By Baptist Message staff MANAUS, Brazil - David Denton is urging Louisiana Baptists to join an annual Brazil summer mission trip to see a Gospel harvest in a city the team has not visited since 2015. Scheduled for early July, the team will partner with Brazilian Baptist churches in Manaus, Amazonas, to reach local communities with the Gospel. The registration deadline is March 7, and a $500 non-refundable deposit is due at that time. “The trip provides an invaluable experience in partnering with believers from the United States and Brazil to fulfill the Great Commission,” said Denton, pastor, Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia, and director of Beyond the Walls ministry. Last year, 69 participants saw a harvest of 700 Brazilians and the construction of the 75th church facility in the country since Beyond the Walls began its annual mission efforts there in . The team will leave for Brazil July 10 and return July 21. The ministry, Beyond the Walls, uses a multi-team approach that combines visitation, drama, construction and cooking for evangelistic outreach. The cost of the trip is $3,220, and covers housing, meals, airfare, daily transportation, airport transfers, insurance, tips and team t-shirts. Email … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University celebrates its 120th anniversary this year and is launching a new mission and vision for this new era of Christian education. The new mission statement is "Louisiana Christian University equips undergraduate and graduate students to worship intentionally, learn diligently, steward faithfully and lead courageously." LCU President Mark Johnson said: “We want to completely and holistically develop our students—not just prepare them for the workforce.” He and the executive leadership team have worked for months creating a vision to that end. The vision includes the four pillars of worship, scholarship, stewardship, and leadership, and is built around the scripture from Proverbs 3:5-6, which states: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Johnson said Proverbs 3:5-6 literally gives students a dashboard for looking at their lives. Worship intentionally. “Worship is the foundation of all we do, shaping students to walk daily with Christ through chapel, classroom learning, prayer and Christian community, forming lives for … [Read more...]

By Al Quartemont, LCU News NASHVILLE (LCU News) – Students from Louisiana Christian University received several awards from the recent gathering of Christian media professionals at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, Feb. 16-20, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville. Competing in iNRB, the collegiate division of NRB, the following LCU students were recognized during the annual Student Production Awards: Adàn Wright, Seth Bynog and Danny Cobb – First Place for Video: TV Newscast for The Wildcat Weekly Minute Update; Bryson Baloney, Jacob Mercer and Nick Morrow – First Place for Video: Live Multi-Camera Non-Studio Production for LCU’s weekly chapel service; Danny Cobb – Second Place for Video: PSA, Commercial or Promo/Newscast/Sportscast for his Wildcats Media Sports Report; Adán Wright – First Place for Audio: News or Sports Production for his story on LCU intramural basketball; and Adán Wright, Danny Cobb and Bryson Baloney – First Place for Audio: Podcast Production for The Wildcats Media Sports Podcast. In addition, LCU had three teams of students compete in on-site competitions. They included: Danny Cobb, Jacob Mercer, Kaelyn Richard and Nick Morrow – Second … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University’s Dean of Social Work Juanita Moorman practices what she professes. Moorman, who lives in Oakdale, has served as the dean of the School of Social Work since August. She also continues to be a hands-on social worker, in addition to her academic duties at LCU. Moorman said she believes it makes a world of difference—not just to her—but to her students. “I enjoy being allowed to practice clinically and still teach,” she said. “It’s an opportunity at LCU that other schools don’t offer. I think that allows students a unique learning experience—even better than I was allowed in my own studies. It enriches the classroom.” Faculty evaluations done by students echo that sentiment. Students appreciate having a professor who is still practicing what they are teaching them and preparing them to do professionally. Moorman has supervised Drug Court in Vernon Parish for the past 13 years, and does group therapy for Drug Court in Beauregard and Allen parishes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Saturday. Her work has even helped with recruitment for LCU’s Master of Social Work program. “There’s a shortage of licensed clinical social workers, … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University has appointed Beth Palmer as vice president for institutional advancement. Palmer, who will begin her new role March 2, will transition from Louisiana State University of Alexandria, where she has served as assistant vice chancellor and director