Archives for November 2016
U.S. students continue to lag global peers in science and math
Louisiana Notables
IN REMEMBERANCE Koy Lee Haywood, 92, died on Nov. 12. He was born in Mt. Gilead to the late W. T. and Lillie Haywood on Nov. 10, 1924, He married Lorene Snider of Denton in 1944 and they resided in Asheboro until 1956 when he found his life’s calling and attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to prepare for Christian education ministry. Upon graduation in 1958, he served as a staff minister in churches in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida. In 1968, he became the Director of Education/Recreation for the Judson Baptist Association, the association of Baptist churches in the greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana area. He later became the Executive Director of the Association in 1972 and served in that position until his retirement in 1987. After retirement, Koy moved back to Asheboro and continued in ministry as the Associate Pastor at Senior Adults for First Baptist Church, Asheboro for 18 years, retiring from that position in 2007. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Lorene Snider Haywood, daughter Janice Haywood of Cary, and son Ryan Haywood and his wife Charlotte of Oak Ridge, NC. Koy found great joy in his grandchildren, Kristina Snyder and husband Barry of Durham, and Karey Haywood of Arlington, VA, as … [Read more...]
Historic evangelical vote rebuffs #Never Trump leaders
By Will Hall ALEXANDRIA – In a stunning repudiation of a corps of anti-Trump evangelical leaders, evangelical voters overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, with 81 percent of white evangelicals voting for him and only 16 percent pulling the lever for Hillary Clinton. But Trump also won 58 percent of all Protestant voters and 52 percent of all Catholics. Even conservative women backed Trump, with 78 percent voting for him and only 18 percent backing Clinton. Now, a recently released study by the Family Research Council, a Christian public policy ministry based in Washington, D.C., indicates the abortion issue and concern about the political leanings of the courts were key factors in why evangelicals voted for Trump, thus rejecting #NeverTrump evangelical leaders. OUT OF TOUCH Leading up to Nov. 8, the mainstream media had used the #NeverTrump effort by a segment of the religious establishment to suggest it revealed a deep division among the evangelical faithful. The New York Times ran a headline Oct. 17, only three weeks out from the election, claiming “Donald Trump Reveals Evangelical Rifts That Could Shape Politics For Years.” In the article the flagship of the mainstream … [Read more...]
First West announces hire of next generation pastor
By Brandon Rogers, First West communications WEST MONROE – First West has hired Mark Cole to be its next generation pastor. Cole will give leadership to preschool, children, and student age divisions and will build relationships with families to integrate them into the work and ministry of the church. “Words cannot express how excited we are to be joining the team at First West. I believe amazing things are in our future as we continue to lock arms with the West Monroe/NELA community in the days ahead,” says Cole. “My joy in life is to be invested in the daily lives of the next generation, helping them in their journey to and with Christ!” Cole has served as the Next Generation Pastor at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the past four years. His primary ministry responsibilities included setting vision and structure for ages birth through 12th grade and their parents. Before serving as Next Generation Pastor, he served as student pastor at Istrouma for five years. “I have known Mark for several years,” says Michael Wood, Lead Pastor of First West. “He values family and has the heart for family ministry. He is a man of integrity and is a great addition to our staff.” Before serving at … [Read more...]
YEC: Hundreds respond to ‘Make a difference now!’
