By Cole Avery, Office of U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham WASHINGTON – Three airports across Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District will receive about $19.8 million in grant funding awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-Alto) announced Tuesday, Sept. 12. The England Economic and Industrial Development District in Alexandria stands to receive the bulk of the funding, banking $17,867,492 from four grants, though airports in Monroe and Vidalia will also receive some money from grants. The money comes as part of the airport’s involvement in the Airport Improvement Program’s Military Airport Program, a designation Abraham helped the airport achieve so that it could help facilitate missions associated with the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk. “Alexandria and its airport provide important services that directly contribute to the mission of the Fort Polk Joint Readiness Training Center,” said Abraham, a member of Alto Baptist Church. “Showing continued investments in public infrastructure that support Alexandria and Fort Polk will show the military our community’s commitment to the success of Fort Polk, which will help make sure we continue to have a thriving base in the region,” said … [Read more...]

By Message Staff Three days after Hurricane Irma made landfall in the U.S., the first Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams are headed to Florida. Northshore Baptist Association feeding unit, a Mount Olive Association shower and laundry unit, a First Baptist Church in Mangham water purification unit and a Rolling Hills Ministry generator left First Baptist Church in Slidell Wednesday morning, Sept. 13, Louisiana Baptists State Disaster Relief Director Gibbie McMillan told the Baptist Message.. They will be stationed at Riverside Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Fla. McMillan reiterated the importance of all Louisiana Baptists praying, giving and going to get the job done in areas hit hard by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. “Many are in Texas and others are in Florida helping, while a host of faithful ones are praying and giving,” he said. “Thanks to all who are doing what they can. This is a picture of the church on the move. As you give, remember our entire budget comes from the Georgia Barnette Offering. Please pray and give.” According to North American Mission Board statistics, the response by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams to areas impacted by Harvey through Sept. 12 teams has resulted in 810,292 meals … [Read more...]

By Message Staff LAFAYETTE – The relief efforts by Evangeline Baptist Association churches has truly been a team effort. Not only after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and then again in Louisiana, churches in the association along with assistance from numerous non-profit organizations and churches from other denominations have coordinated a response to help those impacted by the storm. First Baptist Church in Lafayette served as a collection site, receiving 6.5 tons, or $42,000 worth, of supplies, Pastor Steve Horn told the Baptist Message. The supplies filled 26 pallets in a semi which transported the items to First Baptist Church in Vidor, Texas. Horn said he and his congregation have applied Titus 3:14 to areas of service and their daily lives and the response to Harvey relief efforts was such a time they could place the words of the verse into action. "This was one of those occasions when we saw our church and others do this," Horn said. "This has also given us a primary point of contact to do continued ministry in Vidor, where we have a team now doing mud-out work." Horn added that past connections were used in the collection effort. The driver and truck were donated by a trucking company in … [Read more...]

By Message Staff WOODWORTH –Tony Mathews reminded 45 pastors and their spouses of their responsibility to live out God’s missiological plan for the world during the first ever Louisiana Baptist African-American Missions Conference. “The personnel of the mission agenda is us,” the president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention African American Fellowship said during one of his messages. “You are employed by Jesus.” Throughout the conference, Mathews drew from his experiences of participating in mission trips with North Garland Baptist Church where he serves as pastor to challenge those in attendance to realize how they can influence the ends of the earth. Near the end of his final message, Mathews challenged pastors to join him in a mission trip to Ecuador in October, with two responding to go. Held Sept. 8-9 at Tall Timbers Conference Center, the retreat also featured intensive training led by Mathews and worship led by Thomas Keys, worship minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport. The pastors also heard encouraging words in breakout sessions from David Hankins, executive director for Louisiana Baptists, Leroy Fountain, church health strategist for New Orleans Baptist Association, Barry Calhoun, … [Read more...]

Spencer Baptist Church will host a revival Sept. 24-27. Lyndon Longoria will serve as the evangelist and Kerry Longoria will bring the special music. The church is located at 5764 Hwy. 143 in Spencer. David Richmond is pastor. … [Read more...]

