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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana women prepare to ‘Embrace’ their purpose

By Baptist Message staff LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist women will be challenged to embrace their God-given mandate to fulfill His purpose during the upcoming Louisiana Baptist women’s missions and ministry celebration, March 18-19 at First Baptist Church, Lafayette. “We want women to boldly accept the opportunities they have on a daily basis to share God’s love with others,” Louisiana Baptists Women’s Missions and Ministry Strategist Christine Gill told the Baptist Message. “We want to equip them to be Gospel-minded by keeping missions at the forefront of their everyday lives.” Embrace kicks off Friday, March 18 at 4 p.m. with check-in, and the evening celebration will begin at 6 p.m. The conference will include messages from Florida-based Bible teacher Courtney Veasey and National Woman’s Missionary Union President Connie Dixon, WMU highlights and annual reports, Bible study, worship, prayer for missionaries, a dessert fellowship, and shopping. Breakout sessions will include such topics as spiritual growth, discipleship, personal development, missions, leadership methods, and family dynamics. Additionally, the conference will feature two sessions for Hispanic women, which will be taught in Spanish. Lunch … [Read more...]

‘Roundup’ set for starting cowboy churches, ministries

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ZACHARY, La. (LBM) – Cross Creek Cowboy Church, Zachary, will host a summit, March 12, for those interested in starting cowboy churches and ministries. Scheduled from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., the event at 21160 Plank Road in Zachary will include fellowship, a barbecue lunch provided by “United by Barbecue” (a non-profit organization) and messages from speakers: Louis Husser, pastor of Crossgate Church, Robert; Lane Corley, church planting strategist for Louisiana Baptists; Josh Morris, pastor of Cross Creek Cowboy Church; Randy Smith, pastor of Cross Brand Cowboy Church, Loranger; and Phillip Gilliland, church planting catalyst for the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches. The summit is sponsored by Crossgate Church and the Louisiana Baptist Convention. “The main purpose is to encourage those who are either considering planting cowboy churches or those involved in one to receive encouragement and instruction,” said Husser, who is co-organizing the summit. “Our vision is to see multiple cowboy churches planted out of this summit. We are praying for a great harvest in the future and believe this summit could help play a key role in making that happen.” Corley echoed the … [Read more...]

Louisiana Drug Board rejects recreational pot

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE La. (LBM)—The Drug Policy Board within the Louisiana Office of the Governor has adopted a resolution stating it “opposes efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Louisiana.” The January 27 vote was 8-0-6, a reversal of the 6-0-8 vote by the Board in October. The minutes from the January meeting indicate that during the interim Warren Montgomery, district attorney for St. Tammany and Washington Parishes and the sponsor of the resolution, had opportunities to make presentations to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, whose representatives on the Drug Policy Board had abstained in the October vote because their organizations had not spoken to the issue. Their representatives voted in favor of the resolution in January. The vote took place as smoking pot and consuming THC, the psychoactive com[1]pound in marijuana, became legal in Louisiana in January if a licensed Louisiana physician “recommends” either as “therapeutic use by any patient clinically diagnosed as suffering from a debilitating medical condition,” which includes 31 specific or broad categories. COLORADO’S REMORSE Meanwhile, Colorado, which … [Read more...]

NAMB dealt another legal setback in McRaney lawsuit

By Baptist Message staff ALPHARETTA, Ga. (LBM)—In January, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi denied the request of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for a summary judgment in its lawsuit with Will McRaney, the former executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. In his ruling, Senior Judge Glen H. Davidson said it was premature to decide the case ahead of the discovery process, the stage during which McRaney’s legal team would be allowed to depose NAMB leaders, staff and trustees under oath. Subsequently, in February, NAMB entered into a stipulation agreement with McRaney, pledging “it will not withhold any discovery responses on the basis of its First Amendment defenses or objections, including in response to discovery requests served by [McRaney] prior to the date of this Stipulation.” Judge Davidson’s decision is consistent with the instructions by a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (later affirmed by the full bench), who rejected NAMB’s request to dismiss the case, finding instead that “many of the relevant facts have yet to be developed” in the case. The federal circuit court sent the case back to the … [Read more...]

FEMA announces grants, information opportunities

By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON (LBM) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced it is offering opportunities for faith-based organizations to learn how to apply for funding from the 2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Grants are provided on a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements. So, FEMA is offering a series of webinars (each will present the same information and allow open forum questions) for applicants to learn how to make the best case for their respective needs regarding protection against attacks and other emergency preparedness issues. Each presentation will start at 2 p.m. (CT) and is accessible using the respective web link; ID; and passcode: -- March 4; https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1614042372; ID, 161 404 2372; Passcode, FY22NSGP -- March 10; https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1602354220; ID, 160 235 4220; Passcode, FY22NSGP -- March 16; https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1619667216; ID, 161 966 7216; Passcode, FY22NSGP -- March 25; https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1612960254; ID, 161 296 0254; Passcode, FY22NSGP -- April 01; https://fema.zoomgov. com/j/1610707162; ID, 161 070 7162; Passcode, FY22NSGP Additional information: … [Read more...]

