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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Despite challenges, French Corner VBS delivers record donations

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PONCHATOULA, La. (LBM) – French Corner Baptist Church in Ponchatoula faced numerous novel coronavirus pandemic-related challenges for its recent Vacation Bible School, but the week ended on a high note with their largest VBS missions’ project donation ever. By the conclusion of the summertime evangelistic event, July 20-24, 43 children and 26 adult volunteers brought in 2,883 canned goods and other non-perishable items that were packed by members of the church and delivered to Our Daily Bread food bank in Hammond the following week. Some of the items also were placed into gift boxes for delivery to homebound individuals in the community. “This was a tremendous week of giving hearts,” Pastor Eric Hattaway told the Baptist Message. “I told the kids they were showing Jesus’ love by bringing these cans. They were able to see first-hand a great example of how a Christian is to live out his or her life in their community.” Like many other Louisiana Baptist churches, French Corner Baptist did not know if VBS would be possible with the future uncertain. Still, they decided to go ahead and plan and make preparations for the yearly event. With social distancing guidelines in … [Read more...]

Landry declares victory as legal challenge to Louisiana’s pro-life laws dropped

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – A Shreveport abortion clinic and multiple doctors who perform abortions have voluntarily dropped their lawsuit that challenged the state’s clinic licensing regulations. Hope Medical Group for Women, formerly June Medical Services, originally filed the case in 2016 and sought to invalidate most of the state’s health and safety requirements relating to abortion, including those to ensure informed consent, provide for the reporting of accurate data on abortion complications, require compliance with the sanitary code and require abortion clinic medical staff to meet basic qualifications for competency. The U.S. Fifth Circuit of Appeals reviewed the case in October and called into question both the plaintiffs' standing to bring the challenge the “cumulative effects” theory they argued. The case had returned to the U.S. Middle District Court in Baton Rouge when it was dismissed, and last week Hope Medical Services and the physicians who perform abortions dropped their challenge to the lawsuit. “The abortion industry's voluntary dismissal of their radical lawsuit aimed at dismantling nearly every one of Louisiana’s health and safety requirements related to abortion is further … [Read more...]

The Father’s heart of the lost

By Lane Corley MADISONVILLE, La. - In Luke 15, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the Father’s heart for the lost. 1. Those far from God liked Jesus and he liked them (verse 1). Is that true of me? When was the last time someone far from God approached me? Am I available to them? Building relationships with them? 2. Jesus welcomed and ate with disreputable characters (verse 2). When was the last meal I had with someone far from God? Do I welcome or repel those far from God? 3. Jesus advocated leaving the crowd to “go after the lost one,” celebrating when the one is found (verse 4). Who’s the one that I’m going after right now? Do I celebrate one sinner’s repentance or only the crowd’s faithful participation? 4. Jesus advocated for “carefully” searching for the lost until found (verse 8). Can I say that my search for the lost is careful, deliberate, and diligent? 5. The lost, dishonorable son was met by a heart “filled with compassion” (verse 20). Do I have compassion or contempt for those far from God? Jesus’ words in Luke 15, remind us that following the Father’s heart may mean… --Being misunderstood --Focusing on fewer people, rather than large crowds --Careful, diligent, time consuming … [Read more...]

Mid-year Cooperative Program report now available

The Louisiana Baptist Convention has released its 2020 mid-year Cooperative Program report, which can be found by clicking here. The Cooperative Program is the Southern Baptist Convention’s method of supporting missions and ministries of state conventions and the SBC. … [Read more...]

Abraham seeks to deny abortionists access to CARES Act loans

By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON, D.C. (LBM) – Congressman Ralph Abraham has joined 20 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives to introduce a bill that would restrict abortion providers from receiving future funds through the Paycheck Protection Program. The Abortion Provider Loan Elimination Act, H.R. 7792, was introduced Monday. If passed, the bill would investigate how Planned Parenthood was able to receive PPP funding and would prohibit the organization from being among those who would get future PPP loans. The PPP was created as part of the CARES Act legislation that was passed to provide eligible small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. LifeSiteNews reported that no less than 43 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country received loans of at least $150,000, with many being much higher. The Planned Parenthood affiliates collectively secured between $65.8 million and $135 million in PPP funds. Abraham urged Louisiana Baptists and other pro-life supporters to contact the Democratic leadership in the House and ask they bring the bill to the floor for consideration. “Unfortunately we have the … [Read more...]

