TO THE EDITOR   I do not believe there is “Baptist Theology”! We as Baptist should believe and hold to BIBLE doctrine. If St. Augustine, Martin Luther, or John Calvin have revealed truth concerning Bible doctrine I will hold with them. Where any stray from such truth, I will part their company. Those who call people who hold to the truths, of Total Depravity, Unmerited Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints, “Calvinist,” are referring not only to myself but to “Baptist” men of God such as Charles Haddon Spurgeon, as well as our first President of the Southern Baptist Convention, William Bullein Johnson, P. H. Mell, James P. Boyce, Ernest C Reisinger, Basil Manly Sr. and Basil Manly, Jr. I for one am proud to stand with such company. Southern Baptist Seminaries have held to and taught these doctrines from the beginning, though we certainly have strayed from those foundations over the past one hundred years. Saying that our Seminaries were not founded by men who held to these doctrines, is either ignorant or blatantly dishonest! By a simple reading of the Abstract of Principles, adopted in 1858, which currently serves along with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as our doctrinal … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 14:20 By Philip Caples, Louisiana College The first time that the status of Southern Baptist churches startled me was during a chapel service at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Chuck Kelley, President of New Orleans Baptist Seminary, stated around 70 percent of all Southern Baptist churches were either in a state of plateau or decline. When I heard this statistic, I wondered about the future of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). To strengthen the convention, SBC leaders have been planting churches and developing strategies to improve church health. However, several friends have said to me more emphasis needs to be placed on church revitalization. In light of current discussions on this topic, why is church revitalization so important in Southern Baptist life? Church revitalization helps congregations to redefine and embrace their mission for Christ. Congregations should be reminded that Jesus said: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). To make disciples emphasizes the importance of both evangelism and discipleship. Local churches cannot be healthy if they are not reaching the lost, but the task of the church, along with … [Read more...]

By Archie England, NOBTS Question: If God is on the side of His people, why do they sometimes suffer defeat or disaster? Let’s examine 1 Samuel 4-6 for answers. Archie England responds: Israel rallied at Ebenezer to repulse the Philistine army encamped at Aphek (1 Sam 4:1). The ensuing battle left 4,000 Israelites dead. Shocked, the elders asked: “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines?” (4:3). Concluding that if God were “more present” Israel could defeat their enemy, they brought the Ark from Shiloh. Unfortunately, 30,000 more died, the Ark was taken, and the high priest family-Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas-all perished. Great, indeed, was the devastation. Israel’s defeat by the Philistines that day was, first, the result of disobedience-which brought judgment. Eli had failed to lead Israel or his sons, so they desecrated the offerings and committed immoral indulgences (1 Sam 2:12-17; 3:22-26). Second, Israel wrongfully employed the Ark: they treated the “presence of God” as an iconic symbol to be used to win a battle. God would not allow such superficial handling of His Presence to rescue Israel! Once the Ark had been returned to Israel (at Beth-shemesh, 1 Sam 6:1-12), further disaster occurred: 50,070 more … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 14:23 David Denton By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW IBERIA – David Denton, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia, will be nominated for the office of first vice-president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during this year’s LBC’s annual meeting according to Lindsey Burns, pastor of First Baptist Church, DeRidder. Denton confimed to the Baptist Message the expected nomination. Denton said he welcomes the opportunity to serve alongside potential president First Baptist Lafayette Pastor Steve Horn, who is the only candidate, thus far, who has announced he will allow his nomination for LBC president. Besides being members in the same association and serving in churches about 30 minutes apart, both men have served at Highland Baptist. Horn was pastor of the church before Denton came on board in April 2006. Also, Horn’s mother-in-law and father-in-law are members of Highland Baptist. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve the Louisiana Baptist Convention,” said Denton, the only announced candidate for first vice-president. “Steve Horn and I have known each other for a long time and I, if we are elected, will help him implement whatever he has … [Read more...]

ALEXANDRIA – This year’s annual meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention will be held at the Alexandria Riverfront Convention Center on Nov. 11-12, 2013. In order for a church to participate in the business of the convention, they will need to elect messenger(s) to represent them. Messengers elected by their respective church are then able to register as messengers and participate in the business of the convention. The Credentials Committee oversees the registration process for the annual meeting. LBC Credentials Committee Chairman Todd Free notes that there are five ways that messengers may be certified to participate and vote at this year’s annual convention. The first and simplest way is for messengers to pre-register using the LBC online program, print out their registration card, and bring the card to the annual meeting. Pre-registration in this way allows messengers to be certified within a matter of minutes, Free said. Second, if messengers have not pre-registered, bringing a letter from their church on church letterhead stating that they are elected messengers will allow them to register and be certified to vote. Third, a church officer can phone in the names of elected messengers. Fourth, verification by a fellow … [Read more...]

