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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Rice withdraws name from list of candidates seeking SBC presidency

CLEARWATER, Fla. (TBP) -- Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, withdrew his name from the list of candidates seeking the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention Thursday morning, April 6. Roughly a month after announcing his plans to accept a nomination for the position, news broke April 1 about a leadership position at his church that brought Rice under fire. A former public school teacher with a history of sexual misconduct serves as a deacon at Calvary, something Rice said the church leaders knew and monitored for years following the deacon’s repentance and restoration process. Rice noted the deacon was not allowed to work with children or youth and the leaders believed he was fully restored and, in a position, to be ordained as a deacon. “It did not involve criminal charges, and he has never been identified by law as a sexual offender,” Rice said in a five-and-a-half-minute video posted on social media explaining the situation. “Nevertheless, it was a terrible sin, and it devastated people’s lives.” When Rice was contacted recently by a pastor in another state expressing concern about the deacon’s past, Rice and church leaders decided the man would need to step down as … [Read more...]

Parents’ hope alive after son’s death

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer TERRY, Miss. (LBM) – Pastor Lee Faler and wife Jordan are effusive about God’s faithfulness to them after losing their son to brain cancer. Rankin was only 6 years old when he died. Faler said despite the pain, he and Jordan were buoyed by what he described as “God’s endless love” while they traveled through a dark valley. “This has shown me how strong Jesus’ love is for us,” Faler, pastor of First Baptist Church, Terry, told the Baptist Message prior to a recent revival service at Boeuf River Baptist Church, Winnsboro. “He is not just sufficient to save. He is sufficient to sustain. It was something we knew in our heads but now we know it in our hearts because He’s walked it Himself and He’s walked it with us. “Your trials can make you better or they can make you bitter,” he continued. “I don’t know exactly when it happened for me. But somewhere between August and right now, the Lord ignited a hunger in my heart for Him -- to the point that my prayer has been ‘God if I can’t be white hot and I can’t have the fire, then I have too much in Heaven waiting for me. Take me home if I can’t be useful.’” CHALLENGED The journey began in March 2021, when they returned … [Read more...]