ON THE MOVE Juan (wife Diana) Puente new as Hispanic Pastor Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. Ben and Carrie Spizzirri new as Youth Pastor and Children at Bethany Baptist Church. Keith Payne is new as Missions Director at Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport. Bob Adams is new as transitional pastor for Immanuel Baptist Church, Hammond. Gary Dennis is new as pastor at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church, Independence. Randy (wife Khristy) Ellis is the new pastor at St Clair Baptist Church, Boyce. Chris Fuselier is new as pastor at First Baptist Church, Youngsville. Melvin Mendoza is new as pastor to the Hispanic works at Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia and First Baptist Church, Lafayette. Kevin Williams is new as minister of worship at Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia. Tommy Hicks is new as pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, Tickfaw. Jerry St. Pierre is new as pastor First Baptist Church, Madisonville. Bobby LeCompte is worship leader/director at Mulberry Baptist Church, Houma. Chris Tillman is new as student pastor at Woodland Park Baptist Church, Hammond. Jeff Oates is new as youth and education pastor at New Zion Baptist Church, Covington.   REVIVAL/HOMECOMING   Philadelphia Baptist Church, … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 06/13/2014 - 12:24 Pastors and community leaders in the Montgomery area recently donated money to buy two industrial-sized fans for the town’s high school, just in time for graduation ceremonies. Patti Williams, Montgomery’s principal, said the school’s gymnasium A/C system is broken beyond repair and is in need of replacement but the $75,000 needed is not available. Kevin Billiot, pastor of Northside Baptist in Montgomery, approached Williams and asked if the school was in need of any assistance that the churches might be able to help with. Williams promptly requested two large fans to help cool the gym for their classes and upcoming graduation ceremonies. Billiot, working with pastors and businesses in the area, raised $1,200 for two large fans. Donors in the photo are (from left): Chuck LaCroix, pastor of Union Hill Baptist; Ray Teal, pastor of of First Baptist Montgomery; Mayor Susie Waters representing the Bon Dieux Falls Ladies Club; Vince Bartley representing Montgomery’s Pharmacy and the Montgomery Masonic Lodge; Princi Select rating Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5   … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 06/13/2014 - 12:25 New Hope Baptist Church, Choudrant dedicated its new Patterson Family Life Center on April 27. The 8,750 square foot building includes a regulation basketball and volleball courts. Pictured at the dedication was Gary and Rachel Patterson and Pastor Dwayne L. Monk. Select rating Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5   … [Read more...]

By Bob Stewart, NOBTS In my previous articles I described what worldviews are and how they work, sketched out the Christian worldview, and discussed how to critique a worldview. Now I want to ask an important question: “So what?”  Why does any of this matter? It matters because all worldviews come with practical and existential commitments. Every worldview makes demands upon those who hold to it.  So certain truths follow from the basic truths of the Christian worldview: Creation, Rebellion, and Redemption. The Christian worldview implies a particular understanding of God and a unique view of Creation and our place in the world as God’s creatures.  In other words, we hold to a Christian theory of being rooted in the existence of God.  This implies a particular way of knowing, grounded in the nature of reality.  The fact of God’s existence makes demands upon those who exist because he has chosen to create them.  In other words, we are obliged to God. Allow me to list some of these obligations by drawing from philosopher David Naugle’s book Worldview: The History of a Concept. Because reality is grounded in God: n We don’t have the freedom to create or ascribe an independent meaning to the universe because God already has … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor Baptist Message “Mom’s Night Out,” a movie currently in theaters, is being ravaged by film critics. On the popular Internet site Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates movie reviews, only 17 percent of reviews have been positive. The film features three mothers who seek to have a night out away from their families, especially their children. Predictably – it is a comedic movie after all – everything goes wrong and an evening of humorous chaos ensues. The acting performances in the film are fine. Anchoring the cast are Sarah Drew of the hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy,” Patricia Heaton of television’s “The Middle” and “Everyone Loves Raymond,” and Sean Astin who was in the “Lord of the Rings” films and starred in the movie “Rudy.” So what is the problem critics have with the movie? Why have 83 percent dismissed the film? Here’s a sampling of critic complaints: “There’s nothing inherently wrong with faith-based entertainment. The problem comes when, as with any heavily slanted perspective, the faith takes precedent over the entertainment.” – Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News. “Depressingly regressive and borderline dangerous, ‘Mom’s Night Out’ peddles archaic notions of gender roles in the name of wacky … [Read more...]

