By Page Brooks, Pastor, Canal Street Church in New Orleans George Zimmerman has been acquitted. Trayvon Martin is dead. A mother is without her son. Cities are in uproar. Racial comments have flown in the media. Nearly 50 years after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, our nation still feels the pain of racial tension when trials like Zimmerman’s take center stage on our nation’s media outlets. Our minds fill with questions: Were racial motivations a part of the killing? What are we to make of a mostly white jury, a Hispanic defendant and an African American victim? Reactions from churches and religious personalities have filled the media from across the spectrum. The New Era Baptist Church, located in Birmingham, Ala., posted the following reaction on its church sign: “George Zimmerman jury supported white racism.”   Anthea Butler, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, questioned the goodness of God in situations like the Trayvon Martin case. In an interview with the Daily Caller, Butler stated, “God ain’t good all the time. In fact, sometimes God is not for us. As a black woman in a nation that has taken too many pains to remind me that I am not a white man, and am not … [Read more...]

By Pete Charpentier, Louisiana College I can remember it like it was yesterday.  It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. I was just a little boy, resting on my dad’s chest. I can still hear the muffled sounds of his heart beat as my small body gently rose and fell with every breath my father took. I felt so secure, protected, and loved.  In a word: I felt accepted. I find myself sometimes drifting back to this “happy place” in my mind. Of course, the reason I have to “drift back” to this memory is because it’s not the frame of mind in which I typically live from day to day. I’m not sure just how it happened, but somewhere along the way, things drastically changed. I moved away from resting in my father’s love, and I started trying to earn his acceptance through my efforts. Yet, as bad as this struggle was in my emotional life, it only foreshadowed another battle I eventually faced in my spiritual life. When I became a Christian as a young teenager, I naturally projected my striving to earn my earthly father’s acceptance onto my heavenly Father. While I knew that my salvation was not based on my works, I somehow continued to live as though my daily acceptance before God was. One person summarized my life-long yearning … [Read more...]

By Archie England, NOBTS Question: Since Christians are not under Jewish covenant laws, should we be concerned about Old Testament ethics and integrity? Archie England responds: Let’s examine this question in the light of Proverbs 3, where a loving father relays a series of commands to his son, directing him to make God the priority of his life: obeying the Torah, committing it to memory, trusting and leaning on God (rather than self), staying humble, honoring God through tithing, and accepting His discipline (Proverbs 3:1-12). These six guidelines are all grounded in wisdom: God’s wisdom. From verses 13-20, the writer of Proverbs 3 highlights the profound role of wisdom, how humankind can be continually blessed by it and how God utilized it in the creation of all things. To gain wisdom is to gain blessing, reward, and a relationship with God. To fail to do so – or marginalize, neglect, or devalue it – well, that’s the fool’s path. And, the writer of Proverbs has little nice to say about the fool. However, many profess to be wise but aren’t. Proverbs 3:21-35 explains how to categorize our behavior: by our ethics and integrity. The benefits of right living are given first in verses 21-26. These include a quality of life, an … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:21 FBC Coushatta Pastor Nathan Davis By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director COUSHATTA – First Baptist Coushatta doesn’t just talk about growth – they live it. Since 2010, the congregation of 175 has seen a 45 percent increase in Sunday morning attendance. Additionally, in that same time period the church has baptized 22, including five this year, in a town of about 2,000. Nathan Davis credits the growth to one simple philosophy – loving God and loving others. “It is obvious when you come to First Baptist Church that we love each other,” said Davis, pastor of the church since the growth began. “People want to be loved, and they are so loving of my family and each other. “Also, people have prayed that we would grow, and it is obvious to those that have been here that we have, over the last three-and-a-half years,” he said. “Although the congregation would say that it is because of pastoral leadership as well, I would say it is because the Lord has decided to work in our midst. I believe He gets all the credit for it.” One demographic that has seen the most growth is the church’s young married couples, many of whom have children. Davis said it is encouraging to see so many … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:32 A bond of love encircles those who participate in the Sunday morning services at Freedom Biker Church in Lafayette, which meets in the HOG – Harley Owners Group – Room at the Cajun Harley Davidson dealership in Lafayette. Pastor Rowdy Daigle is bivocational: He owns Cajun Vacuum in Lafayette. By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter dler, Katt Denais was well on her way to becoming an alcoholic. At age four she was drinking sips of champagne given by her mother; at five her father taught her how to mix drinks and she drank from them as she served him. At 13, she became a biker. Just last year, searching for meaning in her life, she turned to the pagan religion of Wiccan, being trained by a high priestess and learning their practices and beliefs. But a trip to a repair shop in Lafayette, and exposure to the gospel message, changed all that. Last summer Denais accompanied her daughter to Cajun Vacuum to bring in a vacuum cleaner for repair. The business is owned by Rowdy Daigle, who is also pastor of Freedom Biker Church in that city. “When we pulled up in the driveway my daughter pointed to the Freedom Biker Church trailer parked outside and joked, ‘Mom, here’s a place … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:34 Bruce