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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LBC messengers to consider committee’s five resolutions

By Message Staff MONROE, La. (LBM) – The Resolutions Committee has drafted five resolutions that it will present to messengers for consideration as consensus policy statements during the 174th Session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The committee’s recommendations will be offered for adoption by vote, 4:30 p.m., Nov. 16, at North Monroe Baptist Church, the host site for the 2021 LBC Annual Meeting. RESOLUTION: ON GRATITUDE FOR DISASTER RELIEF ‘PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL’ WHEREAS, The Bible declares the church as Christ’s instrument to effect His will on earth (Ephesians 3:10) and that we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10); and WHEREAS, In the New Testament, one of the ministries of the Church was to bring relief to those experiencing calamity (Acts 11:27-30); and WHEREAS, Disaster Relief is one of the most established and highly visible cooperative ministries among the state conventions of Baptists across the nation, providing emergency aid to churches, pastors and communities without strings attached or government assistance; and WHEREAS, Louisiana has experienced multiple disasters in 2020-2021 (four hurricanes, two named storms, and an ice storm), each with devastating impacts that created long-term … [Read more...]

Local congregation makes global impact with Honduras ministry

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer LA ESPERANZA, Honduras (LBM) –Verona Langford felt humbled and privileged to witness new converts step into the local river for baptism as part of a multi-church worship service in Honduras. One by one, eight individuals came in and out of the water and were greeted with applause and hugs from the 60 Hondurans in attendance for the occasion. Langford, who has taken multiple trips to the country with her husband, Marlyn, said the service that took place in 2017 signifies the fruits of the labor reaped from a multi-church, multi-state partnership that frequently sends teams to share Christ in La Esperanza. “The people were so excited to gather for what was, at the time, a rare thing,” Langford, a member of Woodridge Baptist Church in Shreveport, told the Baptist Message. “You could just see the excitement on the faces of those baptized and the gathered crowd. Another team witnessed 27 new believers baptized this spring. We return year after year there, and this was a blessing to see a visual picture of the harvest from the seeds that have been sown.” Woodridge Baptist, joined by First Baptist Church, Dry Prong, Forest Hill Baptist Church and Sweetwater Baptist Church, Quitman, are … [Read more...]

SBC’s lawyers resign after EC’s vote to waive attorney-client privilege

By Lonnie Wilkey, Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — The Nashville law firm of Guenther, Jordan & Price informed the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Oct. 11 that the firm will no longer represent the SBC entity because the board of directors voted to waive attorney-client privilege (See story). The letter, signed by James P. Guenther and James D. Jordan, was sent to Ronnie Floyd, president and chief executive officer of the Executive Committee. According to the letter, Guenther became the general counsel for the EC in 1966 and “that role devolved to now be filled by the firm of Guenther, Jordan and Price.” The letter noted that the firm has “been privileged to work with some good people who have served Southern Baptists admirably. We have endeavored every day to faithfully serve the Executive Committee and the Convention with integrity, competence, and professionalism consistently throughout these 56 years.” The letter noted, however, that “the Executive Committee’s board of directors, by a majority vote, has acted to prospectively and preemptively waive the Executive Committee’s attorney-client privilege without knowing the communications affected by the waiver and without knowing the effect it … [Read more...]

Georgia Barnette Offering assists Angola graduate to pursue his ministry dream

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Bobbie Wallace was headed on a path of hopelessness when he was sentenced to a 66-year sentence on two counts of armed robbery, but his Georgia Barnette Offering assists Angola graduate to pursue his ministry dream life was forever changed when he found restoration through Christ inside the walls of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Through the encouragement of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary staff and other Louisiana Baptists, Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree through the seminary classes taught in the prison and became a sold-out follower of Christ. Wallace, who miraculously was released in 2014 after only 20 years at Angola, used the years of biblical knowledge gained inside the prison to become a missionary outside the walls and eventually met Jacob Crawford, director of City Life NOLA. Crawford presented Wallace with the opportunity to offer the hope of Christ to others in the city who were struggling and overlooked. Since 2020, Crawford has helped former Angola inmates like Wallace grow deeper in their faith and participate Jacob Crawford, director of City Life NOLA, joined others in prayer for the lost to discover the hope … [Read more...]

SBC EC waives attorney-client privilege as Louisiana members split votes

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM)—The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is charged by SBC Bylaws to serve as the fiduciary, the fiscal, and the executive entity of the Convention (in all matters not assigned to other SBC entities), voted 44-31, Oct. 5, to waive attorney-client privilege in an investigation of the Executive Committee about mishandling sexual abuse allegations in the SBC and the mistreatment of sexual abuse survivors. There are no accusations of sexual abuse against Executive Committee staff or trustees. The action is a result of a motion adopted by messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, presented by Grant Gaines, pastor of Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and son of Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in the Memphis, Tennessee-area, and former SBC president. The elder Gaines was accused of a sexual abuse coverup in 2006, according to Baptist Press, and the Religion News Service reported that his church was sued in 2020 for allegedly ignoring warnings about a part-time employee now charged with the sexual abuse of a teen. Both incidents fall within the timeframe, 2000-2021, set by the younger Gaines’s motion … [Read more...]