Louisiana’s John Kennedy among those voting to save net neutrality
The Value of Every Voice in the SBC
By Bobby Gilstrap As a young pastor, only a few years out of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I was excited to accept the call to serve a small church in Durant, Oklahoma. The church had been a strong, mission engaged church that was giving 25% of all undesignated offerings through the Cooperative Program. This church was an area leader supporting the cooperative mission causes of the Southern Baptist Convention, giving sacrificially for many decades. In 1995, as the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention approached, I discussed attending the SBC Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia with our church leadership. The premise of my argument was that this church needed to have a voice since it had given tens of thousands of dollars over decades of cooperation. With such a high cooperative investment, we should have representation during the annual meeting when decisions were made by messengers of our convention. After a brief discussion, it was determined the cost of such a trip was just too high and it was not feasible. I felt it was critical that our church have first-hand representation and a voice at the annual meeting rather than reading short meeting reports in the media. Therefore, my wife and I … [Read more...]
Update from digs in Tel Gezer/Tel Hadid/Sepphoris
By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS public relations As you see from the title of this post, members of our group will be at three different sites this summer. Logistics will greatly complicate our updates and blog posts over the next three weeks. Not only must we juggle the difficulties of different schedules, we each are working in different historic periods and unique settings. Today, May 29, marked the third official day of the excavation season and it is time for a much-needed update. The blog has been hampered by my jet-lag and concerns over lost luggage – not to mention the logistic concerns denoted above. Here is an all-too-brief overview. Tel Gezer On Sunday, the entire team from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Liberty University traveled to Tel Gezer for a site tour and several hours of set up. Set up was much easier this summer due to the scope of the excavation work at Gezer. The team will excavate in Area C (the intermural complex – wall rooms near the opening of the water system) and in Area B (the water basin or pool of the water system). The team will not excavate in Area D (MB II gate) or utilize a crane to pull material out of the water system. Volunteers will only probe in the material that remains … [Read more...]
Report: Foundation sees increase in assets, donations
By Jerry Love, LBF director of planned giving ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – Some positive economic news, a significant increase in assets and deposits, highlighted the quarterly meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees meeting May 8. INVESTMENT UPDATES Pat Lacour, trustee from Pineville, chaired the morning meeting of the investment committee and had Lee Morris, Investment Consultant with Graystone, give an update on the performance of the LBF portfolio. Morris said the first quarter saw “lots of noise, with not much happening,” explaining that there was a lot of volatility in the equity markets without much progress in investment growth for the beginning of the year. The outlook for fixed income positions is still very modest, he added, saying the general expectation is that the Federal Reserve will bump rates higher at least a couple more times this year. However, the LBF’s bond portfolio managers are continuing to maintain shorter durations, hedging against the rise in rates. Other smaller investment allocations in the LBF portfolio, such as preferred stock, and, oil and gas MLP’s, continue to add value to the mix of assets so far this year, he said. Morris told trustees analysts expect … [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 Charles Malone is the new pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Calhoun. Morgan McCallister is the new pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, West Monroe. Jason Purdy was ordained April 22 at First Baptist Church, Livingston. Frank Valenzano resigned as pastor of One Life Church, Denham Springs and is now the new pastor at First Baptist Church, West Fairbanks. Mallory Sanchez is the new worship leader at Bayou Oaks Baptist Church, Monroe. HOMECOMING Pine Hill Baptist Church, Leesville: 124th annual homecoming, June 3, 10 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow the service. Speaker: Chase Burns. Pastor: Tri Evans. Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, Vivian: 158th Homecoming, June 3, 10 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow the service. The church invites everyone to come and fellowship on this special … [Read more...]
Standing strong on God’s extravagant love
By Rick Warren “God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love . . . he sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9–10 NLT). Everything in life changes — relationships, jobs, fame. One minute you feel like a hero; the next minute you feel like a zero. But there’s one thing in the universe that will never change: God’s love. Knowing that God still loves you no matter what happens — your failures, your brokenness, your sin — provides a rock solid foundation in your life. Consider the small word “so” that goes before “love” in the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16. The verse says, “God so loved the world . . . “ (NIV). God loves you with an extravagant, lavish love that can never be taken away. It’s beyond comprehension. He loves you on your good days and your bad days. He loves you when it’s raining and when the sun is shining. God says he doesn’t want you to just recognize this lavish love intellectually. He wants you to recognize it emotionally. Love is God’s nature. God created the universe and everything in it for no other reason than so he could love it. And God created you so he could love … [Read more...]
Leavell College surpasses 5,000 graduates during 25th anniversary commencement
By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS – Leavell College of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary marked two significant milestones during the school’s commencement service Friday, May 18: Commemoration of 25 years as a four-year institution and celebration of its 5,000th graduate. “We are preparing students so that they are first and foremost grounded in their biblical understanding. This is unchanging,” Thomas Strong III, dean of Leavell College, said in a recent interview. “We are preparing students to build their lives upon the Scripture and then to help others do so as well.” According to Strong, this commitment to the Bible and a biblical understanding of ministry leads to a deep commitment to the local church among the school’s students. This year’s top graduating bachelor’s student, Jerome Bradley, exemplifies this dedication to the local church, Strong said. Bradley, who will continue as a master’s student at NOBTS in the fall, sensed a call to ministry while serving as a Sunday School teacher at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. Retired after 33 years in the military and federal government service, Bradley began studying at Leavell College with the goal of becoming a chaplain. … [Read more...]
NOBTS Graduation: ‘Jesus changes everything’
By Marilyn Stewart NEW ORLEANS - As the world watched the royal wedding festivities at Great Britain’s Windsor Castle May 19, graduate candidates waited patiently to receive their diplomas inside the Leavell Chapel on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley reminded the chapel audience that while a media frenzy that morning surrounded Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan Markle, no reporters waited outside to talk to them. “So, why does this day matter?” Kelley asked the crowd. “The occasion we are here for today is far, far more significant than that gathering that has the eyes of the whole world.” Every graduate is important, Kelley explained, but the ministries and positions of service each would soon occupy did not depend on them. “Your life matters,” Kelley said. “But, it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus. He holds the key.” Kelley explained that he carries in his pocket a key once used to unlock cell doors at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, La. Worn past its usefulness, the key now is “retired,” Kelley said. “I carry it with me always as a reminder that Jesus changes everything,” Kelley said. Once known as the “bloodiest prison in America,” the … [Read more...]
Retired DOMs hold reunion, remain active in Louisiana Baptist life
ALEXANDRIA (LBM) –Twenty-two retired Louisiana Baptist directors of missions, along with former Louisiana Baptist Convention missions and ministries staff and other guests, gathered at the Alexandria state missions center, May 15, for a first-ever reunion. Don Mabry, who retired as Louisiana Baptist Convention state missions and ministries director in 1999, said the meeting allowed the directors of missions to reminisce about the highlights and challenges they faced. “We enjoyed each other’s company and had a good fellowship time of remembering some of the wonderful things that went on with Louisiana Baptists,” Mabry told the Baptist Message. “On this day, we rejoiced together about what the Lord has done with a lot of our folks. Through the years there have been some very wonderful people serving the Lord in Louisiana. When some of them called and asked if we could have a reunion, I told them sure and I think everyone had a great time.” Addressing the directors of missions, LBC Executive Director David Hankins commended them for still caring for pastors and churches in the state. “Some of the best help that’s being done in our churches around Louisiana is by you guys who still have the passion for the Lord in your … [Read more...]
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