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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana Baptists give Ida evacuees, first responders shelter

By Baptist Message staff EUNICE, La. (LBM) – Four Louisiana Baptist encampments have opened their facilities to Hurricane Ida evacuees and first responders. James Newsom, director of Acadian Baptist Center in Eunice, told the Baptist Message 120 linemen and 70 members of First Baptist Church, Golden Meadow, and their families are residing at the camp. Newsom said the camp is providing rooms, meals and household items, and added that area pastors have visited the camp to pray with the evacuees. “It’s really sad knowing the heartache and devastation they are going through,” Newsom said. “Pray that God would use this hurricane to bring people into the Kingdom and that He would send people to come help the church and families rebuild.” Matthew Chouest, FBCGM pastor, said he is grateful for the ABC, which regularly hosts members from his congregation at annual summer camps and men’s retreats, and Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief, which already is giving assistance. He also told Baptist Message that already individuals and congregations from around the country have expressed interest in donating funds and supplies and coming to help rebuild as well as minister to the community. Chouest, who returned to his church … [Read more...]

Ida photo galleries

Sept. 20, 2021 (Tennessee Baptist DR in Hammond) Sept. 20, 2021 (North Carolina DR at Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City) Sept. 20, 2021 (Multi-state DR effort in Bourg) Sept. 20, 2021 (Multi-state DR effort in Mandeville) Sept. 14, 2021 (Multi-state DR effort) Sept. 13, 2021 (Belle Chasse - South Carolina DR teams) Sept. 13, 2021 (Belle Chasse - Alabama DR teams) Sept. 9, 2021 (Morgan City) Sept. 8, 2021 (National Guard) Sept. 8, 2021 (Slidell) Sept. 8, 2021 (St. Amant) Sept. 8, 2021 (New Orleans) Sept. 8, 2021 (Mandeville) Sept. 8, 2021 (Lacombe) Sept. 8, 2021 (Hammond) Sept. 4, 2021 Sept. 3, 2021 Sept. 1, 2021 Aug. 30, 2021 … [Read more...]

Hurricane Ida videos

LBC President David Cranford: Churches Helping Churches https://youtu.be/WnXjVOdwWFE Pastor Matthew Chouest needs 'hands and feet' https://youtu.be/d3lVWofxBNk Drone footage - DR teams tarp a roof in Slidell https://youtu.be/rZy2ojlHDK0 Drone footage - DR teams work at FBC Slidell https://youtu.be/2IwadKc4jhg Drone footage - DR teams work in Slidell https://youtu.be/7BCPm67a0Hc Wayne Hunt, Coteau Baptist Church, Houma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Msf1SVBgw Shane Terrebonne, Gulf Coast Baptist, Golden Meadow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=910J4roHhNQ Joe Arnold, Bayou Baptist Association https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDX8zJuSzd8 Matthew Chouest, FBC Golden Meadow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w7FIB9oYFs Golden Meadow damage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtL1otmrEK4 US Coast Guard fly over Grand Isle Sen. Billy Cassidy tours Ida damage Toured #HurricaneIda damage with the @USCG. A lot of flooding & wind damage. Appreciative of all the folks who worked through the storm to keep us safe. #LouisianaStrong #Ida pic.twitter.com/P9p80UCMwT — U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) August 30, 2021 Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry helps rescue pet … [Read more...]

God protects Louisiana Baptist deacon during height of Ida’s fury

By Baptist Message staff PORT FOURCHON, La. (LBM) – Donald Autin, a deacon at Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City, is thankful for God’s protection as he and others aboard a boat survived wind gusts of 172 mph in Port Fourchon as Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Aug. 29. According to Steven Kelly, pastor of Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City and director of missions for Gulf Coast Baptist Association, Autin is safe but unsure when he will return to port. Autin is a chief engineer on a supply boat that services oil rigs and handles other marine needs in the Gulf of Mexico. Port Fourchon is where Ida made landfall on the Louisiana coast with sustained winds of 149 mph. Kelly shared with the Baptist Message a text he received from Autin’s wife, Gina, once the storm passed: “Just heard from Donald. They are on the tail end of it. They clocked winds at 200 mph. He said to thank you for praying. They had 2 extremely close calls with huge ships breaking free from dry dock and he said the ‘hand of God’ moved them at the last moment and kept their boat from being crushed.  He said that boats had sank and flipped. Major damage for sure but they still are unable to see much because of the heavy … [Read more...]

Hurricane Ida stories (archive)

'Weekend warriors' needed for mud out, chainsaw crews (Sept. 17, 2021) 'Churches Helping Churches' initiative launched to aid 91 congregations, 85 pastors facing serious loss (Sept. 17, 2021) Gift of ice affirms pastor's praying, believing - Baptist Message (Sept. 16, 2021) Retiree cancels vacation to serve those affected by Hurricane Ida (Sept. 16, 2021) God takes strangers and makes them friends through Disaster Relief (Sept. 16, 2021) Couple's DR work leads to four professions of faith (Sept. 16, 2021) 'Through a barbecue sandwich' Alabama DR volunteers bring Christ to Louisiana community (Sept. 16, 2021) Ex-military, law enforcement members best example of 'friendship evangelism' (Sept. 16, 2021) COVID temporarily shuts down DR command center in Belle Chasse (Sept. 16, 2021) Pastor turns church into disaster relief command center (Sept. 16, 2021) Experienced FBNO's Gilbert being used by God, devastated community (Sept. 13, 2021) Two Texas volunteers injured by falling tree (Sept. 11, 2021) Louisiana pressed but not crushed by storms (Sept. 10, 2021) Fuller, Oklahoma team makes return to Louisiana for disaster relief (Sept. 9, 2021) Spared from Ida's damaging winds, Bayou Vista becomes … [Read more...]

Pastors use social media to encourage others after Ida

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist pastors used social media a day after Hurricane Ida as a means to encourage members and others impacted by the powerful storm. Dennis Watson, lead pastor of Celebration Church in Metairie, encouraged his members and others to stay strong. All of the church’s eight campuses had some damage, including the Kenner campus building that lost a roof and the River Parishes campus facility in LaPlace that took in water. “We will get through this,” he wrote. “The Lord has brought us back from destruction in times past, and He will do so again. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10: ‘We think you ought to know . . . about the trouble we went through . . . We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God . . . And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us.’” Dean Ross, pastor of Family Church NOLA in Kenner, which was in the path of the eye of the hurricane, said his church and the area will be resilient … [Read more...]