By Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Christian University faculty and staff and community members gathered Sept. 15 at Granberry Conference Center to dedicate the school's new Jonathan E. Martin Master of Business Administration program. The MBA is the newest graduate degree offered in the Young School of Business at LCU. Martin, a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, began his career in his family’s business in 1971 and remained with the business until his death in September 2019. During the time with the company, Martin served as chairman, CEO and past president. … [Read more...]

By Victoria Watson, Wildcats Media PINEVILLE, La. (WildcatsMedia) -- Kyah Iles, founder of Six Feet Above, a non-profit organization dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention, will speak at Louisiana Christian University today, Sept. 15, during a Suicide Awareness Event titled “Six Feet Above.” Iles is a resident of Central Louisiana and certified suicide interventionist and crisis interventionist instructor. Additionally, Iles has told her story of survival after her own suicide attemptto hundreds of students, educators, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals throughout Louisiana. Taylor Dauzat, the mental health counselor at LCU, believes that suicide awareness and prevention affects everyone. “Suicide is definitely a big and growing area of concern over the last several years, especially among college students,” Dauzatsaid. “I was really inspired by her and her story and thought that she would be a perfect speaker for our students because when you are able to talk to someone who has really went through it and hear a story about a survivor, it impacts in a different way.” Iles said her focus is to break the stigma around mental health, notably in the Christian … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Former childhood television star Kirk Cameron encouraged more than 1,100 guests gathered at the CENLA Pregnancy Center’s Gift of Life Banquet to continue the fight in the pro-life movement that is gaining more and more momentum across the nation. The annual event was held at the Randolph River Front Center. “When I think of all that is going on at the CENLA Pregnancy Center, I see this whole strategy being carried out in a beautiful little microcosm right here in Alexandria and in your satellite locations,” Cameron said during the Sept. 13 event. “It’s driven by faith. The Gospel is shared. More importantly, people are coming into a relationship with God. “They are educating and talking to these young ladies about how they are made in the image of God, and these young women are learning about God’s value for families and children,” he continued. “They have an educational component for their clients and the community that is helping to liberate little babies, allowing them to live and giving all of us an opportunity to join in on what God is doing at the CENLA Pregnancy Center. “And the center, also, is involved in making people understand that … [Read more...]

By Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist state missions and ministry directors and entity heads rolled out the welcome mat for more than 19 new pastors and eight spouses, Sept. 12. Held at the Baptist Building in Alexandria, the event featured remarks by Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn, introductions by state ministries and entities, a tour of the building and lunch for those in attendance. The event was open to any pastor or staff member who had transitioned to the role of pastor since 2020. “The strength of our cooperation rides on the back of the strength of our relationships,” Horn told the Baptist Message. “Central to that cooperation is the strength of our relationships with pastors. And, how can we have strength in those relationships with those with whom we haven’t even met? “So, our ongoing vision is to start that relationship as early as possible when a new pastor arrives for his first pastorate in Louisiana,” he continued. “The intention of this event was to open the physical front door of our convention so pastors could hear the presentations from state missions’ directors and entity leaders and also tour our facilities,” Louisiana Baptists Pastoral Ministry Team … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer WASHINGTON (LBM) – A Facebook post by Congressman Mike Johnson warning families about the new FX cartoon “Little Demon” has reached more than 12 million people and been shared more than 157,000 times since Sept. 5. Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District and is a member of Cypress Baptist Church, Benton, shared his concerns about the show that was previewed during the Florida State-LSU football game Sept. 4 on ABC. According to the FX website, the show features a “reluctant” mother and her antichrist daughter as they try to live an ordinary life in Delaware. However, they are “constantly thwarted by monstrous forces, including Satan, who yearns for custody of his daughter’s soul.” Johnson, who has made four other Facebook posts about the show, said he was shocked Disney, which owns and markets FX, would expose so many individuals including children such as his own 11-year-old son to a trailer about a cartoon that has elements of satanism, graphic violence and profanity. “When I saw the trailer, I was alarmed,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “It was not expected, and I couldn’t get to the remote fast enough to shield my son from it. I wondered … [Read more...]