By Ronnie Floyd, SBC President SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) – Over 18,000 students are currently enrolled in our six Southern Baptist seminaries. This is the largest number of pastors, missionaries and scholars we have ever equipped at one time and is a great praise to our God. Due to the conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention by courageous men and women of God, our six seminaries are now anchored in a deep belief in the infallibility and inerrancy of Holy Scripture. Our Southern Baptist Convention rose to the occasion to declare to the world, “We believe in the Bible!” In our Baptist Faith and Message 2000, our convention of churches declared boldly: “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is … [Read more...]

By Diana Davis, author, columnist, ministers' wife, Pensacola, Fla. PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) – A stunning fact you may not know: According to U. S. Census data, more than one-fourth of all adults have never been married (27 percent). Another 6 percent are widowed and 12 percent divorced or separated. Most churches minister well to adults who are married. But, do we also acknowledge the great value and importance of that “invisible” multitude of unmarried adults? In interviewing several unmarried Christian friends, I discovered 10 tips for loving and ministering to single adults who are members or guests at church. 1) See each single adult as a valued individual, ready to meet God and serve Him, with or without a boyfriend or girlfriend, fiancé, spouse or three kids in tow. 2) Train greeters at church. Comments such as “Are you here alone?” or “Is it just you?” may give the implication that he or she is incomplete. 3) Acknowledge single adults as full-fledged members, not just as sideline people. Plug them into leadership and ministry roles to fit their spiritual gifts. Encourage them to serve on important church committees, projects and men or women’s ministry teams. 4) Involve singles in small groups. Many singles enjoy a … [Read more...]

By Allen Raynor, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Rogers, Texas There is an old Hindu law which says lying is justified in only two cases: in saving a person’s life and in paying a compliment to a lady. It gives us cause to chuckle, but most often lying takes on a more ominous tone. Lying is one of the most fascinating of sins. It is denounced and often despised by those on the receiving end, whereas it is commonly brushed off as no big deal by those on the giving end. Lies are easy to justify in the human mind. There is always someone to protect, someone to avoid disappointing or some reason to try to achieve what one believes is “the greater good” in a given situation. Christians historically have believed it sinful to lie and that it somehow simultaneously displeases God while actually pleasing Satan, who is identified in Scripture as the “father of lies.” Longtime Southern Baptist pastor Adrian Rogers once said, “A man is never more like the devil than when he lies.” Throughout Scripture the concepts of “truth” and “lies” are contrasted. It begins as early as Genesis 3 when sin first entered the world. It was God’s “truth” which was “lied” about by Satan who then helped lead Adam and Eve astray. Sadly, mankind has … [Read more...]

By David Jermiah, Pastor Shadow Mountain Community Church EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – The last aurochs – wild, huge cattle – died in Europe in 1627. They were the ancestors of modern domesticated cattle. How do we know they existed? History, in the form of cave drawings. Why is man driven to record the past in pictures, words, songs and stories? Since nothing can be done to change what has happened, why the compulsion to record it? It may have something to do with the observation of Spanish philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Looking ahead, looking back But when it comes to biblical history, there is another reason for recording it: Looking back, the historical record of God’s faithfulness to His people and His Word builds confidence as we look ahead. What wouldn’t the average person give for a book that describes the future of the world and the human race! Fortunately, such a book exists – God’s Holy Word. Looking forward, our fears are dispelled by what the Bible tells us about the future. But how do we know what the Bible says about the future will come to pass? Simply by looking back to the prophecies that have already been fulfilled. With every prediction and … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Norris Landry, who retired as pastor of Hessmer Baptist Church Jan. 1, new as associate Pastor at Life Point Community Church in Mansura and as a church planter with LBC. He’s seeking to establish a church plant in Plaucheville. Calvin Phelps new as interim pastor at First Baptist Church, Many. Lane Moore new as interim pastor at Eastwood Baptist Church, Haughton. Billy Pierce new as interim pastor at Red River Baptist Church, Benton. Wayne DuBose new as interim pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport. Jack and Carolyn Duke retired as music minister and pianist respectively from Woodland Hills, Shreveport Mike McKee retired as pastor from the deaf mission of First Baptist Church Shreveport. Donnie Bradley new as interim pastor at Mansfield Road, Keithville. Steve Pettey new as pastor at Pinecroft Baptist Church, Shreveport. Flint Miller new as children/youth minister at First Baptist Church, Zwolle. HOMECOMING First Baptist Church of Ponchatoula: 100th Homecoming, Feb. 22, 9:20 & 10:40 a.m. Speaker: Jake Roudkovski, former pastor 2001-2006. Pastor: David Cranford. REVIVAL Georgetown Baptist Church: Revival, Feb. 15-18, Sunday, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday through Wednesday 7 p.m. Evangelist: Joe … [Read more...]

