By Staff, Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA – The Board of Trustees of the Baptist Message met in a special session on Jan. 23 and voted to enter into an agreement with the Louisiana Baptist Convention that will place Kelly Boggs over the LBC’s public affairs work. Boggs status as editor of the Baptist Message will remain unchanged. The addition of the new role will see Boggs function in a dual capacity whereby he will continue the public affairs work that John Yeats initiated when he served as the LBC Director of Communications. Yeats began the public affairs work three years ago when he acted as the LBC’s liaison to the Louisiana Legislature. His presence at the State Capitol gave Louisiana Baptists a much needed voice in the public affairs arena. “Dr. Yeats’ time in Baton Rouge convinced me that we need to have a presence at the legislature, if nothing else to push back against the darkness,” LBC Executive Director David Hankins said. “Liberal activists are present in Baton Rouge and aggressively pushing their agenda.” When Yeats heeded the call to become Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention in November, Hankins contemplated the future of the work Yeats had pioneered. “John [Yeats] did a great job as our public … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   [img_assist|nid=7888|title=John Kyle|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=70|height=100]ALEXANDRIA – John Kyle of Nashville, Tenn., and formerly of Lake Charles, La., was elected LBC Communications Director Jan. 23 by the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.   The board convened to meet John and Kathy Kyle, and to vote on his selection.   “I think John will take our communications to a whole new level,” said LBC Executive Director David Hankins. “He’s always been on the cutting edge of technology.”   Hankins brought Kyle to Louisiana to serve on his staff as associate pastor when Hankins was pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   Kyle led ministry for single adults; he also directed Trinity’s outreach efforts and the church’s media ministry from 1990-99.   Kyle’s media work included directing and producing the weekly worship services as well as writing, directing and producing evangelistic commercials for airing on local stations. He won a prestigious Covenant Award in 1997 for “best spot radio campaign” with “Table for One.”   During the 11 years Kyle served as director of Cooperative Program … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   ALEXANDRIA – Twenty-one Louisiana Southern Baptists recently received awards for five or more years of self-funded missionary service.   Theme for the Jan. 13 appreciation banquet for the self-funded missionaries was “renewing our focus as missionaries.”   The Mission Service Corps (MSC) missionaries who received service awards for consecutive years of service – five or more – include:   Jim and Ivy Wyble   Baptist Builders – 5 years   Barbara and Michael Kopp   Church Strengtheners/   Truck Stop Ministry – 5 years   Jerry and Sherry Haws   Church Renewal – 5 years   Bill and Joyce Temple   Baptist Builders – 7 years   Steve and Susan Hayes   Baptist Builders – 8 years   Ben and Cherry Blackwell   Lagniappe Sports Hospitality Ministry   9 years   Michael & Karen Sammons   Ray of Hope Ministry   9 years   Charles & Gloria Thompson   Church Strengtheners   9 years   Modie Phillips   Helping Hands Ministry – 15 … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   [img_assist|nid=7891|title=Deep in Prayer|desc=Before each session, people in attendance were invited to gather in small groups to pray and seek God during the annual Evangelism Conference, which took place on the campus of Louisiana College.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=424]PINEVILLE – Every session, and nearly every speaker, at the 2012 Louisiana Evangelism Conference resulted in streams of people prostrating themselves at God’s altar.   “I think people are hungry for revival, for a fresh work in their life,” said Wayne Jenkins, director of evangelism and church growth for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, after the Jan. 23-24 event that took place in Guinn Auditorium on the campus of Louisiana College.   “More than 30,000 people and more than 500 churches participated in the 21 days of prayer and fasting that took place before the Evangelism Conference,” Jenkins continued.  “I think that played a big part in the response too. People are tired of the same-old, same-old. They want something more, something deeper than the surface religion they’ve been experiencing.”   About 2,000 people participated in one or more of the annual … [Read more...]

By John Willie, Louisiana College Communications [img_assist|nid=7901|title=New Student Housing|desc=n architectural drawing depicts what a student quadrangal located off College Drive on the Louisiana College campus will look like upon completion. The project, which will be in four phases and will help meet the need to house a growing student population.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=376]PINEVILLE – Louisiana College’s Vision 20-20 exists to carry out the college’s mission to change the world for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit at home and abroad. The school’s goal is to awaken and train students to “Go and Teach” in whatever field they are called in. As part of this, the LC Board of Trustees recently launched the Joseph Willis Institute For Great Awakening Studies. The mission of the Joseph Willis Institute is to educate the present and future generations of spiritual leaders on the historical and biblical principles of the great Christian revivals that have significantly impacted Western civilization, culture, and church growth around the world. The Willis Institute will be housed at Louisiana College giving pastors, students, educators, researchers and other interested persons access to historical documents … [Read more...]

Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7903|title=Making an impact from Houma|desc=Hank Babin playing music from his iPhone for a very impressed crowd during a recent trip to Haiti.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]HOUMA – In the far-away town of Houma, there is a small Baptist church called Mulberry, which recently hosted one of the most sophisticated online fundraisers eBay Giving Works has seen.   In an effort to help fund their third trip to Haiti to build homes for earthquake victims, Mulberry Church members decided to auction off the donated items that were flooding in from their generous community.   Since there were no resources to host a physical auction event, the group figured it ought to go big and take the auction online to eBay.   The members’ collective eBay experience was quite limited, but they recalled the blue and gold eBay Giving Works ribbons on eBay.com and knew there was a good home for their cause there.   The group’s initial goal was to raise $6,000 from their eBay auction, enough to build one duplex on a 34-acre development in the coastal port town of St. Marc in western Haiti.   Led by church member and deacon Hank Babin, pastor … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Press   DALLAS (BP) – The 2012 Compensation Survey of ministers and staff at Southern Baptist churches is underway at www.guidestone.org/CompensationSurvey.   The deadline for completion is May 31.   Each completed survey helps participating churches obtain an accurate baseline of data regarding compensation among similar-sized churches in their state convention.   The survey data can provide customized reports to administrators, personnel/finance committees and minister search teams to help them better determine adequate compensation for ministers and staff.   According to survey organizers, a higher number of survey participants leads to a more accurate baseline of compensation.   This year’s survey has been simplified for the convenience of participants and can be completed in five to eight minutes on average.   Survey participants need to have access to information regarding their salary, benefits, their church’s estimated weekly worship or Bible study attendance, resident membership and annual budget.   All information is kept confidential and no individual answers will be reported.   The compensation survey is … [Read more...]

By David Roach, Baptist Press   [img_assist|nid=7906|title=LifeWay Research on Evolution|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=364]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Pastors overwhelmingly believe that God did not use evolution to create humans and think Adam and Eve were literal people, according to a survey by LifeWay Research.   The survey of 1,000 American Protestant pastors, released Jan. 9, also found that ministers are almost evenly split on whether the earth is thousands of years old.   When asked to respond to the statement, “I believe God used evolution to create people,” 73 percent of pastors disagree, with 64 percent strongly disagreeing and 8 percent somewhat disagreeing. Twelve percent each somewhat agree and strongly agree. Four percent are not sure.   In response to the statement, “I believe Adam and Eve were literal people,” 74 percent strongly agree and 8 percent somewhat agree. Six percent somewhat disagree, 11 percent strongly disagree and 1 percent are not sure.   “Recently discussions have pointed to doubts about a literal Adam and Eve, the age of the earth and other origin issues,” said Ed Stetzer, vice president of research and ministry development for … [Read more...]

By John Loudat, Baptist New Mexican   ALBUQUERQUE (BP) – The Baptist Convention of New Mexico’s Executive Board has followed up on a resolution adopted at the convention’s annual meeting in October authorizing the creation of a committee to “explore the future and possibilities of Glorieta,” LifeWay Christian Resources’ conference center near Santa Fe.   BCNM messengers, at the annual meeting in Farmington, resolved to “strongly urge the Southern Baptist Convention and LifeWay Christian Resources to insure that Glorieta continues its vital ministry to the people known as Southern Baptists now and well into the future or until Jesus returns.”   The resolution was New Mexico Baptists’ response to a decision in September by LifeWay trustees to begin offering only summer events for students and to pursue “viable options for the disposition of the property. ...”   During the BCNM Executive Board meeting in Albuquerque on Jan. 16, members approved a motion to “authorize the creation of an ad hoc committee whose members will be appointed by the chairman of the executive board. The ad hoc committee will explore the future and possibilities of Glorieta and present their findings to the executive … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   DUSON – Reaching out with God’s love to people through compassion ministries is of growing interest to the leaders and members of Duson Baptist Church.   “It’s the ministry Jesus Christ did himself as he walked the streets – he had compassion on the least of these,” said Toby Ryder, Duson pastor for the last two years. “Compassion ministries and evangelism go hand-in-hand. Often people who need compassion ministries also need the gospel of Christ.”   Jeremy Touchet is youth pastor and director of what the church calls “Community Hub.” In a former warehouse next to the church parking lot houses several ministries:   “We have a lady who does purity classes and teaches about abortion and the hazards, and post-abortion healing,” Touchet said.  “It’s Dani Richard; she’s a member of Vatican Baptist Church in Carencro.   “We have Wild Spirit; this is for 11-17 boys who don’t get to spend time with a father or an adult who could help shape and mold lives in a Christian way,” Touchet continued. “This is hunting and fishing from a biblical perspective, and mentoring.” Duson member Daniel Benoit and the pastor, Toby Ryder, provide leadership for this … [Read more...]