By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer WINNFIELD – In the town of Winnfield and its surrounding areas, people have three essential passions: hunting, fishing, and God. This September, those people will have a chance to enjoy all those loves in one place. The Baptist Missions and Ministry Center in Jonesboro will sponsor and host its second annual Hunters and Anglers Rally at 6;30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Winnfield Civic Center. “After the tremendous success of the first rally, we had to make this an annual event,” said Missions and Ministry Center DOM Clovis Sturdivant. “We’re hoping that the second can top the first in so many ways.” Sturdivant himself has a love for hunting and fishing that was instilled in him during his childhood by his grandparents. He recalled how the idea for the Hunters and Anglers Rally came to fruition in the first place. “One of our pastors had been doing something like this for the members of his church for a couple of years as a way of creating fellowship, but on a small scale,” the DOM said. “He and I talked, and he met with Bobby Brasher over in Texas, where they were doing this sort of thing on a much larger scale. He came back and told me about some of the things they were doing, and we said, … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=7605|title=FBC Crowley women|desc=Women from First Baptist Church of Crowley met recently and made small tote bags for the wives of pastors in Yucatan, Mexico. A Christian book is to be placed in each bag.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=420] … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES   Landon (wife Jessica) Roney: new as worship leader at New River St. Amant, from Alvarado, Texas. Pastor: Wayne Talley.   Peter Allen: ordained Sept. 4 to the gospel ministry. He is student pastor at First Haughton; pastor: Gevan Spinney.   Jodie Williams: retiring Dec. 31 after 33 years as minister of music at Temple Ruston. Pastor: Rick Byargeon.   Derek (wife Robin) Cox: new as pastor at Springs of Grace Shreveport, from First Guymon, Okla.   Cameron Theodos: new as music pastor at Common Ground Shreveport, from laity.   Wayne DuBose: new as interim pastor at Red River Benton.   Richard Beeman: new as interim music minister at Red River Benton.   Rex Blankenship: from Springs of Grace pastor to Tulsa, Okla.   Bill Green: resigns as pastor from Oak Hill Plain Dealing.   Gary Palmer: retires as pastor from Bethany Baptist.   Charles Ainsworth: new as pastor of Canaan Spearsville.       Needed/Giving   Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association churches without pastors: Bethany, Emmanuel Shreveport, Emmanuel Vivian, … [Read more...]

By Staff, LBC Communications   STATEWIDE – Remember growing something from seeds as a science experiment in school?   In most of those science experiments, as in most of our own planting of flowers or fruits, we see a picture of what will be produced by the seeds we plant.   The Bible promises us that the seeds we sow in faith for the kingdom of God will also produce a crop. We don’t always know what that crop will look like, nor do the faithful men and women who are planting churches and doing compassion ministries throughout Louisiana.   They have a burden for the lost and, following God’s call, step out in faith to sow seeds regardless of the tears and pain involved, trusting that God will reap His crop “with shouts of joy.”   The Georgia Barnette Offering for State Missions is one way to sow these seeds of faith. Here are some examples of the way those seeds are sprouting:   n A new church plant, Living Waters Baptist Fellowship in Bossier City, catering to African-American families, is meeting in the Southern Hills Baptist Church facilities.   n Don and Melba Moss operate the Community Outreach Center in Dequincy “to demonstrate God’s love in … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Regional Reporter   METAIRIE – Pervasive idolatry is threatening religious liberty, traditional marriage and the sanctity of human life in America, religious leaders proclaimed at a recent Consequences of Truth Tour stop at Celebration Church.   Tour leaders stated a biblical worldview of God as creator and Lord of all, encouraging pastors, legislators and community heads to sign on line the 2009 Manhattan Declaration, a document tour leaders drafted promoting their cause.   “The only place moral renewal is going to come from in our society is us,” said Chuck Colson, founder of the Colson Center for Biblical Worldview, a tour sponsor.   The Manhattan Declaration, supported by evangelical, orthodox and Catholic Christians, affirms the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and religious freedom and human dignity grounded in the character of Jesus.   Colson, Princeton University Professor Robert George and Beeson Divinity School Dean Timothy George, Manhattan declaration co-authors, said they were inspired by the Barman Declaration of 1930s Germany, a document written by members of the Lutheran, … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Regional Reporter   Select convention churches in hard-hit St. Bernard and Plaquemine Parishes still haven’t reached pre-Katrina levels in numbers nor budgets six years after the storm, but are faithful in ministry and stewardship.   