By Will Hall & Brian Blackwell
ALEXANDRIA – Messengers received a number of entity and ministry reports during the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 annual meeting, including highlights regarding extensive disaster relief efforts in response to two historic floods, and, a progress report on the 2020 Commission goals pertaining to church planting.
DISASTER RELIEF
In March, more than 3 feet of rain fell in 48 hours in some areas of the state, concentrating in northern parishes, affecting more than 18,000 homes and 14 Louisiana Baptist churches. Importantly, an estimated 85 percent of the state’s trained disaster relief personnel were impacted during this time, according to disaster relief leaders, yet they responded to the many needs of others.
Then in August, the state’s southern parishes unexpectedly received 31 inches over a two-day period in some areas. More than 155,000 homes and 72 Louisiana Baptist churches were damaged.
“Just like in all the other times of disaster, Dr. Gibbie McMillan and our disaster relief volunteers swung into action for the second time in five months,” said John Hebert, missions and ministry director for Louisiana Baptists. “Like super heroes in yellow shirts but without capes our teams moved once again into the area of the disaster and began their work.”
More than 170 teams from 29 state conventions responded, completing 7,266 flood-related clean-up jobs, distributing Shockwave mold remover to 7,518 homeowners, preparing 681,301 meals and distributing 2,431 Bibles. Chaplains and ministry volunteers gave solace to more than 20,000 flood victims. About 1,600 asked to know more about Christ and 207 of these asked Him for forgiveness and committed to live for Him.
“The names and address of those people are being turned over to local churches for follow-up,” Hebert said. “In the wake of disaster, Baptists help people find hope for now and for eternity.”
CHURCH PLANTING
James Jenkins, director of church planting for Louisiana Baptists, updated messengers on the President’s 2020 Commission Report pertaining to “plant 300 new churches by 2020.”
“On Oct. 15 of this year we met at the Louisiana Baptist Building, and what a great day. We celebrated the 150th church plant since we started our goal. Today, we come before you to give a statistical report on the first 150 church plants.”
James Jenkins, director of church planting for Louisiana Baptists, shares about the milestones of church plants in the state.
He and his team presented descriptive data showing the diversity of Louisiana Baptists church plants, which are:
— located in 75 different towns and cities, with 79 percent located in south Louisiana (where most of the state’s population lives);
— part of 21 different associations;
— 58 Anglo, 49 African-American, 25 Hispanic, 8 Asian and 10 multi-ethnic congregations, reaching 13 different people groups; and,
— 17 multi-site congregations, and, 20 replants of declined or closed churches.
Importantly, Louisiana Baptist church plants enjoyed a 92 percent success rate, in terms of remaining healthy and viable congregations, according to Lane Corley, church planting strategist.
Meanwhile, Carlos Schmidt, Hispanic church planting strategist, shared “the waters had stirred,” explaining that Louisiana Baptist church plants had performed a combined 2,535 baptisms.
OVERSEAS MISSIONS
Wayne Sheppard, executive assistant to the LBC executive director, gave a report on the “Cast the Net” partnership missions effort.
Attention was drawn to six out of country endeavors, including: Haiti, Belarus, Brazil, Indonesia, Cajun Connection (Canada) and Portugal. But special emphasis was given to Louisiana Baptists’ work Haiti.
Wayne Sheppard, executive assistant to the LBC executive director, stands individuals who play key roles in some of the missions partnerships that Louisiana Baptists play a role with around the world.
The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries and multiple LBC congregations are working through the state convention and with the Haiti Baptist Convention to establish a ministry center near the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
Already, Louisiana Baptists have purchased 3.1 acres of land, and in September, contractors dug a well (205 feet deep). This water source will supply the ministry center and the surrounding community with clean water. The next step in the project is the construction of a security wall around the compound, which eventually will house a training center for pastors and church planters to expand the Gospel throughout the country, then an orphan village and school.
CHILDREN’S HOME
Perry Hancock, president of the Children’s Home and Family Ministries, alerted messengers to “two very urgent needs” at the Children’s Home, saying two cottage (children) couples were required very soon and a single lady for the Home Place Cottage (for women and young girls).
“This past year, you provided the support needed to provide ministry for over 4,400 children and others who were in need,” Hancock said. “Of those 4,400 people, as far as we know, over 180 of them accepted Jesus as their Savior. They will never be the same again.”
Of the more than 4,400 people the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home helped this year, 180 accepted Christ, Children’s Home President Perry Hancock shared with messengers.
Hancock noted that more than 200 children were cared for by residential campus ministries and Connect 1:27 foster care ministries, combined, and reminded messengers each week these children were in Louisiana Baptist churches and Louisiana Baptists homes “learning about the love of God for their lives.”
He noted that among the 4,400 persons who received help through CHFM there were: scores of homeless women and their children; 1,200 pregnant women (many who were convinced to keep their unborn children); 1,500 persons, including 90 Louisiana Baptist pastors, staff and their family members, who received professional Christian Counseling through the Granberry Counseling Centers,.
