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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Baucham to Louisianans: God hears, remembers, sees, knows

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Legislators, pastors, businessmen and others started off the second day of the 2022 state legislative session with a focus on God during the Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. Keynote speaker Voddie Baucham, a possible nominee for 2022 Southern Baptist Convention president, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards were among those who urged a crowd of more than 1,000 to find joy in what has been a trying time for the state. The event, March 15, at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge, also featured American Idol winner Laine Hardy(member, Bethel Baptist Church, Livingston), who provided special music, legislators such as Rep. Gabe Firment (member, First Baptist Church, Pollock) who read Scripture, and Louisiana Baptist leaders like Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana Christian University, who was part of a multi-person video collaboration in leading the audience in the Model Prayer to close the event. Baucham reminded those at the prayer breakfast to rejoice in difficult circumstances. “God is sovereign, and in His providence, He is working all things together for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose,” said … [Read more...]

Students equipped to ‘proclaim’ at CEC

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) –Chip Luter challenged more than 400 Baptist Collegiate Ministry students and staff, who were attending the 2022 College Evangelism Conference, to be obedient to Christ even when the future is unknown. The March 11-12 event drew students from 21 BCMs to the campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “Obedience in the unseen happens when our faith in God is based on Who He is rather than what we can do,” Luter, associate pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, told the students. Luter’s message was part of a two-day gathering designed to equip participants to share their faith; and it included worship by song led by contemporary Christian artist Joe Reddick. His message and the focus of the various breakout seminars were centered on the theme, “proclaim,” based on 1 Chronicles 16:23. Referencing Hebrews 11:7, Luter told the students that unconditional obedience requires the right relationship, reverence, and reality. “Examine what barriers in your life cause you to be disobedient to God,” he said. “Explore what God may be calling you into right now in regard to His vision of Revelation 7:9. If international missions … [Read more...]

LCU hosts 6th Annual God in the Workplace lecture series March 21

By Joel Thompson, Wildcats Media PINEVILLE, La. (Wildcats Media) – Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries International, will address what tools are needed to produce a Christ-centered business environment at the 6th Annual God in the Workplace Lecture Series, Monday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Guinn Auditorium. Blackaby who serves as the senior pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Winnipeg is president of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary is the author or co-author of 35 books. “In a society that faces many challenges today, Christian businesspeople are uniquely equipped to lead companies that not only make a profit, but bless the staff and customers as well,” Blackaby said. “Christian business leaders can join with God as he ministers to people in the marketplace.” LCU President Rick Brewer said Blackaby will provide timely, practical approaches to integrating faith in the marketplace. “We are pleased Richard Blackaby will be our special guest at this year’s seminar,” said Brewer. “During these volatile times we need to be reminded of the sovereignty of our God in all things affecting the marketplace.” Kenny Holt, dean of the Ray & Dorothy Young School of Business, agreed. “Having Dr. … [Read more...]

Pastor who lost son to brain cancer featured at Bouef River revival

WINNSBORO, La. (LBM) – Lee Faler, a Mississippi pastor who lost his six-year-old son to brain cancer in August, is bringing a powerful message of Jesus’ love as the speaker for the Bouef River Baptist Church revival. Faler, whose story will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Baptist Message, experienced God’s love amid a journey that took him and his family through a long and dark valley. "This ordeal has shown me how strong Jesus’ love is for us,” Faler told the Baptist Message. “He is not just sufficient to save. He is sufficient to sustain. It was something we knew in our heads but now we know it in our hearts because He walked it Himself and He walked it with us.” The revival continues nightly at 6:30 p.m. until March 16 as Faler, pastor of Mississippi’s First Baptist Church, Terry, encourages the congregation with his message of love and hope. … [Read more...]

