By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter MANGHAM – Pastor Doyle L. Adams knew at age 19 God’s call on his life was irrevocable. “My belief is that God called me, and He called me for a lifetime,” said Adams, who at age 79, does not have any plans to retire from the pulpit. For the last 60 years, Adams, the pastor of Lone Cherry Baptist Church in Mangham, has established a history of faithful preaching and caring pastoring, and recently was  honored for his long-time service in both, with a special plaque from the Louisiana Baptist Pastoral Leadership team and special recognition by the Richland Baptist Association. Bill Robertson, Louisiana Baptists pastoral leadership director, said he has known Adams for more than 40 years. “Bro. Doyle Adams is a wonderful, faithful servant of the Lord, and he has quite a legacy. Churches have prospered under his leadership, and he is still going strong,” Robertson said, adding Adams has sacrificed and sown into some smaller churches that had been without a pastor. With more than six decades of min istry under his [Bible] belt, Adams has experienced his share of successes and challenges on a number of levels. But, he said, regardless he was doing what God called him to … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Ten years after the passage of the Louisiana Science Education Act, one of the law’s most outspoken advocates is celebrating how the legislation gave the state’s science teachers the right to present the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. “If the science teacher is going to be a good teacher, they are going to want their students to think critically, to be able to analyze the information they are being presented,” Louisiana College Biology Professor Wade Warren said in a podcast interview with the Discovery Institute that aired June 28. “At the very least, the Louisiana Science Education Act gives the science classroom the opportunity to be more objective. And I am in favor of that. “Let the students read the data. Let them decide for themselves,” he said. “But there is no way they are going to be able to do that if they are only presented the strengths of a particular model and not the weaknesses.” The Louisiana Science Education Act was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal in June 2008. The act allows public school teachers to utilize information that may not be available in textbooks to … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE – The handful of people who remained at Park Forest Baptist Church in Baton Rouge after the great flood of 2016 asked for help to revitalize their dying congregation. The Church at Addis enthusiastically stepped in and a true revival has ensued for the once-ailing Park Forest. “Our mission statement is pretty simplistic – serving God by serving others,” said Thomas Shepard, pastor of the Church at Addis. “We are going out and doing what we can to reach our community.” DISCIPLESHIP BY SOCIAL MEDIA Since taking over what is now the Church at Park Forest in September, attendance at its Sunday morning worship services has increased from nine to 35. Shepard attributes much of the growth to the discipleship method used at the Church at Addis. Through social media, a member invites his or her friends to log onto Facebook to participate in studies about parenting, marriage and finances. Once the users complete the sessions, members then invite the friends to another study at the Church at Addis. By using this approach, the Church at Addis has grown from 12 people when Shepard took over -- what was then First Baptist Church in Addis -- in 2010 to 650 at its worship … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BOSSIER CITY – David Bailey, the special agent who risked his life saving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana during a shooting while practicing at the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, will share his testimony during a worship service at First Baptist Bossier City Aug. 26. Bailey, who was also injured in the incident June 14, 2017, received the Medal of Valor, the highest civilian medal awarded by the president of the United States. He will speak during the 10:30 a.m. worship service as part of the church’s “Honor Our Heroes Sunday.” Active military, police, firemen and first responders will be honored during the services and at a breakfast reception at 9:15 a.m. and lunch at 12:15 p.m. Ernie Haase and Signature Sound will provide special music. Former Air Force Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone also will share his testimony. Stone garnered international headlines in 2015 when he and his childhood friends thwarted a major terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train. French President Francois Hollande presented Stone with the nation’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honor. He later was awarded the Airman’s Medal and a Purple Heart, and was featured in the film 15:17 … [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 Marty, wife Joy, Williams is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Zwolle. Connie Smith has retired as pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church, Dubach. David Sandez has resigned as the Hispanic Ministry Missionary for the Concord Union Baptist Association and as Pastor of Nazareth Hispanic Mission, Bernice and Filadelfia Hispanic Mission, Simsboro. B. K. Miller will be the interim pastor at Liberty Baptist Church, Marion (beginning the first Sunday in September.) Dave Ketchand is the new associate pastor at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church, Independence. HOMECOMING Bethel Baptist Church, Colfax: Homecoming Sunday, August 26, 9:45 a.m. – Sunday School; 10:45 a.m. – Worship Service; Noon – Homecoming dinner. Speaker: Charles Hutzler. Pastor: Carl Gulde. Christian Fellowship Cathedral, New Orleans: … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF director of planned giving ALEXANDRIA – Excessive summertime heat surrounded the mid-year meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees on July 24.  However, board members were cool and calm as they took care of the business at hand which proved to be fairly mild, observers noted. Chuck Murray, LBF CPA and controller, reviewed the financial positions for the quarter- and year-to- date. Assets under management as of June 30, 2018 stood at $162,540,914, which is less than the beginning year assets by about $4.5 million. This difference is due to at least one church using funds for a building project, combined with the normal cycle of churches and entities withdrawing funds during late spring and summer months. Murray and Executive Director Wayne Taylor jointly reviewed a summary of the data regarding the performance of the Foundation’s investments for the year, thus far, and reported the following returns: -- Short Term Fund:  1.2 percent actual annualized yield; -- Group Investment Fund, comprised of various market sectors:  0.28 percent total return; -- Diversified Income Fund, conservative income-oriented fund: -0.51percent total return. The funds are all generating … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE – Manuel Pigee boldly prayed in 2015, asking God to lead United Believers Baptist Church to a rebirth at a new property. After three years of fasting and praying, God presented the steadily growing African-American congregation with the opportunity to move into a facility utilized by Oakcrest Baptist Church, a predominantly Anglo congregation, whose Sunday morning worship attendance was in steady decline. Since United Believers Baptist Church said, “Yes,” in January to sharing the campus, the congregation has seen God move in more ways than they ever imagined. “When I became pastor of the church, I said to them I want you to know I am praying God would do something no one could take credit for -- that God would get the glory,” he said. “The way He opened the door and solidified this partnership has generated a great spirit of joy and peace. We are overwhelmed by God’s grace.” BACKGROUND United Believers Baptist Church was formed after Hurricane Katrina forced Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans to meet at three separate locations, including the Baton Rouge campus. Within a year, many members of the Franklin Avenue congregation returned to New … [Read more...]