Submitted by philip on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 09:17 Jeremy Starnes, assistant director of the Gonzales Seafarer’s Center, visits with crewmen from the Sentinel II cargo ship while they sign into the center’s log book and enjoy cups of coffee before hearing a brief gospel message. The men were from China, Phillipines and Barbados, and all understood ‘working’ English enough to bow their heads in prayer. By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter GONZALES – The traditional view of international missions is to go out to all the world but at the Gonzales Seafarer’s Center, a ministry of the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge, men – and occasionally a few women – from all the world come in through the front door to hear about Jesus. The Center’s visitor log book shows names in many languages from dozens of countries and hundreds of ships that ply the Mississippi River on a daily basis. Last year’s annual report showed 885 visitors from 24 countries who heard the plan of salvation presented 631 times and who took 154 Jesus film dvds in their own languages back with them. “We average about 150 seafarers a month,” said Director Sylvester Wilson. There could be many hundreds more if it weren’t for strict post-9-11  Homeland … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 09:19 Russell Moore By Tom Strode, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – Russell Moore has been elected as the next president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The ERLC’s board of trustees approved Moore, currently dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in a special, called meeting Tuesday (March 26) at a Nashville hotel. Moore, 41, a native of Biloxi, Miss., will be the eighth president of the entity charged by Southern Baptists with addressing moral and religious freedom issues. With a background in government, the pastorate and seminary training, he already is well-known as a commentator from a Southern Baptist and evangelical Christian perspective on ethics, theology and the culture. “I am honored and humbled to be asked to serve Southern Baptists as ERLC president,” Moore said. “I pray for God’s grace to lead the ERLC to be a catalyst to connect the agenda of the kingdom of Christ to the cultures of local congregations for the sake of the mission of the Gospel in the world.” Moore’s election means he will be only the second ERLC president in the last quarter of a century. He will succeed Richard Land, who will … [Read more...]

By Stan Statham, Special to the Message SHREVEPORT – More than 60 SBC-trained Disaster Relief volunteers from Region 3 gathered in Shreveport recently for Incident Command System/Incident Management training. Region 3 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. “As a group we need to continually improve our efforts through training, implementation, and evaluation of our response to disasters,” said Terry Henderson, State Disaster Relief Director for the Texas Baptist Men; he led the training session. The incident command course prepares disaster relief volunteers to lead in small and large disasters following principles used by government agencies and other disaster relief organizations. Henderson told the group, “we must be able to speak the language of the “disaster world” if we are going to be taken seriously.” Coordinating disaster relief efforts is still a challenge, said Gibbie McMillan, the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Disaster Relief director. “During Hurricane Isaac it became apparent we still do not have enough volunteers trained in the incident command system that allows for the coordination of volunteers responding to the area impacted by a disaster,” McMillan said. Among the … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message Arrivals/Departures Grady Welch died March 26. He was with the Brotherhood and Stewardship departments of the LBC from 1961-90 and retired as LBC Stewardship Director. He was a member of First Baptist Pineville. Lamar Skinner, new as pastor of Alabama Baptist in Arcadia. Dennis Reeves, new as minister of music at Alabama Baptist in Arcadia.   Needed/Giving Lake Area Multi-Housing Ministry, Lake Charles, needs donation of a large van or small bus. Call Lonnie Cleveland at 337.396.8403.   Homecomings, Anniversaries, Revivals Philadelphia Baptist Deville: Lecture: Healing Oils of the Bible at 10 a.m. April 13, led by David Stewart. Youth Revival with Ed Newton at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 6 p.m. April 14, and at 6:15 p.m. April 15-16. Music: Fred Guilbert and the LC Chapel Band Sunday and Monday, and NewSong on Tuesday. Pastor: Philip Robertson. First Baptist Winnsboro: Revival at 6 p.m. April 14-17. Guest speakers: Eddie Wren and Raymond Perrin. Pastor: Craig Beeman. First Baptist Harrisonburg: Revival April 14-17 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, and 7 p.m. Monday – Wednesday. Speaker: Reid Terry; Music: Frank Jones; Pastor: Cory Bruce. Enterprise Baptist Farmerville: Revival April 21 at … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 09:26 The North Dakota legislature recently approved the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States, cutting off abortion access as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. By Staff, World News CANADA – The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in February that biblical speech opposing homosexual behavior, including in written form, is essentially a hate crime. The court upheld the conviction of activist William Whatcott, who distributed flyers regarding the Bible’s prohibitions against homosexuality throughout the Saskatoon and Regina neighborhoods in 2001 and 2002. Justice Marshall Rothstein wrote on behalf of the court:  “Passages of (the flyers) combine many of the hallmarks of hatred identified in the case law.”  He said the flyers “delegitimizes homosexuals by referring to them as filthy or dirty sex addicts and by comparing them to pedophiles, a traditionally reviled group in society.”   