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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SBC HIGHLIGHTS: Southern Baptists conduct business, enjoy fellowship, share the Gospel

By Baptist Message staff INDIANAPOLIS (LBM) – Here are the highlights from the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting, June 10-12. Law Amendment (ban on women pastors) Messengers cast 5,099 ballots in favor (61.45 percent) of the Law Amendment and 3,999 against (38.38 percent). However, the majority fell short of the two-thirds (66.67 percent) threshold needed to amend the SBC Constitution. Last year, in New Orleans, 80 percent of messengers approved the measure to ban women pastors. However, failing in 2024 means the issue is dead for now because any constitutional amendment needs to be passed by the supermajority of messengers in two consecutive annual meetings. Disfellowshipped (legacy Virginia congregation) Nearly 92 percent (6,750) of ballots sustained the Credentials Committee’s recommendation to oust the historic First Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia. The congregation, which has a female pastor on staff, was found not to “closely identify” with the SBC. The move comes a year after messengers, during the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting, disfellowshipped three churches who were found to be “not in friendly cooperation” with the SBC: Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California (three ordained women pastors), Fern Creek … [Read more...]

Crossover yields 185 decisions for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer INDIANAPOLIS (LBM) – A variety of evangelistic efforts preceding the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting produced saving knowledge of Jesus in 185 new believers. According to the North American Mission Board, 44 churches in the Indianapolis area participated in Crossover, which took place June 3-8 in the city. The events had 1,469 volunteers who shared the Gospel with 5,393 people. Throughout the weekend, efforts included block parties, door-to-door witnessing, compassion projects and more evangelistic events. Sixty-five students and professors from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary participated in evangelism classes each morning and in the afternoon shared the Gospel door-to-door around the city. NOBTS had the largest group, with 20 NOBTS and Leavell College students and evangelism professors Preston Nix and Jeff Farmer. By the end of the week, NOBTS team knocked on 1,756 doors and had 227 Gospel conversations that resulted in 33 decisions to follow Christ. “Several of our students led their very first person to faith in … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention baptisms soar 31 percent

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Recently released information that updated the Annual Church Profile database for 2023 shows that the number of baptisms performed by Louisiana Baptist congregations jumped to 8,770 in 2023, a surge of 2,020 more baptisms, or 31.1 percent above the numbers for 2022. This growth nearly doubles the 1,060 additional baptisms reported in 2022 (6,690), which was an 18.8 percent rise above 2021 (5,630). The Southern Baptist Convention also reported increases for both years, almost 26 percent in 2023 and about 16 percent in 2022. The soaring LBC numbers coincide with what has been described as a “rebound” from the COVID pandemic in 2020, but also occur with the launch of a soul winning emphasis by Louisiana Baptists that was announced preceding the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting, which was held in New Orleans. In May 2023, LBC Executive Director Steve Horn shared with LBC Executive Board mem­bers his desire to restore a “culture of evangelism” among Louisiana Baptists. His vision accompanied the announcement of Send Network Louisiana, a church planting partner­ship (launched in August 2023) with the SBC North American Mission Board that includes a God-sized … [Read more...]

Conversations with 2024 SBC presidential candidates

Leading up to the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Paul Watts interviewed the six individuals have been announced as intended nominees for SBC president. Watts is pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ruston. David Allen           ------------------- Bruce Frank             ------------------- Mike Keahbone             ------------------- Jared Moore           ------------------- Clint Pressley           ------------------- Dan Spencer … [Read more...]

Louisiana Christian seeking next president of the university

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University has announced its search for the 10th president of the nearly 120-year-old institution, according to Tommy Kiker, who serves on the university’s Board of Trustees and as presidential search committee chair. “As we begin this process, the committee and I covet your prayers and we need and ask for your input in the process,” said Kiker, lead pastor of East Leesville Baptist Church. “We are accepting applications and recommendations, but will spend most of the summer praying, receiving input from faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the school, and developing a desired profile.” The presidential search committee members include four trustees and two LCU faculty members. The members were voted on and approved by the full board at its spring board meeting. The committee requests alumni, community members and all interested parties to offer input through a survey tool developed by LCU’s research department. The survey tool can be accessed here. The search committee welcomes applications and recommendations to the following email address: psc@lcuniversity.edu. David Jeffreys has been serving as LCU’s acting president since the … [Read more...]

