By Message Staff BATON ROUGE – Though heartbroken from Sunday’s deadly attack on Baton Rouge law enforcement, the community has hope for the future through Christ, said one pastor whose church was near the scene of the incident. “In the midst of our sorrow there is hope that God will redeem even this for His good purpose,” said Jeff Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist Church. “What Satan intends to destroy and divide, God will use to unite.” The church, whose entrance was just feet away from a police barricade placed on Airline Highway on Sunday morning, was about to start its first morning service when Ginn learned a shooter had ambushed officers responding to a call. They quickly changed the order of service, focusing on a time of prayer for the situation. Though they decided to hold both worship services as planned, Ginn said the atmosphere was very different than most Sundays. “There was an air of heaviness over the services,” he said. “One of the points I made in my message was Jesus had joy in spite of the sorrow he experienced. So we pressed on, remembering those who were suffering.” The church staff is meeting to plan their response. Possible ministry opportunities may include hosting a blood drive, offering their … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE -- In the wake of another senseless and cowardly attack on law enforcement early Sunday morning in which two Baton Rouge police officers and East Baton Rouge Sheriff Deputy were shot and killed and three more were wounded, Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, requested prayers at a 3 p.m. news conference. "We want and need your prayers,” Edmonson said. “Baton Rouge is in need of your prayers right now." The shooting, which happened near Airline and Old Hammond highways and just over a mile from Istrouma Baptist Church, took place around 9 a.m. Sunday. One suspect is dead according to media reports coming from various outlets in Baton Rouge. The shooter has been identified by law enforcement officials as Gavin Long, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri. The shooting is the second fatal shooting of police officers this month and comes in the midst of ongoing protests in Baton Rouge following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5. On July 7, a lone gunman gunned down five police officers and wounded 12 others in an ambush before being killed. "This is such a tragedy that has befallen our city," Pastor Jay Avance of First Baptist … [Read more...]

By Message Staff MONROE – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home will hold a series of informational meetings for families considering adoption and foster care. Beginning July 25 at Alpine First Baptist Church in Pineville and ending July 28 at the East Baton Rouge Public Library, Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch in Baton Rouge, the series of meetings will allow those interested to learn more about how they can become part of a growing ministry in the state. Since becoming involved in this aspect of ministry in 2011, the Children’s Home has served hundreds of children and families through its foster care and adoption ministry. But despite the success they have achieved in this area, it pales in comparison to then more than 4,700 children in need of a foster home in the state. Through its Connect 1:27 Network, the Children’s Home recruits Christian foster and adoptive families and assists churches in developing foster care, adoption and orphan care support ministries. The network is based upon God’s command in James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Beth Green, director of the … [Read more...]

By Message Staff In preparation for a 2017 crusade featuring evangelist Bill Britt, the North Central Baptist Association of churches are holding series of prayer gatherings. Already, six churches have hosted the concerts of prayer this year. More are scheduled through early 2017. Churches hosting prayer gatherings next month include Weston Baptist Church in Jonesboro, on July 17, and Sweetwater Baptist Church in Quitman, on July 31. And on Oct. 16, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jonesboro will hold a concert of prayer. The three prayer gatherings will take place at 6 pm. Marty Black, director of missions for the association, expects more concerts of prayer to take place in the future. While each of the prayer gatherings this year have featured three to four churches coming together at a single location, two larger ones involving as many of the 54 churches as possible in the association are planned for 2017. Jonesboro-Hodge High School will host a prayer gathering on Feb. 26 and Winnfield High School will be the site of another on March 26. Black said the two locations were chosen because they will each host two nights of the association-wide crusade. Jonesboro-Hodge High School is the site for the first two nights of the … [Read more...]

