Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Mike Huckabee, Kelvin Cochran, Charles Stanley among national leaders of Conservative Baptist Network

By Message Staff BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM) – The Conservative Baptist Network has identified prominent Southern Baptist leaders, including Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas; Kelvin Cochran, a former Atlanta, Georgia, police chief who won a $1.2 million settlement for wrongful termination by the city because of his biblical views about marriage and human sexuality; and, Charles Stanley, pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Atlanta, and a former SBC president, as members of its 48-member national steering council. The grassroots movement of more than 5,000 individuals and churches “concerned about the current direction and perceived future of the convention,” also released a schedule of events that figure to help grow the nascent organization as it seeks to connect like-minded Baptists in the effort to "steer the Convention once again to a conservative position." Three events are available for registration: -- Awakening: A Plea for Revival (August 31, 2020, in Bossier City, Louisiana); -- The Conservative Baptist Bible Conference (September 17, 2020, Memphis, Tennessee); and, -- Pastor, Prophet, Patriot: A Freedom and Religious Liberty Event (October 27, 2020, Cleveland, Georgia). According to … [Read more...]

Greear ‘drops’ gavel for racist links, but silent about slave owner’s ties to seminary

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The president of the Southern Baptist Convention has announced his plans to drop the use of a gavel with links to a racist seminary founder whose predeterministic beliefs, like those of many in the South, perpetuated his supportive views on slavery. J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, announced just days prior to the end of his second term as SBC president, his intentions to “retire” the Broadus gavel, a little known artifact except to the few men who use it to bring to order or to end a session of the annual meeting of Southern Baptists. Greear took the position because of the ties to slave owner John A. Broadus, one of four slave owners who founded the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. BACKGROUND Broadus presented “a mallet for the use of the President” during the 17th annual meeting of the SBC, according to the 1872 SBC Annual which recorded the proceedings. It was something “which he had brought from Jerusalem for that purpose.” The entry describes the gavel’s handle as being “made of the balsam tree which grows by the river Jordan forming a large part of that beautiful fringe of green trees which has … [Read more...]

SBC war of words escalated by Maryland leader’s ‘can’t-preach white-boys’ statement

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – At a time of already heightened black-white tensions in the country, the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware has ratcheted up the rhetoric, using racist language on Twitter, June 14, in his defense of the push for women preachers in Southern Baptist pulpits. In supporting an innocuous social media post by Beth Moore -- the best-selling Bible study author for LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, and, someone who in recent years has been strident in her comments about those who oppose women preachers -- Kevin Smith, who is black, wrote, “I see why can’t-preach white-boys oppose her … she has [fire], they have talks, posing as sermons.” Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who once advocated for the ordination of women, is one of several prominent Southern Baptist leaders who has strongly opposed the call for women preachers. Citing 1 Timothy 2:12 (“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence,” NKJV), Mohler argued in a podcast last year that it is a matter of “biblical authority.” “Did the Holy … [Read more...]

Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Revival Needed)

By Chuck Kelley In 1938, prominent Methodist pastor and scholar W. E. Sangster published a small book entitled Methodism Can Be Born Again. For two hundred years, Methodists were among the most evangelistic and missional of all Protestant denominations, and at the time, they were the largest family of churches in the nation and around the world in most categories. To suggest they needed to be born again as a denomination shocked many. Sangster felt duty-bound to share an unpopular message with his Methodist brethren because he saw the growing statistical evidence of decline in Methodist life. Eight decades ago Sangster wrote: “Recent statistics are as dismally impressive as past statistics were startling in their triumphs. One turns over the sad record of recent years and finds a fearful wastage at work.” “So the decline goes on and no sober observer expects a swift reversal. A child can easily foresee the ultimate outcome of all this unless it is stopped.” “God can do something with the faithful, beaten to their knees, but who can manage a man who denies that anything is wrong, and thinks that all is well with Methodism because things are not too bad in his corner.” “A general recognition of the gravity of the hour, and a … [Read more...]

Baptistery waters stir at Stillwater Baptist

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAMMOND, La. (LBM) – Shanika Washington’s life seemed to be spiraling out of control with a marriage in jeopardy and a persistent "me-first" attitude in all her relationsahips. But through a Bible study class at Stillwater Baptist Church in Hammond, Washington discovered that God wanted to be a part of her life, and she welcomed His offer of salvation. Subsequently, she experieced healing from her former attitude, and during a drive-in worship service April 26 she gave a public testimony of her changed heart by being baptized, along with another new believer, in a portable baptistery. “At that time I was apart from him, so I bore nothing,” Washington told the Baptist Message. “But God stepped in and turned my husband and I completely around. Now we live a life in which we are financially stable, our kids are back making good grades and doing very well, and my husband and I are a part of the audio and video ministry at our church. Now I’m a living testimony.” NEW BIRTHS DURING COVID-19 This year, Pastor Elltore Austin has baptized four new converts, including two since the novel coronavirus pandemic. He said the baptisms are a reflection of God’s faithfulness throughout the … [Read more...]

While closed during pandemic, Acadian Baptist Center opens new worship facility

By Message Staff EUNICE, La. (LBM) - Acadian Baptist Center leaders recently celebrated the completion of their first ever worship center. The $3 million, 18,000-sq.-ft. facility was finished May 13, and can accommodate up to 1,000 people. Construction began in April 2019. Camp Director James Newsom said he appreciated the effort led by builder Joey West, a member of First Baptist Church in Pine Prairie, and architect Brodie Ardoin, a member of First Baptist Church in Ville Platte. Many others in the area volunteered to help with the project, Newsom said. “The new worship center at ABC is an amazing miracle,” Newsom told the Baptist Message. “It is humbling to think thousands of young people will be worshipping there for many years to come even after we are long gone impacting our world for Christ.”   … [Read more...]