CHALMETTE -- The inaugural Christian Crawfish Festival will be held on Feb. 27-28 in St. Bernard parish. The two-day event, which runs from 4 to 9 p.m. each evening, is hosted by the First Baptist Church, Chalmette, and will be held on the church grounds at 305 E. St. Bernard Hwy. in Chalmette.  King Rogers Crawfish Production, a St. Bernard parish entity, will be coordinating the event. Windham Hotel Resorts, Autozone, First Baptist Church Daycare and Before-And-After Care, are sponsoring the event. The event will feature all-you-can-eat crawfish tables, hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork and more through several vendors and ministries of the church. “We will also have Christian bands, music Groups, church choirs, ensembles and, yes, even some limited openings for Christian karaoke singers,” said Joel DieJoia, event coordinator with King Rogers Crawfish Productions. In addition DieJoia is in charge of advance ticket sales. Tickets for adults are $20; and for young people 14 yrs and under, $15.  There is no charge for children 6 yrs and under.  There is a general admission fee of $5 without the all-you-can-eat crawfish provision. “Honoring Christ is our mission,” stated John Dee Jeffries, pastor of First Baptist Church, “and … [Read more...]

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – Louisiana College may be closer to choosing a new president. The LC board of trustees will meet on March 5 for a special called meeting to discuss and vote on a candidate as president. “We have heard from a variety of the college’s constituents, and our search committee believes we have a candidate whose impeccable academic credentials and obvious Christian commitment constitute the caliber of leader who can take Louisiana College into the future,” LC Board Chairman Tommy French said in a press release issued by the college. If a new president is named after the March 5 meeting, it would end its search to fill the position, currently held by Interim President Argile Smith. The school began searching for a new president after the contract of then-President Joe Aguillard was not renewed. His contract as president expired on July 31, 2014, and the board approved an agreement which allowed Aguillard to remain on campus as president emeritus beginning Aug. 1, 2014. Smith then became interim president of the college once Aguillard’s contract expired. Before being named interim president, Smith served as Executive Vice-President for Integration of Faith and Learning at LC. Smith has said on multiple … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 02/23/2015 - 13:42 When Donna Kirkland Reed, shown holding her granddaughter Hannah, passed away from a hemorrhage of irregular blood vessels in early January, her legacy lived on with one last gift – a donation of her liver, both kidneys, and her left lung. Her left lung was donated to a man who was 60, kidneys to two different 40 year old men and at Reed’s family’s request, her liver went to Louis Robertson, the father of her pastor, Philip Robertson of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Even in passing, Donna Kirkland Reed’s legacy lives on with the donation of both her kidneys and a lung to three total strangers. But the donation of one final organ, her liver, was designated by her family to go to Louis Robertson, who was the father of her pastor, Philip Robertson of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville, and had been on the liver transplant list since last October. In what is being hailed as a ‘miracle’ by doctors and the ‘providence of God ‘by both families, the liver proved to be a perfect match. Here is the story of the Robertson and Reed family journey and the special bond that has developed between the two families. PINEVILLE – … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 02/23/2015 - 13:46 Still Water Baptist Church Pastor Lonnie Tucker, a church planter, is not the first African American elected as an officer of the Louisiana Baptist Convention – Franklin Avenue’s Fred Luter was the first – but he has the distinction of being elected to the highest office – First Vice-President. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer HAMMOND – Standing on the platform with other 2015 Louisiana Baptist Convention officers at the conclusion of last year’s LBC Annual Meeting, Lonnie Tucker couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the historic moment. Tucker had just been elected to the highest office ever held by an African-American to the Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The first African-American elected to such an office in 20 years, Tucker was “blown away” by the honor of chosen to serve as first vice-president. “It was a statement to our state and others in our convention that we want to come together,” said Tucker, who is pastor of Still Water Baptist Church with multiple campuses in New Orleans and on the Northshore. “We are different and I don’t believe in the phrase God sees no color. I believe He does and He loves it. He appreciates it. “As a … [Read more...]

By Ronnie Floyd, SBC President SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) – Christianity is alive and well in Washington, D.C., in spite of what you may read on your smartphones or watch on television. This past week, I spent two days in our nation’s capital, where I joined thousands of our fellow countrymen at the National Prayer Breakfast. I also saw firsthand the work of Southern Baptist lawmakers in Congress. There are 31 Southern Baptists serving in the House of Representatives and eight serving in the Senate. I was able to meet with many of them, and they asked me to share this message: Christianity is alive in our nation’s capital. Many of these elected officials attend weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings with their colleagues and local churches. And for the first time in more than 100 years, senators and representatives are gathering for a weekly worship service held in the U.S. Capitol. It is also open to the public. Ther assignment is tough. At times, it can be exhausting and discouraging. But they have a deep belief that God has them in this place at this time for a specific purpose. Each Southern Baptist lawmaker that I met loves the Lord passionately and serves our nation humbly and sacrificially. It was a true joy to be with … [Read more...]