By Gary Meyers, NOBTS Communications   [img_assist|nid=7959|title=Dr. Bill Day|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=427]NEW ORLEANS – What pastor hasn’t asked these questions: “Who lives near my church, and how can I reach these neighbors with the Gospel?”   The Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, located at and sponsored by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), offers detailed, individualized demographic studies to help churches answer these questions. The studies offer church leaders detailed information about their community and help with the development of community-specific evangelism plans.   NOBTS launched the Center for Evangelism and Church Growth in 1992 with the goal of helping churches implement strategies that result in measurable church growth. In 1995, seminary trustees renamed the Center in honor of the seminary’s seventh president, Dr. Landrum P. Leavell II, an evangelism and church growth specialist. Later, the name changed again to place more emphasis on church health. Preston Nix, professor of evangelism and evangelistic preaching, serves as the Center’s director. Bill Day, professor of evangelism and church health, is the associate … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7961|title=Impact Your World|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=220]BATON ROUGE – Pastors, missions directors and other church leaders from across Louisiana will be gathering at Istrouma Baptist Church for the first annual “Impact Your World” missions conference to take place Thursday and Friday, March 22–23.   Sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Convention in partnership with the International Mission Board and five Louisiana Baptist associations, the conference’s theme is “From South Louisiana to the ends of the earth.”   “Jesus instructed His church to ‘go and make disciples of all the nations,’” said Jeff Ginn, conference host and senior pastor of Istrouma Baptist. “That command ought to drive all that we do as a church. This conference will fuel that drive with both theological and practical insights on how to engage the nations with the gospel.”   Eric King, Director of Missional Church Strategists Team, International Mission Board, said they are hoping attendance will top 200. “This conference will raise the awareness of the mission call of local churches and individuals,” King said. “It will expose the need to … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7963|title=Annie Armstrong Week of Prayer|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=458] … [Read more...]

By Dwayne Hastings, ERLC Communications   There have been more than 52 million abortions performed in the U.S. since the ignominious Roe v. Wade court decision in 1973. And for every abortion there is a woman who to some degree – knowingly or unknowingly – is complicit in the taking of her baby’s life.   While those around her may have tried to convince her that it was in the baby’s “best interest” not to live and that it was good for her well-being that she abort her unborn child, the reality is that no one walks out of an abortion clinic totally whole.   Abortion doesn’t just impact the unborn child. The emotional – and sometimes physical – damage to its mother is severe and long lasting, even if the mother herself denies it. The ring of damage extends to the baby’s extended family, including his father and grandparents, particularly if they advocated for the abortion.   The statistics about abortion are staggering. Nearly half of the 6 million pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned and about 1.3 million end in abortion. At this pace, nearly a third of U.S. women will have had an abortion by the time they turn 45.   Those who push a so-called pro-choice perspective disavow … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7966|title=Yousef Nadarkhani|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=438]By Michael Foust, Baptist Press   WASHINGTON (BP) –The White House Feb. 23 increased the international pressure on Iran to release a Christian pastor sentenced to death, as several reports seemed to confirm his execution order had been issued.   The pastor, Yousef (also spelled Youcef) Nadarkhani, was sentenced to death in 2010 for converting from Islam to Christian in a case that began in 2009.   The statement from the Obama administration is its strongest yet from the White House in Nadarkhani’s case.   “The United States stands in solidarity with Pastor Nadarkhani, his family, and all those who seek to practice their religion without fear of persecution – a fundamental and universal human right,” the statement read. “The trial and sentencing process for Pastor Nadarkhani demonstrates the Iranian government’s total disregard for religious freedom, and further demonstrates Iran’s continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens. The United States calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately lift the sentence, release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer   [img_assist|nid=7968|title=Repairing homes|desc=In addition to repairing houses (and roofs), First Lake Providence has been blessed by God through the repairing of hearts because of its drive to save its town.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]LAKE PROVIDENCE – A battle is being waged for the soul of a town filled with broken hopes and terrible poverty.   Pastor Mitch Minson, his congregation, and those helping them out have dedicated their lives to rescuing the town of Lake Providence, once referred to by TIME magazine as “the poorest place in America.”   “Seeing what we see day after day, our hearts simply cannot take the struggles we see these people go through,” Minson said.  “We cannot just sit back and watch while this town and its people are mired in such terrible conditions.”   Some of the statistics surrounding Lake Providence are staggering.   A small rural town with a population of 3,991, 84 percent being African-American and 15 percent being Caucasian, Lake Providence has had the highest unemployment rate in Louisiana for more than 20 years and has experienced a significant 17.64 percent decline in its population … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willougby, Managing Editor   [img_assist|nid=7970|title=Listening to the good news|desc=A group of South Korean students listen intently as Man Chai Chang, governor of education in southwest South Korea, explains the benefit of a good education. “To be leader you have to have a good and right mind,” Chang told them in Korean. He later translated his own words for the Baptist Message.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=427]PINEVILLE – Soccer stars David Kam and Youngsup “Ron” Soh until recently were the only South Korean students at Louisiana College.   But in early February they were joined by 18 high school students and three teachers from South Korea, on campus for three weeks to practice their English and experience an American college.   On Feb. 13, they were joined by Man Chai Chang, governor of education in southwest South Korea.   “It was in God’s plan for these students to be here at the same time as the South Korean education governor,” said Justin McCain, LC’s director of international students. “It brought about a great opportunity for these [Korean] students to meet and talk with Dr. Chang. They had never met him before.”   It also showed the … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Press   [img_assist|nid=7972|title=Lake St. John Community Church|desc=Lakeshore Baptist Church and Lake St. John Community Church, reconciling after a 35-year split, are symbolically burying a hatchet in concrete during the 10:45 a.m. worship service March 4. Both congregations will meet as one in Lake St. John’s building, seen above.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]DELTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION – Less than one mile but a lot of bad blood separated the members of Lakeshore Baptist Church, started in 1957,  and Lake St. John Community Church, started in 1982.   Yet the cause for two churches dividing 35 years ago has been lost to  history, and the two congregations are again becoming one.   A special ceremony during the 10:45 a.m. service March 4 at Lake St. John will include the burying in concrete of an actual hatchet, bought specially for the occasion.   “Reconciliation is always better than division,” says Mark Richardson, pastor for the last 11 years of the Lakeshore church. “Love and joy and peace and longsuffering is always better than wrath and bitterness.   “I just don’t believe it’s God’s will for God’s people to be divided,” the pastor … [Read more...]

By Tim Yarbrough, Baptist Press   SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP) – David E.  Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, was named chair of a special committee to evaluate relations with the North America Mission Board.   The committee was appointed by state convention executive directors during the mid-February annual meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., of the Fellowship of State Executive Directors. State executive directors meet each year for fellowship and to discuss issues related to Baptist state convention work.   The name of the state executives’ special committee is “A Study Committee on Implementation of NAMB Initiatives with State Conventions.”   Emil Turner, executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and president of the fellowship for 2011-12, said the committee was established “to evaluate how state conventions and NAMB can maximize cooperation during the transition process of implementing the new NAMB initiatives.”   Announced in 2011, NAMB’s Send North America strategy focuses heavily on church planting and shifting funds to the field for church planting.   Members of the committee are David Hankins, chairman, executive … [Read more...]