Baker By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter LAKE CHARLES – Over the last three generations, church attendance has been “turned on its head,” says Bruce Baker, new Director of Missions for the Carey Baptist Association, and it has resulted in what he calls “the profoundly un-churched” – children, parents and even grandparents who are no longer meeting for worship and discipleship. Baker, who has served churches in Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas as a pastor since 1983, joined the Carey Association as DOM on June 1. He says he is excited about using his strong background in strategic planning and organization to work with local pastors to strengthen ministries on a broader scale, with emphasis on starting new churches and expanding compassion ministries. “We still have traditional churches, but we also have a changing culture where we will need to meet the needs of people in an untraditional manner,” Baker said, adding that in his generation, he could hand out 20 Billy Graham tracts and people would know who Billy Graham was. It’s not so today, in what Baker describes as the “flip-flop” generation. “We need to build the gospel with grace, love and caring to reach … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:40 Lane Moore By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director SHREVEPORT – The new director of missions for Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association is a familiar face for many churches in the area. Unanimously voted on by the association’s executive board on June 27, Lane Moore had been the associate director of the association since 2005. Moore said his familiarity with the churches and the area gives him an advantage in his new position. “During the meeting when I was named to this position, the executive board told me, ‘congratulations, now get to work with what you were already doing this morning,’” Moore quipped. “In some ways, this is a fairly smooth and easy move to this position. “This area is home to me and I’ve developed relationships through the years with pastors and laypeople, so that puts me way ahead of the starting block,” Moore continued. “Since I already have built that trust with many of our people in the churches, that will help me as we move forward.” Prior to working at the association, Moore served on staff at two area churches. He was associate pastor and minister of education at Waller Baptist in Bossier City from 1994 to 2004, and minister of evangelism … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 12:07 Jim Wolfe By Staff, Baptist Message LASALLE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION – For the last nine years, the 34 congregations of LaSalle Baptist Association have worked together without a director of missions. But for at least the next five months – until the end of the year – they’ll have one. Jim Wolfe of West Monroe recently accepted the assignment. “We’re just going to look and see what’s going to develop,” Wolfe said. “I spent this first week making contact with the pastors; we’ll start doing some planning in the next couple of weeks.” Wolfe most recently spent 12.5 years as director of the church ministries department for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention; previously he had pastored Brookstown Baptist Church in Baton Rouge for 10  years. He and his wife Kathy – they’ve been married 38 years – own a 7-acre truck farm near West Monroe, where as a hobby they raise peaches, plums, apples, pears “and a lot of figs” plus muscadine. “We just piddle around with it,” Wolfe said. Another “piddling around with” endeavor is Wolfe’s 1928, two-door, Chevrolet coupe, which is in its original fawn green color. He’s the car’s third owner. “I bought it in 1998 from a guy who bought … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 12:10 First Baptist Grand Isle opened the doors to its sister church, Crosspoint Church, on Hwy. 1 in Galliano in a leased 50 foot by 50 foot space that was formerly a Radio Shack store. By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter GALLIANO – Every 2.68 years hurricanes pummel the town of Grand Isle, destroying homes and businesses, driving many to re-locate to the little town of Galliano in LaFourche Parish, 35 miles away. And every Sunday the faithful of Grand Isle Baptist Church, who live in Galliano, drive 45 minutes back to their home church for worship. Now, they don’t have to. In March 2012, First Baptist Grand Isle opened the doors to its sister church, Crosspoint Church, on Hwy. 1 in Galliano in a leased 50 foot by 50 foot space that was formerly a Radio Shack store. The church also has a thrift store ministry to meet the needs of the community; it is open on Thursdays and Fridays and on the second Saturday of each month. “This is something that has been on my heart since Katrina,” said Grand Isle Pastor John Boss. “We had members and key leaders of our church driving 45 minutes one way every Sunday from Galliano to Grand Isle. Because of the hurricanes, and cost of … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 12:12 A young boy, one of 120 who attended the Royal Ambassadors Camp at Tall Timbers Conference Center, practices his skills with a bow and arrow during recreation time. The camp, though, wasn’t just fun and games as 12 boys made professions of faith by camp’s end. By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director WOODWORTH – Staring at his target from 50 feet away, sixth-grader Jacob Weaver drew back his bow and held his breath as he released his arrow for the target. Excitement and celebration followed – just one example of the fun participants had throughout the week at Royal Ambassador Camp at Tall Timbers Conference Center. “It’s been a pretty fun week and I love playing all the games here,” Weaver said on a balmy late June afternoon. “My friends and I have had a great time.” The youngster from Montpelier Baptist was one of 120 participants from a total of 11 churches at this year’s RA Camp. Twelve young men made professions of faith by camp’s end. In addition to archery, campers also participated in mechanical bull riding, BB gun shooting, swimming, bazooka gun game and a ropes course. However, the camp was not all recreation. The boys and their leaders also took part in … [Read more...]