By Karen Pearce, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – Warmth enveloped Jasmine when she came up from the baptismal waters at Broadmoor Baptist Church. “Everything was warm around me and I was feeling happiness and like finally I’m complete,” she said. “I can say it now aloud.... ‘That’s me, that’s what I am, I am Baptist.’” “I can say it out loud now, ‘That’s me, that’s what I am. I am Baptist,’” Jasmine, a Bosnian immigrant, said after being baptized by Donny Durr, minister of business administration at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. Although being Baptist is a common thing in Jasmine’s current home state of Louisiana, it is quite unusual in her home country. She grew up in Bosnia where Islam, Orthodoxy and Catholicism vie for prominence. She was born into a Muslim family -- her grandfather was an imam. But her father was an atheist and her mother was never willing to be labeled. “She always said there is just one God and God will help you. That was her way – to find God, to believe that He’s a savior, He’s a father,” Jasmine said. Her mother’s faith opened the way for Jasmine to seek. Today, Jasmine knows that she has met the true God, Jesus Christ, and she has taken the brave step to publically declare her faith … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2015
Louisiana Notables
ON THE MOVE Larry Sylvest is new as pastor at Lewiston Baptist Church, Kentwood. Scott Spins is new as pastor at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Mt. Hermon. Russell Zwerner is new as associate pastor at Victory Baptist Church, Walker. Mark (wife Paula) Norwood is new as pastor at First Baptist Church, Patterson. Kenneth Austin has resigned as senior pastor at Bayou Plaquemine Baptist Church. Nathan Coleman is new as youth director at North Shreve Baptist Church, Shreveport. Kelly (husband Chris) Pyle is new as children’s director at Koran Baptist Church, Haughton. HOMECOMING Turkey Creek Baptist Church, Gilbert: 97th Homecoming Celebration, Aug. 2, 10:45 a.m. The homecoming celebration will take place in the church’s new sanctuary in which the first service was held on July 5. The old sanctuary was destroyed by a fire Dec. 4, 2013. Everyone is invited to attend. Pastor: Kyle Spinks. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Jonesboro: 165th Homecoming, Aug. 9, 10:30 a.m. A meal will follow the service in the Family Life Center. Speaker: Clovis Sturdivant. Pastor: Randy Lee. First Baptist Church, Greensburg: 149th Homecoming and dinner on the grounds, Aug. 9, Sunday school, 9:15 a.m.; Worship services, 10:30 a.m. with dinner on the grounds … [Read more...]
‘Word and deed’ healthcare missions leading many to Christ
By Mark Kelly, Baptist Press RICHMOND, Va. — All over the world, International Mission Board’s health care missionaries are living out “word and deed” Christian faith, and people are responding with decisions to follow Jesus — some of them in places where the good news of God’s love is only just now arriving. During the Global Medical Alliance meeting June 1-5 near Richmond, Va., a steady stream of reports illustrated the wide variety of ways Southern Baptists merge proclamation of the gospel with demonstration of God’s love for suffering people: n In West Africa, as the Ebola epidemic exploded, IMB workers focused on raising awareness and teaching prevention techniques in Liberia, Togo and Mali. About 424,000 people were reached through a combination of fliers, TV spots, speakers, hand-washing stations, music concerts and food distributions. Thousands heard the good news and more than 200 professed faith in Christ. n In South Asia, a Vacation Bible School offering from First Baptist Church of Lafayette, purchased health and hygiene items that could be shared with terminally ill patients, along with health lessons and Bible stories. The distribution gave believers access to communities where they had been unwelcome before, … [Read more...]
Landry’s short-lived retirement opens the door to planting churches
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MANSURA – The retirement years may bring about visions of spending time at the grandchildrens’ home, traveling around the country in an RV or catching catfish for an entire day at an area lake. However, for Norris Landry, retiring meant one thing – planting a church in a community with little evangelical presence. “I was comfortable and everything was great,” said Landry, who retired as pastor of Hessmer Baptist Church last December to serve as a church planter at Point of Life Community Church in Plaucheville. “But I was uncomfortable that I wasn’t doing what God wanted me to do. I don’t know if I will ever retire. As long as I am able to, I will serve.” Landry, who learned to speak the French language as a young boy growing up in Pierre Part, felt called to reach Cajun country with the gospel while attending classes in 1980 at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and serving as pastor of First Baptist Church in Head of Island. A year later, Landry began serving as pastor of Loreauville Mission Church, a mission of First Baptist Church in New Iberia, while co-pastoring five miles away at Coteau Holmes Mission. He remained there until Hessmer Baptist Church called Landry to serve … [Read more...]
Churches coming together for the Kingdom
By Joe Dupree Message Staff Writer FOREST HILL – A helping hand from a sister church help make Vacation Bible School one to remember. More than 20 teenagers and adult volunteers from Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball helped to Forest Hill Baptist Church with its VBS recently. "I believe this is one of our best VBS's we have had here," said George Marshall, pastor of Forest Hill Baptist Church. "Our people have really come together and having Kingsville help was such a blessing to us." Averaging 30 children throughout the week, Forest Hill Baptist began each day with worship rally where the children sang songs and watched a video on the day’s lesson. After worship, there was Bible study before the children rotated between crafts, recreation, snacks and missions. Throughout the week, in the evening, the teens and college students from Kingsville would be there helping Forest Hill teach the children about Jesus and showing, by example, what it meant to come together for the sake of the gospel. "This is what it's all about. Larger churches helping smaller churches," said Marshall. "When a church comes to help with VBS, it's really great for us." And the congregation at Forest Hill didn’t mind sharing their … [Read more...]
