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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

FBI awards Hammett with prestigious Director’s Community Leadership Award

By Staff, Baptist Message NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently presented Cassie Hammett, founder of The Hub: urban ministries in Shreveport, with its 2019 Director’s Community Leadership Award. According to an FBI news release, the agency’s New Orleans field office nominated Hammett for her efforts in fighting for victims of sex trafficking in the state of Louisiana. Hammett received the award during a special ceremony Oct. 2 in Shreveport. The FBI recognized Hammett as a “dynamic trailblazer” who has led the Hub to be one of the most valuable resources to the New Orleans division for human trafficking and the Shreveport Resident Agency Child Exploitation Task Force. “Receiving this award means more to me than can be expressed,” Hammett told the Baptist Message. “But for me, the honor lies in serving on the FBI human trafficking task force and getting the opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with some of the most incredible law enforcement officers and FBI agents who are committed to saving lives on a daily basis. That, in addition to serving victims and showing them the love of Christ, are the true rewards.” This is the second year a Louisiana Baptist has received this … [Read more...]

Zeta is third hurricane, fifth major storm, to strike Louisiana in 2020

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Hurricane Zeta made landfall in Louisiana, Wednesday, the fifth major storm to do so in the state this year. Zeta came ashore around 4 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, just one mph short of Category 3 status. The storm made landfall in Cocodrie, a fishing village 30 miles south of Houma. More than 456,000 businesses and homes in the state remained in the dark around 2:30 p.m, Thursday. The National Weather Service office in New Orleans reported winds of 112 mph at Bayou Bienvenue, 101 mph at Shell Beach and 100 mph at LaPlace. The storm was responsible for at least one death in the state. New Orleans EMS’ Twitter account reported that emergency crews had responded to a report of an electrocution fatality in the city. In Terrytown, 25 residents of an apartment building were evacuated after part of the building collapsed, WDSU-TV in New Orleans reported. One person was being treated for injuries. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Advocate reported that two riverboats and two barges tied up at a marine salvage yard in Lafitte broke loose on the Barataria Bay. Salvage yard owner Tom Dinh was able to slow the two riverboats enough to pin them to a corner of the Leo Kerner … [Read more...]

Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief offers lifelines in Louisiana

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – University of Alaska-Anchorage Mosaic campus ministry director Scott Belmore was glued to his television screen in late August as he watched footage of the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura in his native state. Belmore, who previously served as the director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette from 2005 to 2013, wanted to do something to aid those impacted by the storm. So he contacted Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials to find out how he could help. By late October, Belmore and seven students from Mosaic (an Alaska Baptist Resource Network ministry that is similar to a BCM) packed their bags and traveled to Louisiana to serve as an Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief team. Throughout Oct. 18-25 they removed trees that had fallen on homes and cleared debris that was scattered across properties throughout Rapides Parish. But more importantly, they shared the hope found in Jesus with the 17 homeowners they encountered. Among those blessed by the Mosaic team were Rebekah and Jeremy Buckels, members of Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, who lost 30 trees to Hurricane Laura and then had two inches of … [Read more...]

Foundation adopts LBF Vision200

By Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)--The Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees adopted, Oct. 27, a strategic plan, LBF Vison200, to “Advance the Kingdom through the Foundation’s ministry by $200 million over the next twenty years or less.” LBF Executive Director Jeff Steed said the plan will set the trajectory of the Foundation for the next 20 years as it seeks to partner with churches and other ministries to advance the Kingdom “one dollar at a time, one ministry at a time, one life at a time.” He said the $200 million goal over 20 years will be fulfilled through the Foundation’s efforts to facilitate planned gifts (e.g. non-cash gifts, estate gifts, charitable gift annuities, endowments, donor-advised funds and other special gifts beyond cash), and serve churches and other ministries with funds management as well as other services to enhance their impact. Specifically, the Foundation will emphasize activity in four areas: Planned Giving -- provide educational content to churches such as the “Louisiana Legacy” publication, sharing with members about ways they can benefit their church beyond cash -- speak in churches to inform members how to be good stewards with regard to their estates -- develop … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists Johnson, Abraham celebrate Louisiana native Barrett as new Supreme Court justice

By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON, D.C. (LBM) – The U.S. Senate's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court drew high praise from Louisiana’s congressional delegation as someone who is dedicated to her faith and the Constitution. The 52-48 vote, Oct. 26, filled the vacant seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18. PERSONAL BACKGROUND A native of New Orleans, Barrett graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School in Metairie, and later earned degrees from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and Notre Dame Law School. Barrett’s legal career has included serving as a clerk for Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She also practiced law in Washington, D.C., and was a professor of law at several universities. Aside from the bench, Barrett is married to her husband, Jesse. They have seven children, including two who are adopted from Haiti and another who has Down syndrome. STRONG PRAISE Congressman Mike Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church, Bossier City, said in a statement he was filled with joy that a personal friend is now a Supreme Court justice. Johnson said … [Read more...]

LBC Annual Meeting registration opens

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Registration has opened for the 2020 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual meeting. Scheduled Nov. 10 from 12:45 to 5 p.m. inside Guinn Auditorium at Louisiana College, the abbreviated meeting will include only essential business, including reports from the social and moral concerns committee, the resolutions committee and entities. Originally, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans was named the host, but on June 30 the decision was made to change the venue due possible attendance restrictions in the city relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The LBC Executive Board during their Sept. 29 meeting approved relocating the event to Guinn Auditorium. To register, visit the LBC Annual Meeting website.  … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists are gathering

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBC) - This year has brought about more challenges and cancellations than any of us care to recount. For those meetings and events that were scheduled, more times than not, they happened virtually rather than in person. This has been true for us as Louisiana Baptists. Therefore, I am excited to meet in person for the annual meeting of Louisiana Baptists. We have made significant changes to the format to streamline our business while complying with COVID considerations, but our plans are to gather in person for this important, once-a-year event. So please join us on Tuesday, November 10, in Guinn Auditorium on the campus of Louisiana College in Pineville. Registration will open at 11 a.m. and the meeting will begin at 12:45 with worship led by Ricky Draper, worship pastor at First Baptist in New Orleans. We will conduct business, hear reports and celebrate God’s faithfulness amidst the great challenges of 2020. The meeting will conclude about 5 p.m. following a message from Steve McAlister, pastor of Westside Baptist, in Natchitoches. Resilient will be our theme – certainly appropriate for this year. We realize it may require resiliency to make it to this year’s annual meeting, but we do … [Read more...]