by LONNIE WILKEY, Baptist Press NEWPORT, Tenn. (BP) – In 2006, the election of Frank Page as president of the Southern Baptist Convention sent a signal that the Cooperative Program is still important to Southern Baptists. Page, who by his own admission thought he never stood a chance of being elected, defeated two more widely known Southern Baptist leaders (Ronnie Floyd and Jerry Sutton) who were pastors of churches that gave a relatively low percentage of undesignated gifts through the Cooperative Program for Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries. [img_assist|nid=6785|title=Frank Page, president elect of the SBC Executive Committee, tells EC members he will set forth a 10-year vision and strategy|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]On the other hand, First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., where Page was serving at the time, gave 12.4 percent through the CP giving channel the year prior to his election. Fast forward four years to this year’s SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Southern Baptists elected a pastor (Bryant Wright of Georgia) who had led his church to cut back its gifts through the Cooperative Program. It would appear that Southern Baptists now have sent a … [Read more...]

By MARILYN STEWART, Regional Reporter NEW ORLEANS – With a work schedule that includes two jobs and responsibilities as a husband and father, who could squeeze in more? Philip Peavey, minister of preschoolers and children at First Baptist Church, Kenner, can. Peavey visits five nursing homes and a rehab center weekly sharing God’s love with an often overlooked group of senior adults, and the care-givers who serve them. [img_assist|nid=6787|title=Nursing home residents view a puppet show put on by a 24-member team from First Baptist Church, Rainsville, Ala.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67] Peavey leads by example in the simple ministry and involves others in serving “one-on-one.” Children at his church get involved by helping Peavey decorate gift bags. “All the senior adults need is a touch, a smile, a few words of encouragement, a prayer,” Peavey said. “It just means a lot to them.” Peavey began visiting nursing homes nine years ago on his own and found he was welcomed at places where caring visitors are in short supply. Peavey’s ministry – going room-to-room, visiting, and praying with residents – opened doors for service to families and staff members, as well. “There’s nothing hard about this … [Read more...]

By PHILIP TIMOTHY, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – The Louisiana Baptist Convention and its entities will have to do more with less this coming year. The Executive Board of the LBC approved the business and finance committee’s recommendation, as presented by Chairman Scott Teutsch, pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church of Haughton, for a 5.58 percent reduction in the 2011 Cooperative Program Budget at its regularly-scheduled fall meeting Sept. 28 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center. The recommended budget for the coming year is $21,284,217 – or $1,258,940 less than it was in 2010. “It is a pretty significant reduction,” said Dale Lingenfelter, the LBC’s Business and Information Services Director. The LBC Executive Board also heard reports from its administrative, business and finance, missions support, and properties committees, as well as from the Moral and Civic Foundation and heads of each of the LBC’s entities – the Louisiana Baptist Message, Louisiana College, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. Louisiana Baptist Message Editor Kelly Boggs told the Board he is even more committed to having the paper “sound the clarion call that the Cooperative Program is not broken, and … [Read more...]

On Cooperative Giving, Our Common Method For Reaching the Peoples of the World with the Gospel WHEREAS, these are unprecedented times of globalization, communication, declining Western Civilization, and  a great opportunity for sharing the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and shining the light of the Gospel; and WHEREAS, these times call for an unprecedented level of cooperation to accomplish the goal of bringing the Great Commission message to every people group in Louisiana, North America and the world; and WHEREAS, the recently adopted Great Commission Resurgence Report adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention was an attempt to refocus the energy, creativity, leadership, institutions and financial resources of Southern Baptist churches and entities on the task of reaching people who have never heard the Gospel; and WHEREAS, the Southern Baptist Convention’s history includes several decades of churches attempting to resource its national and global mission endeavors independently before discovering a cooperative missional model that has become the envy of the evangelical world, a model that has 1) developed an unprecedented international strategy for reaching generations with the Gospel, 2) leveraged the … [Read more...]

By PHILIP TIMOTHY, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – The Louisiana Baptist Convention and its entities will have to do more with less this coming year. The Executive Board of the LBC approved the business and finance committee’s recommendation, as presented by Chairman Scott Teutsch, pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church of Haughton, for a 5.58 percent reduction in the 2011 Cooperative Program Budget at its regularly-scheduled fall meeting Sept. 28 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center. The recommended budget for the coming year is $21,284,217 – or $1,258,940 less than it was in 2010. “It is a pretty significant reduction,” said Dale Lingenfelter, the LBC’s Business and Information Services Director. The LBC Executive Board also heard reports from its administrative, business and finance, missions support, and properties committees, as well as from the Moral and Civic Foundation and heads of each of the LBC’s entities – the Louisiana Baptist Message, Louisiana College, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. Louisiana Baptist Message Editor Kelly Boggs told the Board he is even more committed to having the paper “sound the clarion call that the Cooperative Program is not broken, and … [Read more...]

