By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer CAMERON – First Baptist Church in Cameron is like the town – badly damaged by past hurricanes but always coming back to survive. Hurricane Audrey nearly destroyed the town in 1957 and almost 50 years later, Hurricane Rita tried to do the same to the community that sits alongside the Gulf of Mexico. Among the last to leave during Rita were Paul and Cyndi Sellers. Paul was on duty as a sheriff’s deputy and Cyndi was capturing the final moments of reporting for a newspaper. The Sellers managed to escape and rode out the storm from their son’s home in Denham Springs. They returned to find their home, community and church nearly gone. Instead of choosing to count their losses and close, the Sellers believed God wanted to continue the work of First Baptist Church in the community. “Paul and I always thought from the beginning that God wanted a church in Cameron,” said Cyndi Sellers, who also serves as the church treasurer. “Some people said to tear down the building and merge with another church in the parish. We said we are the parish seat and we need a church here. God continued to remind us that we were making the right decision by the way people kept showing up to help us … [Read more...]
Newly formed Carey Baptist Association chainsaw unit under went baptism by storm
By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor WESTLAKE – For the newly constituted chainsaw unit, it was baptism by storm. In September of 2005, the unit, which was only the third of its kind in Louisiana and hailed from the Carey Baptist Association, had been together for little over two months when Hurricane Katrina tore into southeast Louisiana. Louisiana Disaster Relief Director Loy Seal sent them to hard-hit Covington and Roberts, La., where they spent several weeks clearing a number of downed trees. They had just returned home when Hurricane Rita took aim at southwest Louisiana. “As I recall, we had only been home for several days when we were forced to evacuate because of Rita,” said Butch Guidry of Sulphur and a blue hat for Carey. “We went first to East Leesville [Baptist Church] but right before the storm hit decided to take our trailer and go to Auburn, Ala.” With his family safely out of harm’s way, Guidry then watched and waited. Twelve hours after Rita made landfall, he, two of his son-in-laws and a friend returned home to begin the arduous task of assessing the damage and cleaning up. “The devastation was bad,” Guidry recalled. “There were a lot of trees down on homes. The streets and roads were impassable. … [Read more...]
Ten years after Rita, Johnson Bayou Baptist Church close to rebuilding on original site
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer JOHNSON BAYOU – Father’s Day has arrived and the congregation of Johnson Bayou Baptist Church has gathered for a special homecoming service. Around 50 people, mostly current members of the church less than a mile from the Gulf Coast, are gathered at the original site of the church off Highway 82 in Cameron Parish to remember the past and celebrate the future. The past is filled with memories of a church building severely damaged by Hurricane Rita and then completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike three years later. The future is one of hope and plans to rebuild on the exact location where the two storms wreaked havoc on the church. “I don’t understand why the Lord did all of that for that building and a few years later another storm came in a washed it away,” said former pastor Les Fogleman, who preached the homecoming message on June 21. “But I know one thing. He has an army. His army can come together and do mighty things. That says they are not going to stop. They will keep on fighting. They have a community to reach. There’s no doubt they need to have a facility there.” Fogleman was pastor of the congregation when the storm made landfall between Johnson Bayou and Sabine … [Read more...]
David Hankins: Remembering Katrina
ALEXANDRIA – It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since hurricane Katrina left her mark across southeast Louisiana. Who can forget how we felt when we saw the broken levees, the flooded homes and churches, the devastation at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the Superdome refugees and the broken lives. Just a month later, approximately 200 miles to the west, Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana were coming to grips with the devastation left in the wake of hurricane Rita. As Louisiana Baptists from New Orleans returned home to the devastation, Southern Baptists were there with hot meals, prayer, counsel and their own sweat to start the processes of rebuilding. While we helped those in need, opportunity after opportunity occurred and Southern Baptists shared the transforming gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dennis Watson, pastor of Celebration Church in New Orleans, saw first-hand the combined strength of Southern Baptists. "Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the Celebration Church Relief Center served over 117,000 families. This was for a period of 9 months and with the help of over 20,000 volunteers,” (most were Southern Baptists). Through all of the disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding, thousands of … [Read more...]
Katrina, a decade later
By Will Hall, Message Editor NEW ORLEANS – A decade ago, it was difficult to see anything more than the devastation that accompanied Katrina as she swept across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. But looking back now, it’s possible to see the triumph that emerged from the tragedy. After passing over the Florida panhandle as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, then weakening to a tropical storm, Katrina grew in ferocity fueled by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, growing in intensity to a 200-mile wide Category 5 tempest. But before it made a predicted direct hit on New Orleans, dry air from the Midwest absorbed some of its energy, dropping it to a strong Category 3 system and causing it to shift direction, making landfall about 25 miles east of the city according to the Houston Chronicle. Moreover, the winds over New Orleans (where the weakest part of the storm passed) reached only Category 1 levels and the storm surge failed to top the levees as predicted. But, where a natural disaster of the predicted magnitude failed to materialize in New Orleans a manmade one burst forth. Levees along the Mississippi River held, but some holding back Lake Ponchartrain, Lake Borgne and the waterlogged swamps and … [Read more...]
