By Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE, (LCNews) -- A persistent but false contention about the Holocaust is that the Jews did not resist; rather, they relented like sheep to the slaughter. History records that the Jews fought in partisan bands, ghetto uprisings, and death camp revolts, all of which disprove the argument that the Jews were passive regarding genocide. This faulty reasoning intimates that the Jews were unable to organize a resistance to the Nazis and generally submitted while hoping they would be delivered from evil rather than actively resisting themselves. Louisiana College is pleased to sponsor “A Time to Fight: Jewish Resistance in the Holocaust.,” featuring keynoter and Alexandria attorney Steven Oxenhandler. Set for April 9 at 7 p.m. in Martin Performing Arts Center, the event is free and open to the public. “We are elated for Mr. Oxenhandler, who is an Israeli Jew, to share the historical record of the plight and the fight of the Jews,” said LC President Rick Brewer. “As an academic institution built upon a biblical worldview, Louisiana College wants to emphasize an accurate and appropriate history of the Jewish people. To do otherwise is an affront to the academy and the Jewish nation,” Brewer … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ANGOLA – Inmates who are members of the first church within a prison approved for membership in a Baptist association have made a generous Cooperative Program gift. The prison congregation of Grace Baptist, located on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, did not have money to contribute through the Cooperative Program, so they used their construction skills to build a cooker as a gift for the Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief ministry. LBDR Director Gibbie McMillian said he is “humbled by the donation,” valued at $8,000, and said the commercial-grade cooker is a welcome addition to the equipment used for emergency responses in the state and around the country. David Goza, pastor of the Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, first learned of the effort by the inmates when he was at Angola to teach a New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary class. He said the men really wanted to show Louisiana Baptists their commitment to be part of the Convention’s cooperative missions and ministries. “Giving this grill to the LBC reflects what is in the heart of these men,” Goza told the Baptist Message. “This is a group of Christian men whose hearts have been … [Read more...]

By John Kyle, Louisiana Baptists Communications ALEXANDRIA -- Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, is being recommended as the next Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention according to a statement released by the search committee’s chairman, Waylon Bailey. “After months of prayer, deliberations and interviews we are excited to present Dr. Horn to lead Louisiana Baptists as we work together to fulfill the Great Commission in Louisiana and beyond,” Bailey said. Horn will be presented to the Executive Board’s Administrative Committee during a special called meeting on Thursday, April 11. If confirmed, the recommendation goes before the entire Executive Board during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 7 at the Tall Timbers Camp and Conference Center in Woodworth. If elected, Horn will succeed outgoing Executive Director David Hankins who will retire at the end of June. “Even though we are close, we are not finished,” Bailey continued. “The search committee requests continued prayer for Dr. Horn, the Administrative Committee and the Board as we prayerfully proceed with this important selection.” Bailey expressed his appreciation for the work of the search committee over … [Read more...]

By David Hankins, Louisiana Baptists Executive Director ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- I recently met with a group of our Louisiana associational mission strategists (formerly called directors of missions). As I stood before these friends and partners in ministry, knowing it would be the last time I addressed them as a group in my current position, I said, “I believe in the way we Baptists do our work.” I stand by those words. During my ministry, which spans 50 years, I’ve studied and observed many models of leadership and organization. While there are strengths in various approaches, none compares to our cooperative model -- when we work it, when we actually cooperate. I am concerned whenever any of us devalue the cooperative model we felt led of the Lord to establish decades ago. I believe this has a ripple effect through almost every area of Baptist life -- including baptisms, missions enterprises, Cooperative Program giving, and more. Whenever we minimize our denominational partnerships, sadly, every measurement we use to gauge our progress in fulfilling the Great Commission will trend downward. So, here is my prayer as I prepare to move into the next season of life and ministry: May Southern Baptists make cooperation great … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE – For the past 13 years, Lanier Baptist Church in Baton Rouge has presented a musical production chronicling the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and church members are passionate about the message that unfolds. “The production is very dramatic with heart-throbbing moments. You can’t help but be moved. Our prayer is that we can reach out to the lost with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Rev. Mike Ferguson, the pastor of Lanier Baptist Church. The Easter musical drama, “His Amazing Love,” will be presented April 18-20, 6:30 p.m., at Lanier Baptist Church. The passion play is free and open to the public. Each year, new songs and new scenes are added as the Lord leads, the pastor said. “We prayed about it, and we felt the Lord wanted us to do this production again,” Ferguson said. Virtually all of the 120 church members are engaged in the Easter musical with more than 90 adults and children from the church composing the cast and crew. The drama will feature live animals, stunning scenery and a powerful message of hope, the pastor said. The play, which is divided into three acts with 12 scenes, lasts about an hour and 15 minutes. A Gospel … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE (LBM) – A coalition of pro-life groups and individuals has launched a public campaign to support an amendment to the Louisiana Constitution that would prevent state courts from establishing a “right to abortion” or requiring state funds be used for abortion. The initiative comes as radical late-term abortion legislation, described by critics as allowing “up to the moment of birth” abortion, was passed in New York and defeated in Virginia, with other state legislatures lining up to pursue similar measures. Ben Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, told the Baptist Message the amendment simply will read “Nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” He said that the amendment “is silent on exceptions” such as rape and incest “because these issues are addressed in state law.” “The supreme courts of a dozen states have found a right to abortion in their constitutions,” he said. “We can’t let this happen in Louisiana. Two lawmakers are leading the state house effort for the amendment, which is aimed at preventing state court judges from overturning pro-life laws, for instance, … [Read more...]

By Staff, Louisiana Baptist Message MONTES CLAROS, Brazil – David Denton is urging Louisiana Baptists to join the annual summer mission trip to Brazil for a chance to experience a life-changing opportunity and the ability to impact an area that is open and receptive to the Gospel, Denton told the Baptist Message. Last year, 120 participants led thousands to the Lord. Denton, senior pastor of Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia, served as co-director last year with his father-in-law and retired Louisiana Baptist evangelism and church growth director Wayne Jenkins, who passed away Nov. 13 after leading 34 trips there. “Wayne Jenkins had a heart for the Brazilian people and led others to see how important volunteer missions are to the Great Commission,” Denton said. “The trip this year will honor his legacy as well as fulfill our divine mandate to make disciples. This one trip that is ready made for those who want to be involved in going to the furthest corners of the earth.” The team will leave for Brazil July 5 and return July 16 -- or July 18 if volunteers elect to stay two more days for an excursion. Most of the team’s work will take place in Montes Claros, a city of 394,000 people in the northern part of the … [Read more...]