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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana Baptists shocked with the sudden passing of Bill Robertson

ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- Bill Robertson, a well-known and respected figure among Louisiana Baptists, passed away suddenly Monday, February 24. No cause of death was given but Robertson, 67, had been battling a cold and congestion. “It is shocking news,” Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn told the Baptist Message. “In the short time (June to November) we worked together, I thought we had a great start. He proved to be very capable of leading the pastoral leadership team. John Hebert, Louisiana Baptists team leader for missions and ministry, was also shocked to hear the news of Robertson’s sudden passing. “Bill (Robertson) had a major impact on the leaders and pastors throughout the convention. He was active in the convention even before becoming a member of the leadership team.” As a pastor, Robertson, a graduate of Louisiana College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was honored as Louisiana Baptist Convention preacher of the year in 1997 and 2007. He was serving as pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Winnsboro when he was elected as president of Louisiana Baptists in 2005 and played a major role in helping Louisiana Baptists recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina and Rita. He served as LBC … [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 Caleb (wife Jenni) Robison has been called to be the Minister of Music/Children of Gloster Baptist Church, Gloster from Operation Ministry Associate at Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport. Jeff Roberts is new pastor Sharon Baptist Church, Dubach. Melanie Lawler is the new Director of Children’s Ministries at First Baptist Church, Slidell. Adam Watson is the new worship pastor at First Baptist Church, Covington. Michael (wife Beth) Gill is the new pastor of discipleship & administration at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Albany. Bryan (wife Allie) Ulmer is the new student minister at Mount Vernon Baptist Church, West Monroe. HOMECOMING Fair Park Baptist Church, West Monroe: 71st Anniversary, March 1. Pastor: Waymond Warren. Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Eunice: 150th Anniversary … [Read more...]

ACS boosts ABCs with Gospel, adds Iles to leadership

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer TIOGA, La. (LBM) – Veteran author Curt Iles, who has penned 13 books, has begun writing his latest chapter in his book of life as principal of Alpine Christian School. Iles, a Louisiana College graduate who started Jan. 7 at the school operated by Alpine First Baptist Church, hopes his new role will allow him to lock arms with faculty and Pastor John Willie as they shape the next generation of Christian leaders. The school, which boasts an enrollment of 100 students, pre-k through 8th grade, offers general education classes, but also Bible lessons combined with Gospel presentations and dedicated prayer times. “We are preparing kids for life after they leave here,” Iles told the Baptist Message. “Our faculty is training them not just to learn important academic skills but also to grow spiritually, socially and mentally. Everything we do starts with the Gospel and we hope by the time they leave here our students will have the rock solid Christian foundation needed to make a difference in today’s culture.” Iles, who spent 14 years as an educator at East Beauregard High School in DeRidder, another 14 years as director of Dry Creek Baptist Camp in Dry Creek and three years as a … [Read more...]

Students ‘thrive’ at CEC

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – James Doughty challenged students attending the recent Collegiate Evangelism Conference to become fully devoted followers of God. “If you want to thrive in your faith, you must be devoted to the Word,” said Doughty, pastor of First Baptist Church in Monroe. HEAR GOD Doughty’s message was part of a two-day conference that included seminars designed to equip students with sharing their faith, worship by the Jason Lovins Band and a late-night time of fellowship. Held Feb. 14-15 at Louisiana College in Pineville, the conference drew students from 15 BCMs. His message and the focus of the various breakout seminars were centered on the theme, “Thrive.” Citing 2 Timothy 3:14-4:4, Doughty told the students the Bible is God’s Word, reveals the Gospel truths, enables them to become more spiritually mature and keeps them from following false teaching. And to truly thrive, he said, they must desire, read and apply God’s Word. “If we want to see people changed by the Gospel, we must be people that preach the whole counsel of Scripture,” he said. Mark Robinson, Louisiana Baptist state BCM director, said he was pleased with the student response to the … [Read more...]

Soul-winning is the heartbeat at Robeline

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ROBELINE, La. (LBM) –A flu outbreak in the Ashley Lewis family nearly prevented her from attending a recent revival service held at the First Baptist Church in Robeline, but a miraculous recovery within the household allowed her to experience the miracle of salvation during the final night, Jan. 31. By the end of the 12-day revival, extended two days past its scheduled conclusion, 53 people, including Lewis, responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and committed their lives to Christ -- with 44 of the new converts being baptized during the services. “(Evangelist) Sam Moore was talking about how you’re either a heartbeat away from Heaven or Hell, and I could not leave that night without ensuring that I would never be separated from my Savior,” said Lewis. “It was a new beginning.” OBEDIENT IN BAPTISM Lewis waited to be baptized on Feb. 9 so family members could attend. “Just the symbolism of likening baptism to resurrection to a new life made me feel close to Christ,” she added. “And knowing I had followed through in intentional obedience has made my faith stronger. I have a new hunger for God that I never knew I was missing.” Brian Ray, pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...]

