Potpourri EPPS – Epps church:  Sponsoring the McKameys, southern gospel quartet, in concert at Thomas Jason Lingo Center in Oak Grove; Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.; $15 per ticket; tickets can be purchased by calling 318-926-5748 or at the Thomas Jason Lingo Center; Johnny Smith, pastor. LAKE CHARLES – Mid-America Theological Seminary Louisiana Alumni association:  Annual luncheon during lunch break of the LBC pastor’s conference; Nov. 13; at Steamboat Bill’s restaurant; can call the restaurant at 337-494-1070 for directions; all alumni, family and friends invited; Joe Wiggins, president. WEST MONROE – New Chapel Hill church:  Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, guest speaker; Nov. 20-21, 7 p.m.; Charles Dupree, pastor. WALKER – Judson church:  His By Grace in concert; Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m. and 6:15 p.m.; Craig Pourciau, interim minister of music; Merelin McCon, pastor. HAMMOND – First church:  Veteran’s Day celebration; Nov. 12, 11 a.m.; Jim Lancaster, pastor. MANY – First church:  The Heart of Thanksgiving musical/drama; Nov. 19, 11 a.m.; Phil Smith, music minister; Steve Kelly, pastor. Revivals MARION – Litroe church:  Nov. 17-18, 7 p.m.; Nov. 19, 11 a.m.; Joe Aulds, … [Read more...]

He is not retiring. He is not even slowing down after more than 50 years in the ministry. In fact, he is busier than he has ever been with a full schedule for the next three years. By Martine G. Bates The Alabama Baptist HARTSELLE, Ala. (BP) – He is not retiring. He is not even slowing down after more than 50 years in the ministry. In fact, he is busier than he has ever been with a full schedule for the next three years. Why then did well-known evangelist Junior Hill write his autobiography now? “I was 69 when I started the book,” Hill said. “I wanted to write it while I could still remember things. As you get a little older, things fade in your mind. It just seemed like an appropriate time to do it.” Hill is guest speaker at the LBC annual meeting Nov. 13-14 at Trinity Lake Charles. “Constructing your life is difficult,” Hill said. “I tried to get the important things in the book, but you can never get everything in it.” Laughing, he displayed a characteristic flash of humor. “Some things you don’t want to tell.” The book, They Call Him Junior, chronicles Hill’s life and ministry. It also includes a touching letter his wife, Carole, wrote to a young evangelist … [Read more...]

Hosted by the International Mission Board, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Celebration Breakfast is a way to thank churches for their faithful support of the Lottie Moon offering, every penny of which is used to support more than 5,000 IMB missionaries. By Don Graham Baptist Press GREENSBORO, N.C. (BP) – Hosted by the International Mission Board, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Celebration Breakfast is a way to thank churches for their faithful support of the Lottie Moon offering, every penny of which is used to support more than 5,000 IMB missionaries. Though 2005’s offering set a record, IMB President Jerry Rankin opened the event with a solemn reminder. “Four years ago we found ourselves in a crisis with a severe shortfall in giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering,” Rankin said. “For the first time since the Depression years of the ‘30s we actually had to defer the appointment of missionaries. “As we sought the Lord, we were convicted of three things: that God did not want us to trust in our own resources and the affluence of Southern Baptists but [to] walk by faith ... He also taught us that we needed to be better stewards of the resources that we did have ... He … [Read more...]

During this last year of Criminal Justice Ministry, the Greater Baton Rouge Baptist Association has maintained a discipleship program in the entire Angola system, Hunt Correctional, DCI, and in San Gabriel Prison for Women. By Marvin Collins Special to the Message BATON ROUGE – During this last year of Criminal Justice Ministry, the Greater Baton Rouge Baptist Association has maintained  a discipleship program in the entire Angola system, Hunt Correctional, DCI, and in San Gabriel Prison for Women. Year after year – since we started this ministry in 1994 with 50 men – we have seen God open new doors, raise up new leaders and start ministries in new facilities. The overall discipleship system is designed to do three, 13-week semesters every year in each prison. The basic curriculum has two tracks – one for new believers and one for more mature believers. Our teams of leaders in all the prisons are ministering to basic discipling needs, preparation for ministry and help with addictions – alcohol, drugs, sexual and more. Southern Baptists maintain groups in each compound in Angola. We are also doing tier visitation for prisoners in solitary confinement or in their dorms, and we are … [Read more...]

Summer before last, Linda Davis had her hands full – of posters proclaiming “In God We Trust.” TALLULAH – Summer before last, Linda Davis had her hands full – of posters proclaiming “In God We Trust.” Davis, who attends First Baptist here, has been placing the posters in all the government and business buildings of Tallulah, which has a population of about 7,000, she said.  Davis bought the posters from the American Family Association for $1 each. “A still, quiet voice spoke to me that this would be a ministry that I needed to do right here in Tallulah,” Davis said. “It’s just about visually expressing that it is God in whom America trusts.” “Giving out posters with our National Motto ‘In GOD we trust’ is a small way one person can help get our nation back to the original intent of our forefathers and to remind citizens about where our nation’s trust should be,” Davis said. Armed with her first 50 posters, sized 11x14, Davis began visiting local government buildings and was received with open arms, she said. Framed posters are now hanging in offices and buildings occupied by the Tallulah City Council, the police chief, the 911 offices, the county clerk’s office, and the Madison … [Read more...]

