Comings, Goings, Available     Carey Baptist Association pastorless churches: Boulevard, First Cameron, First DeQuincy, Eastern Heights, First Elton, First Hayes, Sale Street, Temple and Woodlawn. Jack Gandy is new as pastor at Johnson Bayou. Lathan Hill Jr. is new as pastor at First Welsh. Don Slack is new as pastor at Horseshoe Bastrop. Larry Linson is new as pastor at Highland Park Monroe. Terry Mims is new as pastor at Emmanuel Monroe. Collin Wimberly is new at Parkview Baton Rouge, from First Swartz. Northeast Baptist Association pastorless churches: Clark Springs, Edgewood, Fairbanks, Ouachita, Ridge Avenue. n Morehouse Baptist Association pastorless churches: Antioch, Collinston. Northwest Baptist Association pastorless churches: Cypress, Grawood, Gray, Linda Lay Memorial, Oil City, Plain Dealing, Trinity Heights, BanSuk Korean (English pastor .) Deaths     E. Dudley Rutledge Jr. of Pineville died June 13 at an Alexandria medical facility. He was 73. A member of Esler Baptist Church in Pineville, the Rev. Rutledge was retired as pastor of several central Louisiana and East Texas Baptist churches. Survivors include his wife, Marie, and daughters Joanna Spears and Jill Withers, among others. Memorials may be … [Read more...]

First Ferriday seeks 'illegals' FERRIDAY – First Baptist Church is looking for “illegals,” reports Butch Hosea, Minister of Music. “One of the hottest topics in our nation right now is this illegal alien issue and closing our borders,” Hosea wrote in a recent issue of the church’s newsletter. “I have good news!” Hosea continued. “The choir is perfectly willing to accept ‘illegal’ choir members.” No visas, passports, or green cards are needed to join the choir at First Ferriday, he said. Indeed, now is an especially good time to join, even if you’re an expatriate of the choir. “We are offering full amnesty,” the music minister said. “You are not only wanted back, but are being begged. “Aren’t you glad serving in God’s Kingdom is a lot more cut and dried and a lot less complicated than some government policies?” he added. “God’s policy is the same now as it ever was. All applicants accepted.” First Haughton looks at ‘Planet Earth ‘ HAUGHTON – As a response to the Discovery Channel’s recent documentary Planet Earth – which some say promotes the idea of evolution – Brandon Digilormo, minister to middle school students at First Baptist Haughton, has designed a student summer Bible study series to address questions about the … [Read more...]

James Holsinger, nominated by President Bush to become the 18th U.S. surgeon general, is being slammed by homosexual activist groups because of his outspoken disapproval of homosexual behavior. WASHINGTON (BP) –James Holsinger, nominated by President Bush to become the 18th U.S. surgeon general, is being slammed by homosexual activist groups because of his outspoken disapproval of homosexual behavior. Holsinger, 68, is an accomplished cardiologist from the medical center at the University of Kentucky, a state with one of the country’s largest healthcare systems. However, a scholarly article Holsinger wrote in 1991 — titled “Pathophysiology of Male Sexuality” as part of the United Methodist debate over homosexuality — is diverting media and political attention from his credentials to his faith. In the article, Holsinger wrote that homosexual sex was unnatural and heightened the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. He concluded that injuries and diseases may occur “when the complementarity of the sexes is breached.” Data from the Center for Disease Control indicates that risky homosexual behavior is contributing to dangerous increases in rates of infection for syphilis. The CDC reported an 8 percent … [Read more...]

Wanda Lee, executive director/treasurer of the Woman’s Missionary Union, gave the following talk in Houston June 18, during the opening session of the 26th annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America. Thank you, Dr. Park, for your very kind invitation to share why I believe that missions, and therefore, WMU is important in the life of our churches. I would also like to thank Angela Kim for her faithful service and partnership with WMU for many years, but especially these past three years as we have sought more intentionally to develop missions advocates and WMU leaders in the Korean Baptist churches.  Her vision for developing missions resources and Korean leadership has been invaluable as we at WMU try to resource all of our Southern Baptist churches. When I visit a church I often ask church leaders two questions: 1. What kind of church do you want to grow? 2. What is it you hope your children will take away from their years of being in your church when they leave for college? Once they share their desires with me, I usually respond by asking them to look at what they are doing at church to see if they are providing what will give them the results they want. It is my hope … [Read more...]

“My father was a rough-necked miner who could cuss the wallpaper off the wall, and the next thing I know he gets saved and called to the ministry.” LONGVIEW, Wash. (BP) – “My father was a rough-necked miner who could cuss the wallpaper off the wall, and the next thing I know he gets saved and called to the ministry.” Kevin White, pastor of First Baptist, credits the salvation of his entire family to the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and SBC missions and ministries. “I was born and raised in the western states,” White explained. “If it hadn’t been for a mountain missionary who came to the gold mining town of Crescent, Nev., who knows what my life would be like today. There was no church in the town I lived – not any church. This missionary came out every Thursday night and held worship services, and in the summers, vacation Bible school. That missionary’s salary came from the Cooperative Program,” White said. “The Cooperative Program means something to me personally because it’s directly related to the salvation of not only me, but my mother … [Read more...]