Saved By A Heartbeat   BISMARCK, ND – With little debate, the North Dakota Senate passed the strictest abortion ban in the nation March 15. The legislation, which now awaits Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s signature, would outlaw most abortions performed after the … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 10:04 Hannah Gay, the University of Mississippi Medical Center pediatrician who achieved a functional cure of a child born with HIV, told Baptist Press she will continue to focus on prevention as the best way to save babies from the disease. Churches can help, she said, by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices through the spread of the Gospel. By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press JACKSON, Miss. (BP) – Hannah Gay, the doctor newly noted for curing a Mississippi baby of HIV, calls her decision to specialize in pediatric AIDS “evidence of divine humor.” She entered the specialty in 1994 initially because it allowed her to work part-time as a physician and spend time with her husband Paul and their four small children. The family had returned to Mississippi after the couple served six years as Baptist workers in the Horn of Africa. Had the position been full-time, Gay said, she would not have taken it. “The part-time position that was open at that time here at University Medical Center was to help with the HIV clinic. So, I took it for that reason. Unfortunately, it remained part-time work for only about two months. And then it became super full-time work. But I enjoyed it,” she … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 10:06 Temple Baptist children’s center worker is demonstrating how a thumbprint is used to identify herself as part of a security measure employed by the church. By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director STATEWIDE – Nearly five years ago, Temple Baptist in Ruston had a good problem. Many facilities on its campus – including the children’s area – were outgrowing their allocated space and needed more room to accommodate ministries. So the congregation visited other churches and dreamed of a possible solution. To alleviate the situation, the church planned for and broke ground in July 2011 on a 35,000 square foot children’s building and dedicated the facility – The Journey Place – on Sept. 9, 2012. This move opened up space for additional adult ministry in the former children’s area, which was a win-win for everyone in the church, said Sally Hearn, Temple Ruston’s minister of childhood education. “Not only did it allow for more space in a more secure area, but it has given us an outreach opportunity as well,” Hearn said. “When people come for the first time, many times they end up wanting to come back here.” The first floor of The Journey Place includes a two-story indoor … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter MINDEN - Truckers stopping along the Interstate -20 corridor for fuel have an opportunity to get a spiritual fill-up as well thanks to a bible-distribution ministry. So far this year 1,789 free bibles have been placed in racks located inside five different truck stops along I-20, according to Randy Hales, the director of missions of the Bienville, Webster-Claiborne association. A sign is placed near the rack offering truckers the bibles for free. “The Road Home” New Testament bibles distributed are designed specifically for truckers and include personal testimonies from truck drivers. "We know the bibles are getting picked up by truckers passing through,” Hales said. Recently, Hales has received phone calls from truckers driving in Texas, Florida and North Carolina who had stopped at a truck stop along I-20 and picked up one of “The Road Home” bibles. “They had read the bible, had plenty of time to think about it on the road, and then gave me a call. The other day I had a call from a woman who use to be a pagan witch. She’s a trucker and had picked up one of our bibles. We talked for about an hour,” added Hales. The people involved in the truck stop ministry may never know the full … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 10:13 Peggy Renfrow, site coordinator for the Beauregard Christian Women's Job Corps (BCWJC), and her team of volunteers helps women help themselves and prepare for a lifetime of being independent in Beauregard Parish. By Tammy Sharp, Special to the Message DERIDDER–A hand up, not a handout, is what Peggy Renfrow and her team of volunteers offer to women in need in Beauregard Parish. As site coordinator for the Beauregard Christian Women's Job Corps (BCWJC), Renfrow helps women help themselves and prepare for a lifetime of  being independent. "God's always kept me working with women and children," said Renfrow, who took over responsibilities of running the BCWJC this past August after former Executive Director Mary Koehn retired. Coming from a background in journalism, Renfrow eventually moved into social work, she said, and began working in nonprofits, specifically with battered women. God's perfect timing opened up the spot at BCWJC at just about the same time Renfrow decided it was time to go back to work after having taken time off to help care for family members in need, she said. "It was like God said, 'Okay I'm ready for you to do this now,'" Renfrow said, and she … [Read more...]

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Tue, 04/16/2013 - 11:55 Jeff Thomas (left) with Meb Keflezighi, who won the American Olympic Marathon Trials, at the Boston Marathon By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director BOSTON, Mass. – Two Louisiana Baptists are among the thousands of Boston Marathon participants counting their blessings but searching for answers the day after two bombs went off near the finish line of the race. The bombs, which went off around 3 p.m. Monday, April 15, killed three people and injured at least 170, according to an Associated Press report Tuesday morning. Erin Oswalt, a member of Family of Faith church in Baton Rouge, had finished the race and was a couple of blocks away from the scene of the finish line when she heard both bombs go off. Oswalt and other Christians nearby then urged everyone to pray. “We were inspired in Christ-likeness by all the volunteers and special needs guides both before and after the bombs,” Oswalt said. “They serve many hours out of pride for their city, this event and Patriot's Day.” Patriot’s Day is a local holiday commemorating the opening shots of the American Revolution, at Concord and Lexington, in 1775. The Boston Marathon has been run on Patriot’s Day since it … [Read more...]