By Staff, Baptist Message Six churches accepted into membership of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2017 Annual Meeting were honored during a reception Nov. 13 at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. … [Read more...]
Triumph emerges from Puerto Rico tragedy
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PONCE, Puerto Rico (LBM) -- Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team members are rejoicing about 14 souls saved by Christ during a recent mission effort in Puerto Rico. The team of 10 from Baton Rouge, Eastern Louisiana, North Rapides, Two Rivers and Washington Baptist Associations arrived in Puerto Rico Oct. 28 to a scene of nearly complete destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in early September. They worked alongside six college students from the Canadian National Baptist Convention and a missionary of the International Mission Board, performing a variety of tasks to help meet physical needs of the island’s residents during the eight-day trip, but also attending to the peoples’ eternal needs. “Very quickly we realized the Holy Spirit had gone before us to prepare the hearts of those we encountered,” Bruce Worrell, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, told the Baptist Message. “Although we met some strong believers in Christ, most of those we encountered had no assurance of salvation. But they were ready to hear what the Word of God said, and they listened attentively to the plan of salvation, and asked through genuine repentance for God to forgive them of their … [Read more...]
Louisiana Notables
ON THE MOVE Ken Schroeder has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Mandeville. Kenneth Austin has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Simmesport. HOMECOMING First Baptist Church, Delhi: 12th Anniversary Celebration, December 2, 6:30 p.m. Special Music: Sanctuary Quartet, Southern Revelation, Ben Waites, Chad Tingle, and Keith Lee. Pastor: Stacy Morgan. REVIVAL Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Ridgecrest: Revival, November 26-29. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Special Music: Mackey Willis Family. Pastor: Dennis Baker. Open Door Baptist Church, Moss Bluff: Harvest Sunday, December 3. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Pastor: Sonny Simpson. Willow Point Baptist Church, Shreveport: Harvest Sunday, December 10. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Pastor: Billy Stephens. LAGNIAPPE First Baptist Church, Slidell: “Pia Noel” -- Christmas piano concert by a group of the area’s outstanding pianists, November 26, 6 p.m. The concert is at the beginning of the Advent season Cost: Free. Pastor: Casey Stark. Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, Greenwell Springs: The Foto Sisters in Concert, November 26, 9 a.m. Pastor: Tony Perkins. Riverview Baptist Church, Alexandria: The Perrys in Concert, December 1, 7 p.m. A love offering will … [Read more...]
Victory for Special Education Employee Reprimanded for Telling Coworker, “I will pray for you”
By First Liberty Institute AUGUSTA, ME—Today, the Augusta School Department sent First Liberty client Toni Richardson an updated memorandum acknowledging Richardson’s protected First Amendment right to privately discuss religion among her co-workers. In May, First Liberty and Maine-based law firm Eaton Peabody filed charges of religious discrimination and retaliation against the school district with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Richardson’s behalf. Although school records show that Richardson has been an exemplary employee, last year the school district threatened her with disciplinary action or dismissal if she continued to privately discuss her faith with her coworkers in any manner at school, even among coworkers who attend the same church as Richardson. “It is important for each of us to defend the religious liberty of every American,” Timothy Woodcock of the Maine law firm of Eaton Peabody and lead counsel for Toni Richardson, says. “Toni’s case should be a reminder to employers everywhere that you cannot discriminate against employees who privately discuss their faith at work.” “The Supreme Court has been very clear on this: Neither students nor teachers lose their First Amendment … [Read more...]
Gerald Long to keynote CENLA Pro-life Prayer Breakfast, Nov. 17
By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE (LBM) — Organizers for the CENLA Pro-life Prayer Breakfast have announced that Gerald Long, president pro tem of the Louisiana Senate, will be the keynote speaker for the annual event. Furthermore, they reported tickets still are available ($20 per person, or, $10 for students) for the Nov. 7 gathering which will take place 7:30 a.m. in the Granberry Conference Center on the campus of Louisiana College. Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock, said the fundraiser will be a time to unite congregations across the region in the pro-life movement. “Gerald Long has been a longtime advocate for the unborn and their mothers,” Gunter told the Baptist Message. “I'm looking forward to hearing his perspectives on where we are now in our state, and, where he thinks we are headed.” Tickets may be purchased at the door. Or, you may order them in advance from Gunter, 318.312.9861, or bgunter3@hotmail.com. Additional information is available at http://www.prolifelouisiana.org/cenla. … [Read more...]
