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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

The number one way to encourage a pastor

By Joe McKeever There was a time when it was easier to pastor a church than it is today. There was a time when churches running a thousand on Sunday were considered mega. There was a time when churches took what they had in the way of pastoral leadership and pretty much went with it without a lot of complaints. Those days are no more. It’s a different world we live in. People demand strengths and excellence and results from their leaders. They look for power in the pulpit and skills in relationships. They want degrees and winsomeness and it wouldn’t hurt if you looked sharp either. They want to be fed in sermons and challenged in programs. They want input in decisions and no longer hand the keys to the kingdom to the new preacher. What they do not want… –What most do not want is to be embarrassed by the preacher, for their church to become the laughingstock of the community, for the attendance to drop, or for the financial situation to become dire. –If they could, they would like the church to reach the unchurched and make a difference in the poorer section of town, but all the while retaining their church as it has always been. –If they could, they’d like to become a mission-minded congregation where … [Read more...]

Roberts reverses, Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana protections for women having abortions

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday reversed his position from just a decade ago, siding with the four liberal justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Louisiana law, 5-4, that attempted to protect women involved in botched abortions. In 2016, Roberts dissented against the Court’s ruling against a Texas law that required abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital in case of an emergency during an abortion – in order to ensure the doctor could provide continuous care for the patient. But the Texas law also included provisions regarding the abortion facility operations, requiring them to be regulated as an ambulatory care clinic with regard to required medical equipment and certifications. The Louisiana law, by contrast, only sought to make sure the person performing the abortion was able to stay with the patient throughout emergency and follow up care. Two cases in recent months highlighted the state’s case for requiring admitting privileges. In 2019 a woman who endured a botched abortion procedure at a Baton Rouge facility experienced complications that forced her to have emergency surgery which resulted in a total … [Read more...]

Mississippi woman ‘pays forward’ Louisiana DR assistance

By Message Staff MCCOMB, Miss. (LBM) – Sue White was on the verge of tears when a Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team showed up to remove trees that fell on her yard in McComb, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down April 22. Twenty-five disaster relief volunteers worked tirelessly for several days clearing the heavy debris left by the storm, and they left such a lasting impression that White felt compelled to mail in a $1,000 check as a gift of appreciation. In her letter to Louisiana Baptists, the 92-year-old White said the team was a gift from God and that she was thankful for their selfless acts of love. “I shall always remember how hard those people worked,” White wrote. “May God bless you as you continue to help other people.” Gibbie McMillan, state disaster relief coordinator for Louisiana Baptists, said disaster relief does not require nor ask for donations for work completed by teams. However, he said they accepted the gift for the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering because White wanted the money to help others in future disasters. “We don’t do it for the money,” McMillan said. “We do it because there is a need and we are there to show Jesus to others who are needing Him at that moment. I am … [Read more...]