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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

New SBC officers elected

By Baptist Message staff ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - Messengers elected a new slate of officers during the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Registration secretary Don Currence reported this year’s meeting made history with nine votes, including the Pastors Conference, representing "52,794 ballots that the team of 55 people counted the last three days." -- Willy Rice (pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Clearwater, Florida), was elected SBC president, defeating Josh Powell, pastor, Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina. Rice received 5,217 votes (57.56%) to Powell’s 3,821 votes (42.16%). -- Meanwhile, Craig Carlisle (director of missions, Etowah Baptist Association, Gadsden, Alabama) was elected first vice-president in a runoff vote, defeating Paul Purvis (pastor, Mission Hill Church, Temple Terrace, Fla.). Carlisle received 3,338 votes (65.92%) to Purvis’ 1,719 votes (33.95%). The other candidate in the earlier election was Larry Helms (pastor, Fort Lawn Baptist Church, Fort Lawn, S.C.). -- Allen Murray (pastor, Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, Supply, N.C.) was elected second vice-president in a run-off vote, defeating Ethan Jago, pastor, 5 Bridges Church, Panama City Beach, Fla. He received 2,342 … [Read more...]

Mohler amendment moves forward

By Baptist Message staff ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - Messengers voted to move forward an amendment that addresses the office and function of pastor. If approved next year, the amendment would amend the SBC constitution to "add an enumerated 6th item, under Article 3, Paragraph 1, defining composition. This new language would make clear that a cooperating Southern Baptist church: '6. Does not act to affirm, appoint, or endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer, specifically preaching to the assembled congregation.'" Al Mohler, a messenger and president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., proposed the amendment. The affirmative vote, June 10, on Mohler’s motion cuts one year from the approval process, bringing it to the floor during next year's SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., for its second and final vote. The vote was 6,028 to 2,026 – 74.66% to 25.09% - in favor of the amendment. Mohler said by adopting this amendment, Southern Baptists can move forward on this issue “in unity and in truth.” “This amendment makes very clear that a church in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t have anyone other than a man as pastor in the … [Read more...]

New Orleans named host site for 2034 SBC Annual Meeting

By Baptist Message staff ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - Messengers learned during the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting that New Orleans was chosen as the host site for the 2034 SBC Annual Meeting, June 13-14. Other future sites named include Houston, Texas, 2030; Anaheim, Calif., 2032 and 2037; and Indianapolis, 2035. … [Read more...]

Messengers adopt three resolutions on first day of SBC Annual Meeting

By Baptist Message staff ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention adopted three resolutions during the first day of the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting, June 9. Additional resolutions will be considered by messengers during the June 10 session. The resolutions adopted were: -- On the 250th Anniversary of the United States and the Baptist Contribution to Religious Liberty honors "the legacy of Baptist forebears who courageously contended for religious liberty and helped secure the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment." -- On Appreciation for the City of Orlando who "has warmly welcomed Southern Baptists with hospitality, professionalism, and a spirit of service." -- On Appreciation for Bivocational and Volunteer Pastors gives thanks for their "enduring ministry" who have "labored faithfully in churches to advance the gospel across the generations." … [Read more...]

Five from Louisiana say ‘yes’ to Great Commission call

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - The International Mission Board appointed 63 new missionaries in a sending celebration, including five from Louisiana. Among those were Justin and Meredith Sassard, whose sending church is Harvest Church, New Orleans. The names of three others from Louisiana could not be published because of security concerns. During a time of testimony, the Sassards shared that they met while serving as journeymen with the IMB three years ago. They then moved to New Orleans for Justin Sassard to attend seminary at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and joined Harvest Church in the city. “Our call to missions comes out of biblical preaching and discipleship within the churches we grew up in,” Meredith Sassard said. “Our love for the church grew overseas and while in New Orleans for seminary, our church in New Orleans, Harvest Church, is sending us out, and they are here with us today.” Justin Sassard added: “We desire to go to Spain to plant and strengthen churches in a place where there are so few biblical churches. Please pray for us as we make this transition.” Andrew Hanna, pastor with Harvest Church, expressed his appreciation for the Sassards. … [Read more...]

Dew: NOBTS remains on mission for Christ

By Baptist Message staff ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) - New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College students, faculty and staff remain on mission, President Jamie Dew told messengers, June 9, during the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Dew said that last year, students shared the Gospel more than 20,000 times and recorded more than 2,000 decisions for Christ. He shared that several times a year, students and faculty volunteer in the local community and share the love of Christ on Serve Day. On this day, they will have a chapel service and then disperse into New Orleans to engage in various service projects and evangelism efforts across New Orleans. “We are on mission,” he said. “Morale is high. Our students are flourishing, spiritually speaking. “I’m not suggesting that we’re perfect,” he suggested. “I’m not suggesting that we don’t still face problems from time to time here and there, but our students are people that are leaning in hard, fighting against their sin, trying to walk with Christ and love Him with their whole being and serve Him with all of their life. And that makes for a very joyful, fun place to be.” Dew expressed gratitude for allowing him to serve as president since … [Read more...]

Crossover yields 1,077 decisions for Christ

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ORLANDO, Fla. (LBM) – Evangelistic efforts that preceded the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting resulted in 1,077 new believers, topping 2025 Crossover Dallas, where 711 first-time salvation decisions were recorded. It was the first time that Crossover salvation numbers exceeded a thousand since 2018, when 1,015 salvation decisions were documented (another 3,214 salvation decisions were recorded in 2018 during a related Harvest America Crusade by Greg Laurie). CROSSOVER TALLIES 2024 – 185 (Indianapolis) 2023 – 336 (New Orleans) 2022 – 574 (Anaheim) 2021 – 176 (Nashville) 2020 – pandemic 2019 – 364 (Birmingham) LOCAL OUTREACH According to the North American Mission Board, 554 churches participated in 2026 Crossover Orlando, June 1-7, with 3,940 volunteers who shared the Gospel with 19,905 people. Evangelistic efforts included sports tournaments, prison outreaches, student rallies, block parties, door-to-door witnessing, compassion projects and more. LOUISIANA PRESENCE Seventy students and professors from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (including undergraduates with Leavell College), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary … [Read more...]

Louisiana’s Fountain elected WMU SBC president

By Staff ORLANDO, Florida (WMU SBC, LBM) – Carolyn Fountain, past president of the Louisiana Woman’s Missionary Union, has been elected president of the Woman’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention. According to a Facebook post from the WMU SBC, Fountain was elected the 25th president of the organization during its Celebration and Annual Meeting, June 7. A native of Tallulah, Fountain works with the Women’s Learning Center, a ministry of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services in Monroe, where she tutors women in reading and writing as they strive to achieve their High School Equivalency Test diploma. Fountain and her husband, Leroy, have been married 48 years and are members of the Well of Monroe, a church plant of First Baptist Church, West Monroe. Together they serve churches in Northwest Louisiana by helping pastors of church plants and revitalizations incorporate missions into their strategy for church health.   … [Read more...]