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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

SBC EC trustees vote down Wellman as president, CEO

By Baptist Message staff DALLAS (LBM) – Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee trustees, during a special called meeting May 1, voted not to elect Jared Wellman as the next president and CEO. According to news reports, only 30 of the 81 trustees at the meeting inside the Grand Hyatt DFW hotel cast their ballots for Wellman. Wellman, pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas, took to Twitter after the meeting to thank Southern Baptists for the opportunity to serve as a trustee of the EC. He recently served as EC chairman and a member of the search committee. “Our lives are in the hands of a sovereign God,” he wrote. “We’re called simply to be faithful and put our ‘yes’ on the table (Gen 22). My prayers are with the EC. I’ll always cherish getting to serve.” David Sons, EC chairman and a member of the previous search committee, said in a news conference after the meeting that a new search committee will be formed. According to the Baptist Paper, the new search committee members are: Corey Cain of Tennessee, Neal Hughes of Alabama, Drew Landry of Virginia, Nick Sandefur of Kentucky, Sarah Rogers of South Carolina and Nancy Spaulding of Michigan. Sons will serve as an ex-officio voting member … [Read more...]

LBC pastors part ways with revival

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor INDEPENDENCE, La. (LBM) – Six Louisiana Baptist pastors have decided to break from the nearly seven-month-long revival services which began with Old Zion Hill Baptist Church in Independence, and then expanded to a greater community-wide emphasis and moved to a tent in Hammond. Speaking on behalf of this core group who prayed together for months before launching an area outreach in October 2022, OZHBC Pastor Gary Dennis told the Baptist Message, April 26, that the men wanted to be sensitive to the work the Holy Spirit had accomplished in reviving many believers in the various congregations and in awakening hundreds of lost people in the community. However, he said, there has been a perceived change in emphasis from soul winning with a recent decision by the revivalist, D.R. Harrison, and that was the catalyst for parting ways. Specifically, Dennis pointed to the planned addition of Greg Locke to the services, beginning May 19. Locke adheres to “deliverance” theology (practices and rituals to cleanse people of evil spirits) and has published the “Deliverance Handbook.” Moreover, during a Jan. 23 sermon, “Desperate for Deliverance,” Locke asked and answered himself, “Are … [Read more...]

BESE president addresses LCU education students

By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Educators President Holly Boffy recently encouraged Louisiana Christian University education students to be the light of Christ. “There is not anything more important that we can do than education,” Boffy told the students during a stop at the school, April 25. “It’s an incredible field. You guys will have every day to sow seeds and spread light.” Boffy, also principal of W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center, Lafayette, said her position as BESE president has allowed her the opportunity to visit churches around the state, talk about the importance of educators and encourage people looking for a career or a career change to consider education. She encouraged the students to read the Bible and devotionals aimed at the role of an educator and find an accountability partner. Boffy explained there are more than 1,200 classrooms in Louisiana are without teachers. “People don’t understand the magnitude of the problem because it’s spread across the state,” Boffy said. “But what if every one of those classrooms was filled with a Christian?” For more information on LCU teacher education programs, email education@lcuniversity.edu or … [Read more...]

Family Church reports theft of trailer

By Baptist Message staff KENNER, La. (LBM) – A block-party trailer was reported stolen from Family Church Tuesday, April 25. According to Pastor Dean Ross, the trailer, acquired after Hurricane Ida made landfall in 2021 and used to assist with disaster relief efforts following Ida, was taken from the church parking lot. “The Lord provides,” Ross told the Baptist Message. “We trust in Him.” Anyone with information about the theft should contact the Kenner Police Department at 504.712.2200. … [Read more...]

Thankful thoughts on the ministry of Charles Stanley

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - We learned Tuesday of the passing of Charles Stanley. We all have our memories of this Southern Baptist iconic leader. My earliest memories of him are his familiar voice on radio and television. In my town, he was about the only Baptist on the radio. I never met Dr. Stanley, but I do have an occasion where our paths intersected in a most God-ordained way. While I was pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia, my administrative assistant alerted me one morning that I had a couple, not members of our church, who desired to see me. They lived down the street from the church. After a few minutes of conversation about who they were and common people that we knew, the woman pulled out a book, and asked, “Do you believe what is in this book?” The book was Charles Stanley’s Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? I confessed to them that I had not read the book, but I knew who Charles Stanley was, and based on the title, I was reasonably sure that I believed what was in the book. This middle-aged couple went on to tell me that they had picked up the book in Wal-Mart simply because of the title. The woman had read the book in one evening. The husband had read enough of it the next morning, and now … [Read more...]