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – As the child of two deaf parents, essentially serving as their interpreter to the hearing world, Ed Newton spent his middle school years searching for something to satisfy his soul – from premarital sex to attempted grand theft auto. TRANSFORMED Then in in high school, he encountered Christ. “My life has been changed forever,” Newton told more than 5,700 students at Louisiana Baptists’ annual Youth Evangelism Celebration. “I would not be here if it were not for the divine intervention of Jesus interrupting my life’s story.” He challenged students not to waste the time they have to make a difference now. “You are the church right here, right now,” Newton said. “You are current leaders and it’s time to rise up and step up and change the world. But that only happens when you allow God to be a part of your story.” The 40-year-old pastor of the 27,000-member Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, Newton has served as a youth pastor, faculty member at Student Leadership University in Orlando, Fla., and executive director of the LIFT TOUR, an extension of Student Leadership University in partnership with LifeWay Students. The largest gathering of Louisiana … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptists reject sudden CP hike for SBC; OK ERLC study
By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – During a unified annual meeting highlighting a statewide soul-winning emphasis for 2017-2018, Louisiana Baptists overwhelmingly approved a motion for the Executive Board to consider conducting a study of “recent actions” by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in like manner defeated a motion for a 2018 move toward a 50/50 Cooperative Program split with the Southern Baptist Convention. Approximately 600 messengers registered for the Nov. 14-15 event which was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. CP DEBATE Kyle Sullivan, associate pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, introduced the proposed CP measure Monday evening during the opening session of the annual meeting, and the debate on the motion was conducted during the morning session, Tuesday. The motion called for a “50/50 split of the Cooperative Program giving” in the 2018 budget, citing the “vast lostness of the nations” compared to the lostness in Louisiana, and claiming the “primacy” of making disciples of “the nations” supersedes the needs of reaching the lost in the state. The motion also listed the SBC’s multiple affirmations of the “idea” of a … [Read more...]
Business amid spiritual inspiration
By Brian Blackwell & Will Hall, Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA – Messengers conducted important business during the Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 Annual Meeting, hosted this year by Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, Nov. 14-15. But they also took time for spiritual enrichment and inspiration before and after the several organizational actions they were asked to complete. DENNIS PHELPS Dennis Phelps, professor of preaching and director of alumni relations and church-minister relations at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, began all three sessions with a Bible study, each with a focus from the book of Jonah and the theme of “When God Moves.” Phelps developed the character of Jonah, describing him as an unlikely person to an unlikely place for an unlikely mission, and related that believers today should expect God to call out the most unlikely person to carry out His plan. “When God moves, He can use anyone to accomplish His purpose,” Phelps said, “even me and even you.” Phelps also nurtured the notion that despite Jonah’s desire to give up on the people of Nineveh, God refused to give up on Jonah. He said God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah in order to deliver him to the very threshold of the … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptists called to be laborers for Harvest
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Holding a pair of work gloves like the hundreds that were distributed during his presentation, Keith Manuel invited messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 Annual Meeting to commit to a God-sized vision – evangelize the entire state of Louisiana during 2017-2018. Reaching 4.7 million people with the Gospel in a two-year period may seem daunting, said Manuel, LBC evangelism associate, but it is within the realm of possibility through the Harvest initiative, a statewide campaign to engage 700 Louisiana Baptist churches to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana. “This task is hard,” Manuel said during the opening session, Monday, Nov. 14, at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. “It will take work. “Let these gloves serve as a reminder, to lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are white unto harvest. “Let’s go to work and envision a Louisiana where every home receives prayer and every person receives a Gospel witness and if the Lord is willing, may we see the greatest harvest of souls, who grow into the greatest group of reproducing disciples Louisiana has ever seen.” Manuel also gave an overview of what he said … [Read more...]
Pitman relies on ‘openness’ to spread the love of Jesus
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAS VEGAS – Vance Pitman says he may be pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, but at times he feels like he is pastoring “First Century Church” in Jerusalem, Holy Land. Founding pastor of Hope Church, planted in September 2001, Pitman told the Baptist Message he is amazed each day he wakes and ministers in the city alternately known as the “City of Lights” and “Sin City.” His congregation, which averages 3,000 during Sunday worship services, is putting forth its best effort to share the love of Christ, he said. But even with that number of members ministering within their neighborhoods, work places and various recreational settings, the task is monumental in a metropolitan population of 2 million in which only one in 10 residents professes Christ as Lord and Savior. “Everybody who steps inside our church is genuinely in love with Jesus or asking if Jesus is what they need,” Pitman said. “There is no cultural Christianity. It is very authentic and real. It’s intoxicating in our ministry because it’s so real. “There’s real transparency and honesty,” he said. “That’s really the church in Las Vegas.” Such openness has been characteristic of his congregation, since he and … [Read more...]
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