By David E. Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention ALEXANDRIA – I hope this summer season allows you an opportunity to relax, vacation with your family, and otherwise enjoy some time off. But don’t forget the amazing ministries that are taking place this summer. I have been hearing reports of outstanding participation in VBS from churches all over our state with scores and scores of children giving their lives to Christ. Our GOLA VBS teams, sponsored by the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, are working throughout Louisiana and all the way to Canada. Additional summer missionaries from Louisiana are fanned out all over the globe. Numerous other Louisiana Baptists, including LBC strategists, are involved in mission trips this summer from Brazil to Belarus to Indonesia. Another summer outreach staple is our camping ministries. Tall Timbers, our LBC state camp, is experiencing another record year in children and youth attendance with most weeks full to overflowing. We are so thankful for the new Georgia Barnette Missions Conference Center which is nearing completion and which will provide needed room to grow. Even the summer session of the Louisiana legislature afforded opportunities for LBC … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BALL – The baptistery at Tioga First Baptist Church was a little crowded in late June but Pastor Tim Hisaw did not mind. Four children who accepted Christ during the church’s Vacation Bible School walked into the water and, as Hisaw baptized each child, thunderous applause broke out from those packed in the pews inside the worship center. “It’s nice to have a full baptistery isn’t it, bud?” Hisaw told one of the children nearby. “If we get too many it will overflow and flood. It’s a good thing the choir’s not up here or they’d get wet.” Before VBS, Hisaw prayed that four families would join Tioga First Baptist by the time it was over. But God answered his prayers by drawing these four children, instead – confirmation God was at work during VBS, which averaged 85 in attendance each day. Though the children took part in recreation and refreshments, Hisaw said the end goal was sharing the Gospel. “That’s why we do Vacation Bible School,” Hisaw said. “We do this to make an eternal impact on them by introducing them to Jesus.” Church member Misty Stewart said the excitement of accepting Christ during VBS has not waned for her son, Matthew, who was baptized with the three others. Now, … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE – While Louisiana’s budget debate dominated headlines across the state during the three legislative sessions in 2016, Louisiana Baptists in the House and Senate gave critical leadership in passing a number of important measures, especially those with a pro-life emphasis. -- Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Dist. 8), a member of FBC Bossier City, authored HB 1081 (Act 264), the Louisiana Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act which ends the brutal practice by  abortionists of tearing body parts from a live, unborn child typically as part of late-term procedures. -- Rep. Rick Edmonds (R-Dist. 66), retired pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport and former vice president of Louisiana Family Forum, advanced “Jacob’s Law,” or HB 1019 (Act 563), which protects unborn children from being singled out for abortion simply for being diagnosed with a disability such as Down syndrome. -- Sen. Ryan Gatti (R-Dist. 36), also a member of FBC Bossier City, was the originator of SB 33 (Act 196). This measure prohibits the sale or donation of human limbs and organs harvested as a result of an elective abortion, thus banning groups like Planned Parenthood from profiting from baby body parts. -- … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary awarded degrees to 120 students at its 59th commencement exercises at the Daniel Lee Chapel. In all, 120 students graduated including one diploma from the Midwestern Women’s Institute, one diploma in Christian Ministry, 25 undergraduate, 80 graduate, and 14 doctoral degrees being conferred. Among those receiving doctorates from Louisiana were: Randy Tompkins, Owner of Cornerstone Consultants Ministry and trustee at MBTS and Peter Eric Keough. Tompkins received a Doctor of Educational Ministry and Keough earned a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership. President Jason Allen’s charge to students in his commencement address to, “Finish Well,” as well as a presentation of the institution’s Professor of the Year award. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DRY PRONG – Lloyd Whitman was nearing his final weeks of a 30-year ministry at First Baptist Church Dry Prong, but refused to “coast along” until he retired. Instead, Whitman wanted to baptize at least one person during his final two months at the central Louisiana church. He did that and more, baptizing at least one person each week from the the first Sunday in January until he stepped out of the pulpit Feb. 28. Whitman said not doing so would have gone against the very mission of Jesus Christ that he has tried to fulfill in his 51 years of ministry. “To see what God was doing at the end of my ministry was rewarding to me,” Whitman said. “The mission of the church is to win people to Jesus. To see that being fulfilled at Dry Prong gave me a sense of thankfulness and gratitude to God that He was moving in a powerful way.” The string of baptisms came on the heels of the end of an 18-month search for a new pastor at First Baptist Dry Prong. Whitman said the congregation had prayed during that time that God would lead them to the right man for the job. In the process, the church experienced its own personal revival. “God was just moving in every area of our church,” he continued. “I … [Read more...]