By JOANNE BRECHTEL, Administrative Editor SHREVEPORT – A youth group and several adults from Ford Park Baptist participated in Mission Lab 2010 in New Orleans. The group assisted in yard and house cleanings, repair work, car washing and prayer walking. A block party was held in August along with a Great Big Giveaway Garage Sale. [img_assist|nid=6792|title=Doctors Nancy and Tommy Smith of the Nicaragua Medical Mission team of Temple Baptist Ruston see patients in the clinic|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]SHREVEPORT – Northwest Baptist Association hosted 230 World Changers, who worked on 21 houses and four cabins in the Shreveport area during their five-day summer visit. The group’s theme was ‘Unhindered.’  A worship service took place at First Baptist of Bossier City at the end of their stay with a $1,497.91 offering given to Kaleo Current Canada and urban missions. Wayne DuBose is director of missions. DENHAM SPRINGS – The WMU of Riverside Baptist provided for a Christmas in August for the Texas Port Ministry in Freeport, Texas. They also shared with a local family in need and prepared items for the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in September. Larry Hubbard is pastor. FRANKLINTON – The WMU … [Read more...]

Lafayette races for missions LAFAYETTE – Runners of all ages can take to the pavement for global missions Saturday, Oct. 16, when First Baptist Lafayette hosts its second annual “Race for the Nations.” Proceeds from a 5K race, as well as a one-mile Fun Walk, will benefit mission efforts of First Baptist Lafayette. At its heart, the event is part of the church’s commitment to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission. Registration begins at 7 a.m. on race day. The 5K run begins at 8 a.m., with the one-mile Fun Walk starting 30 minutes later. Entry fees are $15 per individual and $30 per family. The entry fee includes the cost of a T-shirt. Race proceeds will be used to help church members travel on mission trips throughout North America and around the world, said Minister of Community Ministries and Missions Andrea McKenzie. First Lafayette members have recently traveled to Alaska, Romania, Brazil and to earthquake-ravaged Haiti to share Christ’s love. “The intent is to provide a means to help a church member if God has called them to go somewhere,” McKenzie said. “We aren’t able to provide all of the means for everyone to go, but if God has called them, we want to help in some small way.” For more information, call … [Read more...]

By JASON HILES, Chair of Christian Studies Louisiana College According to John’s Gospel, as Jesus was preparing the apostles for his imminent death, resurrection, and return to the Father, He drew their attention to the vital relationship between love and obedience. He articulates this relationship concisely in John 14:15 by declaring, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In fact, Jesus’ words are so concise and this statement so simple that one may be tempted to pass over it quickly, failing to appreciate the depth of insight captured in so few words. The more familiar one is with the verse, the stronger the temptation tends to be, especially because we are used to hearing this passage preached as if it is yet another command to obey Christ. Of course the New Testament contains many directives relating to obedience, some of them directly issued by Christ himself. Certainly the present passage can be understood as suggesting that one should obey the Lord’s commands, but the careful reader will note that Jesus’ words do not actually constitute a command. Rather, he is making known to the apostles the condition necessary for obedience. This would mean that obedience is a consequence of a particular … [Read more...]

BY Bill Warren, PH.D., NOBTS Professor of New Testament and Greek Question: I’m planning to buy a new Bible, so I’m wondering which English translation is best? Could you give me some advice as far as the New Testament part goes? Bill Warren responds: We are in a luxury market for English Bible translations, as you’ve likely noticed.  For several decades we have had English translations made for specific purposes and groups, such as the Good News Bible from the 1960’s (NT = 1966) and 1970’s (OT = 1976), a translation designed for outreach to those not used to “church” language. Others have been made to reach children (the International Children’s Bible, 1985), and others for those who desire a lower reading level (the Contemporary English Version, 1995) or a more fluid reading style (the New Living Bible, 1996, and the paraphrase by Eugene Peterson entitled The Message, 2002).  With so many options in English Bibles, the primary use to be made of the Bible has to be considered. Some translations function best for continuous reading through the Bible while others are designed with more intense study in mind. The differences are often expressed as points along a sliding scale ranging from formal to functional … [Read more...]

By PHILIP TIMOTHY, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – In a show of solidarity, the Executive Board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention on Sept. 28 overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting the Cooperative Program as the convention’s primary funding method, and encouraging LBC Executive Director-Treasurer David E. Hankins for his unwavering and passionate defense of the cooperative giving process that is now in its 85th year. Along with a report from Hankins, the LBC Executive Board heard positive reports about mission advance from each of its various committee chairmen. The Executive Board also heard reports from each of its entities – the Louisiana Baptist Message, Louisiana College, Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and the Louisiana Baptist Foundation. Each entity leader affirmed the value of the Cooperative Program as essential to their ministries. [img_assist|nid=6700|title=David Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=80|height=100]The resolution, On Cooperative Giving, Our Common Method For Reaching the Peoples of the World with the Gospel, was presented following Hankins’ report to the Board. Board President Steve Horn called on Bob Heutess, pastor of … [Read more...]