NEW ORLEANS – Beyond bricks, mortar and wood soaked in saltwater for weeks on end, another kind of disaster engulfed most of Louisiana between Mississippi and Texas, from the Gulf Coast to well north of Interstate 10. That disaster: the trauma of loss. It’s a subject that’s been touched on in many articles over the last year in the Message but not really dealt with, in the same way that pastors and the remaining members of chuches across the southern part of the state have avoided the subject while concentrating on tangible objectives. But the trauma of grief has a way of surfacing at the oddest times, such as during a shopping trip for a toilet seat. That nearly unseated the pastor who could barely keep from crying as he talked about it. Joe Williams knows. Joe Williams understands. He’s an FBI chaplain, assigned to minister in the aftermath of the bombing of the Federal Building in Okahoma City in 1995. From there he went to 16 months in New York City after the terrorist atttack on the World Trade Center in 2001. And for the last year, he’s been assigned by NAMB to the Gulf Coast area. Willliams is a certified compassion fatigue specialist and certified field traumatologist. He’s … [Read more...]

It’s not enough for the church to grow if church members do not grow in their relationship with Christ, said leaders at a recent National Discipleship Conference. By Andrea Higgins Baptist Press RIDGECREST, N.C. -- It’s not enough for the church to grow if church members do not grow in their relationship with Christ, said leaders at a recent National Discipleship Conference. “We are in desperate need of discipleship in our churches,” said Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, Va., and speaker at the conference sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources. The problem today, particularly for young people, is that Christianity is “trendy,” and “they are spiritually passionate and biblically illiterate,” said Caner, whose presentation ranged from cutting comedy to chilling commentary drawn from his expertise in church history, world religions and apologetics. “They love Jesus. They just can’t spell Jesus.” People today have a sound doctrinal foundation and are attracted to “touchy, feely, scratch and sniff” teaching, Caner said; but the church can guide them better. “I think we’ve made a serious mistake in Christian discipleship in that we are … [Read more...]

I’ve come close to tweaking scripture from where it reads, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine,” to “A merry heart IS medicine.” When New Orleanians ask about dealing with stress, I often recommend laughter. It’s such a stress reliever that I’ve come close to tweaking scripture from where it reads, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine,” to “A merry heart IS medicine.” I’ve mentioned in this website before that I frequently am invited to address groups on laughter. One of the exercises we perform is to make ourselves laugh for two minutes at a time. Right. Make yourself laugh. You can do this. It’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. It feels fake at first--after all, you’re forcing it – but the effect is past in a moment. You start feeling so silly that the very act of laughing makes you laugh. At the end of two minutes, you’re glowing. It’s like you have had a tonic. Now comes reports of others, professionals, doing the same thing. An article in the Sunday, October 8, Times-Picayune, a reprint from the Washington Post, tells of laughter therapy classes in the George Washington University Center for Integrative Medicine. According to reporter Anita Huslin, research from the … [Read more...]

By Uyen Phan Special to the Message The Vietnamese Baptist Church, the only Vietnamese Baptist church in the metropolitan New Orleans area, was also one of the first churches to reopen and one of the only churches to begin holding spiritual services in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For two years before Katrina, the Vietnamese Baptist Church operated without a pastor.  So when the storm hit, Rev. Thuong Le was eager to reach out to parishioners who had been without a spiritual leader for so long. On Sept. 14, just two weeks after the storm, Le flew from his home in Orange County, Ca. to Baton Rouge to visit with parishioners. “Everyone went to Baton Rouge,” Le said of his decision to stop by Baton Rouge first. He stayed for three days before heading down to New Orleans on Sept. 18 to “check on the church,” which received some roof damage in the back.  Luckily the front of the church remained intact. The damaged roof allowed water to seep into the building.  “Water came in so termite damage went faster,” Le said.  A few parishioners are volunteering their time on the weekends to fix two of the termite-damaged rooms. With the church bearing just minor … [Read more...]

Although small in physical stature, Rev. Thuong Le’s jovial nature and courageous spirit make him a spiritual leader and a man worth looking up to. By Uyen Phan Special to the Message Although small in physical stature, Rev. Thuong Le’s jovial nature and courageous spirit make him a spiritual leader and a man worth looking up to. Le’s journey in search of political and spiritual freedom has been amazing. Although Le, 48, grew up in south Vietnam during a time of war and political upheaval, Le’s dedication and belief in his faith remained unwavering. “My dad was a pastor of a church in Da Nang,” Le explained. “I was Sunday school director and music director there.” Le received a Bible College degree at Nha Trang Bible Institute in 1974, but just two years later, the Communist Party took control of all schools. Because Le was still young, the party considered Le a “volunteer” and prohibited Le from being hired. So, in 1979, Le moved to Can Tho, where he eventually met his wife and started a family. In the years that followed, the Communist Party’s hold on Vietnam worsened. “They didn’t want us to practice (religion),” Le explained. “So they said I wasn’t qualified to lead” a church. Tired of … [Read more...]