Luter on Katrina: The church scattered became the church gathered
By Fred Luter, pastor Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans NEW ORLEANS – Ten years ago our lives were drastically changed by Hurricane Katrina. Not only did it impact our city physically, but it impacted us spiritually and emotionally. It was a time we will never forget. It was a test of our faith. It was a test of our belief. It also was a test of our willingness to come back and rebuild. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t determined to come back and rebuild. It took us 2 ½ years to get here back in the church. In the meantime we worshiped at several campuses – First Baptist Church in New Orleans, Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge and First Baptist Church in Houston. Before Katrina we were the church gathered. After Katrina we were the church scattered. Now we are back. However, there are still a whole lot of folks who are still displaced and would love to come back home, but have not had the opportunity. I have great hope that things will continue to grow and our city will continue to be impacted and grow. We will never be the city we had before. But I think God has great plans for us in the city of New Orleans. Always committed to returning Once we … [Read more...]
FIRST-PERSON: New Orleans’ Katrina story still being written
By Joe McKeever NEW ORLEANS – From the divine perspective, 10 years is a blip, one nanosecond in a timeless eternity. For us earthlings, it’s one-eighth of a life expectancy. Even so, it’s a convenient time to pull over and take inventory. Since Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina changed New Orleans forever, everyone wants to know: “What is God doing in this city? How are things now?” For one day, New Orleanians thought they had “dodged a bullet” as the hurricane’s primary damage lay to the east, along the Mississippi coastline where entire communities were destroyed. Then, the levees protecting this sunken city broke under the strain in several places. Soon this great city was literally drowning. One million residents were evacuated voluntarily or otherwise from the hurricane’s onslaught. Over 1,800 who refused to leave were drowned in their homes. Entire neighborhoods ceased to exist. Several church buildings would never be found. And now? Almost anything you say about New Orleans at this moment would be correct to some extent. The city is better off in places. The old housing projects, breeding grounds for crime and human misery, have been razed and multi-income-level housing erected in their … [Read more...]
Katrina: Personal reflections from Pastor Dennis Watson
By Dennis Watson, Senior Pastor, Celebration Church NEW ORLEANS – On the weekend before Hurricane Katrina we had 2,051 people in worship. God was blessing our ministry and we were growing significantly. Then Hurricane Katrina came. Both of our campuses were inundated by the waters of Hurricane Katrina. Our largest campus on Airline Drive was hit with a seven foot wave of water. It was under water for two and a half weeks. We lost everything at that campus. Our smaller campus on Transcontinental Drive that we had just procured was also flooded. Fortunately it was flooded by the rainwater of Katrina— the fresh water not the salt in the sewage canal that flooded our Airline campus. We were able to get in quickly and gut out the facility with the aid of volunteers from around the nation and resume services one month after Katrina. The day that Katrina hit, I was in Lafayette. I had said I would never evacuate for a hurricane, but my daughter and my son-in-law came to me with my two little grandsons and said ‘we’re not leaving if you don’t leave.’ I couldn’t imagine those two little boys having to swim out. One was just a tiny baby, and I couldn’t risk them. So we all evacuated. I saw the satellite images of the … [Read more...]
Focus on Louisiana College: LC President Rick Brewer’s letter to LC Family
Dear Louisiana College family: My first day as president has arrived, and I can think of only a few events in my life that reflect the impact this next adventure God has before me. Coming to saving faith in Jesus, meeting and marrying Cathy, having children and grandchildren all were momentous and meaningful occasions. Becoming the 9th president of Louisiana College, however, is the beginning of another chapter in this life that has prepared me for the challenges and victories the future has for every stakeholder of Louisiana College. The role of president opens a new destination for me, but behind me are the familiar paths of a collegiate community and academic accomplishment, all of which are God’s blessings. I am humbled. I am blessed. In light of recent history, perhaps some may wonder why I accepted the helm of the college. In responding to the unanimous vote of our trustees I also yielded to God’s call upon my life. This gives me peace about the past and assurance for the future. Another confidence builder in what lies ahead is Louisiana College’s remarkable student body. I have met scores of our students personally. And in their bright eyes and engaging smiles I sense the weight of responsibility every one of us has for … [Read more...]
Louisiana Notables
ON THE MOVE Coby (wife Carlee) Norman new as associate pastor at The Gathering Place, Alexandria. Ivory (wife Betty Ann) Jackson new as pastor at North Star Baptist Church (a new mission) in Shreveport. Daniel (wife Grace) Hernandez new as pastor at Broadmoor en Espanol, Shreveport. HOMECOMING Barksdale Baptist Church, Bossier City: The Lord’s Good Hand – Barksdale Baptist’s 75th celebration, April 25-26. Saturday – begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch. Sunday, 9:15 a.m. – noon, a light lunch will follow; 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Testimonies. For more information, call the church office at 318.742.1641. Pastor: Calvin Hubbard. Bonita Road Baptist Church, Bastrop: Homecoming, April 26, 10:30 a.m. Speaker: Marty Black. Music: The Maclanahan Family. Pastor: Casey Johnson. Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs: 178th Homecoming Celebration, May 3, 10 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow the service. Speaker: Phil Ortego. Pastor: Joe Alain. Mount Hope Baptist Church, Oakdale: 80th annual Homecoming, May 10, 10:45 a.m. with dinner on the grounds and a singing to follow; Revival, May 11-13, 6:30 p.m. nightly. Evangelist: Al Gist. Music: Price Harris. Pastor: Kenny Blackwell. REVIVAL Mooringsport Baptist Church, Mooringsport: … [Read more...]