June is ‘Sanctity of Preborn Life Month’ in Louisiana!

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Because of a resolution approved by the Louisiana House during the 2023 Legislative Regular Session, pro-life advocates across the state can mark their June calendars for a month-long celebration of "Sanctity of Preborn Life Month." The resolution, which praises Louisiana Baptists’ role in the pro-life movement, notes “the Bible affirms that the preborn child is a person, bearing the image of God, from the moment of conception” and commends “the churches and individuals who worked tirelessly to cultivate a pro-life culture in our state through prayer, spiritual health and growth of our citizenry regarding pro-life matters, and public policy action including the overwhelming passage of the 2020 constitutional amendment, the Love Life Amendment.” "Be it further resolved," the resolution concluded, "that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize the month of June as Sanctity of Preborn life Month in Louisiana in celebration of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization." Rep. Dodie Horton, member of First Baptist Church, Haughton, and Rep. Valerie Hodges co-authored the bill. Will Hall, … [Read more...]

Send Network Louisiana prayer gatherings to kick off May 30

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, LA (LBM) – Prayer warriors from across the state are invited to gather online and ask God to move in the hearts of the lost in Louisiana every Thursday morning, starting May 30. Scheduled from 6:30-7 a.m. each week, the Send Network Louisiana prayer gatherings will be broadcast via Microsoft Teams and will focus on seeing 1 percent of the state’s population come to a relationship with Christ. The Louisiana Baptist partnership with the North American Mission Board has a God-sized vision to see His Kingdom expanded in Louisiana by one percent (about 28,000) over the next decade. Researchers estimate that 60 percent of 4,648,794 Louisianans are lost (or, 2,789,276). If successful, 28,875 Louisianans will be added to the Kingdom through a renewed culture of evangelism among Louisiana Baptists resulting in churches reaching new people with the Gospel. The goal of reaching 28,875 new people can be obtained with a combination of planting 231 new churches reaching 125 people with the Gospel. These salvations will be accomplished in a cooperative effort with already established Louisiana Baptist congregations. Send Network Louisiana church planting strategist Jacob Crawford will lead … [Read more...]

Calvary middle school students keep missions local

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Instead of going to the beach or amusement park for spring break, middle school students from Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, chose to stay home for a mission “trip.” By the conclusion of their April 2-4 effort in Alexandria, the 25 sixth through eighth grade students, plus 10 adult leaders, were reminded they do not have to travel to another part of the United States or thousands of miles overseas to share the Gospel and show the love of Christ to others. “We talk about missions and a lot of our middle schoolers think it’s overseas,” CBC Middle School Minister Anthony Work told the Baptist Message. “But missions also are in our backyard. Our Jerusalem is right here in Central Louisiana. We brought to light that they can serve and pour out in those places that are familiar and need Jesus’ love too.” The team shopped for food items and supplies that they used to fill boxes for the Fostering Community, a local non-profit organization whose mission is “to improve the lives of children impacted by foster care through advocacy, resources, and support.” The students also toured and spruced up the CENLA Pregnancy Center building and grounds; … [Read more...]

SBC 2024: Law Amendment biggest issue in ‘24

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (LBM) -- One of the biggest issues Southern Baptists will address in 2024 is a constitutional change known as the Law Amendment. A two-thirds vote in Indianapolis would add a sixth element to Article III (which lists the qualifications for a church to send messengers to participate in the yearly business meeting) to further define that “only men” may serve “as any kind of pastor or elder” in a congregation that affiliates with the Southern Baptist Convention. This constitutional initiative was launched in 2022 by Mike Law, who is the pastor of Arlington Baptist Church, Arlington, Virginia. He said he was moved to act after the SBC Credentials Committee delayed a decision about disfellowshipping Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, for having ordained three female staff members as pastors in 2021. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 states, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” However, the committee said it could not act in 2022 “until clarity is provided regarding the use of the title ‘pastor’ for staff positions with different … [Read more...]