ABC Camp gets improvements EUNICE – Much work has been done and many improvements can be seen at Acadian Baptist Center. Both a new one-bedroom rustic family cabin – to be used mostly as a getaway by pastors – as well as a bathhouse near the pool, hopefully will be ready for use before July 1. “Probaby well before July 1,” said James Newsom, camp manager. A new lawnmower, new stove, new convection oven, commercial mixer, 250 new comfortable stacking chairs and additional air conditioning in the gym are among other improvements, according to the May issue of the ABC newsletter. Volunteers recently painted an underwater scene as a mural on the water tank. There’s a new gym floor, new pavement in front of the office, and new tile floor in Elliot and Westberry dorms, the cabins and the office. New program: For the first time ever, ABC is to offer two horseback riding camps this summer. These are in addition to their regular weeks of camp: youth camps, pre-teen camps, missions camp and day camp. New staff also has been added: Guy (wife Rebekah) Atkinson is to head ABC’s new Outdoor Education Center. Read more of this in an upcoming issue of the Message. The camp’s long-range planning committee and board of … [Read more...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A new study by LifeWay Research on the use of private prayer language indicates that half of Southern Baptist pastors believe the Holy Spirit gives some people a special language to pray to God. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A new study by LifeWay Research on the use of private prayer language indicates that half of Southern Baptist pastors believe the Holy Spirit gives some people a special language to pray to God. The study also indicates the majority of Protestant senior pastors (63 percent) and laity (51 percent) believe in the gift of a private prayer language. The study was conducted by phone survey to 1,004 Protestant laity, 405 Southern Baptist (SBC) senior pastors and 600 non-SBC Protestant senior pastors in April-May 2007. In addition, the LifeWay report includes a study of SBC seminary graduates initially conducted by the North American Mission Board’s Center for Missional Research. All 1998-2004 master’s-level graduates from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary were invited to … [Read more...]

Like the lukewarm church at Laodicea that Jesus said in the Book of Revelation He was about to spew out of His mouth, The Barna Group in a recent study assessed American Christianity as neither hot nor cold.  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Like the lukewarm church at Laodicea that Jesus said in the Book of Revelation He was about to spew out of His mouth, The Barna Group in a recent study assessed American Christianity as neither hot nor cold.  “Most Americans do not have strong and clear beliefs, largely because they do not possess a coherent biblical worldview,” David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, said. “That is, they lack a consistent and holistic understanding of their faith. Millions of Americans say they are personally committed to Jesus Christ, but they believe He sinned while on earth.  “Many believers claim to trust what the Bible teaches, but they reject the notion of a real spiritual adversary or they feel that faith-sharing activities are optional,” Kinnaman added. “Millions feel personally committed to God, but they are renegotiating the definition of that deity.”  One reason beliefs fluctuate, Kinnaman said, is that most Americans hold few convictions about their faith and “have one foot in the biblical … [Read more...]

In a gathering of Koreans from both sides of the Pacific, a glimpse of the multicolored, multiethnic future of the international missionary force comes into view. ROCKVILLE, Va. (BP) – In a gathering of Koreans from both sides of the Pacific, a glimpse of the multicolored, multiethnic future of the international missionary force comes into view. More than 70 South Korean and Korean-American Baptist pastors and mission leaders met with International Mission Board colleagues during a Korean Global Mission Summit at the mission board’s International Learning Center in Rockville, Va. It’s not the first such meeting. But this one focused on nuts-and-bolts strategies and commitments for mobilizing Korean churches in America and South Korea to reach people groups around the world who remain untouched by the Gospel. “We’ve spent years building a relationship and establishing a growing trust and partnership,” said IMB President Jerry Rankin, who helped initiate the annual consultations. “This year was intended to be practical training for personalized, effective mission strategies and engagement of unreached people groups. The response to the final challenge was a powerful experience. Everyone [got] on their faces, literally, … [Read more...]

Because of logistical problems, the annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America is to take place this year in Houston. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (BP) – Because of logistical problems, the annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America is to take place this year in Houston. The gathering of about 600 Korean Southern Baptists usually takes place concurrently with the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, with time planned in the Korean-language schedule to participate in some of the SBC English-language sessions. This year, though, the Korean gathering is set for June 18-20 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Bush Intercontinental Airport. “I went to San Antonio and checked hotel; every hotel too expensive,” said Timothy Tae Hwan Park, executive director of the Korean Council. “Also, San Antonio three Korean [Southern Baptist] churches. Too difficult for them to host such big gathering.” Call it the ‘food barrier.’ Many of the pastors and lay leaders in the 760 or more Korean Southern Baptist churches across the United States speak Korean as their first language. They preach in Korean, pray in Korean, counsel, lead and listen in Korean. They also eat … [Read more...]

