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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LBC seeks resolutions

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- Louisiana Baptists are invited to submit resolutions for possible consideration by messengers at the 2020 Louisiana Baptist Convention. Resolutions may be submitted for review and consideration not fewer than 15 days prior to the LBC annual meeting, Nov. 10, providing a window of opportunity through Oct. 26 Resolutions should be typewritten, titled and dated, and, accompanied by a letter --from a church qualified to send a messenger to the annual meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention--certifying that the person submitting the resolution is a member in good standing. The letter should include complete contact information for both the person submitting it and his or her church. No person may submit more than three resolutions per year. Steve McAlister, Westside, Natchitoches, is the Committee on Resolutions chair. Proposed resolutions may be faxed, 318.449.4287, emailed, Policy@LouisianaBaptists.org, or mailed (ATTN: Resolutions Committee, LBC Office of Public Policy, P.O. Box 311, Alexandria, LA 71309). If you desire assistance with wording or formatting, please contact LBC Public Policy Director Will Hall by phone, 318.448.3402, or email, … [Read more...]

Credentials Committee: Messengers must register for annual meeting

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM)—In order for a church to be represented during the business portions of the Louisiana Baptist Convention to be held Nov. 10 in the Guinn Auditorium on the campus of Louisiana College in Pineville, it will need to elect messenger(s), who then must register and be certified by the Committee on Credentials. Chairman Todd Free noted to the Baptist Message that there are five ways for messengers to register and be approved: — The first and simplest way is for messengers to pre-register using www.LaOne.org and printout the registration card to bring to the annual meeting. This way allows messengers to be certified within a matter of minutes, Free said. — Second, a messenger may bring a note on official letterhead signed by the pastor or church clerk, stating that the individual was elected by the congregation. — Third, a church officer can phone in the names of elected messengers. — Fourth, a person can be vouchsafed as a duly elected messenger by a fellow registered church member. — Finally, when there is no other means by which to validate a person, a meeting of the Committee on Credentials may be called to make a determination. Free emphasized that pastors are not … [Read more...]

Green Oak blessed with revival since Laura

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer MERRYVILLE, La. (LBM) – Michael Burgess prayed for God to move when he accepted the call in July to pastor his first church, Green Oak Baptist Church in Merryville, but he never imagined the revival the Lord would bring among the congregation and a community of 1,100 in the weeks following Hurricane Laura. Since the August storm, the church has grown from 20 in Sunday morning worship to 75 in late September and has baptized five new converts, with additional baptisms scheduled in the coming weeks. Many days, whether from the pulpit or at a feeding line for those impacted by Laura, Burgess marvels at how God has breathed life into the church within a short time. “When I pull onto the church grounds I know this is where God is working,” Burgess told the Baptist Message. “I’ve seen Him multiply our congregation and have seen people who left come back. “One of my prayers to God when I took this church was ‘let me see you work. If I preach, let me be good at it for you. But let me see this through your lens.’ I thought it would be in baptisms but never knew it would occur out of a hurricane. Never did I think I would see it in lives turned upside down.” UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS … [Read more...]

Retired Pastor Larry Ramsour passes away at 84

By staff reports ATHENS, Texas – James Larry Ramsour, a former pastor of several Louisiana Baptist churches, died Saturday, Sept. 19. He was 84. He was born in Brownwood, Texas on July 6, 1936, to Lee and Audrey Mae Ramsour. His father was a Southern Baptist minister and the family lived in several places during his formative years. Larry graduated from Tahoka High School in 1953 and attended Baylor University, where he married Valetta Stripling. He received his Bachelor's degree from Baylor University and his Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and Valetta moved to Navarro Mills in 1961, where he pastored his first church and she taught school. His daughters, Michelle and Marcelyn, were born in 1964 and 1968. From her Daddy, Michelle inherited his love of photography, plants, flowers and piano, his sense of creativity, attention to detail and prankster tendencies. Marcelyn inherited from her Daddy his sense of optimism, his patriotism, his spirit of determination, his love of music and animals, and his talent at Words with Friends. They both learned from him that in every situation, there is always something for which to be grateful. When their husbands, Jeff and Carl, became … [Read more...]

University Baptist open for food and supply distribution

By Carey Baptist Associaiton LAKE CHARLES, La. – Still need cleaning supplies or food? Have neighbors or friends who do? Send them to University Baptist Church at the corner of McNeese St. and Lake St. in Lake Charles. Their distribution center is still open and they want to help how they can. … [Read more...]