LBDR trains 234 for disaster response

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – During recent training sessions, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials trained 234 volunteers to serve in future responses to natural disasters and other emergencies. Held at six locations around the state in January, February and March, the sessions included training for mud-out, feeding, chainsaw, chaplaincy and shower/laundry operations. More than 80 new volunteers were trained, and two new teams were formed. The training followed a fruitful year of ministry for LBDR teams. In 2022, LBDR teams responded to multiple tornadoes across the state and completed 27 rebuild projects at homes and churches damaged by Hurricane Ida in Houma a year earlier. Projects ranged from smaller jobs like replacing fence boards to more complex ones such as drywall installation, electrical line re-wiring and plumbing replacement. Teams also were deployed to Naples, Florida, a community impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Units stationed at First Baptist Church, Naples, Oct. 3-Oct. 28, 2022, prepared more than 102,000 meals for residents, and another 4,000 for Southern Baptist DR team members. Teams also were able to complete 373 mud-out jobs and celebrated … [Read more...]

Cowboy Church ropes in lost souls

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LEESVILLE, La. (LBM) – When Jason Nolde left an established pastorate in early 2022 to start Branded for Christ Cowboy Church, he believed God would use the new church plant to reach a special people group. A year later, his faithfulness has been rewarded with an attendance increase from a core group of 10 who met for home-based Bible study in its infancy to 80 who now gather for worship in a Leesville municipal building. Importantly, Nolde has baptized five new converts and seen even more grow deeper in their Christian walks. Nolde, formerly pastor of Canaan Baptist Church, Leesville, credits a focus on relationships, disciple[1]ship and simplicity as the keys to growth. “Everything we will do is inspired by the western culture,” Nolde told the Baptist Message. “We seek the lost, seek the fallen away and seek to grow.” Branded for Christ Cowboy Church was recognized in November 2022 as the 300th Louisiana Baptist church planted since 2010. The congregation, which held its kickoff service at the Vernon Parish Rodeo Arena in Leesville on Nov. 13, 2021, conducts several targeted outreaches every three months. They have continued meeting in homes on Wednesdays since July … [Read more...]

Despite perils, Louisiana Baptists continue overseas ministry in Haiti

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Escalating violence may have forced Louisiana Reach Haiti to halt most operations in the country, however, the ministry has found other ways to share the hope of Jesus in Haiti. Ministry President Darrin Badon said he wishes LRH could have continued “business as usual” in Haiti, but he is grateful the Lord has allowed the ministry to move forward despite the many challenges. The ministry is a partnership between the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Haiti Baptist Convention, Louisiana Baptist churches and the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries. “It’s been a faith builder,” Badon said. “We may not be able to send teams or have as many ministries happening there as in the past. But we do have kids in our Children’s Village and staff who depend on us to provide for them each month. The kids still need the Gospel, too, and the board members feel like we can’t fail them. “We are still in the trenches,” he continued. “We are still restoring families and still are making a difference in the lives of them and the staff; and we need help to be able to continue to do that.” BACKGROUND In January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an … [Read more...]

Riding a soul-winning wave: 1,300 saved, hundreds discipled in Hammond

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer HAMMOND, La. (LBM) – A 20-week extended revival and tent crusade in south Louisiana has recorded more than 1,300 salvation decisions, and hundreds have been enrolled in discipleship programs. Moreover, all signs point to the meetings continuing for the foreseeable future. According to local reports, 513 individuals surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus during revival services, extended five times, Oct. 17-Nov. 18, at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church, Independence. Additionally, more than 800 covenanted to follow Him during the South Louisiana Awakening Tent Crusade, Hammond, Nov. 28-March 31, a multi-denominational spiritual outreach. The meetings were paused for April; however, they will resume May 4-5 and will continue after that on Thursday and Friday evenings, according to OZHBC Pastor Gary Dennis. “The continuation of the meetings is for the purpose of reaching the huge number of people along the Interstate 12 corridor who are not connected to Christ and His Church,” Dennis told the Baptist Message. Area churches have formed a follow-up team that developed a strategy to connect every new believer from both spiritual events with a local congregation in … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

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 Dusty C. Durbin is the new associational mission strategist for the Evangeline Baptist Association. n Tanner, wife Sami, Dryden of Deville was licensed to the Gospel ministry at HIS Church. Mark Bevill is the new interim pastor at Westlake Baptist Church, Shreveport. Rick Daniels is the new pastor at Belcher Baptist Church, Belcher. Ricky Boone has resigned as pastor of Center Point Baptist Church, West Monroe. Eric, wife Jeanette, Green is the new pastor at Bayou Vista Baptist Church, Houma. James Hester is the new Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office department chaplain. He continues in his role as pastor of Social Springs Baptist Church, Ringgold. HOMECOMING Bogue Chitto Baptist Church, Mt. Hermon: 150-year celebration homecoming, May 6, 10:30 a.m. Speaker: Joe Wiggins, former pastor. … [Read more...]