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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

EVANGELISM 101 (Part 4): Special Cases

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The focus of the Gospel conversation must prioritize eternal redemption – salvation – to the lost. However, it is often the case that a person brings other needs into the conversation that are important to hear and, in some cases, demand immediate action. Baptist churches record, on average, 25 percent of their annual baptisms because of Vacation Bible School, so it is fitting to start this discussion about special cases by addressing some considerations when Gospel counseling children. Even more so, Christ declared that every person must come to Him “as a little child” to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 18:3; Lk. 18:17). Consequently, pointers about counseling children apply whether the child is five or 95. CHILDREN Everyone comes to the Father the exact same way – through the Son (John 14:6). There is one plan of salva­tion. However, explaining that plan might need to take into account a number of consider­ations -- even about our choice of words – so that every individ­ual may understand. With children, particularly, it is important to put them at ease. Make sure that both of you are sitting so that there is a relatively level eye contact … [Read more...]

Louisiana Governor’s prayer breakfast draws more than 20 to Christ

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) - More than 20 people made decisions to follow Christ at the conclusion of the 61st annual Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, April 16. Held inside the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge, the breakfast featured a Gospel-centered message by keynote speaker Will Graham, evangelist Billy Graham's grandson and executive vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. After the event concluded, a spontaneous time of prayer broke out and some attendees remained for up to an hour to pray with Jay Johnston, chairman of the task force which organizes the annual event, as well as with other prayer intercessors Johnston had enlisted. Johnston, also the pastor of First Baptist Church, Melville, told the Baptist Message that the event was bathed in prayer for 10 months leading up to the event. “I pray with expectancy and believed God would do a work in this,” he said. “As the chair of the Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, I along with our task force, am dedicated to guiding people through the work of the Holy Spirit to fulfill 1 Timothy 2:1-4 for God’s glory. “We are thankful that God inspired and empowered individuals to leave the breakfast with … [Read more...]

Arrested pastor had abandoned Louisiana Baptist congregation in February

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – In an email to the Baptist Message, Chris Holloway, senior pastor with Little Pass Baptist Church, Charenton, Louisiana, which sponsors Baldwin Baptist Mission Church, Baldwin, Louisiana, said that the former mission pastor, Shane Wiggins, who was arrested April 9, had abandoned the Baldwin congregation at least as early as the first Sunday in February. Holloway also serves as the associational mission strategist for the Gulf Coast Baptist Association that includes the Little Pass congregation as well as the Baldwin mission. Wiggins is being held in the Lamar County Jail in Texas while awaiting extradition to Morgan City, Louisiana, to face allegations of rape and molestation of a child. Hollaway said that Wiggins had previously served as pastor of the Baldwin Baptist Mission Church prior to 2011 and had returned in 2015 to again lead the small congregation (which averages 10 in worship services according to the Louisiana Baptist database). “Shane left town around the first of February,” Holloway wrote. “My last conversation with him was on Jan. 28, 2025.” Holloway also noted that Wiggins had been replaced as pastor on Feb. 12 by Warren Guidry, the associate pastor … [Read more...]

ERLC hosts Spinney, other pastors for advocacy trip

By staff WASHINGTON (LBM, BP) – Gevan Spinney, senior pastor with First Baptist Church, Haughton, was among 16 pastors who recently gathered in Washington, D.C., to champion pro-life causes and advocate for other positive policy changes. Hosted by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the trip that took place March 25-26 included meetings with three Southern Baptist congressional leaders – House Speaker Mike Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church, Benton, and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and James Lankford (R-OK). While there the pastors hand delivered, to Lankford and the office of Sen. Majority Leader John Thume (R-SC), letters containing 10,000 signatures for the ERLC's campaign that asks Congress to defund Planned Parenthood The pastors from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas also met with Timothy Goeglein, vice president of external and government relations with Focus on the Family, Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) and the White House Faith Office. They ended their trip with a visit to the Museum of the Bible. Spinney, in comments to Baptist Press, said he left with a strong burden to pray for those fellow believers in the fight. “I wish that every Southern Baptist … [Read more...]