By Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist college students gathered on June 3 to finalize details before embarking for GOLA summer missions in the state and beyond. Now, in its 14th year, GOLA (Go Louisiana) VBS is an emphasis by the Louisiana Baptist collegiate ministry that allows college students to serve on teams who spend the summer sharing God’s love through what is the largest evangelistic outreach – Vacation Bible School -- of the year for many congregations. Churches in which the teams conduct a VBS normally have low baptisms and would have trouble coordinating such an event without the help of the GOLA VBS team. Two teams that will comprise five college students on each will serve at churches around the state, June 4-July 16. Another team of six students will conduct VBS in Wyoming, June 9-July 31, while another team of students will serve in Costa Rica, June 21-28. One student will serve as a church staff apprentice in Louisiana. Additionally, the state’s 15 BCMs will provide many more to serve as interns, camp personnel, church staff and international mission board missionaries. GOLA strategist Ashley Jones said students who serve on GOLA teams are a blessing to both students and … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - I, like many of you, read the report from Guidepost and experienced an array of emotions. We must do better. We must be better. Those affected by sexual abuse deserve better and certainly, our devotion to our Lord demands better. As promised during our Annual Meeting last November, we will seek to listen to, and support, those  who have suffered abuse. In addition, we will be proactive in implementing strategies that endeavor to eliminate all incidents of sexual abuse among our churches. During our May Executive Board meeting, I updated our trustees on what’s been done since our November gathering. We will continue to review the report from the SATF and discern what recommendations can and should be adopted among our convention of churches. I urge Louisiana Baptists to pray this moment brings us to a place of acknowledgment of sin which leads to repentance that makes way for the fruit of repentance. For about a year now, we have been calling people to introspection, consecration, intercession, and decision through the personal revival guide, Change Me. Today, more than ever, we need to be praying, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test and know my concerns. See if there is any … [Read more...]

By Message staff RUSTON, La. (LBM) – Rolling Hills Ministries has opened a bookstore and coffee shop. Located eight miles south of its main office in Ruston, the facility has more than 20,000 books for sale and offers fresh ground coffee, espressos, lattes, fresh baked snacks, smoothies and more that can be enjoyed in the store or underneath a porch. Ministry Director John Cowling said the bookstore and coffee shop is the culmination of 17 weeks of Rolling Hills staff and local volunteers working more than 4,000 hours to accomplish a vision that God gave the ministry more than a year ago. The coffee shop and bookstore are funded through donations and sales from its thrift store. “God has blessed us through the generous donations of the people in our community and we are so excited to be able to be good stewards of these gifts and provide a welcoming environment for the community to come together and know that God loves them through the new opportunities this facility will give us,” Cowling said. The bookstore and coffee shop, located at 1103 Farmerville Hwy. in Ruston, is open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. … [Read more...]

By Message staff Ben Waites, a Christian musical recording artist and 2010 graduate of Louisiana Christian University, will appear on an episode of the upcoming season of America’s Got Talent. While the exact date of his appearance on the national talent show is not known, Waites expressed excitement about the opportunity on his Facebook page. The 17th season of the show premieres Tuesday, May 31, 7 p.m. on NBC. “Thank you for always believing in me and showing so much support,” Waites wrote on his Facebook page. “I couldn’t do this without you. I covet your prayers that God would use this opportunity to reach a lot of people.” … [Read more...]

By Baptist Community Ministries staff NEW ORLEANS, La. - The United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Baptist Community Ministries will name the recipients of the inaugural Summer Impact Grants during a news conference Thursday, June 2. The two organizations allocated $500,000, collectively, to help youth-serving organizations strengthen education, health and workforce during the summer in undeserved neighborhoods in Orleans Parish. More than 30 summer program providers won the awards, which ranged from $5,000-$20,000, based on qualifications that included operating in Orleans Parish and focusing on serving young people of color, ages 11 to 24, that live below the ALICE Threshold. According to the United Way website, ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Those who are ALICE workers earn just above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it costs to make ends meet. … [Read more...]

By staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Louisiana Baptist Foundation has launched ‘ChurchBiz Conversations’, a free service that has been specifically developed for church administrators, pastors and other staff involved in managing the business side of ministry for their congregations. The online portal provides a platform to discuss church business administration topics, provide/receive recommendations for church-related products/services, place churches’ job postings, while connecting church staffs around the state to maximize efforts. Jeff Steed, LBF executive director, told the Baptist Message this was an effort by the Foundation to continue to provide services that “add value to churches and ministries.” He said it was another way for the LBF to come alongside churches, and mentioned Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (NKJV). Steed offered that individuals can start or join conversations now, by registering on LBFinfo.org/forums. “The Foundation is very grateful for the partnership in ministry we enjoy with Louisiana Baptists,” Steed shared, “We hope the ‘ChurchBiz Conversations’ online platform will help their ministries advance the Kingdom!” … [Read more...]

By Message Staff After taking time to examine a 288-page report from a task force that oversaw an independent review of the SBC Executive Committee over allegations of mishandling reports of sexual abuse, Louisiana’s three Executive Committee trustee members shared their thoughts on the findings with the Message. The Task Force released its findings on May 22. The report — that can be found on sataskforce.net — outlines the Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse cases between 2000 and mid-2021. The independent investigation was conducted by Guidepost Solutions. All statements are in their entirety as sent to the Message. MIKE HOLLOWAY Mike Holloway is pastor of Ouachita Baptist Church, West Monroe. He said: “As a member of the Executive Committee Trustees representing Louisiana since 2014, I want to say that it has been an honor and most of the time a joy to serve. I rotate off as a trustee at the SBC Annual Meeting this June. As all the others on the EC, I want to express my disappointment or sorrow about the many things that were revealed in this investigative report. Can I begin by explaining that there is a difference between the Executive Committee and the Executive Committee trustees? As a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM) – Congressman Mike Johnson and his wife, Kelly, have teamed up to launch a podcast focused on hot topics and currents events from a Christian perspective. “‘Truth be Told’ with Mike and Kelly Johnson” launched March 7 on their website, mikeandkellyjohnson.com. The couple, who are members of Cypress Baptist Church, Benton, discuss such topics as how America can be saved, why conservatism matters, what Christ followers must to do to preserve western civilization and the biblical basis for border security. Johnson, who represents 15 parishes in Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District and has 20 years of experience litigating constitutional law cases, said he and his wife, who is a licensed Christian counselor, wanted to give others a glimpse through the podcast of what their family talks about at the supper table. They have been married nearly 23 years. “We have been working in ministry side by side and together for our whole marriage,” Johnson told the Message. “It’s sort of a natural thing for us. This is what we talk about and do every day. It is neat to share it with others. “Kelly has a lot of insight and a different perspective than I do on so many … [Read more...]