The summation phrase for the nine-week Jena (La.) Revival is captured in the lyrics of the song, “How great is our God ... and all will see how great, how great, is our God!”  JENA, La. (BP) – The summation phrase for the nine-week Jena (La.) Revival is captured in the lyrics of the song, “How great is our God ... and all will see how great, how great, is our God!” For nine weeks LaSalle Parish experienced a mighty revival unlike it’s seen in many years. At last count, well over 100 people came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and most of those were adults. The number of people who reconciled with God and each other are too many to tally. Jena is the community of less than 3,000 that became divided by a racial incident last year. In Sept. 2007, approximately 20,000 people marched down the streets of Jena to express support for six young men known as the “Jena 6.” After months of tension and much prayer, something extraordinary occurred. A revival meeting began at Midway Baptist Church Feb. 17. What started out as a typically planned four-day event became so much more. Little did the members of that church know that God would call on church leaders to extend that meeting from four days to 48 … [Read more...]

A favorite event each year at the Louisiana Baptist Convention Building is the annual Baptist Employees of Louisiana BEL Credit Union Annual Meeting. ALEXANDRIA – A favorite event each year at the  Louisiana  Baptist Convention Building is the annual Baptist Employees of Louisiana BEL Credit Union Annual Meeting.  As in years past, all reports at the April 25 gathering were favorable and showed a fiscally solid organization. Members were pleased with the information they received and the fact that their credit union is thriving and expanding.  “At BEL we have always tried to tailor services to fit our member’s needs,” said Executive Director Matt Marcantel. “We have never tried to ‘out do’ any other financial institution. We know our members and we understand we are here for them and their needs only. The Board has never felt the need to be the biggest on the block – just the best.”  BEL Credit Union was chartered in May of 1975. To date, the credit union has granted $44,136,475 in total loans for some 12,229 loans approved.  Grady Welch, the first customer and member of the Supervisory Committee of the 33-year-old credit union, was in the audience. He has seen much growth since his initial deposit of $30, and in … [Read more...]

Lisa Vizier, a senior from Galliano, La., was named this year’s winner of the Miss LC title at the Miss Louisiana College Scholarship Pageant Saturday, April 26. Pineville – Lisa Vizier, a senior from Galliano, La., was named this year’s winner of the Miss LC title at the Miss Louisiana College Scholarship Pageant Saturday, April 26. “This year we had six outstanding contestants, exsaid, Peggy Pack, LC’s vice-president of student development. “Each of them represents the characteristics and qualities of an educated, Christian young woman who will represent Louisiana College very well.” Vizier, who received the highest score in the talent competition, received $1,000 for being named Miss LC. The first runner-up was Nicole Charlie, a senior from Ville Platte, La. Nicole will receive a $750 scholarship. Second runner-up was Jessica Ward, a sophomore from Shreveport, La. Jessica will receive a $500 scholarship. Hali Hunt, a freshman from Alexandria, La., was named Miss Congeniality; she also had the highest grade point average. For more information about the pageant, contact the Office of College Communications at 318.487.7194.   … [Read more...]

COMINGS, GOINGS -Jarrett Banks, new as pastor, Broadmoor Baptist, Baton Rouge. -Scott McKenzie, new as minister to senior adults, single adults and pastoral counselor, First Baptist, Lafayette from First Baptist, Oakdale. -Andrea McKenzie, new as minister of missions, community ministries and college students, First Baptist, Lafayette. -Larry (wife Linda) Brignac, new as pastor, Calvary Baptist, Springhill. -David (wife Linda) Willoughby, new as pastor, Calvary Monroe, from First Morgan City. -Brandon Rodgers, new as youth and college minister, Highland, West Monroe. -James Liner, new as music minister, Emmanuel, Monroe. NEEDED -Full-time experienced minister of education needed, Bedico Baptist, 28156 Hwy. 22, Ponchatoula LA 70454; call 985.345.2016 or fax 985.845.1038. -Full-time pastor needed. Send resume to Isabell Baptist Church, 53674 Parker Road, Bogalusa LA  70427. -Part-time youth minister needed. Contact Ray Teal, pastor, 318.628.7284 or 318.471.8673. Send resume to First Baptist  Church, PO Box 475, Montgomery LA  71454. -Full-time associate pastor of education and administration needed, First Baptist, Zachary. Send resume to dmcelroy@fbcz.org. -Part-time minister of music needed. … [Read more...]

It’s a fact: Vacation Bible School is the most effective evangelism strategy in the Southern Baptist Convention. Churches that understand its effectiveness also understand that follow-up is a critical component of the VBS week.  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – It’s a fact: Vacation Bible School is the most effective evangelism strategy in the Southern Baptist Convention. Churches that understand its effectiveness also understand that follow-up is a critical component of the VBS week. “The whole point of Vacation Bible School is to lead the children, youth and adults who attend to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Bottom line, that’s it,” said Jerry Wooley, VBS specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2006, the most recent year’s figures, nearly 3 million people were enrolled in VBS, yielding 212,000 Sunday School prospects for local churches, nearly 40,000 of whom subsequently were enrolled as a result of VBS, Wooley said. “It is startling to realize that in Vacation Bible School in 2006, we documented 94,980 decisions to accept Christ,” he said. “That is 1.1 decision for every one person trained as a VBS worker by our state conventions. That is phenomenal when you consider that … [Read more...]

