By Curt Iles ALEXANDRIA (BP) -- His name was Raymond, and we met when we were both about 18. It was unlikely we'd cross paths, much less become friends. Raymond was an urban black man from Pineville, and I was a redneck fresh from the woods of Dry Creek. He was the janitor for our section of Tudor Hall, the men's dorm at Louisiana College. I was a freshman and he had recently gone to work at the school. I was brought up to be friendly, so I introduced myself to Raymond. I'd spent all of my teen summers working at church camp, doing custodial-style work, which had taught me that all work has dignity when done well. So that served as common ground for our friendship. As we crossed paths daily, Raymond and I became friends. I think it happened because I learned his name when we met. Our casual friendship continued for my extended five-year college stay while Raymond moved up in his department. His success didn't surprise me. He was a conscientious worker who got along well with people. Thirty years later, I returned to Louisiana College as a trustee. While walking across campus one day, I saw Raymond. Like me, he had aged, his hair and beard now peppered with gray. We greeted each other and laughed at how young … [Read more...]
PreTeen Invasion draws 18 to Christ
By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA – Eighteen pre-teens responded to Micah Mariano’s call to become fully devoted followers of Jesus during Preteen Invasion Saturday, Aug. 25. “We may think as long as we do life for Jesus on Sunday, Wednesday, and at church camp, we are obeying what God wants,” Mariano said during the annual event for fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. “But what God wants is not our actions. He wants our hearts. He wants every bit of who we are.” Mariano, worship pastor of The FOUR56 Church in San Angelo, Texas, was the main speaker for Pre Teen Invasion. The event also featured music by the worship team from Cypress Baptist Church in Benton and powerlifting demonstrations by Steve Carrier of MegaForce Ministries. David Anderson, children’s ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists, said Pre Teen Invasion has become the go-to event to celebrate going back to school for younger teens. “I love Preteen Invasion because it gives our fourth, fifth and sixth graders a chance to spend the day hanging out and enjoying being with each other while being pointed directly to Jesus,” Anderson said. “This event, which the Lord has let me be a part of over the years, is easily one … [Read more...]
Revival at Benson Baptist Church
Benson Baptist Church, Benson: Revival, September 2-5, 6:30 p.m. nightly. Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria. Special Music: Kerry Longoria. Everyone is invited to attend. The church is located at 3213 Highway 512. Converse, LA. Pastor: Delmon Rogers. … [Read more...]
Revival at Calvary Baptist Church, Forest Hill
Calvary Baptist Church, Forest Hill: Revival, September 2-5; Sunday 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday, 7 p.m. Evangelist: Wayne Jones and Freedom Mission. There will be the Word of God, testimonies, praise and worship. For more information, call 318.733-0248. Pastor: Wayne Dunn. … [Read more...]
Surrounded by family, friends and prayers, baby Elijah passes away
By Message Staff NEW ORLEANS - Elijah Kelly, the baby who thousands have prayed for as he journeyed through difficulties with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, has died. According to a post on the Elijah's Miracles Facebook page, he died at 4:17 pm Tuesday at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. Kelly, who was the grandson of Gulf Coast Baptist Association Director of Missions Steven Kelly, was born June 6 and weighed four pounds, 13 ounces. Two days later, the doctors diagnosed him with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition that left the newborn with only three of four chambers of his heart working properly. In the ensuing months, Kelly endured three open heart surgeries, a brain bleed, kidney dialysis and countless injections. Up until the end, family and friends from across the world offered prayers of support. Tammillee Kelly, wife of Steven Kelly, expressed appreciation for all who supported the family. "He was surrounded by his family and closest friends," she wrote on the Elijah's Miracles Facebook page Tuesday night. "He was cared for, prayed over, loved on, and sang to as he left our presence and into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Visitation will take place … [Read more...]
Reaping the Harvest – 3,212 saved in Brazil
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer POUSO ALEGRE, Brazil – A Louisiana Baptist-led mission team took the 2018 statewide Harvest emphasis international, resulting in 3,212 Brazilians repenting for salvation in July. “Numbers matter because they mean people,” said Deanne Denton, a trip coordinator and member of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia. “Numbers mean changed lives. Numbers on this trip mean churches in that area can take those contacts of people who accepted Christ and follow up with the new believers through the year. That is always amazing to see because the people are very responsive.” Denton was among 130 men and women who were on mission in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, as a part of an evangelism outreach in the country July 6-17. Some remained in Brazil two additional days to see the country. While there, the teams participated in street evangelism, Vacation Bible Schools, drama performances, sports clinics, cooking demonstrations, construction of churches and a school, and conducted medical, dental and eye clinics. The mission group included other volunteers from Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Denton said there were some ups and downs during the mission trip, but God was in … [Read more...]
