Editor’s Note: After being elected the new executive director, Steve Horn shared his vision for the Louisiana Baptist Convention in the following message to the Executive Board. ALEXANDRIA -- I am humbled and honored to be elected as your Executive Director. I am excited about God’s call and the call of the Executive Board. I cannot wait to get started. Though I have much to learn and analyze before major decisions are made, I want to share with you my hopes for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. As I have prayed about my role, I want to share seven hopes for us as a Convention. Jesus will be exalted. If we can agree on anything, we should be able to agree that Jesus should be exalted. Jesus is the Head of the Church. If He is the Head of the Church, then He is the Head of the LBC. I look forward to times of gathering when we will together exalt Jesus. Let me offer the challenge now that we strive toward the largest attendance in years to our Annual Meeting. Make attending this year in Alexandria, Nov. 11-12, a real priority. Yes, we will conduct business and hear reports, but let’s gather to exalt Jesus. Since churches are essential to our work, churches will be equipped. Baptists are different. As a cooperative … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews)—Louisiana College has named Jerry Pipes to lead its Office of Institutional Advancement. No stranger to Louisiana, Pipes was executive pastor at First Baptist Church Bossier City for “three incredible years,” he said. “I had the humbling privilege to build deep relationships with the evangelical community in Shreveport-Bossier. I found the people to be deeply devoted, biblically conservative, missions and evangelism minded, and extremely generous with their resources.” Having spoken hundreds of times in Louisiana churches as part of Jerry Pipes Productions -- an itinerant pastoral and discipleship ministry -- Pipes has traveled the world speaking to millions of people at schools, businesses, civic organizations, military bases, and regional events. “I want my service at Louisiana College to be the best years of my career,” Pipes told LC President Rick Brewer. “With an outlook and commitment like that, I have every confidence that God will bless the efforts of my friend Jerry Pipes,” Brewer said. “He has been a close friend for more than 30 years and is one of the most well-rounded and thoroughly equipped followers of Christ I know.” “Dr. Pipes will be a strategic member … [Read more...]

Editor’s Note: After being elected the new executive director, Steve Horn shared his vision for the Louisiana Baptist Convention in the following message to the Executive Board. ALEXANDRIA -- I am humbled and honored to be elected as your Executive Director. I am excited about God’s call and the call of the Executive Board. I cannot wait to get started. Though I have much to learn and analyze before major decisions are made, I want to share with you my hopes for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. As I have prayed about my role, I want to share seven hopes for us as a Convention. Jesus will be exalted. If we can agree on anything, we should be able to agree that Jesus should be exalted. Jesus is the Head of the Church. If He is the Head of the Church, then He is the Head of the LBC. I look forward to times of gathering when we will together exalt Jesus. Let me offer the challenge now that we strive toward the largest attendance in years to our Annual Meeting. Make attending this year in Alexandria, Nov. 11-12, a real priority. Yes, we will conduct business and hear reports, but let’s gather to exalt Jesus. Since churches are essential to our work, churches will be equipped. Baptists are different. As a cooperative … [Read more...]

By Message Staff WOODWORTH (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board voted unanimously to elect Steve Horn as the 19th executive director of the organization during the entity’s spring meeting at the Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth, May 7. There are 86 members of the Executive Board, but attendance numbers were not immediately available. He was nominated by a search committee comprised of board members and led by Waylon Bailey, president of the Executive Board and the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington. Horn will succeed David Hankins, who retires as executive director June 30. “I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead Louisiana Baptists in our cooperative efforts at this crucial time,” Horn said. “I want to thank the search committee and entire Executive Board for their confidence in me. I look forward to earning the trust of all Louisiana Baptists. I am ready to go to work listening and learning. “My prayer for Louisiana is as the Apostle Paul said about his people – ‘My heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.’” “Dr. Steve Horn is uniquely qualified and equipped to lead Louisiana Baptists at this time,’ Bailey told … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAKE CHARLES – The sale of facilities that formerly belonged to a struggling Anglo church in Lake Charles has breathed new life into an African- American congregation in the city. The property, located at 3007 Enterprise Boulevard and which used to house the once-thriving Boulevard Baptist Church, was sold Feb. 22 to Mount Olive Baptist Church. At one time Boulevard Baptist Church had as many as 1,320 members, according to Annual Church Profile statistics. But as the demographics of the neighborhood changed, attendance steadily declined, with fewer than 15 members attending in late 2017. Rather than close the doors, Boulevard Baptist chose to sell the property to Carey Baptist Association the following year. The association continued to allow the congregation to worship in the facilities while a new buyer was found. Meanwhile, Mt. Olive Baptist was praying about its vision for the future when the Holy Spirit orchestrated a conversation in October 2017 between Carey Association Director of Missions Bruce Baker and Pastor Braylon Harris about a possible relocation to Boulevard Baptist’s property. Instead of focusing on adding onto its existing facilities at its 37-acre property, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAUGHTON – More than 550 people turned out at 6:30 a.m. for an annual Easter sunrise service at Hillcrest Cemetery in Haughton, 8 miles from the First Baptist Church in Haughton, which provided the music and message for the special service. Gevan Spinney, pastor of First Haughton, said the cemetery was a fitting backdrop to share the timeless story of Christ’s victory over death, and that 15 former sinners were rescued from a spiritual grave that day. “For many of those in attendance the cemetery has been a place of heartache and defeat, this Sunday morning it was a place of victory.” Spinney said. “We use this service as an opportunity to share the Gospel with our community and it is always a special service, but this year the Holy Spirit showed up in an especially powerful way.” Though the service was conducted by First Haughton, the event drew members from surrounding churches as well as people who rarely attend any worship service. Spin­ney said the service has be­come a tradition for those not connected to a church, which he sees as the perfect opportunity to share the hope of Christ. “Hillcrest sends out invitations to all the people who have loved ones buried there, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MADISONVILLE – “We know the early church often would baptize on Resurrection Day, so we were able to celebrate like the early church did more than 2,000 years ago,” Pastor Lane Corley told the Baptist Message, in explaining the public testimony element of five baptisms celebrated on Easter at the Bridge Church. “A lot of families come to church anyway that day, including a good number who don’t regularly attend services, and it presented the perfect chance to share with them the theme of new life and transformation that is possible through Christ,” said Corley, who also serves as a church planting strategist for Louisiana Baptists. Corley said his congregation has held multiple baptism services each year since the church was founded in 2009, but that this was the first time they had done so on Easter Sunday. Dawn Black was among those who stirred the baptistery waters this Easter. She had professed her faith in Christ as a youngster, but did not understand the importance of obedience represented by baptism. As she grew older, her desire to attend worship services at a local church waned. However, her sister, Kallie, invited her to attend Bridge Church in late 2018, and within … [Read more...]