By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message, staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) –Louisiana College President Rick Brewer is upbeat about the technological innovations put in place by his faculty and staff since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the school is well positioned for the future because of their hard work. Last year, LC was awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and that has helped students finish the semester through remote learning, he said. The move saved the college more than $100,000 in costs to launch Internet classes that are part of the school’s Center for Online Innovation and Development. Faculty are able to learn, train and record lectures from inside the newly renovated Faculty Development Center located in the Norton Library. “We face the most challenging period ever in the history of Louisiana College,” Brewer told the Baptist Message. “We can get there. It’s going to take the Lord’s help. It’s going to Louisiana Baptists’ help. “We are the only college supported by Louisiana Baptists, through the Cooperative Program, and we are pleased to serve,” he added. “We are a place that’s preparing graduates, transforming lives, and we hope Louisiana Baptists will … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Data from the Louisiana Department of Health as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the state is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases among those who are relatively young adults, but with few deaths resulting in this age group. However, morbidity from the disease is surging among the elderly and those residing in nursing homes. Graphoc: http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/ On Monday, the LDH reported nearly half of new cases affected 18-29 years old. However, the data pertaining to deaths on the LDH website indicate the disease is most profound in its impact primarily among the elderly and infirm. ELDERLY/NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AT RISK In the chart "Additional Data on COVID-19 Deaths in Louisiana" the median age of death is identified as 76 years old. This means half of the deaths caused by COVID-19 occur among those older than 76 years of age. Furthermore, the chart "Cases/Deaths by Age Group" show COVID-19 adds to that information to show that COVID-19 has taken the lives of 2,157 persons age 70 and older, or 68 percent of the 3,170 COVID-19 deaths in the state as of July 3. Moreover, supplemental information on … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The annual ReGroup Sunday school training conference is going all digital this year. Originally scheduled for August 8th in Baton Rouge and August 15th in West Monroe, both ReGroup events were moved from in-person formats to a virtual platform because of  concerns for the safety of participants who planned to attend as well as caution about potential attendance restrictions by the state in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Now scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11, the conference will focus on four areas of the ReGroup strategy – sharing the gospel, developing biblical community, helping believers mature spiritually and equipping believers to live missionally. General topics will include reaching and connecting in a social distancing world, leading Bible study in-person as well as online and finding new ways to minister and care for people. Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn is the keynote speaker, and will be joined by other guests with expertise in various areas of ministry. Digitial ReGroup will kick off at 6 p.m., Aug. 10, with a session for pastors, ministers of education and Sunday school directors, followed by a second session at 7:30 p.m. for adult … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the seventh in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS SIX Launch “Operation Highways and Hedges,” a multi-year, multi-platform media strategy designed to provide every person in Louisiana the opportunity to say yes to a relationship with … [Read more...]

By Elizabeth Christian PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – Louisiana College has received a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents to improve classrooms and teaching facilities on campus. The $87,330 department enhancement grant will be used to renovate classrooms in Guinn Auditorium, which houses the Missions and Ministries Division, the Physician Assistant Program and the Bolton Chapel classroom. "This grant will help transform teaching and learning on the campus of Louisiana College," said Henry Robertson, coordinator of sponsored programs. The Louisiana College funding proposal was written by Justin Langford, associate professor of missions and ministries. Work has already begun, and the project will continue during the 2020-2021 academic year. Langford said the grant was one of 21 proposals to be fully funded of the 147 the Board of Regents received for the 2019-2020 cycle. “The upgrade to classroom furnishings will move us away from small, individual desks to full-length seminar style tables, which will increase student mobility and give easier access to desk space for students with disabilities,” Langford said. “This will also allow for better classroom collaboration.” Major upgrades are also planned for … [Read more...]