Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:12 Rev. Larry Badon, interim pastor of Broussard Grove Baptist Church of Prairieville, turns over the keys to incoming pastor Thomas “T” Alan Lusk. The church also voted to merge with Istrouma Baptist of Baton Rouge and will now be called “The Grove.” By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter PRAIRIEVILLE – A new chapter in the 125 year history of Broussard Grove Baptist Church is being written with a new name and a new pastor. In an emotional service on May 26, Rev. Thomas “T” Alan Lusk, 33, was presented with a symbolic shepherd’s staff from Broussard’s interim pastor, Rev. Larry Badon and the church’s name was changed to “The Grove.” The small, aging congregation voted in April to merge with Istrouma Baptist and is now officially a branch campus of the much larger Baton Rouge church. About 50 Istrouma members, many of whom live in Ascension Parish, are now revitalizing the church that had dwindled from nearly 700 several years ago to around 40 in May. “Our vision is the same as Istrouma’s vision: ‘We glorify God by making disciples,’” Lusk said in early June. Lusk preached his first sermon on June 6 and both churches will celebrate an official, public “launch” on Sept. 8. “We want to … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:30 The Louisiana pastor unnamed in the article photographed this Bengali Christian baptizing a new convert in Mumbai. By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter CAPITOL CITY – It was hot, stuffy and crowded in the one-room shack, deep in a labyrinth of slums of Mumbai, India, when the door burst open and angry young Muslim men ordered everyone to get out –  except for one. “You stay!” they told the pastor of one of Louisiana’s largest churches, who was holding a Bible study with a dozen or so Bangladeshi men. As part of its international missions outreach, the church unnamed for security reasons recently adopted Bangladeshi Muslims, an unengaged, unreached people group, who have migrated to India by the millions and are the despised, “illegal immigrants” of that predominantly Hindu nation. This was the second trip for the Louisiana church to meet with “house church” planters evangelizing the vast slums of Mumbai. “The first minute or two my blood pressure rose because I knew they were angry – and I was alone – except for the Lord,” the senior pastor said. “But I felt courage rise. Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry before you go in to testify before kings and authorities, I will give you … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:27 A young girl holds a baby doll at a temprarily-erected memorial at Plaza Tower Elementary School in Moore, Okla., where seven children died after an E5 tornado leveled the school May 20. By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director MOORE, Okla. – Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team member Eddie Rhymes will never forget seeing first-hand a temporarily-erected memorial at Plaza Tower Elementary School, where seven children died when a tornado leveled the school May 20. Filled with stuffed animals, flowers, flags and other memorial items, the memorial was located within view from the final site where his team was working before returning to South Louisiana on June 7. “It was tremendously emotional to be there and realize how much death and destruction were all around you,” Rhymes said. “Trying to disconnect your emotions from the task at hand was difficult. “We were literally piling people’s homes, furniture and years of memories on the curbside to be hauled away,” he said. “One lady said she could not bear to even look at what was left; she said she was going to push the remainder of her home down and move everything away.” Such were the scenes that Rhymes and others … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE – The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session was gaveled to a close on June 6. Considered a fiscal session, legislators were only allowed to introduce five bills in 2013 that were not fiscal in nature. Even-numbered years are considered general sessions and legislators are not limited to how many bills can be introduced. However, legislation cannot be related to taxation. Even though lawmakers were limited this year in what could be introduced, there were many significant pieces of legislation considered with social and moral ramifications. Senate Bill 222, sponsored by Sen. Mike Walsworth of West Monroe, turned about to be one of the more controversial pieces of legislation this session, fueled primarily by a misunderstanding. Walsworth’s bill sought to revamp state oversight of daycare facilities in the state. The language seemed to indicate that churches with “Mother’s Day Out” type programs could be classified as a daycare facility under the new proposal. Though Walsworth repeatedly stated that state law already protected churches and that his bill would not alter that status in any way, there were some Louisiana Baptist churches who were concerned. Gene Mills of the Louisiana Family … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:33 Emma Miller of Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball recently took 39 gallon-size zip bags to the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, Tenn., to help the families of cancer patients. By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor BALL – Emma Miller of Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball was 6 when she started saving the tabs off aluminum cans. She’ll be 11 in August, and she’s still at it. People from across Louisiana – readers of the Baptist Message – have to date helped her gather more than a half-million tabs. She collects them for the Ronald McDonald House near St. Jude’s Hospital for Children in Memphis, Tenn. The facility provides free housing for the families of cancer patients at St. Jude’s. This spring was Emma’s first time to personally deliver to the Ronald McDonald House the tabs she had collected. She took 39 gallon-size ziplock bags, which filled a 33-gallon plastic can. “Since 2009 she has collected more than 100 gallons, which is several hundreds of thousands of tabs,” said Kristetta Miller, Emma’s mom. “With Emma, it’s not numbers that matter to her; just helping.” Emma Miller expressed her thanks “to every church and individual who has helped. Please tell them to … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message STATEWIDE – A variety of camping and other experiences for youngsters and teens is already underway across Louisiana. In addition to RA Camp and GA Camp and a slew of other camps throughout the summer, a week of Harvest Now 2013 is coming to a close July 4 in the Sabine Parish area. Led by its theme of “Step Out” from Matthew 14, the hundred or more teens spread out across the parish, doing what good deeds and acts of kindness they could find to do. The teens started each day with devotions led by area youth leaders. Brian Gilcrease, youth pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist in Florien, was guest speaker; bands this year were 4 Days Late and Adam Hippler. “The focus is to reach our community, sharing Jesus and meeting the needs of others,” said Gilcrease, who organized the week of hands-on discipling. “It’s also to demonstrate to these youth their boldness and ability to truly follow Jesus.” In Jonesboro, the 2013 high-energy, evangelistic Youth Explosion is set for July 28-31 at the Jonesboro-Hodge High School gym. It’s “Get Off the Fence” theme this year comes from Revelation 3:15-16, said event organizer Clay Smith, youth minister at First Baptist Jonesboro. Line-up: Speaker: David Nasser; Band: … [Read more...]

