By Message Staff NEW ORLEANS – Global Maritime Ministries recently honored Pat Trembly as its board member of the year. Trembly, who is a member of Metairie Baptist Church, was recognized during the ministry’s annual meeting in early February for her role as board vice president of membership. According to a news release from Global Maritime Ministries, Trembly has helped plan an annual benefit event for the ministry for more than a decade, and recently established a Lighthouse Keepers group to promote the ministry opportunities and to recruit volunteers. Since the early 1960s, Global Maritime Ministries has shared the Gospel through meeting the needs of the international seafarers and the local maritime community in one of the world’s busiest waterways, the Lower Mississippi River. The port ministry held its annual meeting this January as an opportunity for all those that support the ministry on a consistent basis, or those interested in being involved, to hear updates about their work at the port. For more information on serving with Global Maritime Ministries, visit PortMinistry.com. … [Read more...]

By Louisiana Right to Life NEW ORLEANS – A new poll has found that 70 percent of Louisiana residents consider themselves to be pro-life, and they do not believe taxpayer funds should be used to provide abortion. A survey of 1,180 likely 2019 General Election voters was commissioned by Louisiana Right to Life and conducted Feb. 10 and 11 by the Remington Research Group. The sampling was across all demographics. Question 1: On the issue of abortion, do you consider yourself to be pro-life or pro-choice? On this question, 70 percent of responders said pro-life, while 30 percent said pro-choice. Question 2: Do you think taxpayer funds should be used to provide abortion services? On this question, 71 percent of responders said no, 18 percent said yes and 11 percent were not sure. In Louisiana being pro-life is a non-partisan issue, as shown by overwhelming support in both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature on pro-life votes. In this poll, 87 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of Democrats, and 65 percent identifying as non-partisan identified as pro-life. Interestingly enough, while 67 percent of responders who identified as liberals said they were pro-choice, just 40 percent of those said taxpayer funds should … [Read more...]

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press NEW ORLEANS (BP) - Southern Baptists celebrated the power of partnership with a veteran National Football League player and his family in dedicating a new ultrasound machine in a New Orleans health center. Benjamin and Kirsten Watson, along with their five children, joined in the dedication of the new addition to the ministry of Baptist Community Health Services (BCHS). The Watsons donated the ultrasound machine in the fall through the Psalm 139 Project, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's ministry to help place such technology in pregnancy resource centers across the country. The machine serves women in crisis pregnancies as well as others with medical needs at BCHS' Andrew P. Sanchez Center in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The nonprofit ministry provides health care through four centers in underserved areas of the city. The churches of the New Orleans Baptist Association, with the help of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, launched BCHS in 2014. Speakers at the Feb. 10 ceremony at the Sanchez Center pointed to the cooperation demonstrated by the ultrasound machine's placement. "It's been great to see how the Lord has used the passions of the Watson … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptists remain committed to planting 300 churches by 2020, despite recent news that the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering, which helps fund new churches in the state, fell $291,000 short of the $1.7 million goal set for 2018. The $1,409,000 in GBO gifts will provide money for church planting, but also for disaster relief, resort ministries, Mission Church Builders’ projects, training conferences and leadership training/missions education events, as well as partially fund the missions and ministry team budget. John Hebert, state missions and ministry director for Louisiana Baptists, said there some resources in place to handle the shortfall and continue the planned church planting pace. “We will have to be cautious with the way we spend our money this year,” Hebert said. “Our state executive board, missions committee of the executive board and the state missions offering committee will make sure we can tap into reserve funds if necessary. They won’t let our church planting efforts suffer because they understand the importance of them in reaching our state for Christ.” The other ministries funded by the offering will not be impacted. Hebert … [Read more...]

By Message Staff HOUSTON, Texas (LBM) – Four men who previously served as Louisiana Baptist pastors, youth ministers and volunteers are listed in a database of  Southern Baptist individuals who were convicted of or pled guilty to sexual abuse crimes, published Feb. 10 in a Houston Chronicle  investigative article. The news report identified about 380 sexual abusers and 700 victims in SBC congregations nationwide from 1998 — 2017. The former Louisiana Baptists listed in the Houston Chronicle database are: Holland Farrell McMorris, former pastor of Paradise Baptist Church, Ball. He was convicted in 2010 in a Rapides Parish court and is serving a 25-year sentence in a Louisiana state prison for sex crimes. Angelo “Doogie” Golatt, former youth volunteer at Donahue Family Church, Pineville (which later became Journey Church). He was arrested in 2006 in Jerome County, Idaho, where he was charged with two counts of sexual abuse/exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and later pleaded guilty to a reduced battery charge, and was sentenced to four counts of forcible rape in 2012 in a Rapides Parish court. He is serving a 40-year sentence in Louisiana. James Robert Griffin, former volunteer associate pastor at Immanuel … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DRY PRONG – Jackson Cooper was devastated after his mother, Laura, died in an automobile crash last October. However, instead of dwelling in grief and anger about the sudden loss, Cooper, 32, went on a spiritual journey that led him to find hope in Christ. TRUST IN HIM “Even though my mom and I were very close, her death didn’t make me angry at God or anyone else, but just got me to thinking about God’s plan for my life,” Cooper said. “When the pastor at New Prospect Baptist Church asked me, during a visit to our home, if I was a Christian, I told him I had my doubts. “Once I understood that I needed to move from knowing Him in my head to accepting Him in my heart, my life was reborn.” LED BY HIM Cooper asked his wife, children, sisters and father to witness his November baptism at his childhood church. Since then, Cooper’s faith has grown to new heights as he daily testifies how Christ forever changed his life. “It felt great to show my faith and show that I do believe in Christ,” Cooper said. “I’ve learned to embrace the Lord more often and keep Him close to me. Also, I’ve learned to let God handle everyday problems. My stress and everyday life have improved and I … [Read more...]