If Southern Baptists want to see a “Great Commission Resurgence,” Henry Blackaby believes they need to focus on the relationship between disciples and the living Lord Jesus, not launch a new emphasis on evangelism. ATLANTA (BP) – If Southern Baptists want to see a “Great Commission Resurgence,” Henry Blackaby believes they need to focus on the relationship between disciples and the living Lord Jesus, not launch a new emphasis on evangelism. “I have felt for a long time that Southern Baptists have focused on evangelism and missed discipleship,” Blackaby told Baptist Press May 11. “The most important part of the Great Commission is ‘teach them to practice everything I have commanded you.’ That’s discipleship and that’s the heart of the Great Commission. If we want to have a resurgence in the Great Commission, there’s got to be a refocusing on the priorities of Christ for discipleship.” Blackaby, a longtime pastor, college president and coauthor of the “Experiencing God” series of Bible study materials, said declining baptism and membership statistics in the Southern Baptist Convention reflect not so much a lack of passion for Christ’s command to make disciples as a lack of relationship with Jesus Christ. “When you hear … [Read more...]

For now the small brick ranch on Dreux Avenue is quiet, except for the scraping of the putty knife Andy King is using on some recently hung drywall. EDITOR’S NOTE – Operation Noah Rebuild is a three-year partnership project (through August 2009) between New Orleans churches and associations, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and the North American Mission Board to help New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The goal of Operation NOAH Rebuild is to rebuild 1,000 houses and 20 churches using volunteer labor by August of 2009. Thousands of volunteers are still needed to help Operation Noah Rebuild realize this goal of rebuilding 1,000 homes; start, restart, or strengthen churches; and reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. NEW ORLEANS – For now the small brick ranch on Dreux Avenue is quiet, except for the scraping of the putty knife Andy King is using on some recently hung drywall. That and the intermittent explanation of what it takes to do a good drywall job. “It’s tough work and very few people want to do it,” says Andy, a 66-year-old retired pastor, farmer, and drywall specialist with the Baptist Bricklayers of Tennessee. He works his large putty knife along a rough ceiling seam trying to … [Read more...]

Angola State Penitentiary, the nation’s largest maximum security prison, houses 5,108 inmates of whom 3,200 are serving life sentences with little or no hope of parole or freedom. ANGOLA – Angola State Penitentiary, the nation’s largest maximum security prison, houses 5,108 inmates of whom 3,200 are serving life sentences with little or no hope of parole or freedom. The average sentence of an inmate is 90 years, and 90 percent of those inmates will die in the 18,000-acre facility. How then does an inmate get set free? “The only way many will ever be set free is through a relationship with Jesus Christ,” Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism and Church Growth Director Wayne Jenkins said. “Many of these men will never leave the confines of this prison physically, but spiritually, by professing their faith in Jesus Christ and asking forgiveness of their sins, they will be set free spiritually.” Jenkins, along with 150 pastors and volunteers from churches across the state, tried to do just that last Friday and Saturday during the LBC’s annual Angola Prison Revival. And 275 inmates jumped at the chance. “In speaking with Keith (evangelism associate Keith Manuel) I understand from the cards we got back there were 275 … [Read more...]

In response to reduced giving during the current economic downturn, International Mission Board trustees approved suspending new appointments to the International Service Corps and Masters programs during their May 19-20 meeting in Denver. DENVER (BP) – In response to reduced giving during the current economic downturn, International Mission Board trustees approved suspending new appointments to the International Service Corps and Masters programs during their May 19-20 meeting in Denver. The IMB also will reduce the number of new appointments to its career, apprentice and associate programs. New appointments will continue on a more selective basis, involving the most strategic assignments. Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt, who spoke at the meeting, said, “It is not acceptable in my heart that we can have missionaries in the pipeline and need to tell them we can’t send them. “I believe that the people of God will rise to the occasion,” said Hunt, pastor of the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church in Woodstock. But Hunt also noted: “We will have a significant reduction [of missionary appointments] in 2010 ... unless Southern Baptists respond.” This comes after a year when Southern Baptists sent out … [Read more...]

Ohhhhh, now I get it. All these years I thought people flocked to Billy Graham events because of his reputation. Instead, it’s because people start praying for their friends, relatives and coworkers – in this case, schoolmates – who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. STATEWIDE – Ohhhhh, now I get it. All these years I thought people flocked to Billy Graham events because of his reputation. Instead, it’s because people start praying for their friends, relatives and coworkers – in this case, schoolmates – who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And after the Christians pray, they invite the ones they are praying for to hear Billy Graham! In this case – Rock the River in Baton Rouge on Saturday, July 18 – it is to be Franklin Graham speaking in short fragments between not one or two but SIX nationally-known bands. “This is just for youth,” Graham said in February at an introductory Rock the River explanatory meeting, which took place at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. “There are young kids today by the millions who don’t know God loves them. This has been a burden on my heart.” Awareness-building meetings took place in several locations across Louisiana and Mississippi … [Read more...]

