By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Wayne Jenkins, who served 28 years as director of evangelism for Louisiana Baptists until his retirement Jan. 31, was remembered by family and friends as a soul winner whose passion for the lost continued up to his death Nov. 13. “Wayne Jenkins was a blessing to Louisiana Baptists and beyond. His willingness to pour himself out for the Gospel, even during his lengthy battle with cancer, should challenge all of us,” said David Hankins, executive director for Louisiana Baptists. “His passion for people and willingness to try new ways to engage them with the Gospel is resonating in eternity.” Keith Manuel, director of evangelism and church growth for Louisiana Baptists, said Jenkins was a major influencer on evangelism in the Southern Baptist Convention and for Louisiana Baptists. “He was a classic director of evangelism,” Manuel said. “He didn’t just talk and ideate about evangelism. He was a practitioner. His life was dedicated to sharing the Gospel internationally, nationally, and locally. There will be thousands who received Jesus’ salvation, who stand before the throne of God worshipping the King of Kings for eternity, because of the witness and the work of … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) —Wayne Jenkins passed away November 13, but the retired Louisiana Baptist evangelism director made a spiritual impact that will last through eternity. Jenkins served as pastor with six Southern Baptist churches in Texas and Louisiana for 25 years before joining the Louisiana Baptist Convention staff as director of evangelism and church growth in 1990. He brought with him a seven-year evangelism partnership with Brazilian Baptists and continued that international relationship another 28 years, until his retirement in January. He was equally committed to soul-winning in Louisiana from 1990-2018, equipping numerous pastors and congregations for reaching the lost. Most recently, he was a central figure in visualizing and implementing the statewide Harvest initiative which is underway to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana. HARVESTS AT HOME Jenkins led the effort to enlist more than 900 of 1,650 Louisiana Baptist churches to join together across the state for Harvest prayer events and soul-winning activities, far-exceeding the goal of 700 participating congregations. He helped lay the groundwork in 2015; planned and enlisted … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptists are getting ready to celebrate a milestone – planting a church in the 100th community since 2010. On Dec. 2, First Baptist Church in Mer Rouge will be replanted as Bonita Road Baptist Church Mer Rouge, becoming the second campus of Bonita Road Baptist in Bastrop. James Jenkins, director of church planting for Louisiana Baptists, said reaching this benchmark is evidence of a Great Commission fulfillment to start new congregations throughout the state. “It’s a little bit of the early church found in the book Revelation played out right here in the Bayou state,” he said. The achievement will mark a Southern Baptist presence in one-third of towns in the state, according to John Hebert, missions and ministries director for Louisiana Baptists. Also, the replant of First Baptist Mer Rouge will be the 21st church planted in 2018 and the 231st church planted since 2010. “We are excited about this accomplishment because it means that we retain a Southern Baptist presence in Mer Rouge,” Hebert said. “But it is a reminder that we have a significant amount of work to do if we are to reach the other two-thirds of communities in Louisiana. We want a … [Read more...]

By Bob Tompkins, Special to the Message POLAND – Stories of valor in battle are not uncommon on Veterans Day, and two lifelong Southern Baptist buddies and Vietnam buddies from Poland, Louisiana, are key figures in one. Donald Ray Byrd and Charles Lee White, both 74 and friends since they were 6 years old, were drafted into the U.S. Army on the same day and trained together at Fort Polk. They also undertook artillery training together at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. They traveled on the same ship – the USS Upshur – for the 23-day journey from Tacoma, Washington, to Da Nang, Vietnam, and they served virtually side-by-side in the same artillery unit, working the “big guns” – 175 mm M107 self-propelled guns that weighed almost 29 tons and could fire rounds into zone ranges of seven, 15 or 25 miles. Their base camp was at Dong Ha, the capital of Quang Tri Province, then the northern most town in South Vietnam. Byrd was a sergeant, serving as a gun section chief, and White was an E4 specialist, serving as a driver. They were part of an artillery battery of the 4th Artillery, 1st Artillery Group near the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Thirteen soldiers man an M107, with an onboard crew of five – a section chief, driver, gunner, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – The Youth Evangelism Celebration is returning to its traditional home in Alexandria after a four-year run at Lafayette’s Cajundome. Scheduled Nov. 18-19 at the newly renovated Rapides Parish Coliseum, the largest annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists will celebrate its move back to central Louisiana with two concerts, a BMX team, inspiring messages and ample chances for students to gain the necessary tools to share their faith with classmates. YEC had enjoyed a 27-year run at the Rapides Parish Coliseum before renovations of the facilities forced a move to south Louisiana in 2014. YEC will feature evangelist Drew Worsham as the guest speaker for all sessions. The conference also will include award-winning Christian band Rush of Fools, event Master of Ceremonies Joseph Sojourner, event Disc Jockey DJ Vow, a demonstration by the Real Encounter BMX team, testimonies from students and concerts by former American Idol contestant Colton Dixon and the all-sibling band Bonray. The theme, “Change,” is based on Romans 12:1-2. During the Monday afternoon session, Worsham will lead training sessions on how to use the EvangeCard tract to share the Gospel. Students also … [Read more...]