“Wake up!” That is the cry of the latest Southern Baptist Convention statistics released from LifeWay Research. NASHVILLE – “Wake up!” That is the cry of the latest Southern Baptist Convention statistics released from LifeWay Research. In 2007, baptisms in the denomination’s 44,696 churches declined to the lowest level since 1987. Since this is the third straight year of decline in baptisms and since baptisms declined in seven of the last eight years, this is not new news. What is new is a decline in membership in SBC churches. The 2007 statistics show total SBC church membership to be 16,266,920 – a decline of .24 percent from the 2006 figure of 16,306,246. The last recorded decline in SBC church membership was in 1998. Before that it was 1926. The SBC has long been one of the few Protestant denominations that could claim nearly constant growth over its history (see chart). Blip or Trend? Is the decline a blip or a new trend? It may be a one- time blip, like the 1998 decline. An “integrity in membership resolution” encouraging SBC churches to be more realistic and honest in their statistical reporting failed at the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention. However, some churches may be following the suggestion of the … [Read more...]

Vacation Bible School is huge. How huge? Almost 1 in 16 children ages 5-12 in America was enrolled in a Southern Baptist VBS, according to figures from 2006.  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Vacation Bible School is huge. How huge? Almost 1 in 16 children ages 5-12 in America was enrolled in a Southern Baptist VBS, according to figures from 2006. “The evangelism potential for VBS is unbelievable,” said Ken Marler, network partnership specialist with LifeWay Christian Resources, who led a session on the importance of VBS follow-up during the VBS Preview Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at LifeWay’s offices in Nashville, Tenn. Vacation Bible School is a ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention entity. “We enrolled more than 2.9 million people in VBS [in 2006] and about 2 million of those were ages 5-12,” Marler said. “When you realize that there are 32 million children in America who are between ages 5-12, it’s staggering to think about 1 in 16 children in that age group was enrolled in a LifeWay VBS in a Southern Baptist church.” Such numbers require VBS leaders to take responsibility for keeping up with the kids after the week’s VBS. Marler offered these suggestions: -1. Set goals. Plan to follow up. First, decide quickly to make … [Read more...]

Does living together before marriage increase the chances for a successful marriage? The answer may surprise some.  WASHINGTON (BP) – Does living together before marriage increase the chances for a successful marriage? The answer may surprise some. Between 50 and 60 percent of all marriages begin with the two partners cohabitating, and many of those couples no doubt believe they are making a wise move up front. But living together before marriage actually increases the chances of divorce in a first marriage – 67 percent of cohabitating couples who marry eventually divorce, compared to 45 percent of all first marriages. That and other myth-busting facts form the core of a new book by Mike and Harriet McManus, “Living Together: Myths, Risks & Answers” (Howard Books), with a foreword by Chuck Colson. Co-founders of the organization Marriage Savers, the couple have invested much of their lives trying to help strengthen marriages and push down the divorce rate. The biblical warnings against cohabitation, the book says, are affirmed by statistics showing it’s a bad idea. “Men and woman cohabitate for different reasons,” Mike McManus said in a conference call discussing the book. “Women see it as a step toward … [Read more...]

A new iLiveValues.com initiative of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is calling Baptists and other evangelicals to apply their faith-informed convictions in all areas of life, not just at the ballot box. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A new iLiveValues.com initiative of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is calling Baptists and other evangelicals to apply their faith-informed convictions in all areas of life, not just at the ballot box. So with another presidential election on the horizon, the ERLC has retooled its iVoteValues.com website as part of the new iLiveValues.com effort. iVoteValues.com still has features that made it popular with voters in 2004 and 2006, ERLC President Richard Land said, while noting the site has expanded to include interactive features. Launched in 2004, iVoteValues.com energized people of faith to fulfill their civic duty, prompting thousands to register to vote -- some for the first time -- and hundreds of thousands, as Land put it, to connect “one’s personal values, beliefs and convictions with their decisions on which candidates to support.” Citing the ERLC’s ongoing emphasis on active and principled civic involvement by Christians, … [Read more...]

The inmate, seeing a visitor’s Southern Baptist nametag, said, “Thank you, thank you, please tell Southern Baptists thank you.  ANGOLA, La. (BP) – The inmate, seeing a visitor’s Southern Baptist nametag, said, “Thank you, thank you, please tell Southern Baptists thank you. “When I see the hands of men raised in worship, I know these are the same hands that held a rape victim, the same hands that held stolen goods, the same hands that held the murderous gun,” the inmate continued. “Now these are empty hands – holy hands lifted in praise to God. We could not experience that miracle of hope without the Southern Baptist seminary in New Orleans. Thank you,” said the inmate, a 2005 graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s course of study at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The occasion was a Pastor’s Appreciation Day at Angola. More than 400 pastors from across the state gathered at the infamous penitentiary where inmates, chaplains and administrators expressed appreciation for churches and individual Christians who have been used of God to help facilitate a spiritual transformation at Angola. Babby Mason, a recording artist from Atlanta, and Jim Cymbala, senior pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle in … [Read more...]