By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM)—In a July 8 hearing, Judge Ethel Simms Julien, a Democrat, ruled that she did not have jurisdiction over the case which had been filed in New Orleans to stop enforcement of a trigger law that now bans abortion in Louisiana. She also declined to extend the temporary restraining order granted, June 27, by Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Robin Giarrusso, also a Democrat, that stopped the law from going into effect. Julien’s decisions spared the lives of an estimated 40-50 babies scheduled to be aborted during the weekend by a plaintiff in the case, Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport. Medical Students for Hope, a pro-abortion group, which has a chapter with Tulane University, New Orleans, is the other plaintiff in the case. BACKDROP Louisiana’s abortion ban went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned, June 24, its previous rulings in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and returned “the authority to regulate abortion … to the people and their elected representatives.” The lawsuit to stop the abortion ban was filed, June 27, by the two pro-abortion groups, and named Louisiana Department of Health … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer VIDALIA, La. (LBM) – The pro-life movement will get a shot in the arm in the Vidalia, La.-Natchez, Miss., area when the Miss-Lou Pregnancy Center opens July 18. The 1,500 square-foot facility, located at 4951 Hwy. 84 West in Vidalia, will be the first of its kind in that area. The center, the second satellite of the CENLA Pregnancy Center in Alexandria, will operate Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. It will offer free pregnancy tests as well as information about pregnancy options, maternity resources and post-decision support including parenting education and post-abortive healing. Kimberly DeLoach Butler, who has worked as client advocate coordinator with the CENLA Pregnancy Center since 2018, will be at the helm when the center opens. Butler is among those who will share more about the center at a ribbon cutting, scheduled for 11 a.m., July 18. State Sen. Glen Womack, CENLA Pregnancy Center Executive Director Claire Lemoine and CENLA Pregnancy Center Board President Ed Tarpley (a member of Kingsville Baptist Church, Ball) also will deliver remarks. “We’re excited to be able to open the Miss-Lou Pregnancy Center providing support to women in unplanned pregnancies in … [Read more...]

By Staff MONROE, La. (LBM)—Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries is preparing for an expected increase in needs for adoption and foster care following the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson which permitted Louisiana to enact a ban on abortions. “We know that more babies will be placed in state foster care and more babies will need adoptive, forever families,” said Perry Hancock, LBCHFM president and CEO. “We want to be ready to meet those needs.” Hancock described how the ministry’s Connect1Child program (connect1child.org) assists foster and adoptive families and helps Louisiana Baptist churches and associations to develop ministries that support the foster care/adoption community (e.g., support groups, respite care services, life essential ministries, etc.). “We provide an introduction and orientation for families sensing God’s call to foster or adopt,” Hancock explained. “Our adoption specialists also provide training and certification services for those Louisiana Baptist families. In addition, the Children’s Home provides ongoing and in-home support.” Also, he said, the Children’s Home assists mothers with the adoption process and provides referrals to local agencies for services that it does not … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Since January, 11 churches have been planted in the state, a pace that will allow Louisiana Baptists this year to achieve a goal of establishing 300 new congregations “in a decade,” originally intended to be completed by 2020. But COVID-19 was a major factor in the two-year delay, Louisiana Baptist Church Planting Director James Jenkins said. The milestone is one of 10 action steps identified in the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, which was affirmed by messengers during the 2013 LBC Annual Meeting. Jenkins said reaching this benchmark is evidence of a commitment to do whatever it takes to sustain the spread of the Gospel throughout Louisiana. “The continued push forward to plant churches in the state tells me we are still an evangelical group,” Jenkins told the Baptist Message. “Our churches are committed to the Great Commission and are generous to help us start new churches that further the Gospel in communities around the state.” STRATEGIZE, EVANGELIZE The strategy for church planting has been to target the regions of the state where most Louisianans live, with an emphasis on cities and communities along the I-10 corridor and … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PELICAN POINT, Bahamas (LBM) – Most work on the rebuild of the structures of the St. Matthew Baptist Church is complete, making way for a July 24 re-dedication of the facilities leveled by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. According to Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief Strategist Stan Statham, only carpet installation and some interior painting need to be done. A LBDR team of six people put most of the finishing touches on the project, May 2-11. While there, the team installed doors on the worship center and classrooms, completed work on restrooms and placed air conditioning units throughout the building. “This is a ‘Thank you, God’ moment,” Statham told the Baptist Message. “When you think of COVID-19, and another tropical storm that hit the island, you can’t help but praise the Lord. The project has given people in the community hope that they will get through the rebuild of the island.” LBDR member Howard Turner, who participated in the most recent trip to St. Matthew Baptist, said he is awestruck at God’s faithfulness throughout the project. “The reward of being part of the St. Matthew rebuild for many trips is two-fold,” he said. “First, it’s the joy and privilege of … [Read more...]