Week of October 17, 2005 Annual Meetings RIDGECREST – Ridgecrest church: Delta Association; Oct. 20, 5:30 p.m. meal with services at 6:30 p.m.; Preston Holder, pastor. Potpourri DEVILLE – Big Island church: Ricky Belgard in concert; Oct. 30, 6 p.m.; Todd Burgess, pastor. ELMER – New Hope church: “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” Ladies Conference rescheduled for Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m.-3p.m. with registration at 7:30 a.m.; $10 per ticket; for tickets, call Melissa Walters at (318) 659-3184; Wilkie Richmond, pastor. CROWVILLE – Crockett Point church: Men’s Retreat; Nov. 4, 7 p.m.; Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Jack Daniels, evangelist; Joe Sin, pastor. JONESVILLE – Lismore church:  Ouachita/Delta Associational Evangelism Rally; Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m.; Ralph Webber, director of missions; Ken Gilmore, pastor. Youth VIDALIA – First church: One Way and M.C. Toc in concert; Nov. 4, after the local football game; concert will be held at the amphitheater on the riverfront; Trey Stevens, associate pastor of youth/recreation; Dan Glenn, pastor. Revivals QUITMAN – Beech Springs church:  Oct. 20-22, 7 p.m.; Oct. 23, 10:50 a.m.; Michael Hawley, evangelist; Larry Jinks, pastor. FOREST HILL – Elwood church: Oct. 23, 10:30 a.m. … [Read more...]

Churches at the forefront of disaster relief are easy to spot – they are the ones with eight-foot-high stacks of bottled water dotting the parking lot and half-gallon jugs of waterless hand sanitizer on every table. Churches at the forefront of disaster relief are easy to spot – they are the ones with eight-foot-high stacks of bottled water dotting the parking lot and half-gallon jugs of waterless hand sanitizer on every table. That is exactly what Riverside Baptist Church in River Ridge looks like The New Orleans-area church has been feeding 1,500 to 2000 people every day for the past several weeks. Volunteers plan to continue feeding until November. “We’ve got a crazy, eclectic group of people working here,” says Jim Caldwell, pastor of the congregation. Caldwell says when he returned to the city and found the church’s facilities in fairly good shape, he envisioned the location as a food and water distribution center. He called the Louisiana Baptist Convention but help was not immediately available in the post-hurricane days. “But I knew we were supposed to do ministry,” says Caldwell, who had been pastor of the 50-year old-church for just three months when the storms hit. The next day he started … [Read more...]

When New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin began assembling a task force to develop a master plan for rebuilding his hurricane-ravaged city, he made sure to include one prominent Louisiana Baptist pastor. When New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin began assembling a task force to develop a master plan for rebuilding his hurricane-ravaged city, he made sure to include one prominent Louisiana Baptist pastor. Fred Luter is one of 17 business and civic leaders chosen by Nagin to serve on the Bring New Orleans Back Commission. Luter serves as pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. Luter has known Nagin for years, and the mayor has visited his 7,000-member church several times. Also, Luter said he believes he was chosen for the commission because of the number of people he represents and because he is a lifelong New Orleans resident. “Everybody knows I love New Orleans,” he said. The commission includes people from the political, educational, healthcare and religious sectors of New Orleans. These members will oversee 20 to 25 committees in charge of levees, economic development initiatives and education systems. Recently, the commission members had the opportunity to dine and discuss ideas with President George … [Read more...]

In some ways, the world has moved on from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – a quick look at the cover stories for major newsmagazines affirms that. By C. Lacy Thompson LBM Associate Editor In some ways, the world has moved on from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – a quick look at the cover stories for major newsmagazines affirms that. The storms have been relegated to subheads. But for thousands of South Louisiana residents, the focus remains squarely on the recent hurricanes – as they make initial returns to their former homes and nervously eye yet another tropical disturbance in the Caribbean. Residents of St. Bernard and lower Plaquemines parishes finally are able to examine their homes – if they can find them. For instance, in lower Plaquemines, the damage is almost complete with up to 95 percent of structures destroyed – some wrecked beyond repair, others simply gone. In parts of St. Bernard Parish, some residents are having to use mauls to break into their houses, only to find ceilings collapsed, mud covering the floors and belongings thrown about as if by a child in midst of a temper tantrum. “It took two hours just to break the door down,” one resident tells.     “Once we got in, there was … [Read more...]

