By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor WASHINGTON (LBM) – U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana, has been elected House speaker, meaning he is second in the line of succession if President Joe Biden should be unable to serve. Johnson garnered 220 Republican votes in favor versus 209 Democrat votes against in the Oct. 25 House vote. Two seats in the House are vacant (one Democrat, one Republican) and four members did not vote (three Democrats, one Republican). The office of speaker has been vacant since Oct. 3, when Matt Gaetz, a member of First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, led a GOP minority (eight congressmen) to join with Democrats to oust Kevin McCarthy, a member of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, California, from this key leadership position. The drama was amplified by the failures of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also of Louisiana, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, of Ohio, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, to capture enough support from their Republican colleagues to overcome the Democrats’ block of votes in their respective bids to be elected speaker. OVERWHELMING PRAISE Johnson has enjoyed overwhelming praise from … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ISRAEL (LBM) – Mike and Suzanne Shumock watched in disbelief at footage from news outlets detailing the atrocities committed by Hamas forces against the Israeli people and knew they could not sit idle. They boarded a plane and arrived in the country in early October to serve on a Texas Baptist Men feeding team in southern Israel. Since then, the Shumocks have helped prepare thousands of meals and seen first-hand the need to be a shining light for Christ amid darkness. Shumock is the former Louisiana Baptist Mission Builders coordinator and now resides with his wife, Suzanne, in Mississippi. “We have not been around many Israelis other than the few volunteers who were preparing meals when we arrived,” Shumock told the Baptist Message. “They are heartbroken and devastated to hear about the horrific events carried out by Hamas. According to John Hall, director of communications for Texas Baptist Men, the Shumocks are among 20 members of a Texas Baptist Men feeding team who are preparing meals that are delivered by Israeli volunteer teams to rocket-ravaged neighborhoods and a hospital in southern Israel. The team arrived in Israel on Oct. 10 and the next day prepared … [Read more...]