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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

State law provides balance in evolution debate, LC prof says

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Ten years after the passage of the Louisiana Science Education Act, one of the law’s most outspoken advocates is celebrating how the legislation gave the state’s science teachers the right to present the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. “If the science teacher is going to be a good teacher, they are going to want their students to think critically, to be able to analyze the information they are being presented,” Louisiana College Biology Professor Wade Warren said in a podcast interview with the Discovery Institute that aired June 28. “At the very least, the Louisiana Science Education Act gives the science classroom the opportunity to be more objective. And I am in favor of that. “Let the students read the data. Let them decide for themselves,” he said. “But there is no way they are going to be able to do that if they are only presented the strengths of a particular model and not the weaknesses.” The Louisiana Science Education Act was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal in June 2008. The act allows public school teachers to utilize information that may not be available in textbooks to … [Read more...]

After ’16 flood, Park Forest revived, experiencing revival

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE – The handful of people who remained at Park Forest Baptist Church in Baton Rouge after the great flood of 2016 asked for help to revitalize their dying congregation. The Church at Addis enthusiastically stepped in and a true revival has ensued for the once-ailing Park Forest. “Our mission statement is pretty simplistic – serving God by serving others,” said Thomas Shepard, pastor of the Church at Addis. “We are going out and doing what we can to reach our community.” DISCIPLESHIP BY SOCIAL MEDIA Since taking over what is now the Church at Park Forest in September, attendance at its Sunday morning worship services has increased from nine to 35. Shepard attributes much of the growth to the discipleship method used at the Church at Addis. Through social media, a member invites his or her friends to log onto Facebook to participate in studies about parenting, marriage and finances. Once the users complete the sessions, members then invite the friends to another study at the Church at Addis. By using this approach, the Church at Addis has grown from 12 people when Shepard took over -- what was then First Baptist Church in Addis -- in 2010 to 650 at its worship … [Read more...]

Scalise’s rescuer, Paris train hero will be honored at FBC Bossier

By Staff, Baptist Message BOSSIER CITY – David Bailey, the special agent who risked his life saving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana during a shooting while practicing at the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, will share his testimony during a worship service at First Baptist Bossier City Aug. 26. Bailey, who was also injured in the incident June 14, 2017, received the Medal of Valor, the highest civilian medal awarded by the president of the United States. He will speak during the 10:30 a.m. worship service as part of the church’s “Honor Our Heroes Sunday.” Active military, police, firemen and first responders will be honored during the services and at a breakfast reception at 9:15 a.m. and lunch at 12:15 p.m. Ernie Haase and Signature Sound will provide special music. Former Air Force Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone also will share his testimony. Stone garnered international headlines in 2015 when he and his childhood friends thwarted a major terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train. French President Francois Hollande presented Stone with the nation’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honor. He later was awarded the Airman’s Medal and a Purple Heart, and was featured in the film 15:17 … [Read more...]

Louisiana Notables

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Marty, wife Joy, Williams is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Zwolle. Connie Smith has retired as pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church, Dubach. David Sandez has resigned as the Hispanic Ministry Missionary for the Concord Union Baptist Association and as Pastor of Nazareth Hispanic Mission, Bernice and Filadelfia Hispanic Mission, Simsboro. B. K. Miller will be the interim pastor at Liberty Baptist Church, Marion (beginning the first Sunday in September.) Dave Ketchand is the new associate pastor at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church, Independence. HOMECOMING Bethel Baptist Church, Colfax: Homecoming Sunday, August 26, 9:45 a.m. – Sunday School; 10:45 a.m. – Worship Service; Noon – Homecoming dinner. Speaker: Charles Hutzler. Pastor: Carl Gulde. Christian Fellowship Cathedral, New Orleans: … [Read more...]

The Southern Baptist Convention is undergoing a seismic shift

By Gerald Harris, former editor of the Christian Index Following the 1990 Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans a host of conservative Baptists converged on the Café du Monde to celebrate another victory for the cause of biblical inerrancy. Paige Patterson, writing in the Southwestern Journal of Theology, proclaimed, “The aroma of café au lait and powdered sugar-covered beignets was discernible several hundred feet from the famous coffee house. “That night as the convention parliamentarian led the rejoicing conservatives in singing ‘Victory in Jesus,’ that coffee aroma was to conservatives the aroma of life unto life, but to scores of moderates who had tasted several years of defeat, it became the aroma of death unto death.” I have had over a month to process the events of the most recent Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas; and for me it was a Café du Monde experience. The only difference is that I felt like I smelled the aroma of death unto death – at least for the SBC I have known for a very long time. The Southern Baptist Convention is not just changing; it has changed. Many will consider it a blessed conversion. Others will feel disenfranchised, marginalized, and excluded. This convention confirmed that … [Read more...]

Adrian Rogers: Prophet of the Conservative Resurgence

By Ron F. Hale Adrian Rogers probably stepped on more toes than any preacher in Southern Baptist history! We loved him for it because he always spoke the truth in love. Few sounded more like a first century Apostle than the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1972—2005. I first heard Dr. Rogers at the old mid-town campus. His rich, resonant voice was captivating. Every point, pause, and phrase pulled at your heart-strings. The power of Rogers came from his character, content, and connection with all firmly rooted in the authority of Scripture; those “golden pipes” helped! From his character you sensed that he had been with God and deep into the Word. From his content or the words that he spoke came the ring of truth with meaning for today. He connected with his hearers through a passionate delivery of words, interpretation, arguments, alliteration, and illustration that demanded a decision. Many young Southern Baptist leaders are ill-informed concerning the defining decades of the 1980s and 1990s in the Southern Baptist Convention and the price some leaders paid. Cicero once said, “To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain a child always.” It is called the … [Read more...]