U.S. Senate Chaplain to headline Governor’s Prayer Breakfast

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black will headline next month’s Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, March 10 at the Crowe Plaza Executive Center, 4728 Constitution Ave. in Baton Rouge. Black opens the Senate in prayer each day and provides counsel and spiritual care for senators, their families, and staff – a combined constituency of more than 7,000, according to a news release from the Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast office. He assumed his position on July 7, 2003, after serving in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, including as the chief of Navy chaplains, according to his website. During his tenure, Black earned the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Meritorious Service Medals (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals (two awards), and numerous unit awards, campaign, and service medals. Additionally, Black received the 1995 National Association for the Advancement of Color People Renowned Service Award for his contribution to equal opportunity and civil rights. He also was given the 2002 Benjamin Elijah Mays Distinguished Leadership Award from The Morehouse School of … [Read more...]

Greear names Stetzer to chair resolutions

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM)—J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit in Durham, North Carolina, and serving his second term as SBC president, has named Ed Stetzer as the chair of the 2020 Resolutions Committee. Stetzer likely will be considered a controversial choice by many Southern Baptists. He is the interim teaching pastor for the Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, a non-SBC congregation that ordains women as deaconesses and is elder-led. He is not the first controversial choice put forth by Greear. Despite promising to nominate candidates that looked like the rest of the Southern Baptist Convention, in 2019 Greear named his Committee on Committees, the group that shapes all trustee boards and the various SBC committees, with 31 percent identified as Calvinists by their beliefs and practices, compared to 10 percent of all Southern Baptists. One of the pastors on the list identified himself to his local newspaper as a non-denominational church with “Baptist” as its middle name. Greear also favored mega-churches over the small congregations that typify the Southern Baptist Convention. The average attendance among the committee members’ churches was 597. Meanwhile, just five percent … [Read more...]

SBC EC launches another ERLC investigation

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM)—The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention formed a task force, Feb. 18, and charged it to investigate “past and present activities” of the Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission relating to “whether the actions of the Commission and its leadership are affecting Cooperative Program giving or the further advancement of the Cooperative Program.” It is the second time the ERLC, under the leadership of its president, Russ Moore, has come under fire in the last four years. In February 2017, the Executive Committee set up two investigative panels to study the ERLC after dozens of congregations either withheld funds to the SBC or left the SBC altogether after Moore made harsh comments about President Trump and his supporters. Among the prominent congregations that escrowed money was the historic Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, which withheld about $1 million in cooperative ministry funds. Meanwhile, only months earlier, during its 2016 annual meeting, the Louisiana Baptist Convention voted to set up study of its own regarding the ERLC “with regard to issues of concern to Louisiana Baptists.” Moore apologized in March 2017; … [Read more...]

Pastors Conference rejects SBC EC request for lineup changes

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM)—The Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference has declined a request from the SBC Executive Committee to change its lineup of speakers and entertainers. The SBC EC passed a resolution offering the pastors group use of the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting spaces in Orlando if it made changes to its proposed program, which was described as “sufficiently beyond the parameters of the faith and practice of Southern Baptists,” and made a payment of $100,000 (only a partial reimbursement of the actual cost of the facilities). Instead, the Pastors’ Conference, which has always been treated as a friend of the SBC although it has not official status with the denomination, said the First Baptist Church in Orlando, would pay the full cost for use of the spaces but not make any lineup changes. The amount of the full cost for use of the facilities has not been publicly released. David Uth, chairman of the Pastors’ Conference, also is pastor of First Orlando. It is not clear if the SBC EC will agree to this counter offer. At dispute are a number of platform personalities including David Hughes, pastor of Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida. His Southern … [Read more...]

LBC pastor creates network to stop SBC’s leftward drift

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM)—Brad Jurkovich, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City, announced on Valentine’s Day the launching of the Conservative Baptist Network, a grassroots movement of Southern Baptists “concerned about the current direction and perceived future of the Convention.” In just three days, more than 3,200 churches and individuals had signed onto the initiative to restore conservative Southern Baptist views of Scripture, Jurkovich told the Baptist Message. CONSERVATIVES Jurkovich is joined in leadership of the movement by a number of pastors and laymen, but two of the most prominent supporters are: Rod Martin, described as a “tech guru” by Fox Business News and noted especially for his work as a member of the startup team that developed and launched PayPal, and who serves as a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee; and, Chuck Kelley, a longtime Southern Baptist leader who recently retired after serving 24 years as president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. BATTLING RADICAL IDEAS During a radio broadcast about the announcement Jurkovich told Todd Starnes, a conservative Southern Baptist, formerly with Fox News, … [Read more...]