By Baptist Message staff SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Messengers approved four resolutions during the 2024 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting: celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Cooperative Program; supporting volunteer chaplains in schools; awareness on human trafficking; and expression of appreciation of those who helped make the Annual Meeting possible (read these in full in the Oct. 31 edition of the Baptist Message, print and online). However, the Committee on Resolutions reported it had declined to recommend a resolution it had received, “The Abolition of Self-Managed Abortion in Louisiana,” from Brian Gunter, a messenger and pastor with First Baptist Church, Livingston. DEBATE During a time of discussion about the resolutions report, Gunter asked messengers to vote to pull his proposed resolution out of committee, leading to a floor debate. Gunter shared that this is the third year he had come before the messengers, asking them to adopt a statement on the matter. “I’m going to bring this matter to your attention year after year, because some in our state convention of churches have repeatedly opposed our efforts to unify our churches in calling for the abolition of all abortion in our state,” … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – David Goza charged pastors to be unified and preach the grace of God in a godless culture in his presidential address during the 2024 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Nov. 12, hosted by Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport. “We are the light of Christ for this world,” he said. “We have to be united; we have to be thinking alike; and we have to be going in the same direction. “Obviously, we’re going to have some times of disagreement. But we have to be able to come together for the sake of the lost,” he continued. “Our mission is the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to the Church, and we’re a Convention of Bible believing churches.” Drawing from Titus 2:11-14, Goza said God’s grace teaches churches to deny self, live a godly life and look for the return of Jesus. “These are dark days. We are the Church of this age. God has saw to it that we are the keepers of His Word for this generation, and I believe, for one, that we are the end time Church. It falls on us in this dark hour to preach the Gospel.” BIBLE STUDY Hance Dilbeck, president and CEO with GuideStone Financial Resources of the SBC, reminded messengers that a Kingdom … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn, during the 2024 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Nov. 12, hosted by Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport, urged messengers to connect, cooperate, follow the Great Commission and commit for the Kingdom. CONNECTION “We are a connected force for good,” Horn said. “But if we cease to be connected, we will lose or at least diminish our ability to be a force for good. Just as we are a force for good at the national level, I believe we are a force for good in Louisiana.” Horn said the Baptist Message, Louisiana Baptist Foundation, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries, Louisiana Christian University and Executive Board all play a part in that connection. Importantly, he shared how the Executive Board has responded to the church insurance crisis that is pressing on congregations across the state, approving a motion, Sept. 24, that would loan $250,000 from the Disaster Relief Restricted Fund to help cover initial costs of a newly formed church self-insured organization. The money would be used for the establishment and administration of the self-insurance trust, also known as … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists enjoyed fellowship and worship during the 2024 LBC Annual meeting, Nov. 12, hosted by Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport. BUDGET APPROVED Messengers approved the 2025 financial plan based on Cooperative Program contributions of $17,380,808, a decrease of $699,761, or 3.87 percent. Cooperative Program projections are based on actual receipts from August 2023 through July 2024. The allocation formula for distributing CP gifts between Southern Baptist entities and Louisiana Baptist causes remains unchanged, 62.87 percent to support ministries in the state and 37.13 percent forwarded to fund national entities. MOTIONS Messengers considered four motions, unanimously approving one that established a day of prayer for Louisiana Christian University on the first Sunday in February (submitted by Terry Young, pastor, Airline Baptist Church, Bossier City). Young submitted two other motions regarding LCU. He withdrew one motion that asked Louisiana Baptists to use prayer, more funding, and student recruiting to reaffirm their dedication to and partnership with the school. His third motion, asking for a special annual offering for … [Read more...]

