By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message [img_assist|nid=7541|title=Tommy Middleton|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=82|height=100]BATON ROUGE – Longtime Woodlawn Baptist Church pastor Tommy G. Middleton is taking the reins of the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge in late August. The association has been without an executive director since Rodrick E. Conerly, 61, suffered a fatal heart attack a few days before Christmas 2010. A third generation preacher, Middleton, 57, was scheduled to preach his last service at the 1,200 member Woodlawn Baptist on July 24. “I’ve loved serving this church and we’ve loved the people here since the very beginning,” Middleton said of his 24 years at Woodlawn. He will begin as BAGBR’s executive director on August 22. The association is a group of 108 SBC churches, affiliated missions and organizations including the Gonzales Seaman’s Center, the LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry and the Judson Retreat Center in St. Francisville. During Middleton’s Woodlawn ministry, his innovative local evangelism and worldwide missions programs tripled the church’s membership. He also was involved in nearly all aspects … [Read more...]
Opening of LC Law school delayed until 2013
By Staff, Baptist Message SHREVEPORT – The anticipated opening of Louisiana College’s Judge Paul Pressler School of Law has been pushed to the fall of 2013. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2012, J. Michael Johnson, the founding dean of the school, said waiting until 2013 would allow the college additional time to renovate the 158,000-square-foot Joe D. Waggonner Federal Building, recruit students and faculty, and to continue its efforts to raise the $22.7 million needed for the law school. Johnson said, “It takes substantial time to create a superior program of legal education, and it is not a process we want to rush unnecessarily.” The delay will give LC more time to complete the necessary renovations to the Waggoner building, which sat vacant for almost 12 years. Included in those renovations is the ardous task of removing of asbestos. The law school was originally slated to be housed in the historic CNB/United Mercantile Building in Shreveport, but after consideration by school officials it was deemed too small to house the entire program and lacked sufficient parking, Johnson said. The Waggonner building, which has parking for more than 300, is … [Read more...]
Statham is well suited as DOM for Baptist Associations of SE La.
By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message [img_assist|nid=7544|title=Stanley Statham|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=91|height=100]FRANKLINTON – Stanley Statham, director of missions for the three Baptist Associations of Southeast Louisiana, came to the ministry late in life, after a secular career as a paramedic. Statham has been since October 2010, the DOM for the Two Rivers, Washington and William Wallace associations, a combined group of 86 churches that cover parts of six area parishes. He is 48 years old, has been married to Tracy for 27 years; they have four children. He grew up in Decatur, Ga., where he was saved at the age of eight following a church service invitation. “That morning a man explained to me exactly what all that meant and made sure I knew what I was doing,” Statham said. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m very specific with children” about the plan of salvation. After graduating from high school, Statham was baptized at the age of 20, graduated from Dekalb Community College with an associate degree as a paramedic and went to work as a paramedic in the Atlanta, Ga., area. “I had served as RA director for awhile at First Baptist … [Read more...]
Grace Cloutierville dedicates its worship center
By Staff, Baptist Message CLOUTIERVILLE – A dedication of Grace Baptist’s first-ever building is set for 3 p.m. Aug. 21 at the church, located about four miles south of town on Hwy 1. It’s Tim White’s first pastorate; he’s a roofer by trade. He started the church in 2006. “We had a group of us got together, prayed about it and came up with a plan to start a church,” White said. “God laid it all out.” Meeting in homes for Bible Study led this spring to a manufactured 32x90 vinyl-sided white building with a steeple on top. “The major challenge for us is to make an impact in the community,” the pastor continued. “We seem to be making headway.” A VBS July 15-17 led by a group from Esler Baptist Church in Pineville helped, White said. At least 26 area youngsters participated; 19 Esler workers led in a Big Apple Adventure. About 35 attend Sunday morning worship. About 85 attended White’s ordination on June 26 at Grace Cloutierville. 0 … [Read more...]
Milestones
By Staff, Baptist Message ARRIVALS, DEPARTURES Cameron Theodos, new as music minister at Common Ground; from laity. Terry Young, new as children’s minister at First West Monroe, from Calvary Shreveport. Eddie Sirven, resigns as music/worship minister at Trinity Heights Shreveport, for new post at First Richland, Miss. William Colvin, new as pastor at Calvary Homer. David Savage, new as pastor at New Ebenezer Castor. Bruce Knight, new as pastor at Emmanuel Arcadia. Chris Holloway: new as Pastor of Little Pass, Charenton, from Oak Hill Many. Shane (wife Michelle) Forest: new as associate pastor, and Michelle Forest: new as children and youth director at North Keithville in Keithville.Pastor: Clarence Chism. Marcel Ronquille Jr.: new as pastor of Pleasant Hill Ruston. Rick Williams: resigns as pastor of Mt. Union Spearsville to become a Navy chaplain. Newton Smith: new as pastor of Bonita Baptist in Bonita. Drew Coker: new as music minister of Clark Springs Eros. Alan Miller: new as interim pastor of Parkview Monroe. Jim Arrant: new as … [Read more...]
