JENA – Colorful imagery splayed across national media notwithstanding, nothing much happened during a much-heralded, media-driven “race rally” that drew thousands of people from across the nation. JENA – Colorful imagery splayed across national media notwithstanding, nothing much happened during a much-heralded, media-driven “race rally” that drew thousands of people from across the nation. Participants began arriving an hour before dawn. By noon, 20,000 or more people milled about the town of 3,000. The single “protest walk” planned by national event organizers broke into four, according to some news media, with the participants’ calm behavior being met with the townspeople’s placid demeanor. “I watched God deliver us today,” First Jena Pastor Dominick DiCarlo Jr. said Thursday evening. He had worked as a reserve police officer throughout the day. “He delivered us from the fear of what could have occurred. “This is really the very beginning of the national attention,” DiCarlo continued. “Congress is just now engaging this, so we’re on the front end. … Personally, I have learned that a town should not dismiss the power of public opinion. While we are a secluded, small town, we are now in plain view of America.” Jena … [Read more...]

Music is a gift from God to be used for His glory. STATEWIDE – Music is a gift from God to be used for His glory. The Scriptures recognize music and song as a means for praise, a means of expressing joy, thanksgiving, sorrow for sin, a means of prayer, and a means of teaching and spiritual communication. There are numerous references to music found throughout the Bible; it plays an important and vital role in the worship of God. Southern Baptist churches embrace a wide variety of music in worship, bringing together the latest praise and worship songs to tried and true traditional hymns. So, just how important is music in a worship service? “I think it can be as important as the message,” said Bruce Lee, music minister at First Baptist Church in Doyline. “It certainly plays as big a part as the message itself, because it helps to open people’s hearts to hear God’s Word. “I know personally, there have been times when the hair on my arms have stood up just from the music service,” said Lee. “The song and music helps to set the mood of the worship service.” David Cranford, pastor of First Baptist Tioga agrees, “Music sets the tone for the entire service. It leads people to the throne of Grace, and allows us to … [Read more...]

CrossOver is a major evangelistic blitz within a targeted area, designed to reach out with God’s love to the unchurched. ALEXANDRIA – CrossOver is a major evangelistic blitz within a targeted area, designed to reach out with God’s love to the unchurched. It involves pre-event prayer walking, fun-filled activities designed to draw families with children and teens, and pleasant conversation that at the nudging of the Holy Spirit can turn into evangelistic encounters, or that might just leave an unchurched person thinking about going to church. “CrossOver is a great way for our churches in the Alexandria/Pineville area to work together in reaching out to their communities, and it’s a great way for people from across the state to get involved in relational evangelism,” said Keith Manuel, LBC evangelism associate. “We learned through Katrina and Rita, and again last year in Carey Association, that it strengthens us all when we work together to build God’s kingdom.” Several events and activities have been planned by Chairman Kevin Roberts, associate pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Deville, and the rest of the CrossOver planning team working in conjunction with the Southern Baptist churches in Alexandria/Pineville and outlying … [Read more...]

How are we to think about the religious commitments of political candidates? Are their actual beliefs off-limits in terms of public policy? How are we to think about the religious commitments of political candidates? Are their actual beliefs off-limits in terms of public policy? That is the conventional wisdom among many in the media and the political class. As these opinion-shapers see it, religion is a privatized affair with no obvious policy impact. In other words, we should not expect that a politician’s religious commitments will actually mean anything when it comes to their policies and their conduct in office. The presidential candidacy of John F. Kennedy raised all of these issues in 1960 and, according to the prevailing political wisdom, we are to see his approach in the campaign as the appropriate model. Kennedy knew that his Catholicism was an issue and the ‘Catholic question’ was a constant distraction for the campaign. In order to neutralize the issue, Kennedy gave an address to a group of Baptist pastors in Houston and pledged that his Catholicism would not drive his presidential decision-making. Kennedy’s narrow win seemed to validate his approach in many eyes. Similarly, former New York Governor Mario … [Read more...]

A few weeks ago, NBC’s Matt Lauer got the first-ever American interview with Prince William and Prince Harry of Great Britain. The occasion was the approaching 10th anniversary of their mother’s death, Princess Diana.  A few weeks ago, NBC’s Matt Lauer got the first-ever American interview with Prince William and Prince Harry of Great Britain. The occasion was the approaching 10th anniversary of their mother’s death, Princess Diana.  The British community is fascinated with their royalty, even though for centuries the royal family has not ruled the nation. Not only are the British people fascinated with royalty, but Americans are too.  There is something about it that attracts us; so there was great interest in this interview. Prince William must become accustomed to the press.  If normal life spans prevail, he will be the King of England one day. Everyone wants to know what kind of king he is going to be.  This fascination with royalty also accompanied the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.  When he was born, the maniacal Herod the Great was so bothered by the prophesies about this coming new king that he instigated a campaign of infanticide trying to stop the new movement before it ever got started.  And just … [Read more...]

