By Brad Welborn, LC Sports Information PINEVILLE – As the man following in the footsteps of legendary Louisiana College basketball coach Gene Rushing, Reni Mason knew the 2015-2016 season would pose a challenge. As a matter of fact, it would have been challenging regardless who followed Rushing, an LC icon who retired last year after 29 years as the Wildcats’ coach. “Coming into the season we knew it would be difficult because of the transition,” said Mason. “There were a lot of high expectations because of the talent returning.” The team, though, exceeded expectations, Mason said, explaining that the team made a first-ever trip to the American Southwest Conference Tournament Championship game. HOOPS JOURNEY “For seven years I coached at Evangel Christian Academy [in Shreveport] and I really enjoyed it,” said Mason. As Evangel’s head basketball coach, he guided the Eagles to a 154-53 record and three district titles in 2010, 2011 and 2015. He led them to the LHSAA Top 28 twice, including a runner-up finish in Class 2A in 2011. “However, it wasn’t until the last year or so there did I start to think about getting back into college basketball,” Mason said. The 44-year-old Mason played collegiately at Louisiana Tech before … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer FLORES, Indonesia – This month, a small group of Hispanic pastors will board a plane from Louisiana and head across several oceans to share the Gospel with Indonesians using an English-speaking interpreter. Using Spanish speakers to reach this country might seem unusual, but it is a perfect approach to winning souls among this mainly Muslim population, according to trip organizer Carlos Schmidt. “Indonesians accept Hispanics easier than Anglo people,” said Schmidt, Hispanic church planting strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “Even though the cultures are miles apart, they have similarities such as being very family oriented and having a unique colorfulness of the culture.” This is the third year Louisiana Baptist Hispanic pastors and church members have taken a trip to Indonesia, a country located in southeast Asia. The primary mission of the team is to assist the ministry of an English-speaking Christian couple, who live there and are trying to reach their people group for Jesus. During the first trip in 2014, the team worked through a small English-speaking grade school to share the Gospel in one town. When the team returned to the country last year, they built relationships with an … [Read more...]

By Chuck Kelley, President of New Orleans Baptists Theological Seminary The Great Commission is Matthew 28:18-20. Based on His authority as the Risen Lord, Jesus gives a very clear command. It is not a recommendation, a request, or a suggestion. He commands us to make disciples among all nations, noting that He will always be present with us as we go about the task. Note how Jesus explained “make disciples.” The mark of Great Commission progress is not how many hear the Gospel, nor is it simply making the Gospel known to an ever growing number of people. According to the text, new disciples who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who know and obey the commandments of Jesus, and who are themselves engaged in making disciples are the truest measure of progress. I call your attention now to a provocative chart on the Great Commission progress of SBC Churches. The chart begins on the left in 1881 and concludes on the right with the most recent year for which date is available, 2014. Conclusion #1: Lostness in North America is having a bigger impact on Southern Baptists than Southern Baptists are having on lostness. Put another way: The world is having a bigger impact on the behavior of Southern … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Jason, wife Jessica, Dubea new as pastor at Gateway Baptist Church, Ball. Joe Bob Alexander is the new pastor at Ferry Lake Baptist Church, Oil City. Chad Mills is the new pastor at Beulah Land Baptist Church, Haughton. Tommy McManus is the new pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, Eunice. Bryan Camp is the new youth minister at Beulah Land Baptist Church, Haughton. Mike, wife Arenda, Schultz is the new youth minister at Cross Point Baptist Church, Bossier City. Terry, wife Jennifer, Young is the new pastor at Airline Baptist Church, Bossier City. Jeff and Jan Shadoin are new as youth ministers at Bethany Baptist Church, Bethany. Ronnie, wife Kayla, Whitten is the music minister at Bethany Baptist Church, Bethany. Melvin Sharry resigned as pastor at Bethsaida Baptist Church, Shreveport. Michael Prescott resigned as pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church, Plain Dealing. Shelby, wife Devona, Cowling retires at First Baptist Church, Haynesville on May 15. REVIVAL Social Springs Baptist Church, Ringgold: Revival, May 8-12, Sunday 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 6 p.m. Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: James Hester. New Hope Baptist Church, Jonesboro: Harvest Sunday, May 15, 11 a.m. … [Read more...]

By Gary Meyers, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- At first, it seemed like any other chapel for Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, but he was in for a surprise. Members of the faculty and staff planned a special recognition of Kelley's 20th anniversary as NOBTS president. Kelley was clearly surprised and moved by the acknowledgement. Chapel at NOBTS usually includes a brief encouraging word from Kelley between two times of musical worship, when he greets those in attendance, introduces the speaker and offers a prayer of consecration for the service. But on March 1, when Kelley expected the music and singing to resume, it did not. Instead, Jonathan Key, faculty member and assistant to the president, stepped in to announce the anniversary. The announcement stirred a standing ovation from the chapel audience. Kelley began serving as NOBTS president on March 1, 1996. From 1983 until 1996 he served as an evangelism professor and director of seminary's Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health. During Kelley's tenure as president, the seminary has experienced significant student enrollment and endowment growth. During the celebration, John Foster, NOBTS trustee and member of Franklin … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE -- The Baptist Message has lost one of its long-time freelance writers. Mark Hunter, who has written for the Baptist Message since January 2011, died earlier today while worshipping at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, where he was a member. The church's Facebook page reported that Hunter suffered a cardiopulmonary event. Medical personnel in the worship service came to the aid of Hunter and emergency personnel were immediately called to the church. Jeff Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist Church, said an email that Hunter lived a life that honored Christ. Ginn said in addition to his love for serving Christ through writing faith-based articles appearing in the Baptist Message and Baton Rouge Advocate, Hunter was passionate about men's ministry at Istrouma and throughout Baton Rouge. "Mark died as he lived," Ginn said. "One moment he was singing a song of praise by faith in our Sunday worship service, the next moment he worshipped by sight in heaven. I remember the last words he shared with me. The day before he died he had written an article about a mission effort of our church. I shot him a "thank you" email for the compelling job he did in penning that story. His reply?  "To God be … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter NEW ORLEANS – The phone call Alexis Leslie received from Calvary Baptist School in New Orleans last year began with words every parent loves to hear. “I have awesome news,” Leslie said the principal told her. But when Leslie heard her 11-year-old son Liam had made a commitment to follow Christ, she was not sure she understood. “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know a whole lot about the Baptist religion. I’m Catholic,” Leslie said. “I really wasn’t quite sure what ‘saved’ meant.” The unusual phone call was followed by an unusual baptism when Liam Leslie, a fifth-grader, was baptized Oct. 28 in front of the entire student body, K-8th grade. The school is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans, and when a Sunday morning baptism could not be worked out, the church approved the baptism during school hours, a first for the school. “We couldn’t seem to find a perfect fit for a Sunday baptism date with the family,” said Laekan Carter, the school’s children’s coordinator and a chapel teacher. “Liam asked me weekly, for months, when he could be baptized.” Liam’s commitment to Christ had come months earlier after Carter had shared during a school chapel program what it meant “to have … [Read more...]