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 Jim Alan Calvert is the new Pastor of Parkview Baptist Church, Metairie, LA. Pastor Calvert’s rst day in the pulpit was November 3, 2024. Charles Ebarb is the new music minister at South Bossier Baptist Church, Bossier City. POSITION SOUGHT Hodge Baptist Church in Hodge, LA is seeking a full-time pastor. Please mail resumes to Pastor Search Committee in c/o Hodge Baptist Church, P O Box 340, Hodge, LA 71247 or email to: hodgebaptist@yahoo.com. Pastor: College Drive Baptist Church in Pineville, LA is seeking a bi-vocational pastor. Please mail resumes to Richard Bullock, 515 Sandy Hill Lane, Pineville, LA 71360 or email gmbull50@yahoo.com. Pastor: HOMECOMING/ANNIVERSIES Riverview Baptist Church, Alexandria: Homecoming, Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m. Guest … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer SHREVEPORT, La. (LBM) – Hours before the 2024 presidential election, Speaker Mike Johnson paid visits to three Louisiana Baptist churches to thank them for their prayers and encourage them to continue the fight for Judeo-Christian values. “We’re at a crossroads as a nation and the foundations are being destroyed,” Johnson said during a visit to Airline Baptist Church, Bossier City, Nov. 3. He also spoke at First Baptist Church, Haughton, and Plain Dealing Baptist Church. “It’s as if the metaphorical walls of the city have been burned to the ground and foreigners from outside are coming and having the spoils,” he continued. “We’re past the point of just a contest between Republicans and Democrats anymore. Right now, we're in a battle between two completely different visions of who we are as a nation and who we’re going to be.” Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church, Benton, said for the last year he has traveled the country and recruited others who share his vision and burden for a nation that has been under assault. “What we’re doing right now is we’re trying to preserve those foundations and preserve everything that comes from it – the ideas of individual … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Don Mayes, who served as superintendent of Parkview Baptist School for the last 12 years, has resigned. According to school Director of Advancement Jessica Province, Mayes resigned Oct. 28. A letter was sent to parents informing them of the announcement. “Throughout his tenure, Dr. Mayes was instrumental in guiding Parkview Baptist School,” Province said in a statement to the Baptist Message. “With Dr. Mayes at the helm, Parkview Baptist School fostered an environment that reflected our mission, ‘… to seek first the Kingdom of God while providing students with a Christ-centered, college preparatory education that guides students to grow and mature in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.’ Under his leadership, we saw tremendous growth both on our campus and in each of our students.” The news comes after Mayes had been placed on a leave of absence in mid-October, though he was not accused of any criminal wrongdoing, the school said in a statement on Oct. 14 to WAFB-TV Baton Rouge. “There is no criminal wrongdoing on Dr. Mayes’ part,” the school said at this time. “This action is part of an ongoing internal review, and we want to assure the community that the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Lillian Peterson recently got an inside look at Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief field operations as an intern who responded to multiple hurricanes. Through a partnership between churches and LBDR, Peterson was able to get a taste of relief activities while participating in responses to Hurricanes Beryl, Francine and Helene. “I’ve taken the FEMA courses which have helped me a lot in learning about disaster responses, but this gave me the chance to see up close how a disaster relief organization works,” Peterson told the Baptist Message. “Also, I saw how communities come together in a disaster, and I was able to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving them, which is what I’ve always said I wanted to do.” Peterson, who is a member with Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, and a Louisiana State University of Alexandria general studies major with a concentration in disaster science and emergency management, worked with the incident command center and assisted deployed feeding units at multiple sites. She enjoyed learning how LBDR conducts day-to-day operations and experienced how those who experience a disaster enjoy having someone to listen to … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Dianne Massey once supported the pro-abortion movement; however, an encounter with Christ 44 years ago changed her mindset, and now she fights for pro-life causes. Massey said holding her own newborn son brought to reality the value of life and how God cherishes the unborn. For the next 44 years, Massey went on a journey that included involvement with women’s Bible studies and prayer groups at her church, volunteering with pro-life centers and most recently witnessing to clients of CENLA Pregnancy Center about her own personal journey. The CPC honored Massey, Sept.17, by naming her “CENLA Pregnancy Center Volunteer of the Year” for 2023. “Even though I had been a Christian, I was in an atmosphere of humanism in my early adult years,” Massey told the Baptist Message. “And I didn’t realize how much I was being affected by all of that as a social work major taught by all non-Christian professors and being in the middle of the feminism movement. But God used the holding of my new baby in my arms 44 years ago to help guide me to the path to being pro-life. And ever since then I have been committed to that.” Massey, who began volunteering at the … [Read more...]