For the week of November 15, 2001 Potpourri • ALEXANDRIA - Horseshoe Drive church: The Down East Boys, Mark Lanier and The Bennetts in concert; Nov. 16, 7 p.m.; Don Arbuckle, minister of music; Aubrey Whitlock, pastor.   • BATON ROUGE - Goodwood church: The Down East Boys in concert; Nov. 15, 7 p.m.; David Campbell, pastor.   • EUNICE - Acadian center: children’s retreat; Nov. 30 - Dec. 1; John Yates, speaker; for information, call the camp at (337) 457-9047; James Newsom, camp manager.   • FOREST HILL - Calvary church: Brotherly Love in concert; Nov. 18, 6 p.m.; Mike Evans, minister of music; Joel McMickin, pastor. Homecomings • ALEXANDRIA - Twin Bridges church: 30th homecoming/anniversary; Nov. 18; Sunday School, 9:45 a.m.; worship service, 10:45 a.m.; Herb Dickerson, speaker; The Bennetts, music; dinner to follow; Robert Daniel, pastor. Anniversaries • BOGALUSA - Lee’s Creek church: 130th; Nov. 18, 9:30 a.m.; Terry Wilkerson, speaker; Tim Jones and Ric Watkins, music; dinner and afternoon service of worship and praise to follow; Lonnie Thompson, pastor.   • BOGALUSA - First church: 95th; Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m.; dinner to follow; Bob Adams, pastor.   • DEQUINCY … [Read more...]

The Salvation Army’s Western Corporation is set to offer healthcare benefits to the domestic partners of its employees - many of whom are homosexual.   The action has been announced despite the Salvation Army’s long-standing policy against homosexuality. The Salvation Army’s Western Corporation is set to offer healthcare benefits to the domestic partners of its employees - many of whom are homosexual.   The action has been announced despite the Salvation Army’s long-standing policy against homosexuality.   The Western Corporation is based in Long Beach, Calif., and is one of four Salvation Army nonprofit corporations in the nation.   It previously had severed ties with the San Francisco government rather than comply with the city’s Equal Benefits Ordinance, which forced city contractors to offer benefits to domestic partners of employees.   The Salvation Army had been the last major holdout on the 1997 ordinance, forgoing a $3.5 million contract with the city to provide drug rehabilitation and meal programs, as well as a homeless shelter.   However, a Western Corporation official said changes in society now has dictated a change in healthcare … [Read more...]

Homosexuals continue to gain employment rights in both the public and private sectors, a new report indcates.   More than 700 American employers added health insurance benefits for the partners of their homosexual employees during the last year, reported the country’s largest homosexual political organization, the Human Rights Campaign. Homosexuals continue to gain employment rights in both the public and private sectors, a new report indcates.   More than 700 American employers added health insurance benefits for the partners of their homosexual employees during the last year, reported the country’s largest homosexual political organization, the Human Rights Campaign.   In some cases, the policies also cover unmarried, heterosexual partners.   The total reflects an increase of 20 percent from the previous year. The 4,284 companies, colleges, and state and local governments that now offer or have announced they soon will offer health benefits to domestic partners amounts to a 50 percent increase from 1999, the report said.   In addition, more than 290 employers extended their nondiscrimination policies during the last year to cover "sexual orientation." The … [Read more...]

The Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting last week significantly mirrored the 1990 Southern Baptist Convention that met in the same metropolitan area.   At the New Orleans 1990 Southern Baptist Convention, the movement headed primarily by Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson won a watershed election as Morris Chapman defeated Daniel Vestal for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The margin of that vote was 58 percent for Morris Chapman and 42 percent for Daniel Vestal. The Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting last week significantly mirrored the 1990 Southern Baptist Convention that met in the same metropolitan area.   At the New Orleans 1990 Southern Baptist Convention, the movement headed primarily by Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson won a watershed election as Morris Chapman defeated Daniel Vestal for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The margin of that vote was 58 percent for Morris Chapman and 42 percent for Daniel Vestal.   Since that election, those opposed to the movement that was reshaping the Southern Baptist Convention never have put forth a candidate for the convention presidency.   Last week in Westwego, a suburb of New … [Read more...]

