Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LC convergence media students earn regional, national recognition

By Staff PINEVILLE (LCNews) -- The Louisiana College Convergence Media Program recently received regional and national recognition with students and faculty earning top awards in two contests, the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards and the National Religious Broadcasters Intercollegiate Competition. The Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards is sponsored annually by the Arkansas Pro Chapter and recognizes journalism excellence in Arkansas and the six neighboring states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Judges evaluated a record 393 entries in 75 categories for work published or broadcast in 2020. Members of the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of SPJ served as judges. Louisiana College took the two top spots in student Editorial/Opinion writing: 1. "Good Journalism is Incorruptible," Alena Noakes, Wildcats Media; 2. "What the Democratic Party Should Learn from the 2020 Election," Joel Thompson, Wildcats Media. Aaron Quartermont, Wildcats Media, also earned first place in student Video Features: "LC Alum Becomes Award-Winning Artist." Meanwhile, Elizabeth Clarke, LC's director of college communications, was honored with third place in the professional division of the … [Read more...]

Louisiana College named one of most affordable programs for teachers

By Elizabeth Clarke, LC News PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) - Louisiana College has been listed as one of the most affordable teacher-prep bachelor degree programs in the West South Central region of the U.S., which includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma by educationdegree.com. “LCs 3+1 advanced education program offers an excellent opportunity for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in 3 years,” said Amy Craig, dean of the School of Education, “and work as a full-time teacher while they earn their Master’s of Arts in teaching degree in their fourth year.“ Students at LC can choose from many different areas of education and different ways to access their coursework—from traditional classroom, fully online instruction and hybrid courses. Educationdegree.com explains on its site that the list came from examining every qualified initial teacher prep program in all four states — both public and private — and examining the state average cost-per-credit for both groups. “Small class sizes for individualized instruction and personal attention… an intimate, Christ-centered learning environment … and some of the most affordable tuition rates among private colleges anywhere are just a few of the distinctives that … [Read more...]

Make it about the lost

By Lane Corley ALEXANDRIA, La. – Luke 15 is foundational for church planters who want to reach the lost: Am I approachable by lost people? "tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him" (v. 1) Am I spending time with the lost? "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (v. 2) Do I place greater value on one lost person over a crowd who are right with God? (v. 7, 10) Is my search for the lost careful, deliberate, diligent, risky? (v. 4, 8) Do I have compassion or contempt for those far from God? (v. 20, 28) Reaching the lost may mean: You'll be misunderstood by religious people. You should focus on fewer people, rather than large crowds. You are engaging in careful, deliberate, diligent, time consuming work. You'll lay aside contempt for sin, to throw your arms around sinners. You'll start celebrations in heaven. Let's make it about the lost. Lane Corley is a Louisiana Baptist church planting strategist and pastor of the Bridge Church in Madisonville. … [Read more...]

Let’s celebrate America and God’s blessings

By Waymond Warren WEST MONROE, La. – Nations are acknowledged as valuable in Jesus’ Great Commission—“all the nations” He said. And Heaven is described in the Revelation as the place where the “glory and honor of nations” is brought. So, it would be wrong for us to not bless our nation—the nation God gave us—so that our nation can bless God. Our nation finds its rightful place and truest identity within the Kingdom of God. I am glad I grew up at Bel Air Elementary—standing, pledging every day to our Flag, “one nation under God, indivisible.” Take “under God” out and division is the only thing you can have left. I am glad we daily sang, hand on heart, “My Country Tis of Thee.” The last stanza says: Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, With freedom's holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King! And I’m glad we said our prayer. And the boy, kind and my friend, whose family disagreed with these things, stood in the hall. What good is that you ask? Well, it made that line very clear— “Let freedom ring!” The majority had the freedom to teach…the minority had the freedom to differentiate. That’s very different from what we are now experiencing, where the … [Read more...]

SCOTUS rejects NAMB’s lawsuit against former BCMD executive director

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the lawsuit filed by the North American Mission Board, who had asked the nine justices to review the verdict of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the Southern Baptist Convention entity’s legal battle with Will McRaney, the former executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. In effect, the denial means McRaney has prevailed in his effort to finally depose witnesses and present evidence to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in his claim about NAMB’s “intentional interference with business relationships, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress” related to his termination by the BCMD. NAMB filed its appeal to the Supreme Court after losing 0-3 in a hearing by a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court, and then failing 8-9 in a request for a full hearing by that same court. The close vote in the second ruling was wrapped in controversy due to false filings by NAMB and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, also an SBC entity, who claimed the SBC (and consequently NAMB) has a hierarchical governing relationship with Baptist … [Read more...]