First Baptist Church of Venice in Plaquemines Parish will move into a new building within weeks, while the St. Bernard congregations of First Baptist Church of Chalmette and Poydras Baptist Church continue to thrive, adding ministries and baptising believers.       First Baptist Chalmette       First Baptist Church of Chalmette had 97 percent of its 1,600 resident members displaced following Hurricane Katrina, but Pastor John Jeffries has led an evangelistic thrust that garnered 93 Baptisms last year alone.   Six years after the storm, the church has about 200 members and operates at 55 percent of its budget, Jeffries said. While the church meets payroll, no money is allotted for such line items as youth programs and the choir, and Jeffries is the only paid minister.   “If we pay every bill, plus every one’s salary, that’s 100 percent [of budget]. People say ‘Well, how are you making … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Regional Reporter   METAIRIE – Pervasive idolatry is threatening religious liberty, traditional marriage and the sanctity of human life in America, religious leaders proclaimed at a recent Consequences of Truth Tour stop at Celebration Church.   Tour leaders stated a biblical worldview of God as creator and Lord of all, encouraging pastors, legislators and community heads to sign on line the 2009 Manhattan Declaration, a document tour leaders drafted promoting their cause.   “The only place moral renewal is going to come from in our society is us,” said Chuck Colson, founder of the Colson Center for Biblical Worldview, a tour sponsor.   The Manhattan Declaration, supported by evangelical, orthodox and Catholic Christians, affirms the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and religious freedom and human dignity grounded in the character of Jesus.   Colson, Princeton University Professor Robert George and Beeson Divinity School Dean Timothy George, Manhattan declaration co-authors, said they were inspired by the Barman Declaration of 1930s Germany, a document written by members of the Lutheran, … [Read more...]

By Mark Kelly, Baptist Press   [img_assist|nid=7612|title=Countries where Social Hostilities rose|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=61|height=100]WASHINGTON (BP) – Social hostilities relating to religion or government restrictions on religion rose substantially for more than 2.2 billion people – nearly a third of the world’s total population – between 2006 and 2009, according to a new study released by Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life.   While social hostilities rose most noticeably in Europe, the study – titled “Rising Restrictions on Religion” – also found that social hostilities involving religion have been rising significantly in China, Thailand and Vietnam, according to a summary of the research released Aug. 9.   Much of the tension in Europe centered around the region’s rapidly growing Muslim population but in some cases also reflected rising anti-Semitism and antagonism toward minorities such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the report noted.   “In France, members of Parliament began discussing whether women should be allowed to wear the burqa, and President Nicolas Sarkozy said the head-to-toe covering was ‘not welcome’ in French society,” the report stated. “The … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   COVINGTON – “I feel clean! I’m clean of all my sins!” proclaimed a joyous Simon Rucker as he waded up out of the Bogue Falaya River on Sunday afternoon, September 11.[img_assist|nid=7619|title=Amazing sight|desc=Fifty-seven people participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged smiling from the river.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=320]   Rucker, 8, was one of 57 older children, teens and adults who participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Like all the others he had previously prayed to accept Jesus into his heart and was publicly declaring his faith by being baptized.   A small choir set the mood by singing, “Come Just As You Are,” and “Let’s Go Down to the River to Pray,” as the group assembled under shady cypress, tupelo and gum trees.   Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged dripping and … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   COVINGTON – “I feel clean! I’m clean of all my sins!” proclaimed a joyous Simon Rucker as he waded up out of the Bogue Falaya River on Sunday afternoon, September 11.[img_assist|nid=7619|title=Amazing sight|desc=Fifty-seven people participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged smiling from the river.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=320]   Rucker, 8, was one of 57 older children, teens and adults who participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Like all the others he had previously prayed to accept Jesus into his heart and was publicly declaring his faith by being baptized.   A small choir set the mood by singing, “Come Just As You Are,” and “Let’s Go Down to the River to Pray,” as the group assembled under shady cypress, tupelo and gum trees.   Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged dripping and … [Read more...]