Last week’s midterm elections showed nothing more than that too many Americans vote their feelings rather than the issues, Louisiana Baptist message Editor Kelly Boggs says. ALEXANDRIA – Last week’s midterm elections showed nothing more than that too many Americans vote their feelings rather than the issues, Louisiana Baptist message Editor Kelly Boggs says. “Other people wiser than I may have a different take on it,” Boggs said. “But when you’ve got Arizona not upholding traditional marriage, South Dakota overturning their abortion ban and Missouri essentially now allowing cloning, you’ve got to ask why. “Folks were saying 2004 was D-Day for family values,” the editor continued. “Two years ago you have all these folks solidly supporting traditional moral values and just two years later you have the results we’ve seen this week across the nation? How else to explain it than that people are voting their feelings rather than the issues.” Baptist Press last week – see www.bpnews.net  – reported Wednesday morning results of voters’ choices across the nation. The headlines and opening paragraphs: 7 states pass marriage amendments, civil unions defeated in Colorado [reprinted in its … [Read more...]

After Team Impact members – body builders affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Texas – tore 2-inch thick phone books in half, bent steel bars into complicated shapes, broke bats, and smashed 8-inch-high stacks of flaming cinder bricks, 198 people – out of more than 900 in attendance – stepped forward at the invitation to commit their lives to Christ last Wednesday night here at the W.W. Lewis Middle School Auditorium. SULPHUR – After Team Impact members – body builders affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Texas – tore 2-inch thick phone books in half, bent steel bars into complicated shapes, broke bats, and smashed 8-inch-high stacks of flaming cinder bricks, 198 people – out of more than 900 in attendance – stepped forward at the invitation to commit their lives to Christ last Wednesday night here at the W.W. Lewis Middle School Auditorium. “[God] totally eclipsed Team Impact by showing up in a mighty way to draw students and adults to Himself,” said Rusty Dollar, minister to students at Houston River Baptist in Sulphur. “I stood in awe as hands were raised and people left their seats to publicly proclaim their new faith in Christ. I am excited and overwhelmed!” All 198 … [Read more...]

Circle Baptist Church here has changed color. Once an Anglican church, the church had been slow to match the changes that surrounded it. Now, that’s changing. BAKER—Circle Baptist Church here has changed color. Once an Anglican church, the church had been slow to match the changes that surrounded it. Now, that’s changing. “This will be the first Anglo church in our association to intentionally make the transition from Anglo to African-American without having to close the facility and then reopen the church later as an African-American church,” said Rodrick Connerly, Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge. Jose’ Mathews has accepted the call as pastor at Circle and has begun to revitalize the church by reaching the African-American community around it, Connerly said. If anyone can stand firm in the midst of change, Pastor Jose’ Mathews and his wife Othella can. They’ve had a tough year, to say the least. After losing their home and church to Katrina, the couple suffered through his stroke, her stolen identity, the loss of his mother to illness, and the loss of their son to murder. After the storm, the Mathews, along with other family – both … [Read more...]

If this were only make believe... If this were only make believe... “Be what you would seem to be – or, if you’d like it put more simply – never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise,” stated the Duchess to Alice in the children’s classic “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” When Lewis Carroll crafted the aforementioned bit of dialogue in the 1860s, he never imagined that one day it would actually make sense to someone. However, to those who advocate sexual anarchy, it makes perfect sense. A story in The Oregonian newspaper, titled “The fluidity of gender,” featured a 2005 graduate of Southridge High School located in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland. The main subject of the article was Megan “Danny” O’Dell, a young lady who claims to be a “transgender lesbian.” I know that encountering the term “transgender lesbian” has caused some of you to feel a lot like Alice did after she had gone through the looking glass. So take a deep breath and know that your eyes did not deceive you, Megan O’Dell insists she is a transgender … [Read more...]

When Christian [of Pilgrim's Progress] uses All-Prayer in the battle, the demons rush back into the pits of Hell, and do not come forth against him again. “And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert, and always keep on praying for all the saints.  Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare Him fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:18-20). John Bunyan, in Pilgrims Progress, writes about his Christian disciple, who he calls “Christian” fighting all kinds of battles against the forces of evil, and with great success. Then he encounters the demons that have come forth out of the very pits of Hell. He finds he is unable to stave them off, even though he uses all of the armor (Ephesians 6: 13-17) that has been given him, even the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  So he begins to engage another weapon that God has provided him that Bunyan calls, “All-Prayer.” When Christian uses All-Prayer in the battle, the demons rush back into the pits of Hell, and do not come forth … [Read more...]