By Richard H. Harris, Interim President North American Mission Board I have been asking myself a question over and over since the Southern Baptist Convention met in Louisville last year, voting to form the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force. My question is this: Is our convention’s main problem primarily organizational, structural, systemic, faulty processes or partnerships – or is it spiritual? [img_assist|nid=6419|title=Richard H. Harris Interim President North American Mission Board|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=69|height=100]I have a great deal of respect for the GCR Task Force. It is impossible for most of us to realize the excruciating hours of analysis they invested as they examined mountains of material and information. Their assigned task was huge. I prayed regularly for these dedicated convention servants to understand where the Lord wants our convention to go in these crucial and opportune days. Since I was asked in August to serve as interim president at the North American Mission Board, I have often repeated that NAMB’s leadership and staff welcome any recommendations that will make us more effective or more efficient. Time is too short and the needs of our day are too many for us to settle … [Read more...]

MONROE – The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home Annual Offering is scheduled for Sunday, June 13. This offering, held annually in churches across our state, allows your Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home to minister to countless children and families throughout the year. [img_assist|nid=6421|title=Perry Hancock President, CEO Childrens Home|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=88|height=100]Critical needs are being met, lives are being changed, and hope is being restored to children and families who are lost and hurting. “We have so many things to be thankful for in this ministry, but the greatest is changed lives,” said LBCH President and CEO Perry Hancock. “So far this year, eight of our children have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Two of the six graduates of our first semester of Christian Women’s Job Corps rededicated their lives to Christ. This is so fundamental to all that we do: meeting critical needs and restoring hope by pointing children and families to Christ.” Hancock said he has witnessed a strong cooperative and generous spirit among our churches and individual supporters since he came to the Children’s Home in 2003. “This ministry would not be possible without Louisiana Baptists investing … [Read more...]

By Steve Lemke, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Provost PART THREE We have been examining reasons for the security of the believer – that persons who are genuinely saved are saved forever. We have seen two reasons in previous articles why the Bible teaches that we cannot lose our salvation: (1) because salvation is not ours to lose since God provides it, not we ourselves, and (2) because it is based upon a life-changing salvation experience with God. In this third article of the series is the most compelling reason why we believe that we cannot lose our salvation – because eternal salvation is a Scriptural promise. Continuing our in-depth study of Ephesians 1, the Apostle Paul (in reference to his own salvation and the salvation of the Christians in Ephesus) spoke of being “sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13b, see also Ephesians 4:30). What does being “sealed” mean? In the first century as Paul wrote these words, seals were a very important tool in communicating messages. Important instructions from a king to his army commander would usually be sent on a scroll and delivered by a messenger or courier. Two challenges came with this method of communication. First, it was possible that … [Read more...]

By Archie England, Ph.D., NOBTS Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew ‘For I hate divorce,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel – Malachi 2:16. What impact should this declaration make on us today? More pointedly, what exactly did Malachi mean by these words in that context? Malachi framed his prophecy with questions, each designed to provoke obvious answers. In the middle of this process, Malachi (chapter 2) momentarily halted his series in order to confront the root problem of his audience – they didn’t understand God’s covenant nor did they live in compliance with God’s commands. In the spirit of Exodus 19:6, Malachi addressed the returned remnant as “priests”– both in chapter 2 and 3. He intended for his audience to realize just how God viewed them. Priests had responsibilities, along with obligations, to care for others. All of this, Malachi crafted in the light of God’s covenant with Israel. A nation holy to God ought to live like it! Alas, Israel had “turned aside,” “corrupted the covenant,” and failed to keep “My ways.” This behavior, Malachi labeled as “dealing treacherously.” His words can likewise be understood as “breaking faith (with the covenant).” So, Malachi hammered the unholy nation of non-like … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message NATCHITOCHES – First Baptist Church of Natchitoches plans to send several members on an 11-day multi-focus mission trip to Choimim, Kenya, this June. It will be the third time in five years that a First Natchitoches mission’s team has gone to Kenya. [img_assist|nid=6425|title=First Baptist Natchitoches plans to help at Noel Childrens Center during its 11-day multi-focus mission trip to Kenya this June|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]“There are moments and experiences that define and change the direction of our lives,” said Tanya Conlay, one of the returning members of the mission team. “Spending eleven days in rural Kenya where homes have no electricity or running water, the roads are unpaved, and there is no medical care available is one such experience.” Choimim is in an area of western Kenya high in the Nandi Hills surrounding the Great Rift Valley. Much of this lush land is divided up into tea plantations. “Other than subsistence farming and picking tea, there are few economic opportunities here,” Conley said. “Other than the river, the only water source for the community is a well in which a bucket on a rope must be lowered. Life can be very difficult here.” Seven … [Read more...]

