By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, remnants of Barry, continued to sweep across southern portions of Louisiana, July 15, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles issuing flash flood warnings for nine parishes. The cautions affect northwestern Acadia Parish, Allen Parish, Avoyelles Parish, Beauregard Parish, central Calcasieu Parish, Evangeline Parish, northern Jefferson Davis Parish, southeastern Rapides Parish and northern St. Landry parish. Oakdale and Oberlin in Allen Parish have both received the largest accumulations of water and are facing serious flooding, NWS noted. Radar and gauge measurements indicate some areas in the parish have received nearly 17 inches of rain with widespread totals of 6 to 12 inches of rain since Sunday evening. AVOYELLES PARISH “Moreauville has some really serious flooding right now, which is affecting a lot of people,” said Jacob Crawford, director of missions for the Louisiana Baptist Association, the oldest local association in the state. “It is a miracle there has not been more flooding than what there is right now.” Crawford also reported that the mission center in Simmesport had some minor flooding … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- The devastation from Hurricane Barry was far less than anticipated based on forecasts leading into the weekend, but for those who sustained damage this news does not lessen the impact on them. Several Louisiana Baptist churches reported that facilities suffered from floodwaters and winds as the result of Barry trekking through the state as a tropical storm and now a tropical depression. In places the storm dumped more than 20 inches of rain and produced sustained winds of 75 mph, with even higher gusts. With regard to Louisiana Baptist churches, Gibbie McMillan told the Baptist Message that he had received reports from three congregations, so far: -- Mechanicville Emmanuel Baptist Church in Houma lost portions of its roof, windows were broken, cemetery fencing was lost and a gazebo damaged. -- Immanuel Baptist Church in Morgan City experienced roof and siding damage, and multiple fallen trees. -- First Baptist Church in Franklin lost siding and had begun removing tree limbs downed by winds. Pastor Chris Jeffus reported to the Baptist Message that high winds damaged the roof and steeple of his congregation, the Trinity Baptist Church in New … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PORT BARRE (LBM) – Nearly 150 volunteers from Texas have spent a portion of their summer helping the First Baptist Church in Port Barre to expand its Gospel reach into the community through the construction of a worship center that will accommodate a growing membership. Under the direction of Mike Shumock, who serves as missions builder strategist for Louisiana Baptists and is the coordinator for Baptist Builders, a construction missions group, three teams from Texas are working with Louisiana Baptists to frame, install sheetrock, wire and plumbing inside the 20,000-square-foot facility. Once completed, the structure will house a worship center (with future seating for up to 600), youth room, reception area, nursery and coffee bar as well as restrooms and an education space with nine classrooms. Groundbreaking was held in early January and the new facility is expected to open by Christmas. “It’s been an amazing experience for us,” Pastor Benji Richard told the Baptist Message. “We have heard about groups coming to build other churches, but there is nothing like a first-hand experience. They don’t make it about just building a building but make it about Kingdom work. They have … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor BETH MOORE: SBC is misogynistic LifeWay’s top seller of books and Bible studies sparked a social media battle when she announced she would be preaching on Mother’s Day at a large church. A number of Southern Baptist Convention theologians weighed in and Beth Moore fired back, unleashing her discontent even with evangelicals’ support of Donald J. Trump during the 2016 presidential election. One of the first critics to comment was Owen Strachan, associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. Strachan blogged, May 7, that it was against God’s Word and design for “a woman to teach and preach to adult men.” Calling it a “sinful practice,” he added that “to do so is to bring the church body into disobedience against God.” Moore tweeted May 11 that she was “compelled to my bones by the Holy Spirit … to draw attention to the sexism and misogyny that is rampant in segments of the SBC, cloaked by piety and bearing the stench of hypocrisy. ...” and appeared to peg her distress to several high-profile SBC pastors who supported then-candidate Trump. “I had the eye opening experience of my life in 2016. A fog cleared for … [Read more...]