Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/09/2013 - 18:34 By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor WOODWORTH – Louisiana Baptist Convention President Waylon Bailey did not pull any punches as he discussed the findings of the President’s 2020 Commission, the health of Louisiana Baptists, their churches and their efforts to further God’s Kingdom in the state. Bailey took the opportunity of the LBC’s Executive Board’s annual fall meeting at Tall Timbers to present what the commission had discovered and a 10-point action plan to strengthen, renew and reinvigorate efforts by utilizing Louisiana Baptists’ strengths. “Let me start by telling you where we are. From 2000 to 2010, a lot has happened in Louisiana. It has been a very momentous time in the state,” Bailey said. “The state’s population has actually increased by 60,000, despite the losses following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, yet we have 45,000 fewer members and there were 30 (1,613-1,583) fewer churches. “Our data shows we are losing ground in reaching the young people of our state,” Bailey said. “Since 1980 we have seen a significant decline in baptisms amongst our youth and children. Baptism of children and youth is down 42 percent. We are baptizing barely half the number of children and … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor WOODWORTH – The Executive Board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention waded through a busy agenda Sept. 24 at its annual fall meeting at the Tall Timbers Conference Center. While the majority of the items they dealt with centered on financial matters, including the 2014 budgets for State Missions Service and the Cooperative Program, the board also approved several bylaw and amendment changes. The board approved bringing the 2014 CP Budget and bylaw and amendment changes to the LBC annual meeting, which will be held at the Riverfront Center in Alexandria on Nov. 11-12, for consideration by messengers. “We would like to commend the very strong work by the state staff,” said Bob Adams, Chairman of the Administrative Committee, before presenting his committee’s report to the board. “They continue to do just an exceptional job.” Upon the committee’s recommendations, the Board approved the second quarter 2013 financial report, the 2012 annual audit, and the 2014 State Missions Service Budget of $13,611,663. This is an increase of only $129,792 (0.96% or less than 1 percent). The board also approved a bylaw change, an amendment change (articles of incorporation) and Adams also gave a response to a … [Read more...]

By Staff, World News Magazine The murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 became a cause célèbre for homosexual activists who said Shepherd’s murderers targeted him because he was gay. Now comes a new book saying Shepard and his murderers partied together, had sex together and used drugs together. The Book of Matt, out in early October to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the murder, is causing buzz because the writer is himself gay and a credible investigative reporter. One of the more interesting reviews of the book came from gay journalist Andrew Sullivan:  “If you’re going to base a civil rights movement on one particular incident, and the mythology about a particular incident, you’re asking for trouble, because events are more complicated than most politicians or most activists want them to be.”   Family Research Council Shooter Gets 25 Years   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The man who planned mass shootings at several Washington-based conservative organizations was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for the thwarted plot. Floyd Corkins II walked into the lobby of the Family Research Council (FRC) in August 2012 with a backpack full of Chick-fil-A sandwiches, a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition. Security guard Leo … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor Louisiana Baptist Message A moment of truth is rapidly approaching for those who believe homosexuality is an immoral, aberrant behavior. The choice will be whether to capitulate to a culture that asserts, without evidence, homosexuality is natural, normal and healthy, or to insist it is sinful and suffer consequences. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Aug. 22 against a wedding photographer who refused to contract with a homosexual couple to photograph a “commitment ceremony.” The court upheld a decision by a state agency that found the photographer had violated state law. Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that advocates for religious liberty and that defended the photography company, described the situation in a news release. In 2006, Vanessa Willock, one half of a lesbian couple, contacted Elaine Huguenin about photographing a commitment ceremony to be held in Taos, N.M. Huguenin co-owns Elane Photography, located in Albuquerque, N.M., with her husband. Willock communicated that the ceremony was designed to celebrate her homosexual relationship. Huguenin declined the business because she and her husband are Christians and hold the conviction that homosexuality is a sin. They wanted no part … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 10/09/2013 - 18:50 More than 300 students gathered at the concourse between Buckeye Junior High and Buckeye High School to pray and then listen to a brief message by Longview Baptist Church Minister of Youth Josh Sikes. Photo by Jade McEntyre By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Student-led prayer was the main focus on the final Wednesday in September. Whether they gathered in a group of two or as many as 400, the students’ mission was the same – pray for their families, friends, nation and school in the 23rd annual See You At The Pole. Started in 1990 with 10 students praying at their school in Texas, the grass roots movement has spread to thousands of campuses worldwide. Millions of students in public and private schools and colleges gather each year to pray on the fourth Wednesday of every September around their respective flagpoles. Grant Phillips was one of the more than 100 students who gathered to pray before the school day began at Alfred M. Barbe High School in Lake Charles. The senior from the school and member of Sale Street Baptist Church in Lake Charles said seeing his fellow classmates gather for prayer was a moving experience. “Today God moved in the hearts of … [Read more...]

