By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE – The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session was gaveled to a close on June 6. Considered a fiscal session, legislators were only allowed to introduce five bills in 2013 that were not fiscal in nature. Even-numbered years are considered general sessions and legislators are not limited to how many bills can be introduced. However, legislation cannot be related to taxation. Even though lawmakers were limited this year in what could be introduced, there were many significant pieces of legislation considered with social and moral ramifications. Senate Bill 222, sponsored by Sen. Mike Walsworth of West Monroe, turned about to be one of the more controversial pieces of legislation this session, fueled primarily by a misunderstanding. Walsworth’s bill sought to revamp state oversight of daycare facilities in the state. The language seemed to indicate that churches with “Mother’s Day Out” type programs could be classified as a daycare facility under the new proposal. Though Walsworth repeatedly stated that state law already protected churches and that his bill would not alter that status in any way, there were some Louisiana Baptist churches who were concerned. Gene Mills of the Louisiana Family … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:33 Emma Miller of Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball recently took 39 gallon-size zip bags to the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, Tenn., to help the families of cancer patients. By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor BALL – Emma Miller of Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball was 6 when she started saving the tabs off aluminum cans. She’ll be 11 in August, and she’s still at it. People from across Louisiana – readers of the Baptist Message – have to date helped her gather more than a half-million tabs. She collects them for the Ronald McDonald House near St. Jude’s Hospital for Children in Memphis, Tenn. The facility provides free housing for the families of cancer patients at St. Jude’s. This spring was Emma’s first time to personally deliver to the Ronald McDonald House the tabs she had collected. She took 39 gallon-size ziplock bags, which filled a 33-gallon plastic can. “Since 2009 she has collected more than 100 gallons, which is several hundreds of thousands of tabs,” said Kristetta Miller, Emma’s mom. “With Emma, it’s not numbers that matter to her; just helping.” Emma Miller expressed her thanks “to every church and individual who has helped. Please tell them to … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message STATEWIDE – A variety of camping and other experiences for youngsters and teens is already underway across Louisiana. In addition to RA Camp and GA Camp and a slew of other camps throughout the summer, a week of Harvest Now 2013 is coming to a close July 4 in the Sabine Parish area. Led by its theme of “Step Out” from Matthew 14, the hundred or more teens spread out across the parish, doing what good deeds and acts of kindness they could find to do. The teens started each day with devotions led by area youth leaders. Brian Gilcrease, youth pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist in Florien, was guest speaker; bands this year were 4 Days Late and Adam Hippler. “The focus is to reach our community, sharing Jesus and meeting the needs of others,” said Gilcrease, who organized the week of hands-on discipling. “It’s also to demonstrate to these youth their boldness and ability to truly follow Jesus.” In Jonesboro, the 2013 high-energy, evangelistic Youth Explosion is set for July 28-31 at the Jonesboro-Hodge High School gym. It’s “Get Off the Fence” theme this year comes from Revelation 3:15-16, said event organizer Clay Smith, youth minister at First Baptist Jonesboro. Line-up: Speaker: David Nasser; Band: … [Read more...]

Arrivals/Departures Buddy (wife Sharon) Hampton new as pastor of Belcher Baptist Church in Belcher, La. Charles Rogers has resigned as pastor of St. Clair Baptist near Gardner. Clovis (wife Tawney) Christman new as pastor of Flowers Landing Baptist in Newelllton. Thomas J. (wife Sandra) Boyd new as pastor of Calvary Baptist in Natchitoches. Eric Bradley has resigned as student minister at First Baptist Haynesville. Yancy Martins has resigned as pastor of Grace Baptist Goldonna. Herman Lenard new as pastor of Sikes Baptist in Sikes.   Needed/Giving St. Clair Baptist Church, three miles south of Gardner in Cenla, seeks a full-time pastor. Send resumes to Pastor Search Committee, 940 St. Clair Rd, Boyce LA 71409. Longview Baptist in Deville seeks a fulltime Minister to Students. Send resumes torpoole@longviewbaptistchurch.com. Pastor: Robby Poole. Don Avenue Baptist in Denham Springs needs a Music Director, mainly for Sundays. Call 225.665.5150 or email: donavenuebaptist@bellsouth.net Wallace Ridge Baptist in Jonesville needs a fulltime bivocational pastor. Send resumes to Pastor Search Committee, 202 Tols Road, Jonesville LA 71343. Longview Baptist Deville seeks a paid pianist for Sunday only. Call the church … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:38 By Staff, World News Magazine WASHINGTON, D.C. – In 1965, the U.S. Department of Labor produced a report arguing that “the decline of the black nuclear family would significantly impede blacks’ progress toward economic and social equality.” The document, known as the “Moynihan Report,” stirred heated controversy. The Urban Institute revisited the subject this year. The new study again focused on the African-American community, and its disproportionately high poverty rate. The Urban Institute found that increasingly, single-parent households leads to poverty – and now the percentage of black children born to unmarried mothers is three times higher than it was in the 60s. The share of white children living without fathers has also increased, but rates remain significantly higher among blacks. In 2009, nearly three-quarters of African-American children were born outside of marriage, resulting in 40 percent of black children living below the poverty line. Regardless of race, single-parent families are far more likely to live in poverty, with four of every ten single-mother families in poverty, and only one of 12 two-parent homes in poverty. Another study by the Heritage … [Read more...]

