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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Legislators repeal sales taxes imposed on churches in March

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE – Gov. John Bel Edwards signed House Bill 51 into law June 28 as Act 12 of the 2016 Second Extraordinary Session for the Louisiana Legislature, removing a number of taxes on church activities that were imposed in March as part of Acts 25 and 26 of the 2016 First Extraordinary Session. Although Act 12 took effect July 1, the Louisiana Department of Revenue has yet to issue an official interpretation. However, legislators have said publicly this measure should fix the difficulties created for churches by the earlier action. When the LDR releases its guidance, churches should anticipate relief from collecting taxes on such things as cake sales and auctions, which were tagged with special tax rates from April 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018. HB 51 was offered by Rep. Jim Morris of whose District 1 office is in Oil City, but a number of legislators signed onto the bill as co-sponsors, including 58 representatives and two senators. Rep. Rick Edmonds (District 66, Baton Rouge), a retired Louisiana Baptist pastor (Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport) and former vice president with Louisiana Family Forum, was particularly aggressive in working this issue. He offered eight bills which were rolled into … [Read more...]

Resolutions, nominees for Louisiana posts being sought

ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptists are invited to submit names of nominees for service on state convention boards and committees and to submit resolutions for possible consideration for the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Convention. The Louisiana Baptist Committee on Committees is beginning its work to nominate persons to serve on various state convention committees. Currently, 17 nominees are needed for service on committees on Credentials, Moral and Social Concerns, Nominations, Order of Business and Resolutions. Committee on Committees Chair is Jake Roudkovski, Bogue Falaya, Folsom. In addition, the Louisiana Baptist Committee on Nominations is beginning its work to fill vacancies on state boards. At this point, 17 nominees are needed to serve on the Convention’s Executive Board and as trustees of Louisiana College, the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries, the Baptist Message, and the Baptist Foundation. The Committee on Nominations chair is Philip Robertson, Philadelphia, Deville. As in previous years, persons should submit names of nominees and the committee or board for which they are being nominated. Submissions should include information on the nominee’s church membership and current employment. Nominations … [Read more...]

ERLC & IMB support mosque in principle, not financially

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – A controversy has erupted about two Southern Baptist Convention entities – the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the International Mission Board – that signed a friend of the court brief indicating support for the right of a Muslim group to construct a mosque in New Jersey, raising questions about misuse of Cooperative Program dollars and concerns about proper prioritizing in representing the interests of Southern Baptists by these national ministries. Both SBC entities have said it was important for them to participate to show support for the religious liberty of all people, including Muslims. Additionally, the IMB issued a brief statement clarifying that it has not contributed money or personnel to build the mosque. BACKGROUND The court case involves a lawsuit by the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge against the Township of Bernards, a community with a population of about 27,000 located about 36 miles outside of New York City. According to a legal brief filed on behalf of the Muslim group, the ISBR has sought permission since September 2012 to build a mosque in Basking Ridge, a community within the municipality of Bernards. During December 2015, the city voted down the ISBR … [Read more...]

Vines & Draper Respond to Russell Moore

By Jerry Vines, President of Jerry Vines Ministries Editors Note:  This open letter was first sent to Baptist Press.  It is a letter written in response to Russell Moore's Twitter comment (Click HERE) and is used here by permission. We have been involved in Southern Baptist life for most of our lives. We are grateful for the opportunities to serve and minister in our Convention. At the same time, we have also witnessed and been involved in America's political life. Though we never endorsed political candidates, as pastors and Southern Baptist leaders, we have sought to share our perspectives as to how Southern Baptist believers should evaluate the moral and spiritual issues during presidential election cycles. Based on biblical principles we trusted those to whom we ministered to use their brains and their hearts as they voted for political candidates. Such political campaigns can be times of strong emotion, spirited debate, excessive rhetoric and sadly, broken relationships. The recent meeting of almost 1,000 religious leaders with Donald Trump (including a number of Southern Baptists) and the willingness of some to serve on an advisory group has caused much controversy. The negative reactions of some religious leaders have … [Read more...]

FIRST-PERSON: Spiritual leaders & the election

By Ronnie Floyd SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) -- I give my full and complete endorsement to Jesus Christ. My 100 percent trust is in God alone, our Sovereign King. I agree with the late Adrian Rogers, who said, "We dare not identify the Christian faith with the Democrat or Republican party. We need to be free to tell both parties to repent and get right with God."[1] I would add what I shared on June 14 with the Southern Baptist Convention, "The church cannot call America to repent until the church repents." The tension is real Christians have dual citizenship. Our citizenship is not only in the Kingdom of God that is eternal and superior to all, but we are active citizens in the United States of America. Our Sovereign God not only determined the period of time He ordained us to live, He also determined where we would live. I love the United States of America and still believe it is the greatest country in the world. Yet, I feel an enormous tension in my spirit about how to operate in our nation effectively. We live for one Kingdom while we live in another kingdom. Often, decisions within our country increase this tension, and we have never lived in a time in our generation when this tension has been greater. Spiritual leaders are … [Read more...]