For the week of November 22, 2001 Messenger registration Almost 1,600 messengers registered for last week’s Louisiana Baptist Convention at the Alario Center in Westwego. The unofficial final tally of 1,592 falls far short of last year’s total of 2,169 and the previous year’s total of 1,952. However, it represents an increase from the last time the state convention met in the New Orleans area. That 1992 convention drew 1,026 messengers. Arrangements Louisiana Baptist convention messengers approved program personalities for the 2002 annual meeting, scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. The convention sermon at that gathering is scheduled to be delivered by David Uth, pastor at First Baptist Church of West Monroe. The alternate preacher is Chuck Pourciau, pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. Music director for the 2002 annual meeting will be Jim Faull, director of church music and worship development for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The alternate music director is Herb Armentrout, minister of music at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport. In addition to those personalities, messengers last week agreed with a Committee on Arrangements recommendation to hold the 2005 annual … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week.   The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers from the LBC Executive Board at last week’s convention. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week.   The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers from the LBC Executive Board at last week’s convention.   The approved budget of $23,923,076 represents an increase of $1,173,076 (5.2 percent) from the current goal.   It also represents a major challenge for Louisiana Baptists, who have enjoyed strong giving in recent years.   However, economic unrest has impacted giving this year. At last week’s annual meeting, convention leaders acknowledged gifts may fall as much as $1 million below budget by the close of the calendar year.   If that happens, it means giving would have to increase by almost $2.2 million next year in order to reach the 2002 goal.   However, that scenario did not prove daunting to convention messengers, who approved the 2002 budget without … [Read more...]

A trio of Louisiana Baptist preachers urged state pastors last week to preach the Bible, depend on Jesus and have a vision for winning all of the world to Christ.   The three Louisiana preachers were among 10 speakers at the annual Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, which held three sessions at Celebration Church in Metairie prior to the Louisiana Baptist Convention last week. A trio of Louisiana Baptist preachers urged state pastors last week to preach the Bible, depend on Jesus and have a vision for winning all of the world to Christ.   The three Louisiana preachers were among 10 speakers at the annual Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, which held three sessions at Celebration Church in Metairie prior to the Louisiana Baptist Convention last week.   "The Word of God ought to do an effective work, ..." proclaimed Jimmy Robertson pastor at Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary. "And I believe it will. But first of all, if people are going to hear it as the Word of God, it must be preached as the Word of God, without any question, without any doubt. ... It must be preached as the eternal, infallible Word of God."   The Bible must be preached under the authority and … [Read more...]

In the end, what figured to be another close election for Louisiana Baptist Convention president turned out to be a virtual landslide.   And with the election of Steve James as president - and two other fundamental/conservative nominees as vice presidents - messengers sent a decisive message regarding the future direction of the state convention. James is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. In the end, what figured to be another close election for Louisiana Baptist Convention president turned out to be a virtual landslide.   And with the election of Steve James as president - and two other fundamental/conservative nominees as vice presidents - messengers sent a decisive message regarding the future direction of the state convention. James is pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles.   Election of James means that fundamental/conservatives presidents have won the last three contested open elections and will have occupied the convention’s top office for five of the last seven years.   The string is broken only in 1997 and 1998, when Louisiana Baptists gathered around a consensus peace candidate and granted Bob Anderson of Baton Rouge two terms as … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists approved six resolutions last week, all without discussion or debate.   In addition to traditional resolutions of appreciation for the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation and convention organizers, messengers to last week’s annual state convention approved statements on: Louisiana Baptists approved six resolutions last week, all without discussion or debate.   In addition to traditional resolutions of appreciation for the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation and convention organizers, messengers to last week’s annual state convention approved statements on:   • The nature of the Bible.   The approved statement notes that Baptists always have believed the Bible to be the "holy,inspired, written Word of God."   But some have claimed to discover errors in it, the resolution notes. "Doubters of God’s Word have manipulated definitions of words such as ‘infallible,’ ‘perfect’ and ‘true’ to allege falsehood in the Bible or to claim the Bible to be true in one area of knowledge and not in others."   In response, the resolution declares "that the Bible is inerrant, infallible, true, trustworthy, without mixture of error and … [Read more...]

For the week of November 22, 2001 Potpourri • ALEXANDRIA - Calvary church: "Family Gift Seminar" one-night seminar for parents and children; Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m.; cost is $5 per family; Bill Beausay, speaker; for information, call the church office at (318) 445-5640; David Brooks, pastor.   • OPELOUSAS - Cecilia church: John Yates, ventriloquist, to perform, Dec. 2, 10:30 a.m.; Francis Soileau, pastor. Homecomings • RAYVILLE - Boeuf River church: Dec. 2, 11 a.m.; S. B. Boyett, speaker; dinner to follow; Benton Moore, pastor. Ordinations • BATON ROUGE - Woodlawn church: Mike O’Neal to gospel ministry; Tommy Middleton, pastor. Youth • MORGAN CITY - First church: youth choir to present"Because We Believe" (youth-led worship experience) Nov. 25, 6 p.m.; Kathy Kinnison, minister of youth; Earl Waggoner, pastor. Christmas Programs • MINDEN - First church: youth choir to present "The Ultimate Youth Christmas"; Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.; Max Hutto, minister of music; Roy Strother, pastor. Ministers Needed • FOLSOM - Red Bluff church: interim pastor and full-time pastor; for information, contact Bryant Laird at (985) 796-0381.   • LECOMPTE - First church: part-time youth minister and part-time minister … [Read more...]