Information lunch meeting scheduled Oct. 27 in Lake Charles for hurricane-damaged churches

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been changed to indicate the meeting on Oct. 27 is not sponsored by FEMA but rather the Louisiana Baptists and a joint venture by GEC/Myer, Rostan Solutions, and Ratcliff Construction. By Sara Drott, Carey Baptist Association director of communications LAKE CHARLES, La. – Churches are invited to an informational meeting on Oct. 27 at East Ridge Baptist Church in Lake Charles. Alan Weishampel, pastor of East Ridge, and Louisiana Baptists staff members will be present. The meeting is sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Convention and is a joint venture of companies, made up of GEC/Myer, Rostan Solutions and Ratcliff Construction. These companies bring expertise in their areas of focus including navigating the FEMA application process along with professional engineering services and accurate construction cost estimates and services. Churches will benefit by having experienced professionals working with them to secure grants and move forward with recovery and building concerns. The meeting will begin at noon with lunch served and the information will proceed immediately thereafter. East Ridge Baptist is located at 5400 Hwy. 397 in Lake Charles. … [Read more...]

Judge Barrett is right: Harvard, MIT scientists say homosexual behavior is a ‘preference’

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (LBM) – While U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Webster’s Dictionary were assailing Judge Amy Coney Barrett and Americans’ sensibilities about the notion of “sexual preference,” they ignored the results of one of the largest research efforts ever about homosexual behavior. The international study (published a year ago), led by researchers from Harvard and MIT, looked at the genomes of nearly 500,000 people in the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden and concluded that any genetic influence on homosexual behavior was minimal and hardly deterministic. Of particular interest, they concluded that between 8 - 25 percent of homosexual behavior had a small but inconsistent influence from five genetic variants, and conceded that these also related to behaviors “such as smoking, cannabis use, risk-taking, and the personality trait ‘openness to experience’” as well as “sexual behavior, attraction, identity, and fantasies.” Likewise, some of these indicators also were “genetically correlated with several psychiatric or mental health traits” such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The researchers concluded that in aggregate these genetic … [Read more...]

The privilege of prayer

By Waylon Bailey COVINGTON, La. – “What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!” I learned to sing the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” as a child and teenager in church. I have never forgotten the words, especially these words, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” It is a privilege to pray–both to take our personal needs to God and to pray for others. As I write this, I have just had the privilege to join with one of the men of our church in praying for his wife. Prayer for others is a great privilege. It is also a Christian obligation. While we certainly pray for ourselves and for those close to us, we also have a responsibility to pray for the church and its mission around the world. Paul told the church to pray for all the saints, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Paul asked the church at Colossae to pray for him and his work. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that … [Read more...]

LC to host October conference on the role of women in ministry

By Elizabeth Christian, LCNews PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – Louisiana College will host its annual C3 Conference Oct. 20 in the Granberry Conference Center on campus. The event, which will examine the role of women in ministry, was postponed from March. “We are pleased to host this seminar as a continuing ministry of Louisiana College addressing relevant matters through the intersection and convergence of Christ, Church and Culture,” said President Rick Brewer. “Our guest presenters will bring a unique, Christ-centered response to the role of women in 21st Century ministry. We are confident seminars such as 3C strengthen and stretch our students as they experience intellectual and spiritual growth at LC.” This year’s speakers are Victoria Dixon, Jess Archer and Amanda Walker. “We are delighted that Louisiana College is hosting a conference that highlights the ministry of women in the local church,” said Dr. Marvin Jones, assistant professor of theology and coordinator of C3 ministries. “This evening will be informational as it will address the pertinent issues of women who are seeking God’s calling, doing God’s will, and working in the biblical perimeters of ministry.” Dixon is pursuing a master’s of divinity at New … [Read more...]

Former LC music professor Ben Yang passes away at 73

By staff reports ALEXANDRIA, La. - Ben H. Yang, a former Louisiana College music professor, died Sunday, Oct. 11. He was 73. A native of Daegu, South Korea, Yang came to the United States in 1970 to pursue an advanced degree in music, receiving his master’s degree and Ph.D. in music composition and theory from the University of North Texas. Afterwards, he joined the Louisiana College music department in 1989 and taught music composition, musical theory and piano for nearly three decades before retiring in 2019. Yang was devoted to his students and would often spend long hours composing recommendation letters. He was a piano accompanist for many years at First Presbyterian Church in Alexandria and enjoyed volunteering to play the piano for residents at local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. He was an avid golfer and gardener and had a deep fondness for cats, particularly the family cats, Frisky and Tiger, who would only sleep by Yang's side at night. Yang is survived by his wife of 39 years, Amy Yang, and their daughter, Stephanie Yang, of Boston, Massachusetts. A memorial service will be held in Guinn Auditorium at Louisiana College at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. To send flowers to the family or … [Read more...]