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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

FIRST PERSON: The LBC does not oppose Amendment 2

By Will Hall, director, LBC Office of Public Policy, and executive editor, Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists saw a 19 percent jump in baptisms in 2022 and a 31 percent surge on top of that in 2023. Last week, many Louisiana Baptists took part in the Livingston Parish GO TELL AMERICA Crusade and witnessed more than 1,300 spiritual decisions -- with at least 602 new believers who are counted among that number. Moreover, there are similar evangelistic events planned around the state in 2025 as Louisiana Baptists commit to establish a culture of soul winning in our state. However, this week, all of that has been overshadowed in some circles because of the poor decision by a few individuals to wrongly characterize, or otherwise allow the wrong perception, that “Louisiana Baptists” oppose Amendment 2, a tax reform measure which is on the statewide March 29 ballot. Unfortunately, their misdirection on this issue involves a video clip of my testimony before the Senate Committee on Revenue & Fiscal Affairs regarding HB 7 (which removes language from the Constitution pertaining to property tax exemptions for ministries and nonprofits) and HB 11 (which transfers the exact same language to the statutes … [Read more...]

Johnston, former US Senator and member of First Baptist Shreveport, dies at 92

By Baptist Message staff MCLEAN, Va. (LBM) – J. Bennett Johnston, a U.S. senator who represented Louisiana for 24 years and a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Shreveport, died at a hospital in McLean, Virginia, March 25, from complications related to COVID-19. He was 92. Johnston served as a state representative and senator for eight years combined and U.S. senator for another 24 years. According to his obituary, Johnston was a “conservative Democrat known for working across the aisle, sometimes voting with Republicans when he thought it would serve his state. Johnston helped drive the creation of Interstate 49, brought money into the state to help protect wetlands (including helping establish two national parks and seven wildlife refuges), and in 1990, made national headlines when he defeated Ku Klux Klansman David Duke in that year's Senate race.” According to Lauren Ostendorff, a church secretary and long-time member of FBCS, Johnston joined the church in 1943 and was still a non-resident member when he died. He remained active in the church while practicing law in Shreveport and preparing to enter his first term as a U.S. senator. He served the congregation as a member of the board of directors, as did his … [Read more...]

LACOSBE elects 2025 officers

During its recent meeting, the Louisiana Conference Of Southern Baptist Evangelists elected 2025 officers: Sam Moore, president; Bill Blackmon, vice president; and Nancy Blackmon, secretary/treasurer. … [Read more...]

Former Chinese underground church member celebrates new life

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LAPLACE, La. (LBM) – Guoybing Tang first came to faith as a member of a Chinese underground church in 2023 but only recently did he publicly celebrate his new life in Christ, having been bap­tized by the First Baptist Church, LaPlace. Tang, who stirred the baptistry waters Feb. 9, was greeted with thunder­ous applause from friends gathered for the service. “It was my happiest day ever,” Tang told the Baptist Message. “Baptism is very important to me, and it represents I’m a true Chris­tian with faith in God. “Everything in my life has now put me in the right direction with God,” he continued. “I have no pressure or no anxiety. Now I have joy.” Tang arrived in the United States seven months after he accepted Christ on April 16, 2023, during a Bible study with an underground church (the location is undisclosed for security purposes). After passing by FBC La­Place in December 2023, he decided to return the next Sunday for a worship ser­vice and has been faithfully attending ever since. During the first “En­glish as a Second Lan­guage” class he attended, Tang met church member Nick James and expressed his desire to be baptized. James and Pastor Shane Newton helped … [Read more...]

LCU holds 5th Annual C. S. Lewis Honors Forum

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Ten Louisiana Christian University honors students presented research at the 5th Annual C.S. Lewis Honors Forum, March 22. “It is always such an honor and privilege to witness the culmination of the years of hard work each of these students has put forth,” said Honors Program Director Sarah Payne. “This year's presentations clearly demonstrated each of these student's commitment to academic scholarship. These students truly embody our motto from Lewis himself – ‘thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth.’ I look with joy to their future impacts as Christian scholars and professionals.” Riley Armstrong, a senior biology and chemistry major from Eunice, presented “Recycled Ground Glass as a Sand Substitute in Potting Soil.” Her study investigated the potential of using recycled glass as a substitute for sand in potting soils to promote environmentally sustainable practices. Glass recycling offers significant environmental benefits, such as reducing air pollution, saving energy and minimizing landfill waste. The research examined whether recycled ground glass can effectively replace sand in soil mixtures without compromising plant growth. Armstrong plans to … [Read more...]

