A Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board member announced a plan last week designed to change the nature of the annual state pastors’ conference and ensure it is nonpolitical.   In doing so, he acknowledged the full Executive Board may be drawn into the situation at some point. A Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board member announced a plan last week designed to change the nature of the annual state pastors’ conference and ensure it is nonpolitical.   In doing so, he acknowledged the full Executive Board may be drawn into the situation at some point.   During the board’s pre-convention meeting, Scott Shaver announced formation of three groups - the Louisiana Baptist Laity Conference, the Louisiana Baptist Layman’s Network and the Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference.   All three names have been registered with the Louisiana secretary of state, said Shaver, pastor at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches and executive director of Mainstream Louisiana Baptists, a group opposed to the more conservative direction of the Southern and Louisiana Baptist conventions.   That means the name "Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference" now rests in the hands of … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastor Tommy French gained a second term as state convention president last week - but not in customary fashion.   Instead, it was deja vu all over again. Louisiana Baptist pastor Tommy French gained a second term as state convention president last week - but not in customary fashion.   Instead, it was deja vu all over again.   Traditionally, Louisiana Baptists have granted first-term convention presidents a second term unopposed. The only time it is believed that did not happen was in 1996, when President Michael Claunch survived a challenge to his second term on a vote of 61.5 percent to 38.5 percent.   Likewise, French also was forced to survive a challenge from fellow pastor Perry Sanders in order to gain his second term. He did so by a margin of 389 votes. French is pastor at Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. Sanders is pastor at First Baptist Church of Lafayette.   The challenge was not unexpected.   Just days prior to the annual convention, the Mainstream Louisiana Baptists group announced in its publication that it would nominate persons for all three denominational offices. However, no names were released by the … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastors were challenged last week to fulfill the responsibility of their ministries - and look always to God for the power they need.   In a series of sermons during the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, speakers outlined the importance of pastors fulfilling their God-assigned tasks. Louisiana Baptist pastors were challenged last week to fulfill the responsibility of their ministries - and look always to God for the power they need.   In a series of sermons during the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, speakers outlined the importance of pastors fulfilling their God-assigned tasks.   About 300 persons attended the annual meeting, which was held just prior to last week’s annual Louisiana Baptist Convention. The theme of the conference was "Blow the Trumpets," based on Numbers 10:1-7.   In his address, Louisiana College Director of Church Relations Alan Hix urged pastors to allow nothing to discourage them from finishing their ministry strong.   In a message based on Hebrews 12:1-3, Hix acknowledged ministers face increased pressures and demands. "It’s easy to get knocked off track, to lose our focus."   Hix called … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected officers last week and approved a motion affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and ...   Oh yes, not to be forgotten, they also adopted a record state Cooperative Program budget of $22,750,000 for 2001. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected officers last week and approved a motion affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and ...   Oh yes, not to be forgotten, they also adopted a record state Cooperative Program budget of $22,750,000 for 2001.   In addition, messengers spent much of their miscellaneous business session in debate and discussion of wording changes to convention documents.   However, messengers adopted the record budget goal without discussion or dissent, easily affirming the most ambitious financial goal the state convention ever has set.   The approved goal marks the fifth-straight budget increase for the convention - and represents a jump of $1,250,000 (5.8 percent) from the current year.   It includes $250,000 to be taken "off the top" for health care premium increases. Once that amount is removed, percentages in the budget remain relatively unchanged. Overall, 35 … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist messengers made a clear choice last week - voting to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as their convention’s statement of faith.   Messengers approved a motion affirming the 2000 version of the confessional statement on a vote of 1,112 (56.4 percent) to 860 (43.6 percent). Louisiana Baptist messengers made a clear choice last week - voting to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as their convention’s statement of faith.   Messengers approved a motion affirming the 2000 version of the confessional statement on a vote of 1,112 (56.4 percent) to 860 (43.6 percent).   The ballot vote came after brief but impassioned debate and after a show-of-ballots vote was ruled too close to call.   As expected, the issue arose at the start of the convention’s business session.   "I move that the Louisiana Baptist Convention adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in June of this year as the statement of faith of our convention and that it be printed in our Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual each year," Michael Claunch announced from a floor microphone. Claunch is pastor at First … [Read more...]