LCU freshman receives top speaking honors at Arkansas Debate Tournament

By LC News staff FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (LC News) – Hannah Miller, a freshman from Iowa, received top speaker honors at the inaugural University of Arkansas Fayetteville Fisticuffs Debate Tournament over the weekend. The online tournament was held March 4-6 and included competitors from 24 universities and colleges across the nation. “This is only Hannah’s third debate competition to complete in,” LCU Debate Coach Brian Manuel said. “We have seen Hannah grow in her confidence each round that she competes. Her personality really shines through when she debates, and she is a joy to coach. This award is well-deserved.” LCU fielded a team of nine members. The team now turns its attention to the national competition April 8-11 at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. … [Read more...]

Kennedy discusses additional support for Ukraine with President Zelenskyy

By Office of Sen. John Kennedy MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement following a phone call March 5 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “I just got off a conference call with President Zelenskyy. He has pilots, but he needs planes. His pilots aren’t trained to fly American planes, but European countries have planes that Ukrainian pilots can fly. “President Zelenskyy said these European countries are waiting on the okay from the United States to loan him the planes. I made sure that President Zelenskyy knew he had my support, but I think they are all waiting to hear from the Biden administration. We need to help Ukraine now with the planes it needs, for God’s sake. This will not involve U.S. planes, pilots or troops.” … [Read more...]

Kennedy raises concern over threat to religious freedom in Finland

By Office of Sen. John Kennedy WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. John Kennedy has urged Ambassador-at-Large in the Office of International Religious Freedom, Rashad Hussain, and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ian Campbell, the current leading U.S. diplomat in Finland, to closely examine the Finnish government’s criminal prosecutions of Rev. Dr. Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen for expressing their religious beliefs. “The origins and circumstances of the criminal prosecution against Rev. Dr. Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen are clear: these Christians are on trial for their faith—which is, apparently, incompatible with Finnish law.  Even more concerning, Rev. Dr. Pohjola is a Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, and Dr. Päivi Räsänen is a Member of the Finnish Parliament. If these Finnish leaders are unable to engage in freedom of speech and the free exercise of their Christian faith, what ultimately protects ordinary people exercising their faith in Finland and elsewhere from similar abuses of power at the hands of intolerant governments?” Kennedy wrote in a letter to Hussain and Campbell. Kennedy noted Congress’s 1998 passage of the International Religious Freedom Act, which establishes an annual report on international … [Read more...]

LCU hosts area band competition March 10-11

PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) -- Louisiana Christian University will host 16 middle and high school bands competing in the the Louisiana Music Educators’ Association District 2 Large Ensemble Performance Assessment March 10-11. This is the first in-person iteration of LEPA held in the district since 2019 due to COVID restrictions. The bands, from Rapides and surrounding parishes, will perform for and receive feedback from expert music educators on their bands’ performance abilities based on their performances of three pieces of prepared repertoire, chosen from a prescribed list, as well as a separate performance of music previously unknown to them. LEPA takes place in all nine districts of LMEA; similar events are held in nearly every state in America, said Joshua Davis, LCU director of bands and assistant professor of music.   … [Read more...]

Two LCU students participating in Student Scholars Forum in Shreveport

PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Two Louisiana Christian University English majors, Bethany Nichols, a junior from Boyce, and Samantha Ray, a sophomore from Pineville, have had their papers accepted into the 7th Annual LSUS Regional Student Scholars Forum to be held March 11 in Shreveport. The forum is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas to submit research and creative work from business, education, science and math, and social sciences. “The English faculty encouraged all junior and senior English majors and minors to submit an abstract for a paper written for one of their recent English classes,” said Jeannie Gauthier, chair of the Division of Language and Literature. “Both Bethany and Samantha are stellar students.” Nichols’ paper is titled “Benefits of Colonialism in Kipling’s India,” while Ray’s paper “A&P: A Clash Between Decades” deals with the hostility between the generations as conservative 1950s gives way to a tumultuous 1960s in Updike’s work. Before transferring to LCU in spring 2022, Ray had two essays published in the 2020 Jongleur, the LSUA literary magazine. … [Read more...]