BLM manifesto attacks traditional family and dads’ roles

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement by high profile black sports figures has shed light on the Marxist doctrine underpinning the organization. The movement is tied to violent attacks in U.S. cities, which have overshadowed the protests against injustice after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin, who pinned his knee against Floyd’s neck during an investigation into an alleged attempt to spend counterfeit money. Retired NFL pro bowl defensive end Marcellus Wiley, now an analyst with Fox Sports 1, rejected the move by the NBA to paint “Black Lives Matter” on its courts, pointing to the BLM mission statement which contains goals to “dismantle the patriarchy practice” (dismissing men as heads of homes) and “disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure” (an attack against intact biological families). Meanwhile, in a video posted on his Twitter account retired NFL pro bowl running back Herschel Walker declared that the Black Lives Matter movement “does not represent me.” He also blamed Democrats for the plight of African Americans, and decried the nightly violence that has continued in some cities for more … [Read more...]

U.S. Rep. Johnson a key player in House hearing

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – In a July 28 hearing before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, Democrats did not disguise their vitriol in attacks at a seemingly calm U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, making lengthy accusations and cutting off the witness as he attempted to testify. At one point, the angry monologs by two Democrats on the committee, Lou Correa (Calif.) and Mary Gay Scanlon (Pa.) caused Barr to quip, “This is a hearing. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard.” But Republican members of the committee obliged Barr, even inviting him to speak at length. Congressman Mike Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church in Bossier City and chairman of the 150-member conservative caucus known as the House Republican Study Committee, used his time to allow Barr to address some of the key allegations made by Democrats. “The Democrats have asserted here this morning and they continue to say through the media that under your leadership the justice department has become highly politicized. Why is that a totally unfounded allegation?” Johnson asked. Barr responded in context of his attempts to “restore the rule of law.” Saying that there should be one rule of … [Read more...]

Three words for such a time as this

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - As we pass the mid-point of what seems like an extremely long year, several words come to mind that would be descriptive of how I feel about 2020. Unexpected would definitely be one of those words. No one expected COVID-19. No one saw the social unrest that has unfolded over the last several months. Another word would be uncertainty. It’s no surprise that unexpected events such as the ones we’ve experienced lead to uncertainty. Economic uncertainty. Health uncertainty. Emotional uncertainty. What can we do? What should we do? But even in the midst of these unexpected and uncertain times, I would include the word grateful. I’m grateful God has been faithful. Samuel sums it up well for me when he said, “So far, the Lord has helped us.” These unexpected and uncertain times have not caught Him off guard. I’m grateful for the spirit I’ve seen in Louisiana Baptists. You’ve been creative, stretching yourselves, utilizing unfamiliar technology for many of you, as you’ve continued to minister to each other and your communities. You have exhibited a God-honoring spirit that shows we may have been confined, but we were not contained. You cannot quarantine good news. I am grateful for your faithfulness … [Read more...]

Baptisms celebrate son’s, mother’s spiritual bond at Metairie’s Memorial

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer METAIRIE, La. (LBM) - Mateo Alvarez experienced plenty of fun and games at the 2019 CentriKid summer camp, but in the end also came away with something much greater – the gift of salvation. During an evening worship session at Timber Creek Camp in Polanski, Mississippi, Alvarez, who was 10 at the time, realized the need to confess his sins and stepped forward to publicly declare Jesus as Lord. “The decision just made sense,” Alvarez told the Baptist Message. “That evening was something I never will forget because that was the day that I shared with everyone there that I am someone who is a new creation in Christ.” Alvarez had completed the church's foundational course on discipleship and subsequently set a date to be baptized in the spring. But COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings interrupted his plan. Finally, on July 5, Alvarez was able to step down into the baptistery -- with the double blessing to have his mom, Mary, by his side. She had accepted Christ 20 years ago, but was baptized then under another denomination's doctrinal beliefs about baptism. She wanted to follow through in believer's baptism -- an act of obedience symbolizing her faith in a … [Read more...]

Border closure cuts short Louisiana DR mission, puts ‘Bahama Rebuild’ on hold

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PELICAN POINT, Bahamas (LBM) – An unexpected announcement July 20 that the Bahamian government was closing its border to most travelers from the United States on July 22 forced a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team to cut short their mission two days earlier than planned. The 11-man team had arrived at Pelican Point, Bahamas, July 13, to help with rebuilding the 128-year old St. Matthew Baptist Church destroyed by Hurricane Dorian Sept. 2, 2019. The team had planned to mount trusses through Friday for the church’s new worship center. However, out of precaution for any potential travel issues that might arise because of the border closure, the team boarded a ferry to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday and returned to Louisiana Thursday evening. “When it came to our attention the borders were closing, we began to pray and asked others to pray for options that would allow us to complete our work and still get out of the country,” Louisiana Baptists Disaster Relief Strategist Gibbie McMillan told the Baptist Message. “Our prayers were answered. And it is comforting to know we have prayer partners that we can call upon in our Baptist family.” The order closed the … [Read more...]