By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer STERLINGTON, La. (LBM) – Ben Hackler, pastor with First Baptist Church, Sterlington, will be nominated for the office of first vice president with the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2025 annual meeting of church messengers. James Doughty, pastor with First Baptist Church, Monroe, shared with the Baptist Message, Oct. 22, his intention to make the nomination. The yearly gathering of Louisiana Baptists is scheduled to be held in the facilities of the Randolph Riverfront Center, Alexandria, Nov. 11. STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Doughty called Hackler a great friend, encourager and source of wisdom. “I have had an up-close view of all the things the Lord is doing through Ben at First Sterlington,” Doughty said. “God had used his leadership and vision to build a growing vibrant church. He deeply cares for his people and his community and it’s evident. I know that Ben will bring this same leadership and vision to Louisiana Baptists.” BY THE NUMBERS The database of the Annual Church Profile shows that FBCS gave 5.8 percent of its undesignated gifts through the Cooperative Program to support cooperative missions and ministries this year, amounting to $39,022 from … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer GLENMORA, La. (LBM) – Neil Treme, pastor with Glenmora Baptist Church and a former International Mission Board missionary, will be nominated for the office of second vice president during the Louisiana Baptist Convention 2025 Annual Meeting of church messengers. Ferran Bertrand, associational mission strategist with Mt. Olive Baptist Association, shared with the Baptist Message, Oct. 21, his intention to make the nomination. The yearly gathering of Louisiana Baptists is scheduled to be held in the Randolph Riverfront Center, Alexandria, Nov. 11. STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Bertrand said Treme’s experience as a pastor and missionary will benefit the Convention. “Brother Neil has a long tenure of service to Southern Baptist,” Bertrand told the Baptist Message. “He has served with the IMB in multiple countries and has worked to prepare new missionaries deploying to countries around the world. Closer to home, Brother Neil is currently serving as pastor of Glenmora Baptist Church in Glenmora. He is an able teacher and preacher of the Word. And, to use his own words, he is always encouraging us to ‘make much of Jesus.’ Brother Neil is an encourager, and I know he will serve and … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist leaders are thankful for God’s protection over the Louisiana State University Baptist Collegiate Ministry building, which was vacant at the time of an Oct. 11 nearby shooting. According to WWL-TV, the shooting took place near the intersection of Highland Road and Dalrymple Drive around 8:40 p.m. Saturday during the LSU-South Carolina football game at Tiger Stadium. Two individuals were injured in the incident, which took place around 385 feet from the LSU BCM building. Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministry Director Mark Robinson said that several front windows were shattered, but no one was inside the building. Robinson and LSU BCM Director Blake Grundy are cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation. WWL-TV reported that there is no ongoing threat to campus safety. “This incident is a sobering reminder of the brokenness and lostness in our world and the urgent need for the peace and hope that only Christ can bring,” Robinson said in a news release to the Baptist Message. “We grieve for those injured and pray for their full recovery. We also pray for our campus, our city, and for all who are shaken by this violence.” Louisiana Baptist … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist pastors joined other concerned citizens from Central Louisiana, Oct. 2, to pray for students, teachers, families and the community. Held outside the Rapides Parish School Board offices in Alexandria, the event was marked by special music and prayer led by pastors of various denominations and by small groups who prayed for an area recently impacted by social media shooting threats involving several schools, Sept. 27-29. Juveniles who published the threats against Alexandria Senior High School, Peabody Magnet High School, Pineville High School and Tioga High School have since been arrested on charges of “terrorizing” and  were placed into the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria. The Peabody Magnet High School principal as well as local officials and law enforcement considered the social media posting against that school to be a credible threat and consequently cancelled the homecoming parade and football game that had been scheduled for Sept. 27. Brad Webb, pastor with Family of Grace Church, Alexandria, said that the events of the week did not take God by surprise and that God still is on His throne. “Today, God, we come, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Shortly after several Central Louisiana schools received social media threats of possible shootings, Louisiana Christian University President Mark Johnson travelled to be the light of Christ on the campuses of Alexandria Senior High School, Peabody Magnet High School, Pineville High School and Tioga High School, Sept. 29-30. “Normally I’m allowed to go and visit with students in lunchrooms but recently they've had a lot of shooting threats in our area,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “We’ve been having a lot of opportunities to sit alongside young people and remind them they’re going to be okay. “I went from being president to pastor real quick because they're nervous over these last few days,” he continued. “And it turned out to be a time of great encouragement and hearing from the students.” All four schools received threats on social media, Sept. 29, though the shootings never took place. The juveniles who made the threats were arrested, placed into the Renaissance Home for Youth in Alexandria and charged with terrorizing, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Peabody Magnet High School’s homecoming parade and football … [Read more...]