When it comes to challenging Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports, Louisiana Baptists are in relatively new territory. When it comes to challenging Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports, Louisiana Baptists are in relatively new territory.   That has led to some confusion about how to handle them since no established process is set forth in convention documents. As one convention president said in the midst of debate several years ago, "In all honesty, when the Louisiana Baptist Convention set up its rules, I don’t believe leaders really expected this (type of challenge) to happen - but here it is."   Indeed, it is.   The issue is a critical one. Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports are important because those two bodies are charged with nominating persons to serve on state committees and boards. The way the process works, electing like-minded persons to a committee or board can shift the direction of that body. Thus, in recent years, nominations have become a point of focus as persons on opposite sides of convention conflict have sought to elect persons who reflect their point of view.   That has led … [Read more...]

The 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention needs very little explanation. Messengers to this year’s convention took decisive actions by decisive votes. The 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention needs very little explanation. Messengers to this year’s convention took decisive actions by decisive votes. For what is probably only the second time in Louisiana Baptist Convention history, a president who was eligible for a second term was challenged for reelection. A strong majority of messengers showed they had no desire to replace T.C. French and kept him in office. The 389 vote margin was one of the largest vote differences in at least the recent history of state convention presidential elections. Interestingly, this election was the first time a former president of the state convention was nominated for president. Perry Sanders, who was nominated in opposition to T.C. French served as president 1968-69. Messengers to this year’s convention voted with a slightly smaller margin than in the presidential election to make the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message the official doctrinal statement of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Previous attempts to make an earlier version of the Baptist Faith and Message part of the state … [Read more...]

For the week of Novemeber 23, 2000 Potpourri •MONROE - College Place church: Greg Buchanan in concert; Nov. 29, 7 p.m.; Jeffrey D. Burns, pastor.   •GRETNA - First church: Louisiana Sonlight; Dec. 3; worship service at 10:45 a.m. and concert at 1:30 p.m., covered dish meal at noon; Ken Duke, pastor.   •HAUGHTON - First Church: Area Christians Together in Our Neighorhood (A.C.T.I.O.N), sponsored by local area churches, open Mondays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m., free blood pressure checks on Fridays, 10-11 a.m.; call for information: ACTION at (318) 949-1000 or First Church at (318) 949-2441.   •LAFAYETTE - First Church: Chalk artist Merle Langston presents the world missions challenge, Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m.; Perry Sanders, pastor.   •OAKDALE - First church: The Continental Singers presents The Jeremiah People, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.; John Campbell, pastor.   •HODGE - Hodge church: churchwide launch of balloons containing Christmas messages, Nov. 26, 4:45 p.m.; Dwayne Boudreaux, pastor.   •NATCHITOCHES - First church: Christian film, A Vow to Cherish; Nov. 26, 6 p.m.; Scott Shaver, pastor. Anniversaries •BASTROP - First church: 150th; Dec. 3, 10:15 a.m.; former … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational boards and committees without change last week - but not without challenge. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational boards and committees without change last week - but not without challenge.   Messengers turned back challenges to change a pair of nominees on both the Louisiana Baptist Message board and the Committee on Nominations. Instead, messengers opted to stay with persons proposed by the state Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations.   All in all, messengers elected 87 persons to serve first or second terms on state convention trustee boards and committees.   In proposing persons to serve on convention boards, Committee on Nominations Chair Jesse Wascom told messengers that 125 names had been submitted to fill 35 slots. Each person had been contacted regarding their support of state convention efforts and the Cooperative Program and their willingness to take their board responsibility seriously, said Wascom, pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in West Monroe.   In addition, the committee had asked the heads of … [Read more...]

His statement, coming from a saddened expression, always puzzled me. "I just think about my little wife, sitting at home having a sandwich while we are here enjoying this fine meal."   Was he serious? If he was so serious, why didn’t he send his "fine meal" back to the kitchen or simply order a sandwich? His statement, coming from a saddened expression, always puzzled me. "I just think about my little wife, sitting at home having a sandwich while we are here enjoying this fine meal."   Was he serious? If he was so serious, why didn’t he send his "fine meal" back to the kitchen or simply order a sandwich?   He was a wonderful preacher/pastor who was called upon to speak multitudes of times each year, plus he was in places of convention leadership through the years. (Believe it, when Baptists meet, they eat - well - wherever). He always said that little ditty about his wife. Maybe he just felt better remembering her and knowing he could tell her what he told us when he got home. Sort of a preventive strike.   That same sort of guilt may have driven a pastor-friend of mine here in Central Louisiana during the Louisiana Baptist Convention.   He and his good friend … [Read more...]