Foundation’s investment funds’ performance stays positive
By Jerry Love, LBF's Director of Planned Giving ALEXANDRIA – Neither the long hot days of summer nor sporadic thunderstorms could deter the Trustees of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation from their regular mid-summer meeting. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees met July 26 at the Louisiana Baptist Building for their quarterly meeting, to review investment activity and operations. The Investment Committee met during the early part of the morning and discussed several issues related to the LBF portfolio. Lee Morris of Graystone Consulting gave a report on the performance of the funds’ managers and presented recommendations to enhance the Foundation’s portfolio. Morris stated that the second quarter had been difficult because of the continued sluggish economic growth overall. However the performance returns for the Foundation’s investment funds remain positive for the year despite some individual monthly reporting periods showing declines. As of the quarter ending June 30, 2011, the LBF equity fund had gained 2.51 percent for the year, with the Fixed Income Fund posting a 2.43 percent increase so far. The Group Investment Fund, which comprised of … [Read more...]
New MRM coordinators seek to impact lives in poverty
By Savannah Cyree, WMU Communications [img_assist|nid=7549|title=New coordinators|desc=Cathy and George Chinn as new regional coordinators for the 20-year-old Mississippi River Ministry are seeking to get more churches and associations involved in the ministry.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]MISSISSIPPI RIVER – In January, Mississippi River Ministry (MRM) announced their newest regional coordinators, George and Cathy Chinn. For the past several months, the two have traveled and established relationships within the ministry’s eight state region. MRM serves to impact lostness by ministering to those in poverty and connecting them with churches. “There is a great need out there,” George Chinn said. “We find that there is not only a large percent of lostness in poverty, but a lot of lostness in general.” The Chinns say only God alone could qualify them for such a task. With a heart for missions and having collectively been involved in more than 30 international missions trips and countless domestic efforts, they believe their commitment to missions and sincerity comes through. The couple has spent the last several months using that sincerity while familiarizing themselves … [Read more...]
Rebuild Haiti on target to construct 2,500 homes
By Mark Kelly, Baptist Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (BP) – Rebuild Haiti, the joint Southern Baptist disaster relief initiative launched in the aftermath of the massive Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, will have built 1,982 houses by the end of November and has 560 more in the pipeline before the scheduled exit date in March 2012. “Southern Baptists should heartily celebrate what has been accomplished in Haiti,” said Jeff Palmer, executive director of Baptist Global Response, one of the key partners in the Rebuild Haiti alliance. “It is amazing what has happened in such a short period of time, but there are still thousands of people living in tents and much to be done.”[img_assist|nid=7551|title=Homes needed|desc=Even before the massive Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, many Haitian families lived in substandard housing – and many are still living in tents. Southern Baptists’ Rebuild Haiti initiative is not only building new houses, it’s also helping Haitians rebuild their lives and communities.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] “Rebuild Haiti” is a cooperative venture that also involves Haitian Baptists, the International Mission Board, the Florida Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist … [Read more...]
Pastors: Luter election reflects SBC’s diversity
By Diana Chandler, Regional Reporter NEW ORLEANS (BP) – African American pastors in the New Orleans Baptist Association say the election of Fred Luter as the Southern Baptist Convention’s first vice president is important evidence that the SBC has departed from the racial exclusion of its past. [img_assist|nid=7553|title=Fred Luter|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=56|height=100]They say the SBC has worked diligently to embrace African Americans and other ethnic groups, especially since the convention’s 1995 public apology for its past support of slavery. However, they regard Luter’s election as a result of his intelligence, integrity, gifts and leadership skills, not his race. Yet Luter’s election, they add, can only enhance the SBC’s appeal to ethnic minorities. “I think the Southern Baptist Convention is making a monumental statement. This is indeed a win-win move,” said Kenneth Foy, vice president of the African American Fellowship in New Orleans and pastor of the local church New Life Ministry. “This might just be one of the best moves the SBC has done in years. It makes me feel a lot better about being a part of an organization that recognizes the importance and value of … [Read more...]
10th Anniversary: How 911 changed missions
By Erich Bridges, Baptist Press [img_assist|nid=7555|title=Remembering 911|desc=Joseph Rose (name changed) studies a historical display of front-page reactions to 9/11. His own reaction led him from indifference to passionate commitment. "If it weren't for 9/11, I might not be where I am today," he says. "God used this tragic event to call me out of the darkness of apathy and ignorance toward Muslims into the light of service and presence among this vast people." (BP) PHOTO|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=427]RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – When the jets slammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field a decade ago, the life of Joseph Rose (name changed for security) began to change. A Christian college student, he knew little about Islam. He didn’t know a single Muslim personally. His mother called and warned him to shave off his full beard, fearing “hate attacks” by angry people mistaking him for a Muslim. “I left the beard. No one attacked me,” Rose recalled. As the initial shock of 9/11 wore off, something inside him spurred Rose to understand the forces shaking the world. “I began to read about Islam,” he … [Read more...]