By Diana Davis, Author, Speaker It was 5 a.m. on the first anniversary of 9/11, and I was in New York as a victim chaplain to minister to family members at the memorial service.[img_assist|nid=7558|title=America remembers 911|desc=On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, high-wattage spotlights pierce the darkness from Ground Zero in New York, symbolizing a determination not to retreat in the face of fear. That's the spirit the church needs in the post-9/11 era. "Following God's will may not appear to many to be the safest thing to do. It is most certainly the right thing to do," says one international worker. "And that is where I want to be." (U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO) by Denise Gould|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=424] Standing in the darkness overlooking the gaping hole left by the disaster, I overheard a man nearby mumbling, “I was standing right here that day.” After a long pause, he continued, “I haven’t even been back until now. I still can’t believe it happened.” Suddenly I realized that he was talking to me. As I listened to the gentleman’s devastating story of friends who died and his personal terror that day, he sobbed … [Read more...]
Is same-sex housing really sex discrimination?
By Kelly Boggs, Editor Louisiana Baptist Message Catholic University made headlines recently when officials announced the school was abandoning coed dormitories. The school, located in Washington, D.C., plans to start phasing in single-sex residence halls with incoming freshman this fall. The reason given by the president for returning to the traditional mode of housing was an effort to combat binge drinking and promiscuous sex – both of which are rampant on many college campuses. I admit I was taken aback to learn a Catholic institution of higher learning allowed coeducational housing. That said, I applaud school officials for their willingness to change course and swim against the tide of popular culture and its tacit acceptance of irresponsible drinking and casual hookups. At least one person does not appreciate Catholic University’s effort toward cultivating a more moral environment. John Banzhaf, professor of public interest law at George Washington University, has filed a complaint with the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights against the university that accuses the school of practicing sexual discrimination because it is eliminating coed living … [Read more...]
Questions We’Ve Pondered
By Bill Warren, Professor of New Testament and Greek at NOBTS Question: As we come to the 10-year mark from 9/11, I was wondering about what the Bible teaches about such evil acts? And how does God figure into this? Bill Warren responds: Let’s begin by distinguishing between two types of events that are quite different when thinking about evil, namely natural disasters versus man-made disasters. Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, and such are classified as natural disasters. We humans are impacted by these events, but they are beyond our control. While God could have made the world to function differently, these events are actually less destructive than would be the case if the earth’s energy was not released periodically but rather allowed to build up to more explosive levels. So we give thanks that God made the world such that this energy is released in smaller natural events even if sometimes they become what we call natural disasters. We don’t blame God for these since the scale of such disasters is only as small as it is due to God’s foresight in creation. On the other hand, 9/11 was a man-made disaster. Indeed, people are at fault for most … [Read more...]
What is “Ministering to the Lord”
By Ed Steele, Professor of Music at Leavell College NOBTS The phrase that is sometimes heard among those leading worship is that we must come and “minister to the Lord,” and since the word “minister” can bring to our minds the idea of “meeting needs,” we need to think seriously what we are saying. This is particularly interesting since God is self-sufficient and needs nothing. The following found its spark from discussions in our Bible Study last Sunday, as well as a follow-up conversation with my wife, Kathy. Let’s look at an example, then list some other references that deal with ministering to the Lord as well as ministering before the Lord, which is similar. The goal here is not to provide commentary for each passage, but to see the common elements that exist. Old Testament: “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” – Psalm 101:6 Some similar passages are as follows: Isaiah 56:6, Judges 20:28, 1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Chronicles 16:1, Jeremiah 33:21, Numbers 18:2, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 2:35, 1 … [Read more...]
Disaster Relief demonstrates how Louisiana Baptist Churches work together
By Staff, Baptist Message STATEWIDE – Six Louisiana Baptists returned Aug. 26 from Japan, where they had served for 10 days in ministry to people still floundering after a March 11 undersea earthquake and the resultant tsunami devastated the northeastern coast. Read the next issue of the Baptist Message to learn what they experienced in disaster relief efforts by Southern Baptists five months after the event. Four Disaster Relief-trained chaplains from Louisiana are onsite in Minot, N.D., ministering to people who endured massive flooding on June 22. More are needed for mud-out ministry – which DR veterans term the hardest, nastiest, smelliest of all DR options – but so appreciated by Dakotans who are facing the possibility of snow by September, and below-freezing temperatures by October. Countless numbers of Louisiana Baptist church members have ministered since January 2010 in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Haiti. Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins and LBC Executive Assistant Wayne Sheppard traveled to Haiti in May. Led by Jay Johnston, DR coordinator for Haiti, they explored the Bon Repos area of Haiti, looking at ways of partnering with the Florida Baptist Convention – which leads … [Read more...]
