By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – During the May 6 meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board in the Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn encouraged members to be passionate about reaching the state for Christ.
EVANGELISTIC VISION
In his report, Horn highlighted the Convention’s vision statement seek the lost, strengthen churches, and support cooperative missions and ministries.
Seek the lost
Horn said Louisiana Baptists continue to see spiritual fruit through various evangelistic endeavors in the state:
— 8,415 baptisms in 2024;
— 75 congregations participated in John 3:16 Sunday (19,000 business-sized cards about the Gospel were mailed and distributed by them for the March 16 evangelistic outreach effort;
— Youth Evangelism Celebration (501 spiritual decisions, including 108 to accept Christ);
— mass evangelism crusades in Beauregard, Grant, Livingston and Ouachita Parishes;
— “Here for You” multi-media campaign yielded 7,864 views of the Gospel via commercials on TV or social media, with 244 trusting in Christ in 2024, while 3,379 views have yielded 14 decisions for Christ so far in 2025; and
— more children and youth have registered for camps at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center so far in 2025 than during the same timeframe in 2024.
Strengthen churches
— training (sessions to strengthen engagement among churches have included the very first Rural Church Summit May 12-13 along with evangelistic, missions, pastor search committee, Sunday school/ small group and Vacation Bible School training sessions); and
— creation of a church self-insurance organization that is open to churches of all faith traditions.
Horn emphasized that the LBC only took the lead in helping to create the self-insurance cooperative for churches.
“(T)his is not a Louisiana Baptist Convention project now nor will it be,” he said. “We are getting closer but the organization that has been formed to create the self-insurance program is not yet at a place where we can launch the program.
“If we can be successful here, this will free church dollars up to do ministry and thus we will have a hand in strengthening the church. We will see, we will pray, and we will continue to work on your behalf when and where we see this opportunity.”
Cooperative missions and ministries
Horn thanked Louisiana Baptist Foundation Executive Director Jeff Steed for his leadership as he approaches his May 31 retirement and voiced excitement about Mark Johnson assuming the presidency of Louisiana Christian University on June 1.
He shared that 138 missionaries and families serving with the International Mission Board have come from LBC churches and that $4,315,331.12 was given by LBC churches to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in 2024.
AMBASSADORS
Horn closed his report by asking board members to be ambassadors for the Cooperative Program and Louisiana Baptists’ cooperative missions and ministries.
Moreover, he urged them to remain faithful to the task of soul winning which God has given them.
“4.6 million people are living among us in Louisiana, and every single one of them are in need of the Gospel,” he said. “In fact, if today is an average day in Louisiana, 155 people are going to die among us. Some will go to Heaven. We praise the Lord for that. But many will go to Hell, right here from Louisiana. Let’s be on mission to change that number as the Lord tarries and as the Lord gives us opportunity.”