Meredith Queen’s favorite dress is splattered with red and pink splotches, but she doesn’t mind. SENEGAL, West Africa (BP) – Meredith Queen’s favorite dress is splattered with red and pink splotches, but she doesn’t mind. That doesn’t keep the lively 8-year-old from wearing the dress again as she and her parents visit a village to share Jesus with Sereer-Palor people. Sitting on a mat in the shade of a tree, Meredith bites her tongue and crinkles her nose in great concentration. She pumps the brush into the polish bottle and dabs a bit of color onto the toenails of a young girl with dark, dusty feet. “We girls just like to be pretty,” Meredith said, explaining her toenail-painting ministry in her thick Carolina accent. “The village girls never had anything like that done to them before. God made them, and they need to feel loved and needed.” There is a crowd of girls waiting, each eager to choose their perfect shade from a whole sack of options: Pink Lady. Sheer Moon Berry. Shimmering Lilac Frost. They each get painted, and when Meredith accidentally smears a bit on her dress, they share a giggle with the only fair-haired playmate they’ve probably ever had. While they gather for the primping treat, the girls … [Read more...]

Traditional religion and ancestral practices are barriers for the Sereers in accepting the gospel Quick Facts About The Sereer Location: Senegal, The Gambia Status: Engaged by IMB Population: 1,423,500 Primary Religion: Folk Islam Number of Christians: unknown •     Strong elements of traditional religion are included in most Sereer people’s concept of Islam. •     Ancestral practices are very strong in the culture and turning from them is a great barrier in full acceptance to the gospel. •     The Sereer do not believe that they can have direct access to God. •     The Sereer also believe in jinns, or spirits, which are most often evil and desire bad things for man. Pray that God would continue to open the hearts of the Sereer; that He would speak through dreams and visions to Sereer “men of Peace”; and that He would send more servants into fields that are ripe for harvest. Luke 10:2 - Jesus told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” More about the Sereer Many people argue that the story of the Sereer begins in Egypt. The ancestors of the Sereer, Wolof and Lebou peoples migrated from … [Read more...]

Sam (wife Myra) Gentry new June 25 as pastor at First Baptist Belle Chasse. Available Part-time minister of music or pianist available in Central Louisiana. Call Ken Hayes at 337-392-8253. L.H. “Bro. Mac” McCollough available for supply preaching. Pastor at First Bastrop for 20+ years, he’s currently in New Orleans, helping as he can in rebuilding that city. Call him at 318.556.4603 or connect with him through First Bastrop: 318.281.6885. A pulpit and foyer table are available froom Choupique Baptist in Carey Baptist Association. Call Sue at 337.583.7465. Needed Pastorless churches in Carey Baptist Association: Boulevard, First Cameron, First DeQuincy, Eastern Heights, First Hayes, Johnson Bayou, Sale Street, Temple and Woodlawn. J.P. Miles is director of missions. Part-time Music leader needed at McDonald Memorial Baptist Church in Jonesboro. Please send resumes to Music Minister Search Committee, 1676 Hwy 4, Jonesboro LA 71251. Call 318.259.4508 for more information. Full-time pastor sought by First Baptist Patterson. Send resumes to Pastor Search Committee, 1621 Main, Patterson LA 70392. Call 985.395.3681 for more information. Concerts and related events Jimmy Needham performs in concert at 7 … [Read more...]

The 15-person VBS coordinating team at Calvary Baptist starts work in January. Maybe that’s why they weren’t overwhelmed by the 1,400 youngsters and leaders who showed up June 4-8 for vacation Bible school. ALEXANDRIA – The 15-person VBS coordinating team at Calvary Baptist starts work in January. Maybe that’s why they weren’t overwhelmed by the 1,400 youngsters and leaders who showed up June 4-8 for vacation Bible school.  This might be the largest VBS in Louisiana, though Trinity Lake Charles anticipated at least 1,200 for its June 18-22 VBS.  It was one of the largest attendances for the church, acknowledged Gene Ortis, Calvary’s minister of education for the last 25 years. But numbers just reflect youngsters who for 15 hours in one week heard and saw the Bible lived out.  “For some of these kids, that’s more Bible study than they’ll get all year,” Ortis said. “I want every one of them to be in heaven one day.”  This year the Calvary worship center became HERO Stadium for VBS week, complete with cheerleaders and scoreboard. It was boys against girls all week, in what is an annual competition. Who could bring in more pennies for missions?  For 22 of the last 26 years, Ortis told the energized … [Read more...]

The Great Revival in Korea 100 years ago doubled church membership, and 40 years ago Louisiana Southern Baptists helped Southern Baptists in Korea increase from about 40 to 600 churches. PINEVILLE –  The Great Revival in Korea 100 years ago doubled church membership, and 40 years ago Louisiana Southern Baptists helped Southern Baptists in Korea increase from about 40 to 600 churches. That’s according to Louisiana/South Korea: A Baptist Partnership by Oscar Hoffmeyer, Jr.. “They have visions of [growing like that] again,” said Charles Lowry, a member at First Pineville and a longtime member of the Cenla/South Korea Partnership. The American contingent of the partnership has been asked to send 10 teams of five people — including four lay witnesses and one pastor/preacher/evangelist — to conduct eight-day revivals in several locations reminiscent of those conducted in the 1970s and ‘80s, when the number of churches ballooned, Lowry said. The fall 2007 event is in celebration of the centennial of the Great Revival, and the 40-year anniversary of the partnership. “We really need 50 people to go,” Lowry said. Already a dozen people have signed up for the Oct. 22 to Nov. 7 missions trip. The $2,200 cost  … [Read more...]