Jamestown Baptist Church will have its homecoming festivities Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m., with Carl Griffith serving as the guest speaker. A pot luck dinner will follow the morning service. Everett Geis serves as pastor. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff STARKS – North Eunice Baptist Church has a lofty goal. Once a week, they plan to send a disaster relief team to gut out homes damaged by flooding. And the church is not wasting any time as they’ve already sent a team to work on the home of an 82-year-old man in Starks, where more than 200 homes in the area flooded because of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. North Eunice Baptist Pastor Travis Turner told the Baptist Message the homeowner, like many in Starks, had recently completed renovations on his home following flooding in March 2016. “It helped him knowing we were there to pray with him and assure him we were going to complete the job as we promised,” Turner said. “When we finished, I called him to share the news and he couldn’t believe it. He said thank you over and over.” While the team has responded to previous disasters, Turner said this was the first time they have ventured outside the Eunice area to do relief work. He expects the team will continue working on other homes in Calcasieu Parish. “Going to work on flooded homes like those in Starks makes us more grateful for what we have,” Turner said. “When we go, we go feeling we will bless others but in the end we … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ANACOCO – A group of Northwestern State Baptist Collegiate Ministry students kicked off their weekend by participating in a hands-on mud-out training session at a Vernon Parish home flooded by remnants of Hurricane Harvey. The team of 10 gutted out the inside of the house, as well as clearing debris from the yard. By the end of the afternoon, the students not only received disaster relief training necessary for future responses but also were able to help two disabled Army veterans to returning to their home in Anacoco, NSU BCM Director Bill Collins told the Baptist Message. "My guys saw the gratitude of the homeowner and realized how much it really meant for them to do this type of work," Collins said. "Plus, I now have 10 more who are trained for the next response. From the homeowners to my students, everybody won on this particular trip." Even before reaching the site, the students were given the opportunity to minister. Kobe Ardoin said the trip was a great learning experience. "We got a chance to pray with the homeowners before starting our work process," he said. "Being able to serve others through the grace of God is always a good thing for me and is something I wouldn't hesitate to do … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DEVILLE – On August 27, the season had yet to open for the Louisiana College football team, however, members of the Wildcats experienced a victory more meaningful than any margin posted on a scoreboard when 31 players came forward to humble their hearts to Christ and surrender their lives to Him during a special service held by evangelist Rick Gage at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. Him during a special service held by evangelist Rick Gage at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. Coach Justin Charles said he was overcome with emotion as he watched so many of his players, one-by-one, walk to the front of the worship center to speak with Gage, himself a former college football player and coach. “That day was more fulfilling than winning a football game,” said the first-year head coach for the Wildcats. “Knowing you had 31 young men all turn their lives to Christ is a feeling that is hard to describe for this coach.” Devyn Allen, a sophomore linebacker from Baton Rouge, said he was convicted that he was not living the way Christ intended and that he needed to repent. “I believed I was a Christian but I wasn’t living my life right,” Allen said. “His message hit me … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM)—Students with three Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministries took time out of a holiday weekend and a television schedule full of college football to minister to survivors of Hurricane Harvey. Saturday through Monday, Sept. 2-4, 130 BCM students and leaders from LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette and McNeese State, with assistance from Living Hope Fellowship in Baton Rouge, gutted homes that had been flooded by rainfall from the epic storm. They formed 14 different teams that each worked in one of four areas – Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Orange, Texas and Port Arthur, Texas. Blake Grundy, BCM campus minister at McNeese, told the Baptist Message that the trip was well suited for college students who have a heart of service. “Many of the students who went on this trip have done mud-out work before, so they know the heartache the destruction causes the homeowner,” he said. “College students have time and the one thing our students love to do with it is to serve. They love to bless people for whom hope seems lost. For them, it’s one aspect of putting faith into action.” Grundy said many of the students indicated their desire to make return trips to the hard-hit areas. He … [Read more...]