Gaines, Page gather with Sutherland Springs community to pray, heal
FLORESVILLE, Texas (BP) -- "We take care of our own," stated Frank S. Page, formerly a Texas pastor, as he and Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines and his wife Donna spent three days helping to serve families distraught over the Nov. 5 massacre of half of the congregation of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. The broader Southern Baptist family -- from the Gaineses to Tony Wolfe, pastor/church relations director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention -- demonstrated servanthood by visiting grieving families, and injured congregants and praying for area folks suffering from the tragedy. In the hours following the Sunday morning massacre by a deranged gunman from New Braunfels who eventually took his own life, local ministers accepted the SBTS offer to host a community-wide prayer meeting at nearby Floresville Independent School District's Eschenburg Field, setting local pastors free to minister to the flock of the targeted church and their extended family of God. A reported shooting incident at a nursing home a half-mile away, chilly temperatures and the threat of rain did not deter an estimated 2,500 or more area residents and more than 100 media representatives from attending the prayer … [Read more...]
Baptism service a family reunion
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COUSHATTA (LBM) – The baptistery at Liberty Baptist Church in Coushatta was the perfect setting for a recent reunion of people close to James Hester, pastor of Social Springs Baptist Church in Ringgold. Hester cancelled Sunday evening services for his Ringgold congregation, Sept. 28, to be at the Coushatta church in order to baptize his mother, LaWanda, with the blessing of Liberty Baptist Pastor Harry Bamburg. Then Hester was blessed to witness the baptism of his brother Jerry, nephew Zach and his nephew’s wife Jessica, all officiated by Bamburg. A MOTHER’S JOY “My heart was full and I was in awe of the goodness and faithfulness of our awesome God, and so thankful for His amazing grace,” Hester said. “She has lived longer than either of her parents and I thank God daily for Christian parents who raised me in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Hester said he praised God for the honor of baptizing his mother, and that his mom told him hers was “an even greater honor – being baptized by the youngest of her five boys.” “God is good,” he told the Baptist Message. A SON’S LOVE The catalyst for the multiple baptisms was a revival Sept. 3-10 at Social Springs … [Read more...]
Mandeville disaster relief team an answer to Texas lady’s prayers
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BEAUMONT, Texas (LBM) - When the team from First Baptist Church in Mandeville arrived in late September at a site hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, they simply were obeying God’s command to serve victims of the devastating storm. But for Gaylynn Johnson, a resident of Beaumont, Texas, the work crew was God’s answer to her prayers. “I’m so glad to see you!” she recalled was her greeting to the team. The storm’s torrential rain had caused flooding more than three feet deep inside her home (and it was two weeks before the water receded), destroying most of her possessions. “We had been hoping for someone to come and help us,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “Someone just called to tell me that help was on the way, and I got over there [work site] right away.” MEN AT WORK Moments after that greeting, Johnson said, the team got right to work, putting on respirator masks while conducting a tour of the damage. Although she and her husband had removed all the damaged furniture, clothing and other items, a putrid stench persisted, she remembered. Larry, an electrician, was unable to assist the Mandeville team during work hours, Gaylynn said, but he contributed to the … [Read more...]
Editorial: Does the ERLC represent the SBC?
By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – When an unnamed staffer “boasted” to the online media outlet Think Progress in October 2014 that Russell Moore had “completely rebranded” the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, few could have imagined what this meant. However, Moore’s all-in campaign against presidential candidate Donald Trump, highlighted by his most recent attacks on Liberty University for hosting Trump at a student convocation, reveals something quite unexpected about Moore when he was elected to lead the ERLC in 2013—a penchant for disdain for Christians who think differently than him. Moore rightly points out Trump’s moral flaws—and character should count—and he has a right and responsibility to comment on Trump’s policies and to share his view of what these might mean in terms of Christian values. But Moore’s dislike for Trump goes beyond the pale, translating into disrespect and even contempt for any Christian who might weigh these considerations differently than Moore when comparing the range of personal beliefs and behaviors as well as public records of ability and achievement within such a large field of candidates for the White House. DISRESPECT FOR OTHERS In an editorial for the New … [Read more...]
Pollock pastor braves chilly conditions in dunking booth for children’s ministry
By Message Staff POLLOCK – Brian Gunter is not one to shy away from a challenge. So, when it came time to help raise money for First Baptist Church in Pollock’s children’s ministry, he braved Saturday morning’s (Oct. 28) chilly temperatures in a dunking booth for the church’s annual Fall Festival. There were quite a number of church members and others from the community who turned out to insure Gunter got dunked despite the chilly temperatures. It was all in good fun and for a good cause as $140 was raised at the dunking booth alone while another $70 was raised in other areas of the festival. “A pastor never knows how much his church loves him until he climbs into a dunking booth on a cool fall day,” Gunter told the Baptist Message. “A few deacons tried to drown me, but I came out unscathed! Sometimes you have to get creative to raise money for the children’s ministry.” But Gunter’s love of “freezin’ for a reason” will not stop at the First Baptist Pollock fall festival. In the very near future, Gunter said he would be willing to step inside a dunking booth on the property of the Cenla Pregnancy Center in Alexandria to raise money for the organization. The first pro-life pregnancy center in central Louisiana … [Read more...]
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