ALEXANDRIA - The CENLA Pregnancy Center soon will have a permanent home. The official signing of the lease will take place later this week for spaces located at 1254 MacArthur Drive in Alexandria, next to the Louisiana Baptist Building. The 5,660-sq.-ft. center should open sometime in the fall, when spiritual ministry will begin as well as medical and educational services. “We are thrilled to finally have a location,” said Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock. “God did more than we ever expected him to do when we first prayed about this idea. It’s been an amazing display of God’s people coming together.” Gunter said the organization has started a formal search process for a full-time executive director to oversee the day-to-day operations of the center. The center also will employ some part-time workers,and, three pro-life physicians have agreed to volunteer their time to work at the facility. Beginning May 26, the center will be open every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. to accept lightly-used items, with the exception of clothing, that pregnant women and their newborns may use. Donations of furniture also can be dropped off then. Please send financial gifts to 2201 Melrose St., Pineville, La., 71360. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer JONESBORO – Organizers of the North Central Baptist Association crusade are citing focused prayer gatherings as a key factor for nearly 60 people making spiritual decisions. Held April 30-May 3 at Jonesboro-Hodge High School and Winnfield Middle School, the Real Hope Crusade drew around 700 people each night. By the end of the four-day revival, 25 people made a first-time public profession of faith in Jesus, another 35 recommitted their lives to Christ and two others surrendered to ministry. Leading up to the crusade, churches in the association participated in eight prayer rallies that totaled a combined attendance of around 1,000 at various locations in Jackson and Winn parishes. Many of the association’s 54 churches took part in one of the prayer gatherings that were held from the summer of 2016 until just before the crusade began. Director of missions Marty Black said prayer was a solid foundation for a mighty movement of the God throughout the four-day crusade. “What I have seen these past few months is churches willing to come together to pray,” Black said. “Just watching their desire to do so and then to see barriers come down and spiritual decisions made during … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Positive economic news, a significant increase in assets, continued progress in a software upgrade and a reception for retiring LBF controller Barbara Bell highlighted the quarterly meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees meeting April 25. INVESTMENT UPDATES E.L. Paulk, trustee from Deville, chaired the morning meeting of the investment committee and had Lee Morris, Investment Consultant with Graystone, give an update on the performance of the LBF portfolio According to Morris, active management is beginning to see traction versus passive management following the 2016 election and thus far in 2017. The overall portfolios are doing well. The expectation is domestic equities along with developed international equity will continue to perform well through the remainder of the year. Fixed income will continue to present a challenge in the current rate environment with this segment of the portfolio performing in line with expectations. The Federal Reserve has indicated it may raise rates two or three times by year end. Alternatives allocation, which includes smaller investment allocations in preferred stock, convertible securities and other types of … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MONROE – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home has established the newest Trail Life USA troop in the state. “Trail Life enhances what we do here at the Children’s Home,” said Children’s Home President Perry Hancock, who shared the news during the entity’s board of trustees meeting May 5. “It’s all about Christian character and principles, which we teach at devotionals on campus and in churches they attend.” A faith-based alternative to the Boy Scouts of America, Trail Life USA teaches biblically-based character, adventure and leadership skills to thousands of young men in troops throughout the U.S. The Children’s Home is the eighth troop to be established in Louisiana. Unlike other troops, the one at the Children’s Home will have membership open just to its male residents. Hancock said while the majority of its activities will take place with fellow residents, he expects the troop to join the troop from First Baptist Church in Farmerville for special events, campouts, and other adventure activities. NEW MOBILE PREGNANCY CARE CENTER HOST Since 2011, the Children’s Home has operated a mobile pregnancy care center, which travels statewide with a registered nurse offering … [Read more...]