Churches: Apply now for VBS helpers from BCM

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Applications are open for Louisiana Baptist churches who need a team of college students to coordinate their Vacation Bible School this summer. In its 15th year, GOLA (Go Louisiana) VBS is an emphasis by the Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministry that allows college students to serve on teams who spend the summer sharing God’s love through what is the largest evangelistic outreach of the year for many congregations. Churches in which the teams conduct a VBS normally have low baptisms and would have trouble coordinating such an event without the help of the GOLA VBS team. GOLA Strategist Ashley Jones expects to field two teams, each will comprise five college students. She also is seeking to hire two 23-25-year-old individuals to serve as team leaders. In addition to VBS, GOLA will utilize college students in three other areas of service this summer: as church staff, North American missionaries and international missionaries. Jones said the students who serve on GOLA teams are a blessing to both students and churches alike. “Our students are excited to serve, and we love our Louisiana Baptist churches,” Jones told the Baptist Message. “We want … [Read more...]

A mighty movement of God: First Lafayette prayed for revival, 56 baptized!

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) – Pastor James Pritchard knew God could do something miraculous when he scheduled a four-day revival for February, but was amazed, nonetheless, when 56 baptisms took place during the final night of the revival meeting at First Baptist Church, Lafayette. A crowd of more than 900 cheered as individuals from 6 to 95 years old stepped either into a horse trough or the baptistery inside the worship center to symbolize death, burial and resurrection with Christ, Feb. 9. “What happened was the answered prayer of what we hoped the Lord would do,” Pritchard told the Baptist Message. “When He showed up like that, all we could say was ‘God showed up, look what God did!’” Leslie Hale was among the first to be baptized. During the first revival session, Feb. 6, Hale was convicted of her need to come forward and declare her faith in Christ. “It was like someone was pushing me forward that morning and I was obedient,” Hale said. “Once I came out of the baptismal waters, I felt completely clean. Seeing so many people baptized is something that is hard to describe, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord does with all of us who participated in baptism.” PRAYED … [Read more...]

Parents warned…Local youth saved from sex-trafficking scheme

By Craig Franklin, Baptist Message special JONESVILLE, La. (LBM)-- When 19-year-old Daniel Bordelon of Jonesville, Louisiana, agreed to travel to Ohio with two men he had met in an internet chat room, he had no idea what was awaiting him. But his father, Emile Bordelon, a Louisiana Baptist pastor, did, and he launched a rescue mission for his son from what the elder Bordelon described as a “sex-trafficking abduction.” The rescue, which the elder Bordelon described as miraculous, began on Feb. 8, when a text from Daniel to his mother, Cindy, revealed he was riding in a vehicle to Alexandria along LA 28 bound for the Alexandria International Airport with two men, and that he was scared. Upon learning of his son’s situation, Bordelon, pastor of Clayton Baptist Church, Clayton, and owner of Emile Bordelon Transport, Jonesville, immediately took to social media to call upon everyone to pray for his son. He also contacted Catahoula Parish Sheriff Toney Edwards who launched law enforcement efforts in the rescue operation. Hours later, Bordelon believes, a miracle occurred, when the plane bound for Ohio from Alexandria was mysteriously delayed, allowing just enough time to catch up with Daniel and bring him safely … [Read more...]

Mission Builder’s Shumock to retire

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – For the last five years, Mike Shumock has helped restore numerous Louisiana Baptist churches as Gospel mission centers by leading the rebuild or repair of their facilities. Shumock is set to retire Feb. 28 as the mission builder strategist for Louisiana Baptists, but his calling to help churches with construction projects is far from over. “I realize God gifts everyone,” Shumock told the Baptist Message. “God gifted me to build and use my hands and come alongside and work with people in need. It’s satisfying to know without a doubt people who needed help rebuilding were able to fulfill that through the efforts of myself and so many volunteers who had a common love and that is to help others in Jesus’ name.” CALLED Shumock’s journey began in 1974 at Wade Baptist Church, Moss Point, Mississippi, when he realized he was a sinner and needed to surrender his life to Jesus. A year later, he accepted the call to ministry and became the church’s youth minister. For the next four decades, Shumock combined his passion for construction with a love for ministry. Shumock worked for several construction companies in the early 1980s, before he pastored … [Read more...]