paths with these people, and they don’t feel badgered or judged. This is what I call intentional … [Read more...]