By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor The “27 Club” is not an en vogue New York City venue where the rich and famous gather to party. Rather, it is a designation given to a collection of music artists, primarily those of the rock ‘n’ roll genre, who all have died at the age of 27. The most recent inductee into the inauspicious club took place on July 23 when British singing sensation Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment. While the cause of death for the multiple Grammy Award winner is yet unknown, her untimely demise came as no surprise to family, friends or fans. Winehouse’s lifestyle had for some time been out of control. Dominated by alcohol, drugs and eating disorders, she had been in and out of rehab. So destructive was Winehouse’s lifestyle a website appeared in 2007 asking people to predict when she would die. No doubt Winehouse’s untimely death is tragic, especially to her family. However, it is intriguing to note that she died, as have so many other rock performers, at the young age of 27. In fact, so prominent is the number of singers and musicians that have died at the age of 27 a book was published in 2009 exploring the subject. Written by Eric … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists must learn to ‘choose our battles wisely’
By Charles Quarles, Dean of Louisiana College Caskey School of Divinity Southern Baptists are a scrappy bunch. We have never been ones to walk away from a good fight. The problem with being scrappy is that we are sometimes a little too eager to jump into the fray. I fear that Southern Baptists are about to step into a battle without properly calculating whether the conflict is wise. The looming conflict to which I refer is the battle over Calvinism. Like any battle this conflict could potentially escalate into an all-out war. Even as I write, battle lines are being contemplated. Many fear that this battle has the potential to divide our national convention, fragment state conventions, and split local churches. While war has not yet been declared, the distinct sound of sabers rattling can be heard. Before Baptists enter this conflict, I want to urge caution. Battles are not to be entered lightly. In the 5th and 6th century BC, the Chinese military strategist and philosopher, Sun Tzu, wrote The Art of War. The book explained military strategies that still guide the American military today. Sun Tzu’s is perhaps best known for this wise advice: … [Read more...]
Building well for the sake of the Gospel
By Jason Hiles, Chair of Christian Studies at Louisiana College Baptist churches sometimes dedicate large quantities of resources and energy to building projects that facilitate corporate gatherings, discipleship classes, and other church functions. Goals are carefully considered, plans are prayerfully drawn up, and resources are marshaled for the sake of raising a building that will enable God’s people to carry out the ministries of the church. But as every good Baptist knows, no physical building that is raised up through the efforts of architects and contractors actually is the church. Physical buildings simply house the church, which in reality is the assembly of believers redeemed by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While constructing physical buildings is sometimes necessary, the New Testament teaches that building up the body of believers is always necessary. Thus it comes as no surprise that Paul uses a building metaphor in 1 Timothy 3 to teach Timothy how Christians ought to behave within God’s household. What does come as something of a surprise, however, is just how closely the apostle connects the health of the church that … [Read more...]
Questions We’ve Pondered: Archie England
By Archie England, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew Question: What does this verse mean, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22)? Archie England responds: Moses here identifies sexual intimacy between men as an abomination to God, constituting homosexuality, also known as sodomy. While this is undoubtedly the most direct statement in the Old Testament against it, Leviticus 20:13 moves beyond the mere labeling of homosexual behavior as wrong (detestable); it calls for judgment against such practices. God’s people were to expose, judge, and execute the participants, informing such violators that the sacrificial system would not atone for this behavior. Sadly, these holy words are no longer acceptable to many today – but they should be. These truths apply directly to those who follow God – not those who don’t. Yes, one day, every person will be accountable for what God has said; but, until then only those who claim covenant relationship with Him must obey His statutes. God’s word does not point out only the wrongs of homosexual behavior; it also pinpoints the wrongs of heterosexual behavior. Though natural … [Read more...]
Georgia Barnette Offering impacts Walker through local coffee shop
By Al Quartemont, Special to the Message WALKER – For people who live or pass through suburban Walker, a stop at the local coffee house might lead them to more than just an Espresso or Muffaletta. It may lead them to Christ.[img_assist|nid=7530|title=Coffee Ministry|desc=Wholly Ground Coffee Shop, an extension of Walker Community Ministries, would not have happened without God’s blessing and support from Louisiana Baptists through the Georgia Barnette State Missions offering.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75] That’s because that coffee house, Wholly Ground, is actually an extension of Walker Community Ministries, a fellowship of believers under the direction of co-pastors Robert Miller and Richard White. Miller, his wife Kristi, and daughters Miranda and Madelyn were sent to the small, southeast Louisiana community from Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, where Robert had spent seven years as missions minister. He took with him experiences learned in East Asia – specifically house groups – and began to implement that same approach in Walker. Today, Walker Community Ministries includes five house groups that meet individually throughout the week and then … [Read more...]
