By Marilyn Stewart, Regional reporter NEW ORLEANS -- Race is an issue that continues to divide, said New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson during a book signing at the LifeWay campus store at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The solution is "changed hearts" in Christ, Watson said. The event fell on Nov. 24, the one-year anniversary of the ruling in the racially charged Ferguson, Mo., case of the shooting death of Michael Brown. Watson's book, "Under Our Skin: Getting Real about Race -- and Getting Free from the Fear and Frustrations that Divide Us," expands on his lengthy Facebook post that resonated with readers the day after the news broke that officer Darren Wilson would not face criminal charges for the shooting death of Brown. "[Race] is something that keeps on coming up," Watson said. "It's something we're always talking about and it's not seeming to be going anywhere." Calling his book "part manifesto, part memoir," Watson told the line of fans that snaked past shelves and out LifeWay's door that he put his thoughts to paper after seeing a public reaction to the verdict that seemed to split along racial lines. "I was conflicted because so much was tied into it. I wanted to work out my … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LC Communications PINEVILLE (LCNews) – Louisiana College is set to confer 135 degrees at its 159th commencement ceremony on Saturday. The ticketed event begins at 10 a.m. in Guinn Auditorium. The keynote speaker is Rev. David Edwards, president of David Edwards Publications. Edwards - an ordained and licensed preacher - is a professional speaker and author, who travels full-time speaking in schools and churches. He holds a BA in Religion with a minor in Mass Communications and Art from Oklahoma City University. He has completed additional graduate work at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. An approved speaker for many school boards in 16 states, Edwards has spoken at seminars and chapel services at colleges and universities. He has spoken at Pride World Drug Conferences, Youth Evangelism Conferences (Y.E.C.), and Xtreme Winter Youth Conferences. Edwards has served as a mission minister in Brazil, Switzerland, Belgium, Amsterdam, Jamaica, and South Korea. Having written 23 books, Edwards formed David Edwards Publications in 2005 with a mission statement of “Meeting people where they are in life and bringing them one step closer in the process of knowing Jesus … [Read more...]

SLIDELL – A fund has been set up to help Bayou Baptist Church in Slidell with rebuilding costs following a fire on Oct. 22. According to Pastor Frank Treme, the fire which he believes to have been arson caused extensive damage to all of the buildings on the church grounds. The fire destroyed a part of the building that houses classrooms, a nursery and the kitchen. While the sanctuary did not burn to the ground, the interior sustained a significant amount of damage from the smoke and water. “We have brought in the adjustors and engineers and it looks as if none of the buildings can be saved,” Treme told the Message. “We are going to demolish all of the buildings and rebuild back again on this spot. “We did it once with God’s provision and we will do it again because we are faithful to Him,” said Treme. “Right now we are proceeding slowly to see what the cost will be for the demolition and the rebuilding,” Treme continued. “We are a small congregation so to help with some of those costs not taken care of by insurance an account has been set up at Whitney Bank and anyone who would like to donate to our rebuilding efforts can go to any branch in the state and say this donation is for Bayou Baptist Church.” Whitney … [Read more...]

Charitable gift annuities are a great way to enhance your financial picture and take advantage of tax benefits while making a lasting gift to God’s Kingdom work. A gift annuity is a relatively simple contract between you and the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. You transfer cash or other liquid assets, such as stock, bonds, or mutual funds, to the Foundation; the Foundation pays you a fixed income – an annuity – for life. The contract can be written for the life of an individual or for two lives. The gift annuity agreement allows you to name the ministry that will receive the remainder of the fund after your lifetime. That beneficiary can be your church, a Baptist institution or ministry, or divided among several ministries. Creating a charitable gift annuity (CGA) offers several tax advantages to you, the donor. n Gift Annuities qualify for a partial income tax deduction in the year the gift is made. n A portion of each annuity payment is considered to be “return of principle” during your projected life expectancy and is not subject to income tax. n Capital gains tax on appreciated securities can be partially avoided at the time of the gift.  Federal estate and gift taxes are generally avoided on the amount … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications The Thanksgiving holiday has just passed when we express our gratitude to God for his care and blessings for the year. The celebration of Christmas is beginning in earnest as we thank God the Father for God the Son – Jesus – and the salvation that was given through His birth, life, death and resurrection. But there are times in our lives that we reflect and give thanks, not because the calendar says it’s time.  We reflect because of the changes in the seasons of life and the effect on our hearts. I find myself at one of those junctures of life.  Recently my dad passed away and joined my mom in heaven where they are eternally praising God and living “true” life. I am grateful that in the last days of his life, my dad repeatedly said he was ready to see Jesus. As I reflect on the past, and the present, I am grateful for many things. I am grateful for parents who served the Lord. My mom and dad didn’t send us to church, they took us every Sunday (both services) and Wednesday. Some of my earliest memories are of dad “leading the singin” and mom playing the piano at St. Rest Baptist Church on the White Lightning Road in northwest Lincoln Parish. Later, at Cook Baptist in Ruston, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – A long-time student ministry specialist with strong ties to Baptist life in the state is the new youth strategist for Louisiana Baptists. Steven Maltempi assumes his new role on Dec. 1 and will be introduced during a youth ministers fellowship at next week’s Youth Evangelism Celebration in Lafayette. Most recently the lead associate of student and collegiate ministry for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Maltempi also served in a similar position at the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. While attending seminary, Maltempi said God placed in his heart a a calling for student ministry. Though he enjoyed serving in Texas, Maltempi said he is looking forward to what lies ahead in his home state of Louisiana. “As Louisiana Baptists we must have as our goal to evangelize, disciple, and involve students in ministry and missions,” he said. “When they graduate from high school they must be ready to minister at work or college. To prepare them we must capture their imaginations and passions for Christ. “Teenagers are a mission field and a mission force,” he continued. “Our focus must be evangelism; discipleship, much more than a transfer of knowledge; … [Read more...]