Arrivals/Departures Buddy (wife Sharon) Hampton new as pastor of Belcher Baptist Church in Belcher, La. Charles Rogers has resigned as pastor of St. Clair Baptist near Gardner. Clovis (wife Tawney) Christman new as pastor of Flowers Landing Baptist in Newelllton. Thomas J. (wife Sandra) Boyd new as pastor of Calvary Baptist in Natchitoches. Eric Bradley has resigned as student minister at First Baptist Haynesville. Yancy Martins has resigned as pastor of Grace Baptist Goldonna. Herman Lenard new as pastor of Sikes Baptist in Sikes.   Needed/Giving St. Clair Baptist Church, three miles south of Gardner in Cenla, seeks a full-time pastor. Send resumes to Pastor Search Committee, 940 St. Clair Rd, Boyce LA 71409. Longview Baptist in Deville seeks a fulltime Minister to Students. Send resumes torpoole@longviewbaptistchurch.com. Pastor: Robby Poole. Don Avenue Baptist in Denham Springs needs a Music Director, mainly for Sundays. Call 225.665.5150 or email: donavenuebaptist@bellsouth.net Wallace Ridge Baptist in Jonesville needs a fulltime bivocational pastor. Send resumes to Pastor Search Committee, 202 Tols Road, Jonesville LA 71343. Longview Baptist Deville seeks a paid pianist for Sunday only. Call the church … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:38 By Staff, World News Magazine WASHINGTON, D.C. – In 1965, the U.S. Department of Labor produced a report arguing that “the decline of the black nuclear family would significantly impede blacks’ progress toward economic and social equality.” The document, known as the “Moynihan Report,” stirred heated controversy. The Urban Institute revisited the subject this year. The new study again focused on the African-American community, and its disproportionately high poverty rate. The Urban Institute found that increasingly, single-parent households leads to poverty – and now the percentage of black children born to unmarried mothers is three times higher than it was in the 60s. The share of white children living without fathers has also increased, but rates remain significantly higher among blacks. In 2009, nearly three-quarters of African-American children were born outside of marriage, resulting in 40 percent of black children living below the poverty line. Regardless of race, single-parent families are far more likely to live in poverty, with four of every ten single-mother families in poverty, and only one of 12 two-parent homes in poverty. Another study by the Heritage … [Read more...]

mission’s challenge Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:40 SBC president Fred Luter gives and gets warm greetings from local children upon arrival to a remote island on Lake Victoria in Uganda. Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, visited the island with other U.S. pastors to encourage a local church. By Rolan Martin, IMB Communications UGANDA (BP) – The sun hung low on the horizon as the boat slowly chugged to the banks of the remote Buziri Island in Uganda’s Lake Victoria. Weary from a boat ride of more than six hours, a team of six U.S. pastors, including SBC President Fred Luter, and a handful of IMB personnel, looked with anticipation to the nearing shore. The sturdy wooden fishing boat had looked comfortable enough at the beginning of the journey at a muddy river’s edge after an hour-long bus ride from the town of Jinga. But the boat packed with supplies became more confining to its passengers the longer the journey stretched across the water. The supplies, boat and its motor were provided through Southern Baptists’ gifts to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, which also supports missionaries’ presence and ministry projects … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/15/2013 - 13:36 BCM students from Louisiana’s colleges and universities spread out across the globe – such as this unnamed (for security reasons) Mediterranean nation – throughout the year, to share God’s love with people who have never heard and for those who never thought ‘whosoever’ applied to them. By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor STATEWIDE – While most college students spend their summer earning money to go back to school next fall, a select few have something more important to do: Share God’s love with those who haven’t yet heard of it. Others manage to carve a couple of weeks out of their summer to do God’s work. Still others eke out missions experiences during seasonal breaks throughout the year. “The integration of faith into all areas of a student’s life makes missions a natural expression for a young, healthy adult who is excited and unafraid of this life and the life to come,” said Bill Collins, BCM director at Northwestern State University and coordinator of summer missions teams of Louisiana college students. “Missions also allows a student to develop a healthy world view.” This summer, 351 BCM students from Louisiana’s 28 BCMs have scattered to 42 states and 19 … [Read more...]