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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

N.O. church seeks to put gospel work ‘on the map’

David Crosby admits that when he found himself ministering in the inner city of Houston for five years, he sometimes wondered why he was there. David Crosby admits that when he found himself ministering in the inner city of Houston for five years, he sometimes wondered why he was there.   When he served as a city desk reporter for the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper during his seminary years, he probably wondered what world he had stumbled into at times as well.   But now, one easily can say it was all training for the day when Crosby would find himself as the only fulltime pastor of an Anglo church in the eastern part of Orleans Parish.   As it turns out, that pastorate is First Baptist Church of New Orleans.   As it also turns out, since arriving to the position in 1996, Crosby has led the church to a critical junction - for itself and for the Greater New Orleans area.   "It’s really been a generation since First Baptist Church has been ‘on the map,’ so to speak," Crosby acknowledged recently.   "But now we are again. This all is an effort to put a light on the hill - and we are."   Indeed, whereas it once may have taken initiative to … [Read more...]

Leader cites need to teach youth biblical sexuality

Youth ministries must teach teenagers how to reflect the glory of God with their sexuality, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler Jr. emphasized recently. Youth ministries must teach teenagers how to reflect the glory of God with their sexuality, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler Jr. emphasized recently.   Churches must confront the current crisis of teenage sexuality by teaching youth about the Bible’s comprehensive plan for sex and marriage, Mohler said.   "The church, as the redeemed people of God under the authority of Scripture, is supposed to be the one place where sanity prevails in God-ward terms," he said. "But we’re in big trouble, because so often, we do not begin where the Scripture begins."   Teenagers must understand that God created them as sexual beings so that they could glorify him in that area, Mohler said.   "When we talk about the crisis in sexuality, the first crisis is that most people don’t know where to begin," he said.   "So, let’s just nail that down and say, ‘We’re going to begin with the glory of God,’ so that our message to young people and to their parents is this - we want to help them, … [Read more...]

Study – religious involvement healthy for collegians

College students with high levels of religious involvement and commitment tend to be more emotionally and mentally healthy than those with little or no involvement, a study by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute indicates. College students with high levels of religious involvement and commitment tend to be more emotionally and mentally healthy than those with little or no involvement, a study by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute indicates.   "College can be an unsettling time as students struggle with change and fundamental issues about themselves and the world," UCLA professor Alexander Astin said. "This study suggests religion and spirituality can play a positive role in the mental and emotional health of students."   Students who frequently participate in religious services - compared to non-participants - show much smaller increases in feeling overwhelmed during college.   Non-religious students had a 14 percent increase in feeling overwhelmed, while religious students had a 2 percent increase during college, the study found.   Likewise, just 20 percent of highly-religiously-involved students reported experiencing high levels of psychological distress, … [Read more...]

Weekly Briefs

For the week of October 7, 2004 Disaster relief efforts   President George Bush made reference last week to ongoing Southern Baptist relief efforts to help Florida residents impacted by the recent string of hurricanes. "Despite week after week of strain, faith-based groups, like Southern Baptists and the Salvation Army, are setting up kitchens to feed the hungry," Bush noted in a visit to one area of the hard-hit state. The president repeated the reference in a follow-up visit to another Florida town the next day. In the wake of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, nearly 6,000 Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers have helped prepare more than 1.6 million meals and completed nearly 5,000 cleanup and recovery projects. On Sept. 27 about 600 volunteers from 10 states were already in various stages of deployment to Florida’s east coast in the wake of Hurricane Jeanne, and mobile kitchen units were en route from seven states. Louisiana Baptists have been an active part of the effort. Units from the state have been at work since August.   LBC youth conference   The annual Louisiana Baptist Youth Evangelism Conference has been set for Nov. 21-23 in the Rapides Parish Coliseum in … [Read more...]

Yarnell a wise choice who deserves understanding, support

Congratulations to the Louisiana College Presidential Search Committee and the Louisiana College board of trustees. They have elected a person of unquestioned academic achievement to serve as president of Louisiana Baptists’ shining gem. Congratulations to the Louisiana College Presidential Search Committee and the Louisiana College board of trustees. They have elected a person of unquestioned academic achievement to serve as president of Louisiana Baptists’ shining gem. Malcolm Yarnell earned a master’s degree from Duke and a doctorate from Oxford - two premier universities. He has served in teaching and administrative positions at two Southern Baptist seminaries plus he has secular business experience in the financial world. He understands the local church because he has served as a pastor.   Not unimportantly, he is a native Louisiana Baptist.   The Louisiana College Presidential Search Committee obviously worked diligently to bring a man of such qualifications and experience to the helm of the school.   Now, the future direction of the college will be determined to a large extent by Malcolm Yarnell. He comes to the school in the midst of a degree of controversy and uncertainty. … [Read more...]

