By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor
My first day in the office of the Baptist Message was Jan. 9, 2006. During the seven years and just over four months that I have been editor of the Message, I have never expressed my opinion on any issue in Louisiana Baptist life. However, with this column that will change.
By Larry Burgess, for "Friends of Louisiana College"
By Philip Timothy, Message Staff Writer
WOODWORTH – Much like the last four months, the ‘crisis at LC’ dominated discussion at the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s annual spring meeting of the Executive Board May 7.
In addressing the situation, LBC Executive Director David Hankins in his report to the board began by saying, “I would like to speak to you about the crisis at LC.
By Kelly Boggs, Editor
PINEVILLE – The Louisiana College Board of Trustees met on the school’s Pineville campus April 30 for the purpose of addressing the college’s “budget and other items of regular business,” according to a statement released after a regularly scheduled meeting of the board on March 19.
Gene Lee, chairman of the LC board, read a statement after the most recent trustee meeting that indicated that at least one item of “regular business” with which the board dealt concerned allegations of impropriety on the part of LC President Joe Aguillard.
By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana Baptists and others are concerned that unless something changes, abortions will be carried out by Planned Parenthood for the first time in Louisiana next year as the organization moves to open an expanded facility in New Orleans.
SBC President Fred Luter, Jr. and Franklin Avenue Baptist Church have responded by joining with Nola Needs Peace, a coalition of concerned citizens that is taking a stand for life.
By John Kyle, LBC Communications
ALEXANDRIA – “Here is an opportunity for us to do something to affect the next generation … and hopefully the Kingdom of God,” said First Covington pastor and current LBC President Waylon Bailey as he opened the President’s 2020 Commission Summit on April 22 in Alexandria. “Let’s don’t do what we can do. … Let’s receive what He has to give. … Let Him show us His way.”
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor
ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Director, David Hankins, reported on “The State We Are In,” during the recent mid-point meeting of the 2020 Commission.
After giving the vision and mission statements of the LBC, Hankins reminded the 400 members of the 2020 Commission of their purpose statement: “to develop and recommend a seven-year strategy for maximizing Louisiana Baptists’ effectiveness in gospel ministry.”
By Rachel Ortego, Regional Reporter
BRANCH – In his book, The Power of Surrender, Michael Catt writes, “You may be God’s ‘anyone’—the person He will use to open the door and let Him in. It just takes one to start a revival. Jesus isn’t waiting on the results of a poll or committee meeting. He’s waiting on a person.”
Two young ladies have opened that door to revival with prayer at their public school in the tiny rural community of Branch in Acadia Parish.
By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director
PINEVILLE – As a teenager in today’s world, Andrew Wilks knows the trials a believer may face when he or she accepts Christ for the first time.
But once that decision is made, Wilks said another choice must follow: What should a Christian do next?
By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor
“Tyler Perry is a moralist who doesn’t have sense enough to engage us by making sin look like fun,” is how one critic featured on the movie review Internet site “Rotten Tomatoes” sums up the film Temptation: The Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, which is currently in theaters.
By Russell Moore, President of the SBC's ERLC
I have long suspected that many Christians dread not just death but heaven.
We won’t admit that, of course. Our hymnody, of whatever era, is filled with songs about the joy of the afterlife, and “what a day of rejoicing that will be.”
We’re glad we’re not going to hell or to oblivion. But most of our songs and sermon mentions are about that first few moments in heaven: when we see Jesus, when we’re reunited with our loved ones, and so on. It’s like the happy ending of the story. And that’s the problem.
By Erich Bridges, IMB
Watch out. They’re coming. And if they bite you, you’ll soon be joining them – after you die an agonizing death, reanimate and become one of the “undead.”
I’m talking about zombies, of course. You can find them stumbling around looking for their next human snack in countless comics, books, computer games and movies.
By Thom S. Rainer, President of LifeWay Christian Resources
With apologies to Gary Chapman for playing on his well-known “Five Love Languages” theme, I asked 24 pastors how a church member might speak to each pastor in his own love language. And though 24 persons do not constitute a massive survey, I was amazed at the consistency of the responses.
To fit the theme of five, I determined at the onset that I would only report the top five responses.
By Rex Butler, NOBTS
Richard Wurmbrand’s autobiography Tortured for Christ is aptly named, for this Romanian pastor endured unimaginable suffering from the Communist regime because of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. During two imprisonments that totaled fourteen years, he was beaten and tortured, starved, subjected to brainwashing, spent three years in solitary confinement, and witnessed the tortures and deaths of countless Christians.
By Archie England, NOBTS
Question: Does the sin of Adam impact all humanity? Did Adam’s sin render all others guilty before each one personally sinned?
NOBTS Professor Archie England responds: For the Apostle Paul, Adam’s first transgression caused death to come upon all humanity (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21). What God emphatically commanded (not eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Gen 2:17), Satan enticingly challenged. Deceived, Eve ate; but, knowingly Adam transgressed (Gen 3:6).
By Erin Roach, Baptist Press
TEHRAN (BP) – In another effort to force American pastor Saeed Abedini to recant his faith, prison officials in Tehran have placed him in solitary confinement, something the American Center for Law and Justice calls “perhaps his most grave situation since his imprisonment last fall.”
By Gary D. Meyers, NOBTS Communications
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s trustees approved a new academic division and new degrees during their spring meeting April 17. The board also elected three new faculty members.
By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications
NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- In their yearly evaluation of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley, trustees commended his leadership as visionary, noted his achievements and expressed confidence in his leadership into the future.
By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter
RUSTON – Strains of the old-time missionary song, “We’ve a Story to Tell,” filled the sanctuary as 224 people celebrated the fabric of WMU at their 113th annual meeting.
Participants at the WMU Missions Celebration event gathered together April 5-6 at First Baptist Church in Ruston to learn about WMU’s involvement in missions in Louisiana and around the world.
By Staff, Baptist Message
METAIRIE – As Zechariah 4:10 KJV says, For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice ....
Celebration Church started in 1988 with six people meeting in a home, praying for revival and a church home. Instead, they formed as a church in September 1989, and a month later, Dennis Watson was called as pastor.
The first (after their own) church they started was Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva in El Salvador in 1992. Their latest, Cityview Church in Miami, Fla. In-between there have been 55 others.
By Staff, World News Magazine
WASHINGTON – The movie “42” tells the story of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color line. It recently opened to great reviews. It was also a home run at the box office, bringing $27 million in ticket sales during its weekend.
Even though “42” is being well received, Eric Metaxas wrote in USA Today that the movie failed to approach what he cleverly called the “God line,” by avoiding any discussion of the strong Christian faith of both Robinson and Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey.
By Staff, LBCH Communications
MONROE – Since 1899, your Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries has been providing love, care, and hope in Christ to children and families in need. Thank you Louisiana Baptists for sharing your love and God’s love with the children and families we serve!
At the heart of our Christ-centered ministries is a question that is always prayerfully considered: “Where are the children who need us and how can we meet their needs?”
Arrivals/Departures
Billy (wife Laura) Arnold Jr., new to Kaplan Baptist; he as pastor; she as music director.
Rick (wife Lola) Wing, new as pastor of Shady Grove Baptist in Nobel.
Greg (wife Dara)Whaley, he is new as interim pastor of First Baptist Bogalusa, from music minister; she is new as interim music minister.
David Daniels, new as worship leader at North Acres Baptist Minden; he was ordained April 21.
Ronnie Sanders, retires from McDonald Memorial Baptist. He’s available for supply: 318.768.4128; 318.245.6467.