People of faith are on a collision course with the radical homosexual agenda. It is inevitable. In order for the radical homosexual agenda to be fully implemented, people of faith are going to have to be silenced and marginalized. The radical homosexual community will have to violate our religious liberty and our consciences in order to achieve this. People of faith are on a collision course with the radical homosexual agenda. It is inevitable. In order for the radical homosexual agenda to be fully implemented, people of faith are going to have to be silenced and marginalized. The radical homosexual community will have to violate our religious liberty and our consciences in order to achieve this. At this very moment, three issues move us closer to what I believe is an eventual clash. These issues affect our religious liberty in unique and distressing ways. I will mention two related to each. First, “same-sex marriage” will lead to the violation of our children’s consciences. Many of us send our children to government-run schools armed with our convictions and the Bible’s teachings about homosexuality. Yet our children are already getting a much different message in some schools. Imagine what will happen if the … [Read more...]

Thank you for the trust that you placed in my leadership last year at our National Convention. It has been an honor to serve you this year and I appreciate your prayers as well as your concerns that you have shared with me as we have presented to you the Great Commission Resurgence Declaration. Dear SBC Family, Thank you for the trust that you placed in my leadership last year at our National Convention. It has been an honor to serve you this year and I appreciate your prayers as well as your concerns that you have shared with me as we have presented to you the Great Commission Resurgence Declaration. I have heard you loud and clear, and with that in mind I have attempted to honor James 3:17, knowing that wisdom comes from above and that the Bible gives us marvelous characteristics of what that wisdom looks like. The words that really stand out in this passage that really speak to my heart are: easily to be entreated, willing to yield, or reasonable. I want to be God’s man who is reasonable and always generating kindness, and a man with pure motives that are displayed with pure manners. With that being said, there have been several revisions that I have made to this document that I trust will give greater clarity, … [Read more...]

When the movie “Juno” received four Academy Award nominations and actually won the Oscar for best original screenplay, former Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt was worried. In the film, “Juno,” a pregnant teenager, decides against an abortion, a change of heart partially due to her experience at an abortion clinic. When the movie “Juno” received four Academy Award nominations and actually won the Oscar for best original screenplay, former Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt was worried. In the film, “Juno,” a pregnant teenager, decides against an abortion, a change of heart partially due to her experience at an abortion clinic. Feldt admitted to About.com, “The clinic in “Juno” is terrible.” But, she added: “It’s a terribly untrue stereotype.” When Juno arrives at the clinic, a flippant and heavily pierced receptionist seems to care more about forcing a lavender condom on her than on offering real help for her current dilemma. This is a parody on what we know about Planned Parenthood: They’re a lot more about contraception and abortion than about abstinence and adoption. Feldt described workers in Planned Parenthood clinics as “compassionate” and “dedicated to making women feel comfortable.” However, … [Read more...]

Lafayette is a wonderful city to live – so alive and diverse. It is steeped in culture, history, great food and its Cajun heritage. It is also a city filled with many spiritual needs. LAFAYETTE – Lafayette is a wonderful city to live – so alive and diverse. It is steeped in culture, history, great food and its Cajun heritage. It is also a city filled with many spiritual needs. Church planter and evangelist Toby Ryder felt that he could address some of those needs with a church plant called Friday Night Live. God, however, had other ideas. “Friday Night Live is up and running,” Ryder said. “God, though, led me to where there were others in greater need. By doing the same thing our Lord did – simple carpentry work – I have discovered I can reach so many more people.” Working in a high crime area of Lafayette – Cameron and Mudd Streets – Ryder has begun Project Lafayette. Working through Hospice of Acadiana, Council on Aging or referrals from the community, Ryder and volunteers do simple carpentry work for the elderly, single moms, shut-ins, or people who can’t afford fix it work. “We take on pretty much any need brought to us,” Ryder said. “There is no financial criteria to get us to come out – just a simple need. … [Read more...]

Located in West Africa, Nigeria is hot all year round and has just two seasons: wet and dry. Although it may not be an ideal vacation spot, the climate does not keep First Mandeville from ministering to the people of Nigeria. Mandeville – Located in West Africa, Nigeria is hot all year round and has just two seasons: wet and dry. Although it may not be an ideal vacation spot, the climate does not keep First Mandeville from ministering to the people of Nigeria. On May 24, four men from First Mandeville, including Pastor Ken Schroeder, left for a two-week trip to Nigeria. This is the eighth time the church has sent a mission team there. Under the guidance of IMB missionaries Clint and Harriet Bowman, First Mandeville has adopted the Zari, an unreached people group where less than 2 percent of the population knows Christ. “We’ve linked up with the Bowmans and they showed us around the country, and since November of 2006 we’ve been taking trips each year,” Schroeder said. First Mandeville has helped to start two churches in Nigeria and also employs two native pastors, Haggai Moses and Betrus “Peter” Agwom. These pastors currently have two churches each, and are starting others. “Our goal is to encourage the … [Read more...]