Lafayette Louisiana Baptists urge prayer after deadly movie theater shooting
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE - Louisiana Baptist pastors in Lafayette are urging prayers after a deadly shooting in a movie theatre happened in their hometown late Thursday evening. Around 7:30 pm Thursday during a showing of the movie “Trainwreck”, 59-year-old John Russel Houser of Phenix City, Ala., the alleged shooter, was sitting alone when he got up from his seat at the Grand Theatre off Johnston Street and opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun according to Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft. Two people sitting in front of him were killed, one at the theater and another later at an area hospital, according to KLFY-TV in Lafayette. Authorities identified the victims as 21-year-old Mayci Breaux and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson. Nine others were transported to three area hospitals for treatment. Since the shooting, two of the wounded have been released. The rest remain hospitalized, including one with critical injuries. Col. Michael Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police said, Houser was "a drifter who just happened to be in this theater and just took two beautiful lives," He said Houser was apparently acting alone. Craft said Houser had parked his car near the theater's exit door … [Read more...]
GuideStone appeals to SCOTUS over abortion mandate
By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS (BP) -- GuideStone Financial Resources has filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court against the government's contraceptive mandate that will require certain ministries served by GuideStone to provide abortion-causing drugs and devices in their employer health plans or risk crippling fines. GuideStone, along with churches and integrated auxiliaries of churches, are exempt from the mandate and not at risk of penalties. For certain religious employers other than churches and their integrated auxiliaries, however, the government has argued that it offers an "accommodation" to religious employers who object to the mandate. Harold R. Loftin Jr., GuideStone general counsel, said the Southern Baptist entity "has, from the filing of our case, objected to the so-called 'accommodation' because the government is attempting to rewrite the terms of GuideStone's plan" to use the plan "to provide access to drugs and devices GuideStone believes to be impermissible. In addition, the government's regulations attempt to require certain of GuideStone's religious employers to take actions that facilitate the delivery of abortion-inducing drugs and devices to our participants and their … [Read more...]
LGBT ordinance again before Fayetteville
By Caleb Yarbrough, Arkansas Baptist News FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (BP) -- Residents in Fayetteville, Ark., will once again vote on an ordinance aimed at protecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community Sept. 8. Passed by the Fayetteville City Council in a 6-2 vote June 16, Ordinance 5781 is a revised version of a similar civil rights law originally passed in August 2014 by the council. The law was repealed by a popular vote in December. According to media reports, the new ordinance would "prohibit business owners and landlords from firing or evicting someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It will also provide protections for use of public accommodations, including restrooms." Ron Lomax, director of missions for Washington Madison Baptist Association in Fayetteville, said churches associated with his association oppose the new ordinance, as they did the old ordinance. "It's not much different than the first one. It's worded a little bit different, but the intent is the same," he said. "We'll be encouraging our people to vote it down again." Lomax added that while the ordinance exempts churches and religious organizations, it does not address Christians who live and work outside … [Read more...]
Gay marriage: mainline denominations affirm SCOTUS
By David Roach, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) -- At least three mainline Protestant denominations have celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's nationwide legalization of gay marriage, and others say they are divided on the issue. With a new Associated Press poll suggesting decreased support for same-sex marriage among Americans generally, a watchdog group that monitors mainline bodies said gay-affirming denominations are more progressive regarding marriage than the culture. "By and large, [mainline denominations] have been more liberal than the culture in compromising their sexual standards before the country itself compromised its laws on marriage," said Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Average church members in mainline denominations, Tooley told Baptist Press, are "close to where the nation is as a whole" on gay marriage, but the "governing bodies" of those denominations are "certainly much more liberal than the country is." The AP poll, conducted in conjunction with the German market research organization GfK, found 42 percent of Americans favor legalized same-sex marriage, down from 48 percent in April. The 1,004 adults polled were almost evenly split on whether local government … [Read more...]
Duck Dynasty ‘first family’ shares a pro-life message of redemption & restoration
By Will Hall, Message Editor NEW ORLEANS -- At the National Right to Life Convention Prayer Breakfast July 11, three members of the “first family” of Louisiana bared the sin, repentance and redemption of their experiences with abortion—in order to proclaim in agreement that all life is precious. Oldest son Alan Robertson, his wife Lisa and his mother “Miss” Kay shared their individual stories of poor choices to have sex before marriage, and the real life consequences of those decisions, but also stressed how God’s grace healed their hurts and reclaimed their lives. It is a part of the Duck Dynasty story that has not made it into one of the episodes of the A&E blockbuster reality show, even though the family has been faithful in sharing this testimony around the country. STRONG FOUNDATION As a young girl in a little bitty town, Miss Kay said the best thing that happened to her was being raised by her grandmother. “She was a Christian lady. She only went to school until she was 13 or 14, I think. And at 15, she married and moved out.” “So she had a limited education, but it didn’t matter,” she said. “She had a heart of gold and she loved God, and she loved the Bible.” Those foundations shaped her grandmother … [Read more...]
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