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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Archives for 2021

Tornado is latest weather-related disaster to hit Lake Charles, SW Louisiana

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Members of University Baptist Church are grateful for God’s protection after a tornado passed by the building where they were holding a Bible study Wednesday, Oct. 27. Pastor John Astling told the Baptist Message that 15 members of University Baptist were meeting when the storm passed by the church Wednesday afternoon. While the damage at the church was limited to only a few downed tree limbs on its lawn, the Walgreen’s drug store located across the street from the church lost a portion of its roof and homes nearby sustained significant damage. Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service in Lake Charles indicated an EF-2 tornado (130 mph winds) touched down around 12:20 p.m., Wednesday. Around a dozen homes received significant damage and at least two people were injured. The tornado is the latest weather-related disaster to impact southwest Louisiana in a 14-month period. Hurricane Laura made landfall Aug. 27, 2020, as a Category 4 hurricane (150 mph winds) in Cameron. Then, on Oct. 9, 2020, Delta crashed ashore as a Category 2 storm (100 mph winds) in Creole, nearly 13 miles east of Cameron. In mid-February, an ice storm left residents without … [Read more...]

ICYMI: Highlights of Louisiana’s four proposed amendments

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM)—Louisiana voters are facing four constitutional amendments and there is confusion about how to vote on the four ballot measures on Nov. 13 (early voting will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 6). Below is a synopsis about each from various sources -- with an emphasis on information that has not been broadly highlighted. Amendment 1 Amendment 1 proposes to consolidate the collection of state, local and remote sales taxes in the state. It would change who is authorized to collect the taxes but not the taxes themselves. Currently, each parish designates a governmental entity to serve as the sole sales tax collector for it. The amendment would eliminate local collection and assign this power to an unelected state tax commission. Consequently, the process would be streamlined; but local governments would lose some of their independence. Additionally, the statutory rules and powers that would guide the tax commission have not been drafted yet. So, taxpayers would not know the specific extent and limits of the authority of the proposed tax commission until next year when lawmakers would subsequently draft legislation to outline those rules and powers. Amendment … [Read more...]

Kennedy advocates for military’s vaccine freedom, protecting their benefits

By Office of Sen. John Kennedy WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)  has written to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III regarding the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate and the Navy’s recent order that U.S. military service members could lose their veterans’ benefits for failing to comply with the mandate. “Without an approved medical exemption or religious accommodation, service members who decline to fully vaccinate against COVID-19 within the timelines prescribed by Secretaries of Military Departments will be found to have disobeyed a lawful general order. . . . As a result, service members found in violation may face punitive or administrative action, including the initiation of discharge proceedings,” wrote Kennedy in his letter Oct. 26. “These heroes are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend American liberties, but they are now losing their own freedom and possibly their livelihoods at the hands of this administration,” he continued. Kennedy also raised concerns that the vaccine mandate will compromise military readiness and America’s national security at a time when America’s adversaries are looking for weakness in U.S. resolve and readiness. The senator asked Austin whether service … [Read more...]

Thousands of youth to gather in Rapides Coliseum for ‘Celebration’

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The Rapides Parish Coliseum, which did not host Youth Evangelism Celebration last year because of COVID-19 concerns, is gearing up once again to host several thousand students at the largest annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists, Nov. 21-22. “We are fired up to have the big event again,” Louisiana Baptist youth strategist Brandon Lewis told the Baptist Message. “All of us are looking forward to hosting everyone once again in the coliseum and are anticipating what the Lord has in store.” 2020 Last year’s event moved to a regional format, a change from the usual event that draws up to 6,000 students each year. By the end of the three events, more than 1,100 students, collectively, heard the same Gospel message that was proclaimed during the previous 33 YEC events. The three gatherings combined resulted in 69 students making some type of faith decision: 16 statements of belief, 44 acts of repentance to restore fellowship with Christ and nine commitments to vocational ministry. 2021 Throughout this year’s two-day event, Louisiana Baptist teens will be challenged to celebrate what Christ has done in their lives and to share their stories of how … [Read more...]

Edwards ends state’s mask mandate

By Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – With more Louisianans receiving COVID-19 vaccinations combined with continuing reductions in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday, Oct. 26, the end to the state’s mask mandate. While the mask mandate will remain in place for k-12 schools, individual districts may opt out if they adhere to quarantine guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Masks also will be mandated by federal regulation on mass transit and in health care facilities. Local governments and private businesses may choose to continue to require and enforce mask requirements under the Edwards’ order, which goes into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 27. “I stand here today optimistic, relieved, that the worst of the fourth surge is very clearly behind us now,” Edwards said during his news conference. “And I think this is the result of the work that the people of our state have done. They have stepped up to the plate when we needed them to and when we asked them to, at least most of them, put their masks back on, exercised caution. Vaccinated numbers continued to improve, although we can all agree that they are not what they should be even today. … [Read more...]