Ashley Clayton, SBC Vice-President for Cooperative Program and Stewardship Are you ready for some good news? The most recent Annual Church Profile (ACP) data reveals a new and positive direction in Southern Baptist missions and ministries funding through the Cooperative Program. Over the past three decades, the average Cooperative Program gift per church, as a percentage of a church’s undesignated receipts, had steadily declined. For example, in 1982, across all Southern Baptist churches, the average Cooperative Program gift per church was 10.7 percent of a church’s undesignated receipts. Each year since 1982, with the exception of three slight upticks in 1995, 1997 and 1999, there was a predictable and steady decline of average Cooperative Program gifts per church. Since 1999, average percent of undesignated gifts from cooperating churches has declined by about two-tenths of a percent per year, reaching its lowest point in 2011 – 5.407 percent across all SBC churches. But, we see signs of hope. In 2012, the average Cooperative Program gift per church ticked up slightly to 5.414 percent. Now, for some really good news: The 2013 Cooperative Program reports and SBC Annual Church Profile data show the average Cooperative … [Read more...]

By James B. Law, Pastor First Baptist Church Gonzales In recent days, many of us have followed with great interest the story of the Sudanese woman, Mariam Ibrahim, who was sentenced to death.  Her crime? She was found guilty of apostasy because she converted to Christianity from Islam. In addition to the death penalty Ibrahim was also sentenced to receive 100 lashes for adultery in marrying a Christian man. Giving the story global traction has been the presence of Ibrahim’s children with her in prison, a 21 month old boy and her daughter who was born in prison last month. Thankfully, we have received encouraging reports of an appeals process and it is expected that Mariam will be released soon. Christians have been always been comforted by the promises of God. We treasure these promises as they strengthen faith and resolve and give to us hope to press on. However, there are some promises that we would like to ignore. The promise of persecution is one we would shelve, but if we would follow Jesus faithfully, we are promised suffering and persecution in this life. My ministry was inaugurated in some of the roughest sections of New Orleans.  In 1989, I pastored a church in St. Bernard parish and on one particular day I was … [Read more...]

By Jimmy Draper, Interim President Criswell College The interview was wrapping up when the reporter asked a prominent leader in the rapidly expanding Chinese house church movement how American Christians could pray for believers in China. “Stop praying for persecution in China to end,” the leader responded, “for it is through persecution that the church has grown.” What astounding faith he demonstrated. My admiration of his faith was quickly tempered by what he said next. “In fact, we are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution, so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China.” Once I recovered from the shock of such a disturbing yet profound statement, I thought about the irony. We in America keep praying for God to bless us, while persecuted Christians in other nations are praying God will dismantle our arrogance through suffering so that we will become the vibrant and significant blessing God made us to be. The Bible is replete with examples of God humbling the haughty. Arrogance followed by judgment is a recurring theme. Survey the Old Testament and confirm it for yourself. Before dismissing those examples as ancient history, flip to Revelation and read Christ’s seven … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 06/13/2014 - 12:40 Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, gives a report June 11 during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting saying "LifeWay is thriving and using all its proceeds to advance Great Commission ministries." by Bob Smietana, Baptist Press BALTIMORE (BP)-- During his report at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Baltimore, LifeWay Christian Resources president and CEO Thom S. Rainer introduced an initiative to help churches start 100,000 new small groups, honored two longtime Southern Baptist leaders, and explained LifeWay's decision to sell the Glorieta Conference Center in New Mexico. "LifeWay Christian Resources is committed to make more of a difference today than we did yesterday, and to be more effective tomorrow than we are now," Rainer told messengers. In response to a messenger's question, Rainer relayed a report he'd received from Glorieta 2.0, the Christian camping ministry that bought the conference center from LifeWay last year. Attendance at the center is up this year, he said, and "literally tens of thousands will be reached for the Gospel." John Yarbrough, a messenger from First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Texas, owns a … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has placed Louisiana College on probation because of issues related to trustee board governance (3.2.4), institutional integrity (1.1), personnel policies (3.2.9; 3.2.10), and audit findings that pertain to some financial control matters and student financial aid (3.10.3; 4.7). The announcement comes following a vote of the accrediting agency’s Board of Trustees at their annual June meeting in San Antonio, Texas. “Although the decision is disappointing, it represents an opportunity for Louisiana College to address the issues in preparation for the arrival of a new president.” said Dr. Argile Smith, President pro tempore. “Fortunately, the issues don’t bring into question in any way the excellent classroom work being done by our professors and students. The issues have to do with administrative areas.” The decision by SACSCOC does not change the status of Louisiana College as a fully accredited school. Louisiana College has been continuously accredited since 1925. In fact, the accrediting agency reaffirmed Louisiana College’s accreditation in December 2013. The faculty has worked diligently to maintain and exceed the standards set by … [Read more...]