mission’s challenge Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 14:40 SBC president Fred Luter gives and gets warm greetings from local children upon arrival to a remote island on Lake Victoria in Uganda. Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, visited the island with other U.S. pastors to encourage a local church. By Rolan Martin, IMB Communications UGANDA (BP) – The sun hung low on the horizon as the boat slowly chugged to the banks of the remote Buziri Island in Uganda’s Lake Victoria. Weary from a boat ride of more than six hours, a team of six U.S. pastors, including SBC President Fred Luter, and a handful of IMB personnel, looked with anticipation to the nearing shore. The sturdy wooden fishing boat had looked comfortable enough at the beginning of the journey at a muddy river’s edge after an hour-long bus ride from the town of Jinga. But the boat packed with supplies became more confining to its passengers the longer the journey stretched across the water. The supplies, boat and its motor were provided through Southern Baptists’ gifts to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, which also supports missionaries’ presence and ministry projects … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/15/2013 - 13:36 BCM students from Louisiana’s colleges and universities spread out across the globe – such as this unnamed (for security reasons) Mediterranean nation – throughout the year, to share God’s love with people who have never heard and for those who never thought ‘whosoever’ applied to them. By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor STATEWIDE – While most college students spend their summer earning money to go back to school next fall, a select few have something more important to do: Share God’s love with those who haven’t yet heard of it. Others manage to carve a couple of weeks out of their summer to do God’s work. Still others eke out missions experiences during seasonal breaks throughout the year. “The integration of faith into all areas of a student’s life makes missions a natural expression for a young, healthy adult who is excited and unafraid of this life and the life to come,” said Bill Collins, BCM director at Northwestern State University and coordinator of summer missions teams of Louisiana college students. “Missions also allows a student to develop a healthy world view.” This summer, 351 BCM students from Louisiana’s 28 BCMs have scattered to 42 states and 19 … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 07/15/2013 - 13:39 More and more Louisiana Baptist churches are electing to add in their bylaws a stipulation that their ministers will perform only traditional marriages on their premises. The move is in response to the June 26 ruling involving same-sex marriage, when the Supreme Court struck down part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage for federal purposes as just between a man and woman. The portion struck down by Supreme Court justices of DOMA is Section 3, which defines marriage as a heterosexual union for purposes of such matters as federal benefits and bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director STATEWIDE – More and more Louisiana Baptist churches are electing to add in their bylaws a stipulation that their ministers will perform only traditional marriages on their premises. The move is in response to the June 26 ruling involving same-sex marriage, when the Supreme Court struck down part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage for federal purposes as just between a man and woman. The portion struck down by Supreme Court justices of DOMA is Section 3, which defines marriage as a … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor If all laws were suspended for 12 hours, what would you do? If any and all behavior were legal for half a day, how would you respond? A film currently in theaters has this as its main premise. “The Purge” horror film opened in movie theaters across the nation last month. The setting for the movie is America in 2022, and the United States has become “a nation reborn.” Crime is virtually nonexistent in the futuristic U.S. and the unemployment rate is the lowest in history. The strong state of the union supposedly is due to the government instituting an annual 12-hour period in which no behavior is illegal. Called “the purge,” the half-day of chaos essentially makes all crime legal, including murder, which seems to be the crime of choice for the majority of citizens. Additionally, all emergency services are suspended. Not everyone participates in the murderous mayhem. Those with means barricade themselves inside heavily fortified homes behind elaborate security systems. Some even watch the 12-hour carnage unfold via security cameras. In an effort to justify “the purge,” a main character who endures the annual night of legalized crime ensconced in her fortified home says, “Just remember all the … [Read more...]

By David Roach, Shelbyville, Ky. In recent days Christians have rightly decried the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in favor of gay marriage, calling them unjust, unwise and ungodly.   The decisions will have adverse effects on society, and followers of Jesus should work tirelessly to see them overturned. At the same time, however, the Bible reminds us not to be discouraged or imagine that a culture awash in sexual immorality will rob the church of its power. The first-century Roman Empire practiced and even embraced an array of sexual perversions, but God used that sin as a backdrop to highlight the power of the Gospel and the holiness of His church. Consider several of the cities where early believers lived. The apostle Paul’s description of Gentile-dominated Rome included reference to homosexuality. Women there “exchanged natural relations for those that [were] contrary to nature” while men “likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another” (Romans 1:26-27). Indeed, Rome was a bustling metropolis that offered an array of sexual perversions to those seeking illicit pleasures. Yet in that city, the Gospel proved to be “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believe[d]” … [Read more...]