Wednesdays are delightful at New Prospect Baptist Church. I haven’t attended a Sunday service yet, but I plan to, because of a Wednesday’s. DRY PRONG – Wednesdays are delightful at New Prospect Baptist Church. I haven’t attended a Sunday service yet, but I plan to, because of a Wednesday’s. “Dry Prong” is just the church’s mailing address. Actually, they’re way out in the country, or it seems like it – 15 miles sort-of-north of the Baptist Building in Alexandria, a fact I apparently was not the first one to discover, judging from the slew of newer – nice! – homes in the area  near the church. Drive north on U.S. Highway 167 about 10 miles past Tioga, and there on your left is a big huge uptown-style, red-brick church sign. You’re not there yet.  Turn left at the sign; that’s Taylor Road. Wind around a ways down that road, and just about the time you think you’ve done something wrong, there’s the church on the left, surrounded by enough lawn to make a riding lawnmower tired. Inside you can tell New Prospect has added on here and there as they’ve grown from that original rectangular worship center the old Home Mission Board used to refer to as a “first unit building.” In other words, humble roots. Roots the … [Read more...]

Randy Hales, director of missions for the Bienville Baptist Association has a heart for young people, he says, and counts ministering to them as some of the most worthwhile experiences of his life. MINDEN – Randy Hales, director of missions for the Bienville Baptist Association has a heart for young people, he says, and counts ministering to them as some of the most worthwhile experiences of his life. As a certified teacher for first through eighth grades, Hales has always enjoyed children, he said. “Working with children, leading them to the Lord, baptizing them, and seeing them grow up and then bring their own children to church has always given me joy,” the DOM said. Hales, who has always done children’s sermons as a pastor, became known to children, many of whom are now grown, by a six-foot story stick with Biblical carvings, such as the ark, the head of Moses, the empty tomb, the crown of thorns and others, he said. Carved by Rodney Mason, Hales’ barber, the stick helped Hales draw the attention of the children as he told a Bible story, he said. Other special aids weren’t quite as useful, Hales said. Once, a box of baby chicks spilled over while Hales was trying to teach an Easter story about new birth. The … [Read more...]

Ray of Hope World Outreach Ministries has seen more than 800 people make professions of faith since its inception five years ago, said founder Michael Sammons. WEST MONROE – Ray of Hope World Outreach Ministries has seen more than 800 people make professions of faith since its inception five years ago, said founder Michael Sammons. Along with his wife Karen, who serves as co-director with him, Sammons became burdened about going after the unchurched on a full-time basis, he said, and so resigned from being a full-time pastor to found and direct Ray of Hope. “Leading people to the Lord is what the ministry is all about,” Sammons said, remembering a particular man named Tommy who’d come into the center with his arms bandaged, the result of a propane bottle exploding in his arms. “If you’d been killed, where would you be today?” Sammons asked Tommy. Tommy, tears in his eyes, indicated by nodding his head downward that he would have been in hell. “Is that what you wanted?” Sammons continued. “No, but I don’t know what to do about it,” Tommy said. Then, Sammons shared the gospel with Tommy, leading him through the plan of salvation. When Sammons asked the young man if he could lead him in prayer, Tommy simply … [Read more...]

Acadian Baptist Center (ABC) is gearing up for its Acadian Outdoor School (AOS), which camp officials hope to use to teach children the truth about God and his creation, said Guy Atkinson, outdoor education director at ABC. EUNICE – Acadian Baptist Center (ABC) is gearing up for its Acadian Outdoor School (AOS), which camp officials hope to use to teach children the truth about God and his creation, said Guy Atkinson, outdoor education director at ABC. The target audience for AOS is fifth through eighth grade students in home schools, private schools, public schools or charter schools, Atkinson said. The aim is to create opportunities to share the gospel. “For years I’ve dreamed about having an outdoor education ministry,” said James Newsom, ABC director.  “If we could get kids to have field trips during the week, it would be an additional ministry and give us additional exposure,” he added. “With the Christian schools and home schoolers we can ofter classes on creationism. With public schools, we can offer classes on birds and trees, but also be able to invite them back to evangelize them.” “We’ll be a witness, regardless, even to public school groups,” he added, indicating that just being on the ABC campus would … [Read more...]

Jim Ingram, pastor at First Baptist here, went looking to form a relationship with a new church plant and discovered a passionate flame for Christ in the coolness of Canada. BASTROP – Jim Ingram, pastor at First Baptist here, went looking to form a relationship with a new church plant and discovered a passionate flame for Christ in the coolness of Canada. The temperature on a summer day in the Canadian province of New Brunswick can reach as high as 73 degrees, a welcome relief, perhaps, to Ingram, who traveled there in early June to work with Dave Storey, church planter for Miramichi Valley Church.  “Dave is on fire for the Lord,” Ingram said. “He spends three or four hours a day just in prayer and Bible study getting himself ready to witness. I wish we could send everyone in [Louisiana] up there to spend time with him. His whole church is on fire. Everyone talks about Jesus.” A little over a year ago, Ingram, looking to form a relationship with a church plant that First Bastrop could support and encourage, contacted the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists, he said.  The convention referred Ingram to Gary Smith, a regional church planter in charge of the eastern part of Canada, the Louisiana pastor said.  Smith … [Read more...]