The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary student enlistment office will sponsor a Preview Weekend for prospective seminary students on Oct. 25–27. NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary student enlistment office will sponsor a Preview Weekend for prospective seminary students on Oct. 25–27. Student preview weekends are held two times through the year and provide interested students the opportunity to experience seminary life firsthand. As guests, prospective students will tour the campus, meet faculty and staff, and learn more about admission requirements, degree programs, cost of attendance, financial aid, scholarships, housing, student organizations, and other important information about life at NOBTS. Activities available include opportunities to attend classes, a special chapel service, meetings with professors in the prospective student’s area of interest, a special reception at the president’s home and a dinner on the town with a faculty member. Registration/check-in will begin at 4:30 p.m. The registration deadline is one week before the event. The cost for the weekend is $25 per person. This fee pays for two nights of accommodations and dinner Thursday night, three meals on Friday … [Read more...]

Pastors across Louisiana, in churches large and small, laud the lives and ministries of the “Senior Seniors” who are members. STATEWIDE – Pastors across Louisiana, in churches large and small, laud the lives and ministries of the “Senior Seniors” who are members. “A vital part of the work of this church,” has been said by many pastors. “They’re the reason this church is as strong as it is,” they add. To quote one would be to discount very similar words by other pastors, to not include the glowing words stated by your pastor, so the Message turned to one-time LSU football great Beau Colle for his words. Colle,  a defensive cornerback at Louisiana State University who played for the Fighting Tigers in three bowl games during his 1963-65 college football years, trails the “Senior Seniors” by less than 20 years. Working as part of the staff of Louisiana Baptist Convention, however, Colle has seen for the last 35 years the  value of the church members who today are among the Louisiana’s Senior Seniors. In his work as a young adult consultant, Sunday school department director, church development director and current role as executive assistant to LBC Executive Director David Hankins, Colle has watched the people who … [Read more...]

When God speaks, Helen Driscoll listens and obeys. METAIRIE—When God speaks, Helen Driscoll listens and obeys. Driscoll, 91, spends much of her time teaching Sunday school at Williams Boulevard Baptist Church in Kenner, witnessing to the people around her, and thanking God for a wonderful life, she said. “She still feels impressed to go door to door and tell people about Jesus,” said John Faull, pastor of Williams Boulevard. “Last year she organized a group of people, took a map, set up a grid, and went door to door. In a month we baptized 14 people because of her outreach ministry. “I’m sure that there were more that were saved,” the pastor continued. “The number of responses we got were many times that. It is not uncommon for her to come to me at the close of the service and to say to me that her heart is yearning to see people saved.” Driscoll herself isn’t much worried about numbers, she said. “I’m not sure how many,” she said, referring to those who may have been baptized as a result of the door-to-door visitation. “[The church] keeps the records. I just help them to get saved and baptized and into Sunday school.” Driscoll mapped out a large square area from Williams Boulevard to Power Drive, and then … [Read more...]

D.C. Black He was born in Lafayette County, Miss. on Dec. 27, 1896. A layman and a deacon, Black served as director of music and religious education in various churches following the completion of his study at the Seminary in New Orleans (Baptist Bible Institute) in 1927. On June 1, 1946, he succeeded T.W. Gayer (1941-1946) as superintendent of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s home. During his stint, he was one of the organizers of the Child Care Executives of Southern Baptists, and he served as president of the Louisiana Baptist Training Union Convention in 1943 and in 1944. Gayer and Murrell Cottages were completed shortly after he became superintendent of the home. Subsequently, three more cottages were erected from 1951 to 1956 – Cole (1951), Mobley and Readhimer (1956). He would retire in August 1962 after serving as the Home’s superintendent for 16 years. G. Earl Guinn The first graduate of Louisiana College to return as its president, George Earl Guinn assumed the reins of the college in the summer of 1951. Guinn earned a doctorate at New Orleans Seminary, served in distinguished pastorates, and later taught at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth before taking up his position as LC’s … [Read more...]

The LONGs & THE ALLENs First Baptist Church in Winnfield has the distinction of having helped influence and equip three Louisiana governors (Huey P. Long, Earl K. Long, and O.K. Allen), a U.S. Representative (Shannon “Doc” Long) and U.S. Senators (Huey Long and A. Leonard Allen}. The Long brothers were one of nine children born to Huey Pierce Long Sr. and Caledonia Palestine Tison in the small community of Winnfield. The elder Longs were devout members of the First Baptist Winnfield, and they made sure to expose their children to constant religious training. Huey Sr. was a student of the Testaments and Caledonia worked on various money-raising projects for the church. Huey Jr. did attend seminary classes at Oklahoma Baptist University at the urging of his mother, but decided he was not suited to preaching. He turned to politics and was elected Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and was elected a U.S. senator from 1932 to 1935. He was assassinated by Dr. Carl Weiss in the Capitol building in Baton Rouge on Sept. 8, 1935. Huey’s brother Earl acquired the nickname “preacher” because of his regular Sunday school attendance. His favorite hymn was “In the Garden.” Though always ready to declare publicly he … [Read more...]