Hancock added that more than 1,100 children around the world received care through Orphan’s Embrace, CHFM’s international ministry, and during one recent mission trip, 125 children and others gave their hearts to Christ.
LOUISIANA COLLEGE
Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College, confidently declared LC is “preparing graduates and transforming lives” and told messengers “you’re there with us in all we do as you support us through the Cooperative Program, as you support us with your prayers, as you support us by sending students our way, by providing us with a great board of trustees, you are there with us.”
Brewer shared how seven students came forward and accepted Christ during a chapel message by evangelist Bill Britt, to emphasize how lives are regularly transformed on the campus.
Louisiana College President Rick Brewer told messengers several ways the institution was thankful in 2016.
He also updated the progress in enrollment, a 14.5 percent increase over last year in first-time freshmen and transfers students, with 1,126 students on campus in 2016 with a goal of 1,500 enrolled by 2020.
Telling messengers you grow by being mission-minded and vision-focused, he shared about academic programs to be added, including computer science (B.S.) and nursing (R.N. to B.S.N.) – the only online program of this type in the state , and announced a master’s in nursing that will be offered completely online. A master’s degree in social work will be added, soon, too.
Brewer said God has given Louisiana College favor in a number of ways, including $17 million in insurance to replace 18 roofs on campus structures and $5 million in unrestricted gifts, but added more needs still exist.
“I can’t think of anything holding this college back from being the best Christian Baptist college in America. The only thing I think holding us back is the condition of our facilities, which we’re watching some things happen, but we have more to go and a ways to go.”
OTHER REPORTS
– Mark Robinson, director of Baptist Collegiate Ministries for the state, told messengers they can be proud of the upcoming generations of students in their collegiate ministries, citing their work across the state in vacation Bible schools as part of GOLA, which connects college students with churches. He also noted the mobilization of 1,000 college students on short notice to perform disaster relief work over the Labor Day weekend, helping at least 500 families whose homes had been damaged by the historic August flood. In his written report, Robinson highlighted that 89,000 students were reached through Louisiana Baptists’ support of 15 Baptist Collegiate Ministries on the campuses of state schools. “It is the [numerical] equivalent of the 5th largest city in Louisiana, behind metro New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lafayette.”
— Will Hall, director of the Office of Public Policy shared about Louisiana Baptists’ successes during the last legislative session, in particular the passing of “eight key pro-life laws.” Briefly describing the work of Rep. Mike Johnson, First Bossier (Act 264 prohibits the ghastly abortion practice of dismembering an unborn child), Rep. Frank Hoffman, First West Monroe (Act 97 increases reflection time from 24 -72 hours for women considering abortions; Act 304 denies funds to a clinic for any procedure if it also performs abortions, effectively defunding Planned Parenthood); Sen. Ryan Gatti, First Bossier (Act 196 outlaws the sale or donation of limbs or organs harvested from the unborn), Hall reserved special praise for Rep. Rick Edmonds, retired pastor of Calvary Baptist, Shreveport, who authored Act 563, “Jacob’s Law” named after Hall’s son with Down syndrome. This law prevents the abortion of an unborn child simply because he or she is diagnosed in the womb with a condition such as Down syndrome.
— Hall, who also serves as editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message, shared several vignettes of “the stories of Louisiana Baptists” as a means of “telling the story” of the work of the state newspaper. Offering snapshots of articles about Louisiana Baptists’ disaster relief work, overseas missions efforts in Brazil, Belarus and Haiti, Christ-centered education at Louisiana College, construction of the Georgia Barnette Conference Center for training future generations, and statewide Harvest evangelistic campaign for 2017-2018, Hall closed his presentation, telling messengers, “If you want to be a fully participating member in this community of faith we call ‘Louisiana Baptists,’ you need to be reading the Louisiana Baptist Message.
— Janie Wise, women’s mission and ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists, said, “The needs of women, teens and children motivate women’s missions and ministry in seeking to pull all women, all generations, all cultures into God’s work.” Pointing to Children in Action and Girls In Action events that develop disciples by actually implementing missions and ministry in the community, she said meeting the physical needs of others “opens the door for sharing the Gospel,” inviting those who need the love and salvation of Christ “to be part of God’s great harvest.”
— Louisiana Baptist Foundation Executive Director Wayne Taylor reviewed “the two main things” this entity of the Convention has performed since being formed in 1944. “We’re to encourage you as individuals to be good stewards of everything God has placed in your hands,” he said. “We’re to assist you and encourage you to be good stewards and to make gifts. The other thing is we are to help the institutions who receive those gifts to be good stewards of all the funds that have been given to them.”
He stated that as a result of its 72 years of ministry in these two areas, “We now manage about $164 million of God’s money.” But he emphasized that LBF manages money to make a difference. Over 72 years, about $123 million has been distributed for ministry, he said. “That’s what it’s about. It’s about taking the money and putting it in hands of people who are going to impact our world and our state for Christ.”