Notice to all Churches: Pre-registration letters were mailed Oct. 2 for the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. If you haven’t already, please go on-line to www.e-LBC.org and use the login information provided in your letter to pre-register your messages for this event. If you have not received your letter or have questions about the process please contact Information Services office by email (Messengers@LBC.org) or phone 318.448.3402 for assistance. … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 14:29 Mission Point Baptist Pastor Ron Johnson serves a congregation of 50 people. The church is located in the fast growing community of Stonewall in northern DeSoto Parish and just south of Shreveport. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer STONEWALL – Mission Point Baptist Pastor Ron Johnson describes himself as a prodigal son. Professing Christ as the age of 12, Johnson said he drifted farther into worldly temptations – divorcing two different women, drinking heavily and using drugs frequently. Then, one day during a special worship service at Mission Point Baptist in 2000, Johnson heard a testimony from a female member of a mission team from the North American Mission Board – a speech that turned his life around and brought him back to the Father. “I could identify with the girl who was talking and I got down on my knees on the third pew where I was sitting and said ‘Lord, I’m tired of running; you got me,’” Johnson said. “A sense of love came over me like never before and I knew without a doubt that God had saved me.” Immediately, the Lord began to change Johnson, from the inside out. And eventually the temptation to use alcohol, drugs and cursing were gone. Though he lost … [Read more...]

TAMPA, FLA. – Bishop Aubrey Shines believes it’s important to present his Tampa, Fla., church parishioners with information. That usually takes the form of exegeting scripture, but it sometimes takes on a political flavor: Shines never hesitates to tell his congregation who he’s voting for and why he’s doing it. “We should ignore political parties, and, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., measure [candidates] by the content of their character,” Shines said. “Let’s see if they measure up to some standard of morality that we would be comfortable with as believers in Christianity.” Shines is part of a growing movement to challenge the so-called Johnson Amendment, a 1954 Internal Revenue Service regulation prohibiting clergy from participating in the political process – risking their churches losing tax-exempt status. In 1954, then-Senate Minority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson crafted the rule as a way of silencing critics in his home state of Texas, and now some religious leaders are banding together to change or overturn it. “From the fundamental foundation of our nation, this is where our leaders were vetted,” Shines told me. “The church had influence over the masses.” A commission under the umbrella of the Evangelical … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 14:33 By  Aaron Earls, LifeWay Communications NASHVILLE (BP) – The man serving snow cones at your Vacation Bible School is a convicted sex offender. That was the news Bill Jones had to deliver to one of the pastors in his association. The pastor came to Jones after learning a volunteer, who had been a “model church member” for two years, may have had a criminal record. “[The pastor] asked if I would do a background search, as I often do for our smaller churches that cannot afford it themselves,” said Jones, executive director of the Neches River Baptist Association in Crockett, Texas. The report did uncover a sex offense conviction, so the pastor and one of his deacons dealt with the volunteer. That Texas church was one of nearly 5,000 churches and religious organizations who’ve used backgroundchecks.com over the past five years, through a relationship with LifeWay Christian Resources. There have been more than 84,500 background checks run through the LifeWay.com/backgroundchecks program during that time. Of those checks, 53 percent (44,946) returned some type of issue, according to Jennie Taylor, a LifeWay coordinator who manages the backgroundchecks.com program. The … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 14:36 “The best is yet to be,” North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell told trustees at their Oct. 9 meeting in Toronto. “There is a great deal to be done. We are not near where we need to be.” NAMB trustees focused on renewed church planting efforts and heard reports from various regions throughout North America. By Mike Ebert, Baptist Press TORONTO (BP) – Amid the North American Mission Board’s progress and momentum, President Kevin Ezell punctuated his remarks at NAMB’s Oct. 9 board meeting by challenging trustees to remember: “We are not where we need to be -– there is still much to do.” Ezell also told trustees of NAMB’s transition to a new funding model with southern state conventions that will yield more funding for key church planting initiatives across the country. Ezell’s comments came at the close of a three-day meeting when NAMB’s trustees gathered for the first time in Canada. Trustees visited church plant sites throughout Toronto to meet church planters who shared the challenges of ministering in one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities, where half of all residents are foreign-born. But trustees also heard how God is moving in the hearts of … [Read more...]