UPDATE: Bayou Baptist Church burns again, undaunted despite possible 2nd attack

By Staff, Baptist Message SLIDELL – The pastor and the congregation of Bayou Baptist Church are resolute but still shocked after their church was torched by an arsonist for the second time in 10 months. "We don't know who would want to do this to us," Pastor Frank Treme shared with the Baptist Message, adding, "We have never had any prior incidents where someone accused us of ill will that I am aware of. “We are a church for all races and people,” he said. “This church is a safe haven for all people and we would like for all people to feel safe coming into God's house to worship and pray. “It is hard for everyone in our church,” Treme continued. “We have had to overcome so much. First, we had to rebuild after the flooding from Hurricane Katrina, then the fire in October, and now this.” Treme said his congregation of 50 or so came together to face these other challenges, and he is confident they will rise to the occasion this time, too. In the early morning of July 2, a neighbor called 911 to report flames engulfing the church according to a release by the Slidell Police Department. Firefighters arrived in just over two minutes after the 7:30 a.m. call and found flames leaping from the front and rear of the 2,500 square … [Read more...]

Bayou Baptist Church Slidell a “total loss” after second suspicious fire

By Staff, Baptist Message SLIDELL -- It's happened again. Bayou Baptist Church in Slidell has been hit again by a suspicious fire. On July 2 at 7:30 a.m., a neighbor called 911 reporting flames pouring the church according to a release by the Slidell Police Department. Firefighters arrived in just over two minutes and found flames and smoke pouring from the front and rear of the 2,500 square foot building. Working quickly, the fire department was able to extinguish the fire in about 15 minutes. They reported no injuries in the blaze. According to the fire department, the church is considered “a total loss.” This is a second time in a year Bayou Baptist has been the victim of an arsonist. According to fire prevention officer Chad Duffaut for Fire District 1, the arsonist set the fire to cover up the burglary in October. After the October fire, Pastor Frank Treme said the church had been rebuilt after the flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but the fire was even more devastating than Katrina. “It’s hard for everybody in our church,” Treme said in an Oct. 27 article. “This is devastating. It’s not bad enough they violated and burglarized parts of our building but why did they have to put a fire to it?” Treme said his … [Read more...]

On this 4th of July, towns cracking down on American Patriotism

By Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com The Star-Spangled Banner survived the rocket’s red glare and bombs bursting in air – only to face a modern-day threat – silly town ordinances and petty bureaucrats. I’m not sure if it’s an epidemic of anti-American nincompoopery sweeping across the fruited plain or if it’s a general lack of common sense. Maybe it’s both. I’ll let you be the judge of that. In Lexington, South Carolina Marine veteran Bob Michaelis was told to remove a patriotic display from his mattress company. Mr. Michaelis lined the front of his store with American flags – to honor our troops. “We got 10 flags up,” he told television station WIS. “I thought maybe it was about time we return the patriotism in America. There’s not enough of it. It seems to be lost.” But instead of congratulating Bob’s patriotism, the town fathers dispatched the law. He was informed that the flags violated an ordinance. “The town of Lexington says they got to come down because there’s an ordinance in place,” he said. The town administrator told WIS they did not issue Bob a citation nor did they tell him to take down the flags. So why did they dispatch the chief of police to visit Bob’s store? Did they need new bedding for the local jail? Town … [Read more...]

From Africa to America, a man on a mission

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9 LAFAYETTE – David Carlton never imagined he would leave the mission fields of Africa. After all, it is where God had led him and it was where he and his wife Pamela had spent the bulk of their 26-years in ministry. And after 18 years of developing and nurturing meaningful relationships in South Africa, the couple was entering a fruitful season in their work. But late in 2015, after much prayer, they made the extremely hard decision to accept early retirement from the International Mission Board and to leave their work in South Africa. “It was probably harder to leave than it was to go,” said Carlton.  “We were experiencing more fulfilment in ministry than we had had in all the 18 years we had been overseas. So, yes it was a very hard decision to leave it all behind.” Their decision was made even more difficult by the speed in which it all took place. “One of the things I think that made it so difficult was it happened so quickly.  You know we kind of got word this was going to be rolling out this way, and the decisions were going to have to be made pretty quickly.” The Carltons became two of the 983 … [Read more...]

Treasurer Kennedy: Governor asks for and gets largest tax increase and second largest budget in Louisiana’s history

John Kennedy, Louisiana State Treasurer BATON ROUGE - The new state budget that takes effect Friday is the second largest budget in Louisiana history and contains the largest amount of tax increases ever, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy. "Over the course of 365 days, the Louisiana Legislature raised $2.4 billion in taxes and fees," said Treasurer Kennedy. "I don't need to remind Louisianians that these tax increases arrive during an especially weak economy. The oil and gas industry is in a depression, and north Louisiana is still reeling from devastating floods. We also have the third highest unemployment rate in America." State spending in Louisiana's operating budget that takes effect on Friday has increased 31% since 2010. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data ranks Louisiana as No. 1 in the South for state and local spending per capita. "Louisiana is in a league of its own now, and not in a good way," said Treasurer Kennedy. "We cannot tax ourselves into prosperity. History will prove this point as more businesses fold and more families suffer. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We have a spending problem." … [Read more...]