MPCC: Saving babies and changing lives
By Marc Eichelberger, LBCH Communications NEW ORLEANS – Your Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries continues to move forward with its mission. A Mobile Pregnancy Care Center (MPCC) is the latest addition to a multi-faceted strategy for meeting needs and changing lives.[img_assist|nid=7532|title=Life-saver|desc=The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries Mobile Pregnancy Care Center on July 20 provided free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. The MPCC partnered with the Baptist Friendship House in an effort to reach out just north of the French Quarter to a New Orleans inner-city community.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=360] Kay Bennett, director of the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans, said she is grateful for this new Children’s Home ministry. On July 20, the MPCC partnered with the Baptist Friendship House in an effort to reach out to Bennett’s inner city community just north of the French Quarter. Baptist Friendship House staff and mission volunteers distributed food through a Feed the Children project. MPCC registered nurse Cindy Kouf provided free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, while her husband Ron and crisis pregnancy volunteers shared pro-life literature and a positive … [Read more...]
Esler Baptist Church proves itself to be ‘mission-minded’
By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer ESLER – Though not as big as many churches, Esler Baptist Church has become a definitive model of spreading the gospel of Jesus to others through its many missions, outstanding group unity and dedicated commitment to God’s word. “If you want to call us something, call us ‘mission-minded,’ said Esler Pastor Mark Breland. “Esler has always had a tradition of being mission-minded, and we want to continue that tradition.” Breland was surrounded by WMU director Jennifer Rogers, youth minister Brandon Penton and Helping Hands Ministry head Ray Powell as he was being interviewed. Each member spoke passionately about his/her roles in the church, the specific missions being carried out, and the church’s passion for Christ despite having only 90-100 members most times. “We are partners with Lifepoint Ministries in Cottonport and Marksville, where Brandon works with pastor Jacob Crawford,” Rogers said. “We do a lot of things with them, such as a recent end-of-school bash where we gave away bicycles provided by Mr. Ray and Helping Hands Ministry. We have volunteers here that work at Main Street Mission, and every Friday we work with Holloway Baptist … [Read more...]
Defeating debt at Pinehill Baptist Church
By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer URANIA – Pinehill Baptist Church Pastor David McGuffee is a pastor with radical ideas when it comes to the matter of getting out of debt.[img_assist|nid=7535|title=Debt free|desc=Pastor David McGuffee guided his church in paying off a $370,000 building loan in just six years. He now wants to share his experiences with other churches to help them avoid going into or staying in debt.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] The pastor used his life-spanning experiences with debt to guide his church in paying off a building loan of $370,000 in just six years and now wants to share these experiences with other churches in order that they may avoid going into or staying in debt. “Debt has wrecked many churches,” the pastor said. “Churches need to be really responsible with their money and open to the Lord’s guidance to avoid money problems.” McGuffee said there were several reasons the church was able to pay off its debt. “The first reason is God’s gracious giving,” the pastor said. “It would have been impossible for us to pay this off without God’s help. God even sent very generous people outside of our church that have given … [Read more...]
Tim Patrick: Beauregard DOM sets goals for association
By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message [img_assist|nid=7537|title=Tim Patrick|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=66|height=100]DERIDDER – Tim Patrick, director of missions for the Beauregard Association for the past 10 months, has set two goals for himself and the association. He wants to first help the 47 member churches better meet the needs of their communities. Second, by drawing upon his three decades of pastoral experience, he wants to be a pastor to the association’s pastors. “Because of some of the issues I’ve been through in my 34 years of pastoring, God’s given me a heart to serve pastors and those who are in the staff positions and the issues they face,” Patrick, 57, said. Although he’s earned a doctorate of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he said he prefers to simply be called “Tim.” His wife Judy, who also has a doctorate from NOBTS, is the association’s secretary. She also applies her education and experience to minister to pastor’s wives with counseling and serves in other women’s ministries, the DOM said. Patrick was reared in Converse, La., the son of a Baptist deacon and Sunday School teacher. He graduated from high school … [Read more...]
‘Brother’ Alan Knuckles serves Acadia, Louisiana Mt. Olive Associations
By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message [img_assist|nid=7539|title=Alan Knuckles|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]MAMOU – Alan Knuckles, who prefers to be called “brother” instead of “reverend,” became the director of missions in January for the Acadia, Louisiana, and Mt. Olive Associations, after a lifetime of ministry in Texas and Louisiana. Although he grew up in the church in the Atlanta, Ga., area, Knuckles, 60, said he wasn’t saved until the age of 23 when he attended a Billy Graham Crusade in Raleigh, N.C. He always loved working with horses on their small family farm, he said, so he attended the University of Georgia to become a veterinarian but dropped out after three years when he realized his grades weren’t high enough for vet school. He did, however, “ace” an engineering employment test with IBM Corporation, and got a job as a customer engineer that took him to Raleigh, where he met the Lord and received the call to full time ministry. He transferred to Baylor University where he earned a degree in Religion in 1978 and attended Southwestern Seminary. He met his wife Helen at a summer camp. “She had been a missionary to Cameroon, Africa for … [Read more...]