EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Ray Bowman is the new associate pastor at Teche Baptist Church, Breaux Bridge. He comes from First Baptist Church, Delcambre. Lisa, husband Clay, Broussard is the new associate director of Tall Timbers Conference Center. Max Hutto, music minister, is retiring at Mooringsport Baptist Church, Mooringsport. Donald, wife Sandy, Fuhrmann passed away on April 24. He worked for several years as a Volunteer for the Missions and Ministry Team. He also worked part-time from July 2002 to December 2003. HOMECOMING/ANNIVERSARY French Corner Baptist Church, Ponchatoula: 75th Anniversary, June 1-2, Saturday, 6 p.m. and 10:30 a.m., June 2. Special Music: The Lefevre Quartet, The Southern Plainsmen, Bros4 and Chronicle. Pastor: Eric Hattaway. Pleasant Grove … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Severe storms knocked out power to thousands across Southeast Louisiana and produced multiple tornadoes that caused significant damage and at least two deaths in the state, May 13. According to storm reports from the National Weather Service, tornadoes touched down on the east side of Sulphur and also near the Sasol plant, before moving across Westlake and into Lake Charles. Teams were scheduled to survey the area, May 14. Damage in the area included the sign of a Walmart along with a gas station in its parking lot. Across the street, cars were overturned in a shopping center. A tractor-trailer also overturned on the Interstate 10 bridge in Lake Charles, blocking traffic on Monday evening. In Henderson, Pat’s Fisherman Wharf Restaurant posted on its Facebook page a video of extensive damage to its restaurant. The owners of Pat’s, which opened in 1948, believe possible tornado activity is the cause of the destruction that ripped off roofs and tore through structures on the landmark’s site. The site is a popular tourist attraction located on Bayou Portage just a few miles south of I-10 in Henderson, a small fishing community interconnected by bayous and canals … [Read more...]

By Alliance Defending Freedom ALEXANDRIA, La. (ADF) – On behalf of the Rapides Parish School Board, serving more than 20,000 students, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal lawsuit April 30 against the Biden administration for what they described as unlawfully rewriting Title IX. Louisiana House Speaker Pro-Tempore Mike Johnson began preparations to file a lawsuit during the summer of 2023, when he heard of possible federal rule changes. In October, he began working with ADF to file the lawsuit as soon as the revisions were enacted. "Our children are our most precious gift from God and our responsibility is to protect them," Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church, Pineville, told the Baptist Message. "This rule change is a direct threat upon our youth and particularly our girls. It presents a danger and a threat to their rights under Title IX and an assault on our values and norms cannot stand." On April 19, the Biden administration announced it would redefine “sex” in Title IX rules to include “gender identity,” requiring schools to ignore the biological distinction between male and female in favor of “an individual’s sense of their gender.” According to ADF, the Department of Education’s … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – During a press conference held April 29 in the Capitol, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry introduced the state’s Attorney General Liz Murrill who announced that her office had filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for rule changes that she said “eviscerate Title IX,” referring to a landmark civil rights law that is best known for the protections it provided women in any school or education program that receives federal funds. “So, here are some of the consequences of the rule,” she explained: -- “Boys and girls will be forced to share bathrooms, locker rooms and perhaps lodging on overnight field trips with members of the opposite sex. -- “They'll be forced to use the preferred pronouns or face punishment. It raises distinct free speech and free exercise problems. -- “Parents may never hear about unapproved, so-called gender-affirming counseling that their children receive, because the rule allows the school to conceal that information from parents in certain circumstances. -- “Teachers and other school administrators are forced to create and carry out employee training programs on the 423-page rule to change school policies and begin … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff BLANCHARD, La. (LBM) – Members of the chainsaw team at First Baptist Church, Blanchard, recently to serve and to share Jesus in the aftermath of an April 28 storm. During one of their stops, the team ministered to a widow who not only had a tree blocking her driveway but had lost her husband in January and her son a month before. In the end, the team left the house “feeling more blessed than we ever thought that we could have been a blessing to her,” according to Craig Bond, unit director for the chainsaw team and task force leader for the Louisiana Baptist Incident Management Team. “She had already received one quote earlier in the morning for a significant amount that she could not afford, and others were circulating through the area handing out cards,” Bond told the Baptist Message. “I told her what we were there to do, and it was going to be no charge to her, just let us handle it. She immediately began to cry, and hugged me, thanking me and saying that she had been standing out there praying for some kind of answer. I told her we were there to bring her hope.” The team also helped a fellow church member remove a large limb hanging from a tree that posed danger to the homeowner and the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ZWOLLE, La. (LBM) – Staff and supporters of Toledo Bend Resort Ministry recently celebrated the dedication and grand opening of a new 4,000-sq.-ft. meeting facility that will allow others not only to grow in their relationship with Christ, but become better equipped to share the Gospel in the area and beyond. Toledo Bend Resort Ministry Director Mary Gore said the new building replaced a meeting facility used since it was built in the early 1970’s. “Just as many of us have dedicated our lives to making Christ known to others, now others can also have that personal relationship with Jesus that you and I enjoy,” Gore told the crowd during the April 28 celebration. “It is for this reason this building was built and is now being dedicated to God and for His service. My prayer is that many will be trained and sent out from this place to share the love of Jesus with individuals and families.” Jerry Crooks, who previously served on the board for 18 years, shared that the resort has been reaching others with the Gospel since its establishment in 1971 on the east side of Toledo Bend Lake in Sabine Parish. The ministry center has seen many souls added to the Kingdom through the … [Read more...]