By Craig Mitchell, SWBTS Professor OK, so did anyone else read about the leaked copy of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment on climate change? The IPCC report is out, and for true believers in climate change, it is an inconvenient truth. The report admits and cannot explain why there has been no significant increase in world average temperatures since 1997. And it admits that IPCC scientists’ computer models have been dramatically wrong. It also appears that the world is much less sensitive to changes in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Consequently, any rise in temperatures from an increased amount of CO2 may take a number of decades. Nonetheless, IPCC scientists believe there is a 95 percent chance that climate change (such as it is) is a man-made phenomenon. The Daily Mail in London reported Sept. 14 that Judith Curry, head of climate science at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, said the leaked “summary for policymakers” showed that “the science is clearly not settled, and is in a state of flux.... The consensus-seeking process used by the IPCC creates and amplifies biases in the science. It should be abandoned in favour of a more traditional review that presents arguments for … [Read more...]

By Michael Foust, Writer, Nashville, Tenn. If your child is playing in a football league and the other team is winning big, do you want the opposing players to lay down and let your kid’s team score? What about fining the other team $200 if the opposing coach does not cooperate? That’s exactly what’s happening in the Northern California Federation Youth Football League, where a league for children 7 to 13 year olds is now suspending the coach for one week and handing the team a $200 fine it wins by 35 points or more. It’s called the “mercy rule.” The league’s deputy commissioner says the rule teaches compassion and sportsmanship. Television station, KCRA, which broadcasts in the San Francisco Bay area reported the following: “Some players and parents said the … mercy rule is hurting the team and the players’ development. ‘Now they are afraid their coaches are going to get suspended and they are not going to have a coach to come out here and play football,’ said Kelly McHugh, a concerned parent. McHugh’s son is the kicker for the Sutter Huskies and said the rule means her son isn’t doing as much on the field. “I can’t kick field goals or practice my field goals,’ said James McHugh, 13. It’s certainly controversial. I … [Read more...]

To the Editor Claiming to be something and being something are two different things. Beginning with the time of John Calvin until today, there have been some Calvinists who claim to be Baptists. This is like claiming to be a Christian atheist. The two words are incompatible and in same way Baptist and Calvinists are also incompatible. From the time of Christ until today, Baptists have been a “whosoever will” people. For anyone to attempt to inject Calvinism into the Baptist faith is as absurd as would be an effort to inject falling from grace or praying for the dead. Why would we consider Calvinism and not the beliefs of other groups as well? Baptists defend the rights for our friends of other faiths to believe whatever they will. But a line is drawn when a person tries to inject non-Baptist theology into our faith. Personal integrity demands that such a person should join a church or even start one that is Calvinistic. Some Calvinist are trying to pirate Baptist churches, colleges, universities and even seminaries – none of which they have had any part in building. Some Calvinists claim their takeover effort is the result of other issues. I could think far more highly of these people if they would openly acknowledge they … [Read more...]

Question: How can I understand the Bible better when I read it? Bill Warren responds: Epistles comprise 21 of the 27 NT books. Most NT epistles are public letters sent to specific groups of Christians, making them quite different from casual personal letters among family or friends. These public letters were written to be read aloud to the groups receiving them, not simply to be read privately by individuals. Of course, most of the Christian recipients could not read, so having the letters read aloud to them was the only means of accessing the text. As letters, the epistles follow the common first-century letter writing forms (Philippians is cited as an example). The epistles (except Hebrews) begin with a salutation and greeting, stating the writers names and to whom they are writing, and then expressing greetings (Phil. 1:1-2).  Expressions of thankfulness and prayers for the recipients follow (Phil. 1:3-11).  Then the circumstances that led to the writing of the letter are normally given, concluding with a statement of the main purpose of the letter (Phil. 12-30).  Next comes the main body of the letter, with the primary theological development of the letter given here as the main arguments are presented and defended (Phil. … [Read more...]

By Philip Caples, Louisiana College Dr. David Uth, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., made a statement that caused a deep impression on my heart, during the recent E4 Preaching Conference. Uth shared that people who want to become successful seem to focus on themselves, and people who want to become significant focus on influencing others. As I pondered the difference between being successful and significant, a question came to my mind. Which type of person is the better of the two options? To answer this question, I searched the Scripture, and the Lord led me to 2 Kings 5:1-14. In this Bible passage, Naaman, captain of the army of Aram, emerged as a great warrior and was a highly respected individual both within the community and with his political leader, the king. However, he had one major problem. He was a leper. Being a leper usually resulted in the person being cut off from his community to live with other lepers outside town. While the biblical text does not reveal this situation, we are told that Arameans had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel. The significance of the writer revealing that this little Israelite girl wanted to help her master by telling him about the prophet in … [Read more...]