By Andy Kanengiser, Mississippi College Communications CLINTON, Miss. – Antioch Baptist Church kids and parents enjoyed every mile of the journey to a FUGE Christian camp at Mississippi College. Worship services, quiet moments for Bible study, sports, fellowship time and much more were a real blessing for the church delegation from Farmerville, Louisiana. The annual June trip to the 5,000-student Baptist-affiliated university in Clinton was the sixth for parent chaperones like David C. Byrnes. He calls it his best one yet. “We love coming to Mississippi College because of its location and the facilities are great,’’ Byrnes says. “The camp pastor was awesome and we had two kids get saved.’’ Seventeen children and seven parents were part of this summer’s contingent from Antioch Baptist Church. Well-known for its Louisiana Watermelon Festival in late July and fun adventures to go fishing, boating and swimming at D’Arbonne State Park, Farmerville is sandwiched between Monroe and Ruston. So, the trip for the Louisiana church delegation is a quick two-hour and 15-minute ride on I-20 to the Clinton, Miss. campus. Once they get off the bus, they see a Clinton campus that’s steeped in history. Founded in 1826, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer The innonence of a child must be protected at all costs. Fortunately, the expense can be minimal and the investment will reap dividends for churches that take proper child safety security measures. That’s the consensus among children’s ministry staff the Baptist Message talked to regarding this sensitive yet important matter. “It’s much less expensive to put these things in place than for a church to have a lawsuit or have their insurance removed,” said Carrie Moreau, children’s ministries coordinator at Sale Street Baptist Church in Lake Charles. “Isn’t it better to be prepared than not prepared? The benefits far outweigh the cost.” Though an improper incident involving an adult and child has never occurred at Sale Street, not taking action was something the church could not afford. Their first step was researching what steps other churches had taken. Since the church was undergoing a building renovation, Sale Street instituted security measures in the construction process. Those included installing large windows on each classroom door, placing locks on all storage closets and making a check-in/check-out station. At the check-in/check-out station, parents of children … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LEESVILLE – To say Lloyd Handorf wears many hats is an understatement. In the 40 years he has been a member of Old Anacoco Baptist Church, he has held just about every role in the church imaginable, from youth director to interim pastor. “There was no doubt God’s hand was in my coming to Old Anacoco,” said Handorf, who serves as music minister. “I always have that clear in my mind. I believe if it is for me to leave for some other place He will be just as clear.” For his service to the church, the Old Anacoco congregation and others who knew him surprised Handorf in a special recognition service. Nearly 225 people attended the day, which included several past members of the church and choir and brother, sister, children, grand-children, nieces, and in-laws traveling from Colorado and several locations in Texas and Louisiana. During his time there, Handorf’s other roles have included deacon, Sunday school teacher, New York and Nicaragua on mission trips, and committee member. He’s even served as Vernon Baptist Association music director and vice moderator. Pat McRae, Handorf’s sister-in-law as well as a fellow member, calls him the heartbeat of the church. “He’s the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – With the raging Red River not far behind where he was standing, property owner Ricky Woodard surveyed the work a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team in his Shreveport neighborhood was doing with amazement. Woodard, whose property is less than 100 yards from the Red River, estimates work done by the mud-out team from Zoar Baptist Church saved him nearly a month’s worth of clean-up. “They’re like a bunch of ants coming together and getting things done almost instantly,” Woodard said, with his two grandchildren standing nearby. “I’m so appreciative.” The team worked all day, removing mud and debris inside homes in the neighborhood heavily damaged by the river’s recent floodwaters. Loren Warren, a member of the team from Zoar Baptist Church, said that despite the temperatures that reached the upper 90s, the humidity was a small inconvenience compared to the blessings the team received. “It feels wonderful to be the hands and feet of Christ and help those in need,” Warren said. “I pray that when we are working that the people see Jesus.” Through June 24, teams completed 13 jobs and gave 32 gospel presentations, which resulted in four people accepting Christ … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy & Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writers ALEXANDRIA – By relying on God’s providence through the Cooperative Program, Louisiana Baptist entities and charitable organizations are not expected to feel the impact of an Obama Administration executive order like other faith-based groups in the United States. President Barack Obama’s signing of executive order 13671 on July 21, 2014 would force faith-based organizations and charities receiving federal funding or grants to hire LGBT applicants or lose their funding. “God has given the church, not the government, the task of caring for people in need,” said Perry Hancock, president and CEO of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home. “Therefore, God’s people should be the source for funding His work.” Hancock emphasized the Children’s Home does not accept any type of federal funding, instead relying on gifts from the Cooperative Program and private donors for its funding. “We should be cautious of entering into agreements which limit our sharing of the gospel,” said Hancock. “I come from an evangelical/Southern Baptist faith tradition which emphasizes sharing a verbal witness. We do not want to be in a position where we limit our ability to share the good … [Read more...]

by Norm Miller, Special to Baptist Message PINEVILLE (LCNews)-- The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) reaffirmed on June 6 the accreditation of Louisiana College’s Division of Business. “Achieving ACBSP reaffirmation is a rigorous process,” said Dr. Cheryl Clark, LC’s interim vice president for academic affairs. “Each accreditation standard assesses a college’s ability to perform in critical areas, such as teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning.” “This reaffirmation of accreditation for our Division of Business is a credit to our exceptional faculty who clearly and compellingly teach with a commitment to quality,” she said. “Every one of our professors cares deeply about the college and about making sure that students have a tremendous experience during their years at LC.” First accredited in 1995, LC’s Division of Business is one of the oldest members of ACBSP. “ACBSP’s reaffirmation of accreditation confirms that Louisiana College's business program meets the standards of excellence in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, measurement and analysis of student learning and performance, faculty and staff focus, and education … [Read more...]