By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer COVINGTON, La. (LBM) – Will Robinson was a young man of few words but his impact on those he encountered was immeasurable. Robinson, who died, June 7, at age 24, was born without the ability to speak. Still, his parents refused to let that stop him from living life to its fullest. In turn that mindset led to the creation, two years after his birth, of the “Special Friends Ministry” to individuals with special needs and their families with First Baptist Church, Covington. Glynn Robinson, who serves as missions and evangelism pastor with FBCC, said he and his wife, Melinda, miss their son, but are thankful for the joy he brought to their family and community. “There’s no way to physically account for it, but you just give God the glory because He is always drawing people and used a guy like Will and our family,” Glynn Robinson told the Baptist Message. “We now have to keep honoring that legacy and God will show us a very clear pathway forward.” While the Special Friends Ministry officially began in 2003, the church already ministered to families of children with special needs. When Will was born, the Robinsons, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, were led to … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – There is an opportunity for individuals, congregations and businesses to bless attendees to the upcoming E4+ Preaching Conference through “I Love Pastors” sponsorships. The conference, set for Sept. 23 in the facilities of First Baptist Church, Pineville, will feature keynote messages by Fred Luter, senior pastor with Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, his wife, Elizabeth, and his son, Chip, who also serves as senior associate pastor with FABC. There also will be breakout sessions for pastors as well as directors of youth, media/sound, music and children ministries, and for ministers’ wives. According to conference organizer Stewart Holloway, the registration fee covers only one-third of conference costs so attendance can be more affordable for pastors. Sponsors are needed to cover the remaining costs, said Holloway, pastor of FBC Pineville. Anyone wishing to sponsor a pastor can give three ways: Online (click HERE); by check via mail (FBC Pineville, 901 Main St., Pineville, LA 71360, include “E4 – I Love Pastors” in the “for” line); or in person at FBCP. … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff KERR COUNTY, Texas (LBM) – As the country continued to mourn and pray for those impacted by the July 4th weekend deadly flood in Texas Hill Country, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams were on stand by. LBDR Strategist Stan Statham told the Baptist Message that two shower units were ready if needed. “Pray for the families who have lost loved ones,” Statham told the Baptist Message. “Pray for the first responders who are still searching for those missing.” Nearly a foot of rain caused catastrophic flash flooding on Independence Day morning in Kerr County, engulfing structures and leading to the deaths of at least 80 individuals. Among those were 27 children, counselors and director of Camp Mystic, a private Christian camp situated along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt. The camp released a statement on its website: “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly. We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer TIOGA, La. (LBM) - While other teenagers may have headed to the beach or theme park at the end of the most recent school year, Andrew O’Neal, 14, chose instead to spend some of his summer directing the Vacation Bible School with Tioga First Baptist Church. Despite being a teenager, O’Neal combined his love for VBS with his personal experiences as the son of a former VBS director to coordinate a fruitful week. In the end, one of the 51 children who attended accepted Christ, with more making other spiritual decisions during the evangelist outreach, June 23-27. “It had been in the back of my mind for several years of doing this,” O’Neal told the Baptist Message. “When we didn’t have anyone to direct VBS, I felt like the time was now, and I took on this opportunity.” O’Neal has served in various volunteer roles as a member of the congregation and enjoyed giving back as VBS director, with coaching from his mom, Claire, who served in that role from 2012-22. “I've really found a place here at the church and love serving,” O’Neal said. “So I feel very comfortable and very fulfilled when I come and work up at the church.” His mother added that she felt comfortable handing … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE (LBM) - Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed a proclamation designating July as a month of prayer. Introduced by State Sen. Rick Edmonds, pastor with First Baptist Church, McComb, Mississippi, the proclamation calls “upon the people of Louisiana to come together during the month of July in a season of prayer and fasting, seeking God’s blessing, protection, and wisdom for our state and nation.” Jay Johnston, pastor with First Baptist Church, Melville, and leader with the digital prayer site,  Somebodyspraying.com, said he is grateful for the state’s recognition of the importance of calling on the Lord. “There is no more urgent time to seek Him than now,” Johnston told the Baptist Message. "The world still stands in the shadow of wars, threats of war, and a growing spiritual unrest. So many souls remain unsaved, and so many prodigals need to return. May the Lord burden our hearts so that we go out and share Jesus, and as we go, let us be faithful to pray for an increase of laborers. May the churches of Louisiana recognize our desperation for God, and we call upon Him to work in our families and churches, to bring healing to our state, to forgive us of all our sinful ways, and to unify … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) - The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning for CENLA churches, cautioning them to be mindful of a new scam targeting them. According to the RPSO Facebook page, they were notified of the scam, June 27. “Apparently there is someone out there going through the trouble of identifying the members of the board of directors of churches and then sending emails to the church office, in hopes of acquiring the entire church membership directory,” RPSO posted. “For clarity, they did not hack the board member's email account or steal their identity.  Rather they obtained the email address from open source and sent an email with the request. “We want to warn our followers to always check the email address when information is being requested from you. If you have not heard from this person requesting this information, give them a call to make sure it is them. “In our busy times, we sometimes answer emails without really paying attention to the email address. Most of the time the scammers invent an email address that looks very similar to the legitimate email address of the requestor. “Always delete emails that look suspicious.” … [Read more...]