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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Great Commission Resurgence)

By Dr. Chuck Kelley In 2009, SBC President Johnny Hunt appointed a task force, chaired by Ronnie Floyd, to consider how to generate a Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) in the Southern Baptist Convention. As noted last week, the term “Great Commission Resurgence” was first used at the SBC by NAMB President Geoffrey Hammond in his report to the 2008 Convention as he announced the launch of the National Evangelism Initiative that became God’s Plan for Sharing. There was no connection between that usage of the term and what Dr. Hunt proposed. The GCR name was intended to evoke images of the movement known as the Conservative Resurgence, which produced the most profound changes in SBC history, transforming the theological direction of the SBC and its entities. The Great Commission Resurgence, dealing with SBC decline, bears no resemblance to the Conservative Resurgence in either method or outcome. The Great Commission Resurgence (2010) The Great Commission Resurgence proposal received far more time and attention in Southern Baptist life, both before and during the 2010 Convention meetings, than any of the other approaches to the evangelism crisis, more than all the others combined. There is one simple reason for the dramatic … [Read more...]

Because Christ lives, Ravi Zacharias also lives

By Ron F. Hale It was on Ravi’s seeming death bed in Delhi, India, that a man walked into his hospital room with a little red Gideon New Testament. At the age of seventeen, young Ravi had downed a concoction of poison mixed with water and chemicals. Growing up in a culture of honor and shame, Ravi’s undisciplined life led him to a very dark place. His mother asked the man to leave the room. Holding up the New Testament, the man said, “Your son needs this more than anything else.” She allowed him to turn to the 14th chapter of John. Through the smog of his skepticism, shame, and pain, Ravi tried to listen as the Scriptures were read aloud. Then something happened. “It was like a bolt of lightning in a moment of pitch blackness,” Ravi Zacharias would later say of the moment the Holy Spirit pierced his heart and mind with the pregnant promise of the inspired Word of God. “‘Because I live, you also shall live,’ were the seven words that cracked open my encrusted heart.” He realized that what “live” refers to in John 14:19 was not what his life was about. In an instant, he wanted this new life more than anything in the world. Ravi humbly and honestly prayed, “Jesus, if you are who you claim to be here, I want that life … [Read more...]

Louisiana College issues statement on Floyd death, racism

By Louisiana College Office of Communications PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) — We stand with our fellow Christ followers in grieving the senseless death of George Floyd. Racism is sin! I have and will continue to teach and stand against it with all my heart! We are all made "in the image of God!" (Genesis 1:27) Fellow Christians and Americans, we need to see others as Christ does, as we are all created in His image and for His service. Louisiana College is a Christ-centered institution, and we not only pray for those directly affected by his death, but for citizens who have been wrongfully persecuted, judged, or harmed----because of their race. The Bible calls upon the righteous to speak. Christians can no longer be silent in the face of racial injustice. Christians have been given "the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18) Therefore, we can no longer simply give lip service to or simply offer piecemeal solutions to the racial issues that continue to plague our nation. Americans must stand together across racial, political, and cultural lines and recognize our common humanity. Reconciliation will happen when the true church of Jesus unites and loves one another and the world the way Jesus showed us. -Rick … [Read more...]

Chuck Kelley on the state of the SBC (Origins)

By Dr. Chuck Kelley The Southern Baptist story to date can be summarized in three words: growth, plateau, and decline. In 1845 in Augusta, GA, individual Baptist churches from across the South came together to form a Convention of churches that would hold two conflicting realities in permanent tension: true congregational autonomy for every church and deep missional cooperation to prepare ministers and fulfill the Great Commission. After the ravages of the Civil War, Southern Baptists grew steadily until World War II. After World War II, the growth became explosive, driven by aggressive evangelism and even more aggressive discipleship, making Southern Baptists the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. The growth began slowing in the sixties, although baptism numbers did not peak until the Jesus Movement in the early seventies. In spite of the Jesus Movement spike, the period of plateau had begun for Southern Baptists, and from that point the statistics began to flatten out. The numbers moved up and down, but the peaks were lower and the valleys more frequent. The days of steady, continual growth were over. I suggest the turning point from plateau to decline can be traced to the year 2000, when records indicate a … [Read more...]