Former federal prison inmate to speak at First Baptist Pineville

By First Baptist Pineville PINEVILLE, La. - First Baptist Church Pineville, 901 Main Street in Pineville, will host former prison inmate Gene Garland in special July 4 services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. During the service, Garland will sing some of his music written while in prison and share his testimony message entitled “Wouldn’t Change It If I Could.” Garland was convicted of securities fraud, money laundering and mail fraud in 2000 and was given a 23-year sentence. After serving 18 years in federal prison, most recently in Pollock, Garland was released in 2019. Since being released, Garland has married, launched his own landscaping business and started serving a church in Texas, where his son also is on staff. He enjoys ministering to nursing homes by singing and preaching. Stewart Holloway, pastor of First Baptist Pineville, first met Garland while teaching a class for Louisiana College at the Pollock prison. “Gene was assigned to me to make sure I had anything I needed and to answer any questions I might have," Holloway said. "Having him by my side also made me more comfortable during my first few weeks walking into a prison environment. “We became fast friends as I learned of his love for the Lord and watched him … [Read more...]

On second ballot, messengers elect Litton SBC president

By Will Hall, Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Alabama, was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, June 15, in Nashville, Tennessee, during the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting. Litton won a runoff vote against Georgia Pastor Mike Stone, by a margin of 556 votes, 6,834 to 6,278. The messenger count peaked at 15,691 prior to the election, according to registration secretary Don Currence. However, only 13,112 ballots were cast. FIRST ROUND Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Blackshear, Georgia, led Litton after the first round of voting among four contenders, who included R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, and Randy Adams, executive director of Northwest Baptist Convention, Vancouver, Washington. First Vote: Stone, 5,216, or 37.2 percent; Litton, 4,360, or 31.1 percent; Mohler, 3,764, or 26.9 percent; and Adams, 673, or 4.8 percent (out of 14,013 total votes counted). CAJUN COMMENDATION Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, nominated Litton with a strong endorsement of Litton’s ability as a “uniter” who has “uniquely shown his commitment to … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Michael (wife Tammy) Wilkinson from Macedonia Baptist Church, Effie to become pastor at East Jena Baptist Church, Jena. Sam Haggard is the new youth minister at Bethany Baptist Church, Bethany Kirk (wife Jordan) Talley is the new music minister from Open Door, Ragley to Blanchard Baptist Church, Blanchard. Joshua (wife Rebekah) Timothy will be ordained to the Gospel ministry on June 27 at 6 p.m. He is the pastor of Esler Baptist Church, Pineville. Will Simmons is the new discipleship pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport, from North Keithville Baptist Church, Keithville. Austin Eaken is the new youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport from Grawood Baptist Church, Keithville. Chris Keeny is the new pastor at Westlake Baptist Church, Shreveport from Mooringsport Baptist Church, … [Read more...]

Messengers adopt 10 resolutions

By Will Hall, Message executive editor NOTE: The online edition of this article has been corrected to indicate that the SBC Resolutions Committee tabled Resolution 7. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2021 Annual Meeting adopted nine of the 10 resolutions submitted by the Resolutions Committee and added one from the floor that called for “abolishing abortion.” According to Baptist Press, the Resolutions Committee had declined the previously submitted pro-life resolution, June 15, because the issue of abortion had been addressed in another resolution they wrote. However, one of the co-authors of the rejected resolution spoke to the messengers, who voted to bring it to the floor for consideration with a two-thirds vote and adopted it the next day after the word “alone” was added. In the end, this resolution declared “that we will not embrace an incremental approach alone to ending abortion because it challenges God’s Lordship over the heart and the conscience, and rejects His call to repent of sin completely and immediately.” Meanwhile, the committee tabled the proposed Resolution 7 they had crafted -- which denounced “the Capitol resurrection of January 6, 2021, … as inconsistent … [Read more...]

Messengers present 32 motions for consideration

By Staff, Baptist Message NASHVILLE (BP) – Messengers presented 32 motions during the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, and moved: for an investigation of the ERLC for concealing knowledge about sex abuse for more than a year and only revealing such information through leaked ERLC letters accusing the EC of racism and mishandling sex abuse cases (Jared Longshore, Florida); for an outside investigation of the EC regarding the ERLC’s accusations in the leaked letters (Grant Gaines, Tennessee); for the Executive Committee to study possible conflicts of interest because the same legal counsel represents the EC and the SBC (Jay Adkins, Louisiana); to break fellowship with Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California (Shad Tibbs, Louisiana); that specific conditions be met before using Cooperative Program funds to pay for an outside in-vestigation of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission or the EC (Allen Nelson, Arkansas); that a Fellowship Meal Sunday be added to the SBC calendar (James Allen Murray, North Carolina); to rescind Resolution 9 (that approved of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality), which was adopted during the 2019 SBC Annual Meeting (Tom Ascol, Florida); to end … [Read more...]