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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

From Pakistan to Pineville: LCU math professor counts his blessings

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - While Louisiana Christian University welcomed many international students who traveled thousands of miles to attend college this semester, few traveled as far as new mathematics faculty member Ashar Ghulam. Ghulam moved this summer from Lahore, Pakistan - his hometown of more than 13 million residents, of whom are more than 96 percent Muslim - to live in Pineville, a town of 15,000, and work at a Christian university. To say his life has changed seems to be more than just a bit of an understatement. However, Louisiana itself was not new to him or his family. Ghulam, who was raised in a Christian family, studied at Forman Christian College University in Lahore when it was run by government. Previously this university was run by Presbyterian missionaries. He earned his master’s from the University of the Punjab, also in Pakistan. He spent a few years teaching mathematics in high schools. Then in 2003, martial law was declared and the Army took over. The government had previously taken over control of Forman Christian College University and eliminated the role of the Christian missionaries. “The head of the Army, he was a former student, and he helped the … [Read more...]

Post Ida: DR teams celebrate rebuilt homes in Montegut

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONTEGUT, La. (LBM) – Hurricane Ida washed ashore the Ponte-au-Chien trial community, Aug. 29, 2021, destroying most homes and leaving the residents discouraged and hopeless. But by early 2023, despair gave way to optimism when Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams and other groups came to help the residents rebuild. Since March 2023, teams have restored two houses in the community, where 78 of the 92 homes were heavily damaged by the Category 4 storm (maximum sustained winds of 150 mph). “We have just helped a lot of people and that has injected some hope into the community that felt hope was gone,” Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief Associate Mark Morelock told the Baptist Message. “There still is hopelessness in the area but some people are starting to realize that they do have a future. They are seeing a presence of a church that is growing again and projects that are being completed; and they have begun to realize that they shouldn’t give up.” Marvin and Debbie Savoie, former International Mission Board Missionaries who now are members of First Baptist Church, Lafayette, have overseen the rebuild project. Marvin Savoie said the cooperation among so many groups has … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists help foil some bad bills, fail to ban THC

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor Louisiana Baptists collaborated with like-minded conservative allies to protect the state from perilous legislation that would have endangered the unborn as well as negatively impacted the general population, including pro-abortion, anti-traditional marriage and recreational marijuana bills. Rep. Mandie Landry introduced House Bill 98 to delete the Defense of Marriage Act from the Louisiana Constitution, urging the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee that with the legalization of gay unions, the DOMA was no longer valid. Opponents to her measure, however, successfully argued that DOMA should be kept on the books while social conservatives fight to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. They contended that abortion bans were kept on the books for decades until social conservatives were able to overturn Roe v. Wade. Her bill was defeated by a vote of 8–5. HB 164, authored by Rep. Delisha Boyd, offered to narrow the abortion ban in Louisiana by creating exceptions for rape (which accounts for less than 1 percent of all abortions in the United States) and incest (about 0.5 percent of abortions). Boyd used a hypothetical … [Read more...]

Dr. Maggie Martin Marketplace Leadership Summit announced

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – During the dedication of the new Jonathan E. Martin Master of Business Administration program, Louisiana Christian University leaders surprised his wife with the launch of the Dr. Maggie Martin Marketplace Leadership Summit. Made possible through a gift from her daughter, Natalie, and son-in-law, Darryl Monroe, the event will be held each spring for business and industry leaders in central Louisiana who strive to live out their faith at work. “My sister and I were blessed with two God-fearing parents who put faith and family first,” Natalie Monroe said during the Sept. 16 dedication at Granberry Conference Center on the LCU campus. “We never even realized my mom worked because she worked when we were in school. She always put faith and family first.” The first Dr. Maggie Martin Marketplace Leadership Summit is planned for April 13, 2023, featuring Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne’s Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels. For more information about the Jonathan E. Martin MBA program, visit page on the LCU website. … [Read more...]