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 Chad (wife Cole) Gilbert is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, New Orleans. Greg Oden is the new worship leader at New Chapel Hill, West Monroe. Jay George is the new associate pastor at First Baptist Church, Swartz. Bodie Spicer has resigned as pastor of Clark Springs Baptist Church, Eros. Cody (wife Francie) Tabor is the new family pastor at First Baptist Church, Blanchard. Eric Zimmer is the interim pastor at Ida Baptist Church, Ida. Lance Rolland resigns as pastor of Westwood Baptist Church, Keithville and David Venable is the interim pastor. REVIVAL Temple Baptist Church, DeQuincy: Harvest Day, January 10. Evangelist: Sam Moore. Pastor: Bruce Austin. Koran Baptist Church, Haughton: Revival, January 10-13. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Pastor Mike Reichard First Baptist … [Read more...]
LSU prof sounds alarm on Critical Race Theory
By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Randy Trahan, a tenured 24-year professor with the Paul M. Hebert Law School at Louisiana State University, has publicly denounced Critical Race Theory as a threat to society at large and warned of the risk it poses to evangelicals. Trahan, a member of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, described himself as an active advocate for Black civil rights, especially as a member of the admissions committee for the LSU law school, and, a former supporter of Critical Theory (the foundation for Critical Race Theory). Trahan decried Critical Race Theory for what he said was its assault on the “sufficiency of Scripture” -- a critical doctrine that says “Scripture itself is supposed to be the sole and final authority to which nothing needs to be added nor may be added” in understanding the human condition and God’s desire for moral behavior. He also dismissed criticisms that this doctrine is “too narrow” -- that it does not allow for general revelation (learning that can be achieved though nature, specifically by observing human nature). He said that these criticisms simply are strawmen arguments to justify what adherents purport are observations about human … [Read more...]
Seminary presidents’ statement against CRT draws criticism from African American pastors, others
By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – The presidents of the six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention signed a statement, Nov. 30, declaring Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, theories about racism that arose largely from social activists at Harvard University and the University of California at Los Angeles, as “incompatible with the Baptist Faith & Message.” Their statement was released, they said, in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the SBC’s adoption of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. In a statement to Baptist Press, Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and chairman of the SBC Council of Seminary Presidents, said the seminary leaders were prompted by widespread complaints raised by Southern Baptists. “We felt that because our brothers and sisters in various state conventions have concern about this issue, they would also want to know what their seminaries actually think, and what we are teaching and not teaching,” Akin said. Tennessee Baptists (2019) and Georgia Baptists (2020) adopted resolutions rejecting the controversial “Resolution 9” that was adopted by SBC messengers at the 2019 … [Read more...]
ERLC shifts stance on federal embryonic stem cell lines
By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has shifted its position on a decades-old policy opposing the use of federal embryonic stem cell lines in medical research. The SBC’s public policy arm has published or promoted multiple position statements in recent weeks, all offering a similar view that it is not morally wrong to take a COVID-19 vaccine developed or tested using established government embryonic stem cell lines. However, Southern Baptists voiced strong opposition against the use of human embryos to advance medical knowledge when in 2001 President George W. Bush allowed federal funds for research on 60 existing stem cell lines that had been produced from human embryos. These no longer contain any of the original tissue taken from the aborted babies that were used to start each respective stem cell line. Instead, generations of new tissue have been grown in laboratories from the original human cells. Then-ERLC President Richard Land said the decision to fund even limited embryonic stem cell research crossed a fundamental moral line. “We must always remember that these existing stem cell lines are … [Read more...]
Congressman-elect Letlow succumbs to COVID-19
By Baptist Message staff MONROE, La. (LBM) - Congressman-elect Luke Letlow died Tuesday evening from complications related to COVID-19, according to his communications director Adrian Bautsch. Letlow, 41, who leaves behind his wife, Julia, and two young children, announced on Dec. 18 he had tested positive for COVID-19. The following day Letlow was admitted to St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe and on Dec. 22 was transferred to the intensive care unit at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, where he remained at the time of his death. Letlow recently won the 5th Congressional District seat to succeed Ralph Abraham, who is retiring from Congress. Letlow had served as Abraham’s chief of staff. "The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time,” Bautsch said in a statement. “A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time." Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that flags would be flown at half staff on the day of Letlow’s funeral. "It is with heavy hearts that Donna and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19," Edwards said in a … [Read more...]
Lord, that’s not how we do things!