More than 1,300 spiritual decisions made in Denham Springs

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (LBM) – The Den­ham Springs High School football stadium became a house of God during the Livingston Parish GO TELL AMERICA Crusade, March 16-19. By the end of the four-day spiritual encounter, including all related out­side events, 1,316 persons had made decisions for Christ, with 602 individ­uals stepping forward to accept Christ, according to Chris Palmer, GO TELL director of ministry out­reach. Evangelist Rick Gage, founder of GO TELL Min­istries in Duluth, Georgia, shared that more than a year ago his team met with pastors and other lead­ers to plan a crusade that would help reach a parish that Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association leaders believe is 80-90 percent unchurched. Over the next year, this group prayed and prepared with anticipation of a mighty harvest. “It’s just been a great move of God, and it’s an area that was ripe for a harvest,” Gage told the Baptist Message. “We’re seeing pockets of revival across the nation and a great move of God among the younger generation. “And as you study the moves of God and the revivals of the past, you learn that many of those great moves of God started with young people. Wasn’t it two and a half … [Read more...]

EVANGELISM 101 (Part 3): The Gospel conversation

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Regardless of the soul-winning ap­proach used to spiritually engage someone (Con­frontational, Conversa­tional, Lifestyle, or Rela­tional), each evangelistic effort must eventually narrow down to an in­tentional decision-mak­ing moment. The conversation may begin in several ways depending on whether the opportunity follows a Sunday sermon, an area-wide evangelistic event, a conversation with a family member or a knock-on-the-door initiative. Somone might prefer the Evangelism Explo­sion method of asking, “If you were to die today and stand before God, and He was to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into My Heaven?’, what would you say?” Others might lean toward the F.A.I.T.H. Gospel conversation starter, “In your person­al opinion, what does it take for someone to go to Heaven?” But in the end, the culmination of the sowing and watering, whether brief or over an extended time, must con­clude with reaping – and that involves a discussion about sin and debt, as well as forgiveness and the means to obtain it. Again, there are mul­tiple models to struc­ture this conversation: Continuing Witness Training, Evangelism Explosion, Four Spiritual Laws, … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists share John 3:16 on 3/16

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Churches around the state heeded a chal­lenge to share John 3:16 on March 16 and saw the Holy Spirit move through mes­sages, mission activities and crusades. Designated as a day for all Louisiana Baptist pastors to preach John 3:16, the initiative aimed to catalyze soul winning across the state. Leading up to March 16, congre­gations were encouraged to follow a special 16-day prayer guide, beginning on March 1, and included a Bible verse to reflect on for each of three recommend­ed times to pray (morning, noon and evening). Lou­isiana joined other state Baptist conventions for the effort, which were coordi­nated through the North American Mission Board. Beauregard, Big Creek, Eastern Louisiana and Ouachita Baptist Associ­ations were among those groups who scheduled evangelistic outreaches throughout the month to coincide with the special day. “I am thankful for every pastor and church par­ticipating in John 3:16 day,” Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn told the Baptist Message. “The innova­tive and specific ways that individual churches decided to promote the day was inspiring to see. “A few things that I genuinely believe were … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Heath and Jenny Peloquin has been called to pastor Rock Hill Baptist in Brownsboro, Texas and is leaving Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. His last day at Summer Grove is March 30. Andrew, wife Lydia, Ardoin, is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, White Castle Ardoin is the new pastor at White Castle after spending 15 years in theforeign mission field. HOMECOMING New Hope Baptist Church, DeQuincy: Homecoming Celebration, April 6 - Coffee Fellowship at 8 a.m. and Worship at 10 a.m. lunch will follow the worship services. Guest Speaker: Charles Gibbs (former pastor). Worship Leader: Broken Vessels. Pastor: Roland Hebert. CRUSADES West Ouachita Crusade, March 30-April 2, 2025, 6 p.m. nightly. The Crusade led by Evangelist: Bill Britt and … [Read more...]

LCU’s new president excited to foster LCU ‘community’

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. — Newly-elected Louisiana Christian University Presi­dent Mark Louis Johnson, Sr. has a bold vision to grow the school through fostering community for the Kingdom. “It’s not about me, it’s about us, all of us who make up the LCU com­munity,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “We’re all doing this together, be­cause that’s the only way Louisiana Christian Uni­versity will grow. “It is a presidency, not a president,” he said. “I’m wanting to bring people to­gether to lead this institu­tion together. One person goes fast, but a community goes far.” Trustees of LCU elect­ed Johnson as the school’s 10th president during a meeting, Feb. 25. Johnson is a native of Anderson, Indiana, and has served as pastor of several churches, including Edgewater Baptist Church, New Orleans (2019-2021); chaplain for the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), New Orleans Baby Cakes minor league baseball team and Tulane University men’s basketball team; and missionary. He also is the author of multiple books, a former professional bas­ketball player in Europe and South America and a podcaster. He currently is an assistant professor of evangelism and pastoral ministry and the … [Read more...]