Horn calls Louisiana Baptists to focused prayer on Thursday

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists' Executive Director Steve Horn is asking members of the Louisiana Baptist family of congregations to devote Thursday to focused prayer and fasting for God’s intervention in the current challenges facing the country. Horn said he is not trying to organize an event. Instead, he said Louisiana Baptists are a praying people and his call to prayer is meant to organize what they already are doing but with united hearts and minds as a faith community. The basis for his call to prayer, he shared, is Nehemiah 1:4 - When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. “I realize that this is short notice, but the present circumstances of our nation demand an immediate prayer and fasting response,” Horn told the Baptist Message. “Because of the short notice, I am requesting everyone help get the word to churches through social media and associational e-newsletters.” … [Read more...]

Can you see the light?

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - For over two months now, my oldest son, my mom, and I have spent most Friday mornings at my mom’s clearing overgrown brush. What was planted as a fruit orchard in an open pasture almost thirty years ago has grown into a wilderness of every kind of vine and tree imaginable. How did the orchard get that way? For one, my dad seldom pruned anything. He liked to plant things and watch them grow. Therefore, the fruit trees and grapevines grew too big. That l...ed to the second problem: procrastination. As other trees started to come up among the fruit trees, even though I mowed the area through high school and college, I was not allowed to cut those trees. “We’ll cut them later.” Well, we never did. Daddy said “later” until he died thirteen years ago. When I moved here, mom said, “Sometime we need to cut those trees.” I too said, “Later.” Now, here we are another twelve years later! Guess what? The little trees aren’t so little anymore and now there are a lot more! We have worked hard cutting down trees, pulling vines, and hauling brush to our now three massive piles. We are nowhere near through. However, when we stopped on Friday, we rejoiced because we could see all the way through … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist pastor loses home in fire

By Message Staff KINDER, La. (LBM) - A Kinder church planter is in need of prayers and financial assistance after a fire destroyed his home Thursday. Trev Talbert, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church in Kinder, told the Baptist Message an electrical fire was to blame, but no one was at home when the incident occurred. Talbert, who also is a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was in New York City Thursday providing medical care to those impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Talbert said he is grateful for the financial gifts received. These include monetary donations from the Louisiana Baptist Convention, St. Paul Baptist members, EJ Kemper, pastor of Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Lake Charles, and others from Carey Baptist Association. “I could never thank the LBC and [Director of Missions] Bruce Baker enough for the love they’ve showered on me since the fire," he said. "This has been one of the most devastating losses I’ve ever had to endure and to have them looking out for me the way they have has definitely made this a bit easier to deal with.” John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists missions and ministry team director, delivered a check from the church planter supplement fund to Talbert … [Read more...]

Pineville plane crash tragic for Calvary Baptist family

By Message Staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Blake and Ben Cooper, two brothers who were members of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, were killed in a private plane crash Sunday afternoon. According to City of Pineville officials, Ben was flying the plane when the accident occurred after take off from the Pineville Municipal Airport at 1:20 p.m. Blake’s son, Mason, was thrown from the wreckage, underwent survey and is expected to live, officials said. The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Ben was owner and administrator of Oceans Behavioral Hospital in Alexandria while Blake was executive director of the Central Louisiana Regional Port.   … [Read more...]

2020 Commission update: Plant soul-winning churches that multiply

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the sixth in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS FIVE Partner with churches, associations and other Southern Baptist entities to plant healthy, culturally relevant, biblically sound, multiplying churches that seek to fulfil the Great Commission. Since 2010, the Louisiana … [Read more...]

2020 Commission Update: Engage churches in compassion ministries

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists are in the final year of implementing the President’s 2020 Commission Final Report, an initiative undertaken during the leadership of Waylon Bailey, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Covington, and the LBC president in 2012-2013. The 2020 recommendations were crafted collaboratively by a commission of 400 Louisiana Baptist leaders, staff members and laypeople, working in 20 subcommittees of 20 members each. Ten “key actions in reaching our state” – known as KAIROS – were developed to engage two audiences – the next generation and every people group. These measures for improving the spiritual health and growth of the state were adopted by messengers at the 2013 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. This article is the fifth in a series published by the Baptist Message to report what successes have been achieved toward the ambitious goals of the statewide initiative, as well as to note what objectives remain to be done. KAIROS FOUR Engage Louisiana Baptist Convention congregations in compassion ministries. Jeff Cook, compassion ministry strategist for Louisiana Baptists said that much progress has been made toward this objective. Nearly 70 … [Read more...]