Calvary Baptist Church Springhill had a Noteburning Service Sunday, May 23, to celebrate the paying off of its note, show appreciation to faithful contributors and to Jesus Christ. [img_assist|nid=6427|title=Calvary Baptist Church Springhill holds Noteburning|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]Randy Hales was the guest speaker for the worship service, followed by lunch in Bethel Hall. Immediately following the lunch, the celebration took place. Pastor Larry Brignac welcomed everyone and introduced LaWanda Smith Mobley, who spoke on behalf of her late father Jessie Smith, the pastor of Calvary at the time of the merger and building of the new sanctuary. Joe Powell read the history of the church, which was written by Dorothy Dickson. That was followed by burning of the note in which Patsy Bryant, Jewel Nelson, Lewis Ray and Dayton Woodward participated. The celebration concluded with an afternoon of music presented by “The Monday Night Choir Boys” of Springhill. … [Read more...]

– compiled by Joanne Brechtel MILESTONES COMINGS & GOINGS Calvin Hubbard, new as interim pastor of Barksdale Baptist, Bossier City. A.W. Smart, new as interim pastor of North Acres Baptist, Minden. Ken Bryan resigns as music minister of First Baptist, Calhoun. Clint Sheppard resigns as college minister of North Monroe Baptist, Monroe. William Edwards resigns as pastor of Center Point Baptist, West Monroe. Daniel Binkley, new as youth minister of Bethel Baptist, West Monroe. Keith Horton (wife Allison), new as pastor of First Baptist, Plaquemine. Joel Davis (wife Holly), new as pastor of Mission Church on Perkins, Baton Rouge. Reid Terry, new as pastor of Searcy Baptist, Trout. Ray Hearron (wife Kim), new as pastor of First Baptist, Doyline. John Martin resigns as pastor of University Baptist, Ruston. Peter Allen, new as middle school minister at First Baptist, Haughton. NEEDED Full-time youth pastor at Cook Bapist, Ruston; send resume to Cook Baptist Church, 2000 Cooktown Road, Ruston LA 71270; Attention: Dr. Mike Holloway. Deadline June 30. Student minister at Mt. Vernon Baptist, West Monroe; send resumes to Student Minister Search Team, 215 Mt. Vernon Church Road, West … [Read more...]

NEW ORLEANS – A standing-room-only crowd packed Leavell Chapel to celebrate New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s largest graduating class since Hurricane Katrina battered both the campus and the city in August 2005. Some 315 graduation candidates participated in the May 15 ceremony. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley briefly reflected on the years since America’s worst natural disaster. “How much we have learned as a seminary family, how much we have learned: That our God is truly able to sustain us in all circumstances,” Kelley told the audience. In keeping with that theme, Kelley preached from 2 Corinthians 1, a passage on the comfort found in God despite the trials and tribulations of life. Kelley called the verses “startling” because it assumes that in life, everyone will face trouble. Kelley asked for a show of hands from the graduates who had faced troubles and trials during their seminary days. Virtually every hand shot up. “That’s not the experience of seminary students. That’s the experience of life,” Kelley said.”This is in fact what we are going to experience all the rest of our days. The simple reality is that as we live, there will be trouble, or to use the biblical word, there will be … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – Across America the first Thursday of May, men, women and children gathered in churches and public squares to lift up the United States and its leaders. And in Pineville, at Louisiana College, that burden was reflected as well, as LC hosted its own National Day of Prayer event, with “For Such a Time as This” as the theme. [img_assist|nid=6432|title=People from around Central Louisiana came to pray at Louisiana College’s National Day of Prayer event.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]By the time the event reached its conclusion, several of those in Guinn Auditorium made their way to the front of the auditorium to kneel and pray. “It is a wonderful thing to be part of this,” said David Kimsey, pastor of the Sanctuary of Praise in Pineville. “And I pray that this just isn’t something we do only once a year, but that it would be something we do every week. Our leaders are in desperate need of our prayers. That’s why we’re here today.” The LC event featured a number of speakers from the greater Alexandria-Pineville community, including Rapides Parish Sheriff Chuck Wagner, Colonel Jerry Crook and Local leaders at LC call for prayer for the countryMajor Andy Magee of the Louisiana National Guard, and … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor DILLWYN, Va. (BP) – Outreach and missions evidently were important when Bethlehem Baptist Church was organized in 1881 under a brush arbor in rural central Virginia: Jordan Taylor, who gave the land for the then-new church, was 99 when he was baptized in the waters of the nearby Troublesome Creek. Records are missing from Bethlehem’s early years, but the church has a definite outward focus today – including a growing commitment to reaching people through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ method of supporting missions and ministries of state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention. [img_assist|nid=6434|title=Pastor Grady Johnson sees CP as allowing small rural church to be involved in reaching the world for Jesus Christ|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]“As far as I can tell, the church had been giving a steady $5,000 to the Cooperative Program before I came,” said pastor Grady Johnston, who has since educated the congregation about CP and the benefit of joining with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia state convention. “I am grateful that from the day Bethlehem joined the SBCV, which is faithful to spend CP dollars wisely, we have set on … [Read more...]