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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

TLC and LCU music department present Little Women: the Broadway Musical

By Cayden Walls, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Theatre Louisiana Christian and the Louisiana Christian University music department open the third and final show of the 2024-2025 season March 20 with “Little Women: the Broadway Musical.” “This show is unique because it provides perspective from people from all walks of life,” said senior vocal performance major and theatre minor Cheyenne Carbaugh, who plays the role of Jo March. “ This show so beautifully portrays what it means to be a sister, what it means to be a mother, what it means to mourn, and just what it means to live. I feel like this show can touch almost anyone in any season and almost anyone can find bits of themselves in the four March sisters.” Based on Louisa May Alcott's life and novel Little Women, the show follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested. Her friend Professor Bhaer tells her that she has to do better and write more about her own life. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experiences. “I am excited for audiences to come see this production,” said junior theatre, media and … [Read more...]

LBDR teams respond to killer tornado outbreak

By Baptist Message staff KENTWOOD, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been deployed in response to a tornado that impacted Kentwood on March 15. According to LBDR Strategist Stan Statham, chainsaw teams, chaplains and assessors from Franklinton, First Baptist Church, Covington, and First Baptist Church, Kentwood began their response on March 16. The tornado that touched down in the Kentwood area damaged 30 homes and downed power lines and dozens of trees, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office reported. At least 40 people died in seven states after severe storms made their way throughout the South and Midwest, March 14- 15. AccuWeather reported that 52 tornadoes were reported, though not all storm surveys have not been completed. Additionally, wildfires in Oklahoma were responsible for four deaths. In Arkansas, an EF4 tornado (166-200 mph peak winds) was reported by the National Weather Service in Diaz (190 mph winds) and Larkin (170 mph winds). It is the first EF4 tornado recorded in Arkansas since 2021. A tornado that touched down in Troy ripped off part of a roof to the city’s recreation center gymnasium and caused severe damage to baseball fields at its sportsplex. It also caused heavy … [Read more...]

FIRST PERSON: No, Amendment 2 does not place taxes on churches

By Julie Emerson, Louisiana State Representative, District 39 (Lafayette Parish) and member of FBC Lafayette BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) -- Politics is an increasingly wild and quite unpredictable sport. By now, you’ve likely seen claims that Amendment 2 (on your March 29 ballot) will somehow place property taxes on our churches. This just could not be further from the truth. Amendment 2 does not place any taxes on properties that are currently enjoying exemptions…and certainly not churches. As a third term State Representative and current chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means (that governs the state’s tax code), I authored four bills in the 2024 tax session—two to make our corporate tax structure more competitive, one that gave us the largest personal income tax reduction Louisiana has seen, and the final to rewrite Article VII of the Constitution, which is Amendment 2 on your March 29 ballot. In drafting House Bill 7 (Amendment 2), the aim was to declutter and strengthen the Louisiana Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is short, concise, to the point. It serves as a framework and a guiding document that has made our country great for almost 250 years. There are no tax exemption protections for churches or … [Read more...]

LCU graduating class achieves 100 percent acceptance to professional programs

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics graduating class of 2025 has achieved 100 percent acceptance rate into graduate and professional programs, according to Department Chair David Elliott, professor of chemistry. “This is one of the top two or three classes we’ve ever had,” Elliott said. “Many of them have a 4.0. We have a lot of good students, but this is a group we hate to see go.” Graduating seniors by programs are: LSU-Shreveport Medical School Leanna Lanford, of Pineville, honors biology/chemistry double major Ethan Lanford, of Pineville, biology/chemistry double major Ethan Barnes, of Ball, biology major Cy Fontenot, of Alexandria, biology major Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Louisiana VCOM, Monroe Kamryn West, of Pine Prairie, honors biology/chemistry double major Madelyn Duncan, of Alexandria, biology major LSU Health Physical Therapy School, New Orleans Brianne Rotolo, of Bridge City, honors biology major Rosenberg School of Optometry at University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas Jade Harmon, of Lafayette, honors biology/chemistry double major “Our … [Read more...]

LCU to host virtual March Madness Fitness Challenge for community

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - Louisiana Christian University is hosting a virtual March Madness Fitness Challenge for the campus and the Central Louisiana community. “By providing this fitness challenge, we hope to inspire and motivate others to get active,” said Sonia Tinsley, chair of the Department of Exercise Science. “With the spring weather, there are so many opportunities to get outside and be active.” The March Madness Fitness Challenge is part of LCU’s Step Up, Cenla program funded by The Rapides Foundation. The challenge is open to all ages and fitness levels. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just getting started, LCU wants to help get others active this spring. A prize will be awarded in each category: individuals by age group, community team, worksite team and school team. Participants will track and record their minutes of physical activity each week instead of recording steps. Approved activities include walking, jogging and running, aerobic exercise, swimming, yoga, weight training, bicycle riding (stationary or on a path), pickle ball, tennis, and gardening activities such as raking and pushing a lawn mower. In addition to the challenge, LCU will be offering free workouts at the … [Read more...]

The peril of emptiness upon evil’s return

By Ron HaleJesus emphasized the danger of emptiness in an eerie story about a man who had a demon cast out. The formerly possessed man’s freedom was short-lived because he did not protect himself from the return of evil. … [Read more...]

John 3:16 initiative set for March 16

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – March 16 has been designated as a day for all Louisiana Baptist pastors to preach on John 3:16. The initiative aims to catalyze soul winning across the state and will include an emphasis on prayer leading up to the special day. Louisiana has joined other state Baptist conventions for the effort, which are being coordinated with the North American Mission Board. “A coordinated effort to emphasize evangelism across our state and across our nation on March 16 will prompt us to have an evangelistic focus leading us to Easter on April 20 and Baptism Sunday on April 27,” Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Strategist Kevin Ulmer told the Baptist Message. “This focus will unify our efforts to win the lost both locally as well as nationally and foster our desire to create a culture of evangelism across our state. Think of the impact of thousands of churches across the state and beyond proclaiming the love of God for every sinner and the implications of that truth. My prayer is that this evangelistic catalyst leads to a fruitful time in our state and nation.” Leading up to March 16, Louisiana Baptists will be encouraged to follow a special 16-day prayer … [Read more...]

LCU students earn multiple awards at annual NRB Convention

By Al Quartemont, LCU News GRAPEVINE, Texas (LCU News) – Students from the Louisiana Christian University Convergence Media and Theatre departments brought home two first-place finishes and one fourth-place finish at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Feb. 25. Competing against other member schools in the on-site contests, LCU finished first in the 12-hour news and 12-hour audio challenges. The school’s 24-hour film challenge team finished fourth. “We continue to be amazed by the level our students reach in these challenge competitions,” said Jeff Young, associate professor of media production at LCU. “It gives them the chance to experience deadline pressures and see how they stack up against students from other schools. It also allows them to see the bigger picture about the Christian media industry, and we see tremendous growth in all of them after this experience.” The news challenge team was made of junior Cayden Walls, senior Joseph Johnson and freshman Kayley McCarty. They were required to produce a same-day news story focused on the potential impact of the new Trump Administration on the Christian media industry. The audio challenge team, which … [Read more...]