Georgia Barnette State Offering
[img_assist|nid=7564|title=Georgia Barnette State Offering|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=640|height=458] … [Read more...]
Hebert Award
[img_assist|nid=7566|title=Hebert Award|desc=John Hebert, LBC Missions and Ministries team leader, recently received the Charles Roesel Ministry Evangelism Award from the North American Mission Board. Featured with Hebert (center) is Jeff Wagner (left) of the NAMB Ministry Evangelism Team and Phyllis Foy (right), president of the Fellowship of State Ministry Evangelism Directors. The award was given in recognition of Hebert’s “commitment to expanding the Kingdom of God demonstrated by the multiplication of churches committed to meeting needs and sharing Christ.”|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=538] … [Read more...]
Newest MSC Missionaries
[img_assist|nid=7568|title=Charles Thompson|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=430][img_assist|nid=7569|title=Gloria Thompson|desc=Louisiana’s newest Mission Service Corps Missionaries are Barnabas Team Leaders Charles and Gloria Thompson of Ascension Baptist Church in Gonzales. They plan to train members of Barnabas teams as well as work alongside church planters to help plant churches and train volunteers throughout Louisiana. Barnabas Team members are volunteers trained in evangelism who help develop core members of church plants.|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=430] … [Read more...]
New Bossier City church plant plants a church in Guatemala
By Pastor Tony Meinhardt, Cross Point Baptist Church After visiting the village of Santa Rosa el Rodeo in Guatemala last year, I returned home with a renewed desire to reach that people group for Christ.[img_assist|nid=7571|title=Church Plant|desc=The Cross Point Bossier City mission team and local residents worshipped together in the new church building even before the roof was raised.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] After spending a mission week there and discovering there was no evangelical church in that village, I knew this was an opportunity to do something great for the kingdom, but how? After returning to our home church in Bossier City, I shared with our small congregation of about 70 that the Lord had placed this opportunity before me and I thought it was something we surely needed to pray about. Our church, Cross Point Baptist, is a new church plant and like most new starts, we have our own struggles. Nevertheless, I was determined not to allow this vision to die. After several weeks of prayer and studying just what it might cost, we set a goal of $30,000. In just a couple of months, we reached our goal and raised an additional $14,000 for the up- keep … [Read more...]
Milestones
Arrivals/Departures n Chuck (and his wife Melinda) Johnson are starting D’Arbonne Hills Cowboy Church in Ruston, Concord Union Association. DOM: Barry Joyner. n Joe Thibeau: new as pastor of First Patterson from Port Hudson, Zachary. n Ronnie (Shawn) Tarver, new as pastor of East Jena Baptist in Jena. n Clois Cole, resigns as pastor of Bellevue Jena. n Ernest “Ernie” Nelson: new as pastor of First Doyline. n Mike Russell, resigns as pastor Pinegrove Jena. n Paul (wife Joyce) Pearson: new as pastor of Fellowship Central (Baton Rouge). Needed/Giving n First Ferriday needs a bivocational or part-time family/youth minister. Send resumes to Search Committee, P O Box 386, Ferriday LA 71334 or email wayne@ferridayfbc.com. n Elwood Forest Hill needs a part-time youth pastor. Send resumes to Elwood Baptist Church, 213 Elwood Rd, Forest Hill LA 71430 or email elwoodbaptist@centurytel.net. n Longview Baptist Church needs a pianist for Sunday services, blended worship. Call Longview Baptist Church at 318.466.5313. Homecomings, Anniversaries, Revivals n Buelah Many: 50th anniversary Sept. 11 of Kenneth Ray Leach Sr. in the ministry, including 41 years at Beulah Baptist. Meal to follow service. n Faith New Orleans 10:30 a.m. Sept. … [Read more...]
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