Longtime missions workers Sophia and Hyland Packard in late October received a plaque honoring their years of service through Love-n-Care Mission in Natchitoches, which they founded nearly 10 years ago. NATCHITOCHES – Longtime missions workers Sophia and Hyland Packard in late October received a plaque honoring their years of service through Love-n-Care Mission in Natchitoches, which they founded nearly 10 years ago. The plaque was presented by John Hebert, an LBC Regional Mission Strategist. “To save one’s life he must lose it, to be exalted we must humble ourselves, and to live we must die to ourselves,” Hebert said. “No one knows this  any better than the people who minister in Jesus’ name. Hyland and Sophia Packard have given the last ten years of their lives to ministering through Love-n-Care Mission. And for that I am here to say thank you from the 1,600 plus churches of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.” The couple, who were the first directors of the mission, starting it in May of 1997, are retiring for health reasons. Located on Washington Street off of Front Street, the mission distributes food and clothing and is open Monday and Wednesday mornings. “Ms. Sophie [is] … [Read more...]

Average compensation for fulltime Southern Baptist pastors increased more than $3,400 since 2004, according to a biennial ministers’ compensation study. By Trennis Henderson Baptist Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – Average compensation for fulltime Southern Baptist pastors increased more than $3,400 since 2004, according to a biennial ministers’ compensation study. The data also showed that ministers’ compensation increases over the past decade have significantly outpaced inflation. The study was coordinated by Don Spencer, director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s church financial benefits department, in cooperation with financial benefits directors in state Baptist conventions throughout the nation and GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The study included responses from 17,350 pastors and church staff members from more than 7,000 Southern Baptist churches in all 50 states. It is designed to provide detailed information for local church leaders responsible for recommending ministers’ compensation packages. Bob Henry, who heads GuideStoneís financial solutions and services for churches, said GuideStone officials “are excited about partnering … [Read more...]

When lives get turned upside down by tragedy, missionaries at the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans have seen that God has a way of opening new doors. By Amy Whitfield Baptist Press RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) – When lives get turned upside down by tragedy, missionaries at the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans have seen that God has a way of opening new doors. They were excited about the way God was working through their ministry in 2005. But on Aug. 29, 2005, the doors shut at the Friendship House. The missionaries evacuated with their residents to Columbia, Miss., just before Hurricane Katrina unleashed her fury, the levees broke and floods ensued. “We had a great year before the storm,” Friendship House missionary Karina America said to a gathering of 750 women and men at Woman’s Missionary Union’s recent national missions event. Now more than a year after the storm, there is hope. Assistant director America and executive director Kay Bennett, both NAMB appointed missionaries, returned three weeks later to find the Friendship House near the city’s famous French Quarter without damage. In fact, none of the four Baptist centers in New Orleans were harmed, America … [Read more...]

If you are struggling today, wondering why your talents are overlooked or underused, set aside your feelings and questions, and spend time in His presence. If you are struggling today, wondering why your talents  are overlooked or underused, set aside your feelings and questions, and spend time in His presence. God made you and blessed you with talent and abilities. He knows where you are, and He knows your heart’s desire. The most important step in unlocking your potential will always be spending time in His presence. John 15:7-8: [Jesus said] If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to  be My disciples. 4 Qualifications for Service: God uses ordinary people who choose to spend time in His presence. God uses ordinary people who are willing to pay the cost necessary to fulfill their purpose in God’s kingdom. God uses ordinary people who are willing to do God’s work, God’s way, in the places God sends them. God uses ordinary people who do not glory in the moment, but recognize that they are being used by the One whom they will serve … [Read more...]

Declaring their intention to “give voice to younger leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention” who support the SBC’s conservative resurgence and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, over 40 pastors and seminary professors met just outside Orlando recently for the first of a two-day meeting dubbed “The Joshua Convergence.” By Joni B. Hannigan Florida Baptist Witness WINTER PARK (FBW) — Declaring their intention to “give voice to younger leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention” who support the SBC’s conservative resurgence and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, over 40 pastors and seminary professors met just outside Orlando recently for the first of a two-day meeting dubbed “The Joshua Convergence.” Presenting seven “Principles of Affirmation” in the context of a worship service, young leaders from throughout the country spoke of truth, gratitude, service, holiness, unity, identity and mission. The document expresses “deep thankfulness for those who have taken [our] Convention back to its theological and spiritual moorings,” crediting “godly men and women” with the furtherance of “seminaries that champion God’s Word, evangelistic mission agencies, and a Convention committed to the … [Read more...]