By Carolina Baptist Church SALINE – Carolina Baptist Church will celebrate its 175th homecoming May 21. Established in 1842, the church was founded when a group from the Carolina region of the U.S. was traveling by wagon and upon reaching Saline Creek discovered the water was too high to cross. The group then set up camp and had a revival, which was the first meeting of Carolina Baptist Church. Many of the founders of the church are buried in the nearby cemetery. The service will begin at 10 a.m., with Carolina Baptist Pastor Ken Roberts delivering the message and music performed by church members. Dinner on the ground will follow. … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Scottie Gray is the new pastor at New Hope Baptist Church, Monroe. Ken Ronaghan is the new pastor at Bonita Baptist Church, Bonita. Brent Avara is the new music minister at Cheniere Baptist Church, West Monroe. Jimmy Brock resigned as student minister at North Monroe Baptist Church, Bastrop. Jeremy Glascock is interim pastor at Colyell Baptist Church, Livingston. Scott (wife Bethany) Shirley is the youth minister at Ellerbe Road Baptist Church, Shreveport. Roy Davis is interim pastor at Woodland Hills Baptist Church, Shreveport. Cecil Marr is interim pastor at North Shreve Baptist Church, Shreveport. Scott Mercer is the new director at Camp Living Waters, Loranger. HOMECOMING Longview Baptist Church, Deville: 94th Homecoming, May 28, 10:30 a.m. Dinner on the Grounds will follow the services. Speaker: Mike Belgard. Pastor: Robby Poole. REVIVAL CORRECTION -- the revival at Lismore Baptist Church, Jonesville scheduled for May 21-24 has been cancelled.  Welcome Home Baptist Church, Hebert: Revival, May 21-24. Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria.  Special music: Kerry Longoria.  Pastor: Jim McKeithen. Red River Baptist Association, Coushatta: Red River Crusade, May 21-28. Evangelist: … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter PINEVILLE – Imagine if you only had just one month to live. Would you spend the time to please yourself or make a lasting impact after you have gone? Maddi Stennett, a 17-year-old junior from First Baptist Church, Covington, posed the question in her speech during the State Youth & High School Bible Drill and Speakers’ Tournament April 29 at First Baptist Church, Pineville. Stennett, who placed first in the 11th-grade competition, received a $4,500 annual college scholarship. Although it was her first year to compete in the tournament, Stennett said the experience has impacted her life by inspiring her to share her faith in Christ more openly. “I want to share my faith with an urgency now,” Stennett said, adding that the months of preparation for the tournament made her grow spiritually. “It made me think in a way that I don’t normally think. I think, ‘Is my life lining up to what I’m telling people?’ I can’t tell people about Jesus, without living for Him,” she added. “One month to live” was one of 15 different topics participants in the Speakers’ Tournament could select to prepare a 4 to 6 minute speech. About 360 children and youth competed in the annual State Bible … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – Although no formal report was given on headway made toward the goals outlined in the Report of the President’s 2020 Commission, approved by Louisiana Baptists in 2013, observers did comment on one sign of progress that was apparent during the Executive Board reports, but not formally noted from the floor. Louisiana Baptists Church Planting Director James Jenkins told the Baptist Message that for the first time three black committee chairmen gave reports to the Executive Board: Jeffery Friend, pastor of Suburban Baptist Church in New Orleans, delivered the Missions Support Committee report; Lee Wesley, pastor of Community Bible Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, gave a report from the Convention’s Committee on Nominations; and George Guillory, pastor of Glen Oaks Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, shared the Properties Committee report. Moreover, he beamed at how natural this historic precedence took place, without fanfare or hint of tokenism, just the result of an intentional focus on reaching every people group. “This is an exciting and historic time because it shows the Louisiana Baptist Convention is moving into the future. It represents who we are becoming as a state,” … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – With its first enrollment increase in five years, Louisiana College is optimistic it may reach its goal of a 1,500-strong student body by 2020, school President Rick Brewer told Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board members, May 3. “The bleeding has stopped,” Brewer said during the board’s spring meeting. “Finally we had our first uptick.” The school experienced a 14.5 percent year-to-year increase in freshmen and transfer student enrollment, enrolling 255 new freshmen and 61 transfer students in 2016. The college’s new Certificate in Pastoral Ministry and Missiology program also enrolled 21 new students, but they are not reflected in the 14.5 percent increase. Overall headcount was up 1.5 percent from 1,109 to 1,126, and dormitory occupancy is up by 6.5 percent. Brewer also announced that early signs indicate enrollment will be even better this year. “It looks promising moving forward,” he said, particularly with new scholarships, infrastructure improvements and strategic marketing strategies. He said more incoming freshmen and transfer students attended the “Front Of The Line” event – designed to better acclimate students to campus life – this spring … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – Jared Greer, a former contestant on the TV show American Ninja Warrior, had just breezed through the obstacle course at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center. He stopped and posed a question to the crowd, the largest to ever attend an event at the center, “Have you overcome the ultimate obstacle in life? “Today is all about overcoming obstacles,” Greer told more than 600 children and adults at Missions Jamboree, also known as M-JAM, Saturday, May 6. “You can overcome any obstacle with Jesus. He overcame the biggest obstacle – death,” he continued. “Do you believe Jesus to forgive you? Have you asked Him to do that?” In the end, a dozen children indicated their desire to follow Christ. Since May 2016, Greer has traveled the country telling his story about how God has allowed him to use his skills displayed on the TV show to share the Gospel. He told the kids, first through sixth graders, Saturday that when he did not complete the obstacle course on the show in 2014, he felt crushed and defeated. “I was so frustrated and God whispered to me what do you do when you fall down?” he said. “You get back up.” In 2015, Greer was allowed a second chance at … [Read more...]