for the Career Center, with her final day at LSUA set for Feb. 27. In her new role, Palmer will lead LCU’s advancement efforts, including alumni engagement, philanthropic development and strategic partnership initiatives that support student success and institutional growth. This appointment marks both a professional transition and a personal homecoming, as LCU is Palmer’s alma mater and a place that has long shaped her commitment to faith-centered higher education. “We are ecstatic to welcome Dr. Beth Palmer,” said LCU President Mark Johnson. “She is not only a respected leader in higher education, but she is also family. As an alumna of LCU, she understands the heart of this institution, the strength of the Wildcat Nation, and the sacred responsibility we carry to serve both our students and this region. What excites me most is her deep desire to continue serving Central Louisiana, as she … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff PATAIAS, Portugal (LBM) – An Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association Disaster Relief team recently wrapped up a week of work at a Portuguese ministry camp that sustained heavy damage. The team of five worked Feb. 13-21 at Agua de Madei Ros Acampamento Baptista in Patais, Portugal, which is two hours north of the country’s capital city of Lisbon. While there, the team repaired roofs on three buildings and place tarp on three other structures on the campgrounds. According to DR team member Howard Turner, the camp serves as a focal point for the work of the two missionaries use the camp for ministerial efforts including 10 weeks of summer camp, weddings, retreats and other training sessions. Turner said highlights of the trip included conversations with the two missionaries and the more than 100 students who assisted in the clean-up efforts. “It was a wonderful trip all the way around,” Turner told the Baptist Message. “The two missionaries told us once, if not a hundred times, how much impact we had. One of them sent me a text message while we were there and said this was the first time he had seen some of the staff laugh and smile since the storm hit. He said we will never understand the impact … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MARCALA, Honduras (LBM) – A team from First Baptist Church, Poncha­toula, experienced a “God-wink moment” during a recent mission trip to Hon­duras. While serving in the village of Marcala, the team stumbled upon a school bus formerly used by the Tangipahoa Parish School District, where Ponchatoula is located. Associate Pastor Robert Parkin said the group felt it was another confirma­tion that God had called them there to serve. “The best way to describe it is just a clear reminder of God's faith­fulness and his calling for our church to serve these people,” Parkin told the Baptist Message about the sighting of the bus, which was bought by someone with no connection to the team. “How else do you end up with the school bus from your parish in the same community that you are committed to serving and reaching with the Gospel? So, it was quite shocking to see, and (Honduran) Pastor Juan thought I was crazy, be­cause I had to chase down the bus while going up switchbacks in the moun­tains, to get a photo of it.” Parkin was among 14 members of the mission team that served in Mar­cala, Jan. 31 - Feb 7, as part of a medical effort that served 575 patients (rang­ing from two … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff TIOGA, La. (LBM) – Faith Baptist Church, Tioga, will host a hymn sing, March 8 at 6 p.m., to bring together Central Louisiana churches for a time of joint worship that also will include Scripture reading and prayer, according to an announcement by Clark Palmer, who is pastor of FBCT. Kevin Boles, bi-vocational pastor with Lone Star Baptist Church, Hineston, will direct the congregational singing and Sylvia Murrell will accompany on piano. “Hymns build our faith and lift our spirit,” Palmer told the Baptist Message. “We sing about the faithfulness of God and it gives us hope. We sing about the cross and we are moved to deep gratitude. We sing about the greatness of God and we are moved to worship. We hear the voices of the gathered congregation singing and we know we are not alone in our faith.” … [Read more...]

By the Office of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill NEW ORLEANS (Office of Louisiana Attorney General) - The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the American Civil Liberties Union, allowing Louisiana public schools to immediately start posting displays of the Ten Commandments. This comes only a month after the whole Fifth Circuit heard oral argument in the case. “Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally. Louisiana public schools should follow the law," said Attorney General Liz Murrill on the ruling, issued on Feb. 20. When the law went into effect in the beginning of 2025, Murrill issued guidance to all Louisiana public schools regarding compliance with the law. You can find that guidance here. Read the ruling here. … [Read more...]