Though he said he is not particularly keen on the practice and would prefer another solution, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is proposing the implementation of Las Vegas-style gambling in order to jumpstart his city’s economy after Hurricane Katrina. Though he said he is not particularly keen on the practice and would prefer another solution, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is proposing the implementation of Las Vegas-style gambling in order to jumpstart his city’s economy after Hurricane Katrina. “I know of no other way,” he said recently, adding that gambling is “an incredible opportunity to accelerate growth.” The move comes even as President George Bush has proposed tax breaks for casinos along the Gulf Coast as part of an economic recovery package following a pair of devastating hurricanes. In New Orleans, Nagin’s plan would call for a large-scale gambling area in the city’s central business district, mostly along the well-known Canal Street. Under the mayor’s plan, gambling would be allowed in hotels that have more than 500 rooms. Nagin predicted five or six of the nine eligible establishments would take advantage of the offer. However, the mayor’s idea quickly was opposed by some city leaders and … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist aid workers are contending with bone-chilling rains, roads jammed with homeless survivors and mobs desperate for help as they take relief supplies into the heart of Pakistan’s earthquake-devastated Kashmir. Southern Baptist aid workers are contending with bone-chilling rains, roads jammed with homeless survivors and mobs desperate for help as they take relief supplies into the heart of Pakistan’s earthquake-devastated Kashmir. With 11 workers on the ground, more on the way and $150,000 in Southern Baptist disaster relief funds, the relief team is transporting truckloads of medical supplies, tents and food into mountain areas near the epicenter of the worst earthquake in modern Pakistani history. “Our people are getting into areas that other organizations aren’t getting into because we know the local language,” the team’s coordinator said last week from their temporary base in Islamabad.     “The U.N. and all the big guys are taking care of easy-to-get-to places. We’re trying to get to places nobody will go. “So many are homeless, and today it rained,” the coordinator noted. “People are hunkered down under whatever kind of shelter they can find, so we’re buying as many tents as we can … [Read more...]

Instead of heading for the library to study for classes, Justin Langford and his wife, Melinda, spent a recent weekend at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary sorting through the mud and mold of their campus apartment, trying to salvage pieces of their lives. Instead of heading for the library to study for classes, Justin Langford and his wife, Melinda, spent a recent weekend at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary sorting through the mud and mold of their campus apartment, trying to salvage pieces of their lives. The couple moved into their first-floor campus apartment just two weeks before Hurricane Katrina blew through the city. It was more than a month before they were allowed to return to see if anything could be salvaged. But even before they could see their former apartment, the couple were met at the seminary gates in early October by volunteers requiring them to sign a waiver acknowledging they knew the dangers of entering the campus. Melinda Langford spent the day in her apartment wearing a face mask, sterile gloves and bright yellow boots decorated with orange flowers – they were just $10 at the shoe store. Most everything the couple had managed to gather in their 18 month marriage was … [Read more...]

As many know, Lynn P. Clayton is preparing to retire as Louisiana Baptist Message editor at the end of 2005. In preparation for that time, the newspaper staff currently is compiling a book of letters for Editor Clayton. As many know, Lynn P. Clayton is preparing to retire as Louisiana Baptist Message editor at the end of 2005. In preparation for that time, the newspaper staff currently is compiling a book of letters for Editor Clayton. Persons wishing to forward a letter for inclusion in the book are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Letters may be typewritten or handwritten and may be from individuals or groups, such as Sunday School classes. If possible, letters should be sent unfolded in manila envelopes. Please forward letters to "LBM Memory Book, P.O. Box 311, Alexandria, LA 71309." … [Read more...]

Last week, I embarrassed myself by admitting that I became lost in the mountains of Colorado while hunting elk. I said I would talk about getting out this week. Last week, I embarrassed myself by admitting that I became lost in the mountains of Colorado while hunting elk. I said I would talk about getting out this week. I certainly am not the only person who got lost in the mountains this year. Actually, so many people get lost in the mountains of Colorado every year that search and rescue missions became a major financial and personnel drain on the state and local governments. Some rescue efforts cost tens of thousands of dollars and countless man hours. Finding a lost wanderer amidst millions of acres of mostly uncharted mountains takes more than a handful of willing searchers. Often involved are helicopters, horsemen, trained dogs, state wildlife agents, medics and other volunteers. A number of years ago, the costs of searches and rescues became so great that a law was passed that said anyone who got lost and for whom such searches were conducted would be responsible for the costs. If a search and rescue effort was launched, even if the person who was lost walked out on his or her own, that person who … [Read more...]

One of the significant challenges Hurricanes Katrina and Rita present to Louisiana Baptists is maintaining – and even strengthening – support of the Cooperative Program. One of the significant challenges Hurricanes Katrina and Rita present to Louisiana Baptists is maintaining – and even strengthening – support of the Cooperative Program. This is ironic because in the midst of the destruction of the hurricanes, the strength of the Cooperative Program enabled Southern Baptists, including Louisiana Baptists, to act swiftly, strongly and positively. In case there is a reader somewhere who does not know, the Cooperative Program is the program of unified giving that enables local churches to give one gift that supports Southern Baptist work beyond their local fields. Louisiana Baptist churches give a percentage of their receipts to the Louisiana Baptist Convention, which, in turn, sends part of its receipts to the national Southern Baptist Convention for distribution to its national and international ministries. The organization needed for fast, effective response to disasters such as hurricanes already were in place when the storms struck because of agencies supported by the Cooperative Program. For instance, … [Read more...]