Kids spend ‘One Day With God’ – and Angola dads

Reuniting 200 inmate fathers with their children during the recent One Day With God camp at the Louisiana State Penitentiary was a God-sized task. Reuniting 200 inmate fathers with their children during the recent One Day With God camp at the Louisiana State Penitentiary was a God-sized task.   And Supervisory Chaplain Robert Toney says it happened only because of a God-sized miracle.   "We offered something to the men that wouldn’t have been possible without an act of God," says Toney, also the pastor at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Gloster, Miss.   "All around me, I was hearing inmates pray for their kids, which gave me goosebumps," notes Bruce Efferson, head of the prison ministry at First Baptist Church of Slidell. "Seeing kids pray for their daddies was amazing."   Organized by the penitentiary at Angola in conjunction with Forgiven Ministries, a prison ministry in North Carolina, One Day With God was the first-of-its-kind event in the United States. It allowed 300 children to spend the day with their inmate fathers.   Indeed, while Forgiven Ministries has sponsored similar events at other prisons, it never had held one at a maximum security prison on such a … [Read more...]

So – your church is changing its worship style

The following article is based on a small-group seminar held during the "Whatever It Takes" conference at First Baptist Church of West Monroe. The conference was hosted by a trio of state conventions and was designed to focus church leaders on growth strategies. Note: The following article is based on a small-group seminar held during the "Whatever It Takes" conference at First Baptist Church of West Monroe. The conference was hosted by a trio of state conventions and was designed to focus church leaders on growth strategies. In addition to general sessions, a number of small-group seminars were offered to participants. The Louisiana Baptist Message will present periodic articles based on those seminars. The following article is based on a seminar entitled - "Transitions 101: Managing Change in Worship Styles."   Quinn Stanfill understands the perils of leading a congregation to adopt - and adapt to - a new worship style.   But he insists that deciding to change one’s worship style is not the danger.   Indeed, that is an easy choice, said Stanfill, associate worship pastor at First Baptist Church of West Monroe.   "It’s not the changes that do you in," he said. "It’s the … [Read more...]

LBC board proposes standstill budget for 2005

Louisiana Baptist Executive Board members approved a standstill state Cooperative Program budget for 2005 last week - but with some allocation changes. Louisiana Baptist Executive Board members approved a standstill state Cooperative Program budget for 2005 last week - but with some allocation changes.   In their scheduled meeting, they also adopted a recommendation to the previously convention-owned Baptist Retirement Center in Arcadia and a statement related to the ongoing transfer of responsibility for local associational directors of missions.   Most items of business during the meeting were handled with little debate, as board members also received reports regarding various aspects of convention work.   Cooperative Program   In the major item of business, Executive Board members agreed to a standstill $22 million budget that still must be approved by messengers to the annual convention.   While the overall budget goal remains the same as 2004, the allocation percentages for the money does change.   For one thing, the amount to be forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention to support worldwide missions and ministry efforts is set to increase from … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist scholar accepts call as new Louisiana College president

The official word came as anticipated - just in time for Louisiana College leaders to announce at their annual Founder’s Day service. The official word came as anticipated - just in time for Louisiana College leaders to announce at their annual Founder’s Day service.   The school has a new president.   Southern Baptist scholar and educator Malcolm Yarnell, 42, of Fort Worth, Texas, officially accepted the offer from Louisiana College trustees last week to become the school’s eighth president. He will assume the position in January.   "Today is a great day for the college," emphasized Ed Tarpley of Pineville, who headed the presidential search committee.   "Malcolm Yarnell is an outstanding theologian and teacher. He has a love for students and faculty, and he is truly a man that all Louisiana Baptists can be proud of.   "I think we have exciting days ahead for Louisiana College," Tarpley added. "And there’s no question in my mind that Dr. Yarnell possesses the character, the wisdom, the integrity to be the kind of leader that Louisiana College needs. He has a dynamic vision for the future of Louisiana College, and truly, better days are … [Read more...]

Parents favor new limits on TV sex and violence, study finds

A new study has found most parents favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence found on television shows during the early evening hours. A new study has found most parents favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence found on television shows during the early evening hours.   The Kaiser Family Foundation said 60 percent of parents are "very" concerned about the amount of sex on television these days, and 53 percent are as concerned about the levels of violence.   Nearly two-thirds of parents say they favor new regulations to curb such excess, with 35 percent opposed, the recent foundation study found.   Federal law prohibits radio and non-cable television stations from airing references to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. However, the law does not address the issue of violence, and the anti-indecency standard is only enforced when a complaint is filed, resulting in a review and possible fines.   At this point, television is the communication medium that most concerns parents overall, with 34 percent indicating it is the most dangerous to children.   Sixteen percent said the Internet most concerns them; 10 … [Read more...]