Mother, sons celebrate new life through baptism
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HOUMA – Not long after Clifton Arnold started Kingdom Life Fellowship in September 2016, Sade Harris presented a simple request – a chance to participate in baptism with her three sons. After hearing the complete story, Arnold wholeheartedly granted the request. “Her oldest son shared her birthday, and now she wanted to celebrate her own spiritual birthday with him and the other two siblings,” Arnold said. “Once I heard her request, I thought ‘that is really nice.’” The family was introduced to Jesus within a two-week period in 2016. Harris was attending a baptism class with son, Quentin, when she realized she needed to repent of her sins. She then introduced the other two sons, Ma Khi and Que, to Christ. The baptisms were the first for Kingdom Life Fellowship, which was birthed out of a home-based Bible study with only three people. The Fellowship now has grown to 40 strong, seven of whom have been baptized. Since the service, Harris has become involved in such ministries as the hospitality team. “You just let God take over, and everything falls into place,” Harris said. “It may not be when you want it, but it happens.” … [Read more...]
GBO fuels rocket scientist’s church planting efforts
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HOUMA – NASA’s Clifton Arnold is a rocket scientist with a successful formula for church planting. “You get them in the door with music, you keep them in the house with teaching,” Arnold, who planted Kingdom Life Fellowship in Houma in 2016, told the Baptist Message. “People go to churches where they like their worship style and their teaching is solid.” When he is not preaching at Kingdom Life Fellowship, Arnold manages four NASA rocket propulsion test sites – at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. While working on projects to reach the planets and the stars, he uses opportunities to discuss creation and Heaven with those he meets in the space industry. “It’s really amazing that they parallel and feed into one another,” Arnold said. “People are interested in what God has to say about the rest of the universe, and, sometimes you don’t have an answer and you say, ‘Well when I see Him, I’ll ask Him. But right now, the Bible tells me this,’ and that’s the way I approach it.” GBO FOCUS Arnold is thankful for God’s … [Read more...]
After 60 years, Doyle Adams still preaching
By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter MANGHAM – Pastor Doyle L. Adams knew at age 19 God’s call on his life was irrevocable. “My belief is that God called me, and He called me for a lifetime,” said Adams, who at age 79, does not have any plans to retire from the pulpit. For the last 60 years, Adams, the pastor of Lone Cherry Baptist Church in Mangham, has established a history of faithful preaching and caring pastoring, and recently was honored for his long-time service in both, with a special plaque from the Louisiana Baptist Pastoral Leadership team and special recognition by the Richland Baptist Association. Bill Robertson, Louisiana Baptists pastoral leadership director, said he has known Adams for more than 40 years. “Bro. Doyle Adams is a wonderful, faithful servant of the Lord, and he has quite a legacy. Churches have prospered under his leadership, and he is still going strong,” Robertson said, adding Adams has sacrificed and sown into some smaller churches that had been without a pastor. With more than six decades of min istry under his [Bible] belt, Adams has experienced his share of successes and challenges on a number of levels. But, he said, regardless he was doing what God called him to … [Read more...]
State law provides balance in evolution debate, LC prof says
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Ten years after the passage of the Louisiana Science Education Act, one of the law’s most outspoken advocates is celebrating how the legislation gave the state’s science teachers the right to present the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. “If the science teacher is going to be a good teacher, they are going to want their students to think critically, to be able to analyze the information they are being presented,” Louisiana College Biology Professor Wade Warren said in a podcast interview with the Discovery Institute that aired June 28. “At the very least, the Louisiana Science Education Act gives the science classroom the opportunity to be more objective. And I am in favor of that. “Let the students read the data. Let them decide for themselves,” he said. “But there is no way they are going to be able to do that if they are only presented the strengths of a particular model and not the weaknesses.” The Louisiana Science Education Act was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal in June 2008. The act allows public school teachers to utilize information that may not be available in textbooks to … [Read more...]