By Joe McKeever “‘…your ways are not my ways,’ saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8) Keep an eye on how the Lord works in your life. You might learn something useful for the next time He wants to use you. This little couplet seems to sum up 90 percent of what Scripture and life teach us concerning the operation of God in this world…. When God gets ready to do a thing, He loves to start small Using ordinary people With whatever methods He chooses, And take HIs own good time about it. Only people of faith will still be standing there at the end To see what He has done And to behold His glory. That’s how He does things. You can see it all through Scripture and by looking back over your lifetime. But here is the problem. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are different from ours. He is in fact light years above and beyond us and our techniques. (He said that very thing in Isaiah 55:8-9.) For instance, using the formula (above) as our guide….. God loves to start small; However we don’t like little things. (Matthew 13:31-32) We keep asking God to do big things, and think we’re complimenting Him by such prayers. “Do a God-sized thing,” I prayed for years. We complain if our numbers … [Read more...]
The gifts of the wise men
Out of their vast treasures of wealth and wonder, the wise men made deliberate choices in the gifts they brought to worship Jesus. Gold was coveted as the most precious of metals. It was the standard by which wealth was measured, and so it was a fit tribute to royalty. Gold was meant to signify that this baby, born in a feeding trough to impoverished parents, was the King. Frankincense is a fragrant milky sap that is harvested from trees that grow mainly in Oman and Yemen in the Middle East. In the Old Testament the hardened sap was used as an incense burned for thanksgiving and praise offerings, and was given to acknowledge Jesus as our High Priest. Myrrh, a bitter herb, was a bittersweet gift. In the first century, it was a spice wrapped in the layers of linen placed on a dead body in order to externally embalm it. Myrrh was presented to confess the infant as our Savior, whose death and resurrection in a mere three decades would bring “salvation to the ends of the earth.” Adapted from David Jeremiah’s “A Spirit of Giving.” … [Read more...]
Despite 2020’s challenges, we can be confidently thankful this Christmas
By John Kennedy, U.S. Senator WASHINGTON (LBM) — This year not been easy for Louisiana. No one could have foreseen when 2020 began that, in just a few months, an unprecedented pandemic would shut down America’s economy and a novel coronavirus would infect more than 200,000 Louisianians, with over 6,000 confirmed deaths. As if the coronavirus didn’t cause enough loss, Louisiana has also had a particularly bad hurricane season, too. In August, Hurricane Laura killed at least 28 Louisianians, destroyed over 10,000 homes, and caused up to $14 billion in damages. Tragically, while we were still recovering from Laura, Hurricanes Delta and Zeta followed, further devastating much of the state. The destructive hurricane season and the pandemic have hurt Louisiana jobs as well. Although the economy has begun to recover, the unemployment rate reached 9.4% in October, and small businesses have been hit especially hard. This year, I have worked as hard as I can to help Louisianians recover from these disasters. To help those who have lost their homes and livelihoods, I introduced a bill providing $10 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund, as well as two bills that simplify forgiveness for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, … [Read more...]
LBC church planting moves ahead despite pandemic
By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – The novel coronavirus outbreak may have disrupted plans to plant 30 churches in the state this year, but in the midst of challenging circumstances Louisiana Baptists still managed to start 15 new congregations. Next year, the Louisiana Baptist missions and ministry team has a goal to plant 29 churches, which would bring the total of new congregations started since 2010 to 300. “I am glad that we serve an unusual God in these unusual times,” James Jenkins, director of church planting for Louisiana Baptists, told the Baptist Message. “Pandemic or no pandemic, people need the Gospel. Planting 29 churches in the coming year is a God-sized goal that can be accomplished by God’s people working cooperatively to plant churches in every town, every city, every parish, to the very borders of Louisiana.” Planting 300 churches by 2020 is one of 10 action steps identified in the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, which was affirmed by messengers during the 2013 LBC Annual Meeting. The strategy for church planting has been to target the regions of the state where most Louisianans live, with an emphasis on cities and communities along the I-10 corridor and … [Read more...]
Music minister Ken Fryer passes away at 56
By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Ken Fryer, minister of music at Riverside Baptist Church, Watson, died Saturday, Dec. 12. He was 56. A native of Delhi, Fryer served at several Louisiana Baptist churches, including as pastor of First Baptist Church, Greenwood, and College Place Baptist Church, Monroe. He also served as an associate pastor at Heritage Baptist Church, Shreveport; Milldale Baptist Church, Zachary; Willow Point Baptist Church, Shreveport; and Broussard Grove Baptist Church, Prairieville. In addition to being on the staff of six churches, Fryer served Louisiana Baptists as a LBC Executive Board member (2007-2011), moral and social concerns committee member (2012-2014), and President’s 2020 Commission member (2012-present), according to the Annual Church Profile. According to his obituary, Fryer taught at Sequitur Classical Academy, University View Academy and Christ Presbyterian Church, as well as teaching voice to numerous private students. He co-authored the book “Virtues of the Great Composers for Children,” and was a contributor to the book “Covenant Theology: A Baptist Distinctive” by Earl Blackburn. He was a graduate of Ouachita Parish High School, Monroe; East Texas Baptist … [Read more...]
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