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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LC sets preview day Nov. 14

By Aaron Quartemont, Wildcats Media PINEVILLE, La. (Wildcats Media) - Louisiana College will host the first in-person preview day of 2020 on Nov. 14. Preview Day, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will offer prospective students a tour of the school’s campus and provide interview opportunities with professors. Prospective students also will hear from current students and learn more about student clubs and organizations, athletics and residence life. The school's two other preview days this year were virtual. All activities will adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. “Following on the success of a Virtual Preview Day this past October, we trust prospective students and their families will join us Nov. 14 to learn more about LC’s distinctive student learning experience,” LC President Rick Brewer said. “We also encourage individual campus visits by prospective students seeking more information and connection with faculty, current students, coaches, and financial aid.” All students who register will receive free Chick-fil-A and LC merchandise. Of those who attend, two students will receive a $1,000 scholarship, and students who pre-register for Preview Day will have the $25 application fee waived. For more information on how … [Read more...]

Edwards keeps Phase 3 restrictions, files lawsuit against attempts to overturn

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Louisiana will remain in Phase 3 of reopening the state’s economy until at least Dec. 4, even as Gov. John Bel Edwards’ COVID-19 restrictions are being challenged in court. Edwards has been at odds with House Republicans, who have asked for easing of restrictions and on Oct. 23 65 representatives signed a petition that called for the governor to suspend his order. A hearing is scheduled Nov. 12 to determine whether the restrictions and mask mandate should be overturned. State Attorney General Jeff Landry will represent House Speaker Clay Schexnayder in court. "The Governor not only rejected attempts by one of his co-equal branches of government to provide input and oversight, but he also ignored the checks and balances that underpin our government,” Landry said in an Oct. 29 statement after the court filing. “He then filed a lawsuit in an attempt to gain extraordinary powers unfounded in law. But today, the people’s representatives responded with a legal petition of their own to ensure the Governor follows the rule of law. And by following the law, the people will get their seat at the table. After all: the powers authorized by the Louisiana Constitution, as enshrined … [Read more...]

William Smith to be nominated as LBC 2VP

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – William Smith, pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church in Monroe, will be nominated for the office of second vice president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2020 LBC Annual Meeting, Nov. 10, at Louisiana College’s Guinn Auditorium. Neil Everett, pastor of First Baptist Church in Calhoun, plans to nominate Smith for the position. Smith is the only announced candidate for the office. STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Everett said Smith has demonstrated a faithfulness to Christ and the Word of God while serving 43 years as pastor of the Lakeshore congregation. “He loves the church and has personified servant leadership,” Everett told the Baptist Message. “No matter the position, William takes his responsibilities seriously and serves with a humble, Christ-like spirit. It is an honor to nominate Brother William Smith to serve our Convention as second vice president.” BY THE NUMBERS The database of the Annual Church Profile shows that in 2019 Lakeshore Baptist Church contributed $38,237 for cooperative missions and ministries through the Cooperative Program, 8.99 percent of undesignated receipts totaling $425,024 from Sept. 1, 2019-Aug. 31, 2020. The … [Read more...]

Is God’s answer to our prayers the best?

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. - If you have kids, you know that God often teaches you through them. Recently our oldest son Zach was holding his little brother Evan and said, “I prayed for a brother, and God gave me the best.” Any older brother may say that about his little brother, but this statement stood out to me because Evan is so unlike everyone else’s little brothers. Zach’s friends have brothers of the same age as Evan with whom they can talk and play. They can run around in the yard together, play video games together, and do all the other things elementary age siblings enjoy doing together. But, because of his disabilities, at seven years old, Evan is stalled out at around a year old. He can’t do anything like what the other brothers do, but that hasn’t stopped Zach from loving his brother, finding ways to play with his brother, and even talking to his brother. To hear Zach talk sometimes, you might think his brother was like everyone else’s. But it was Zach’s statement about God’s provision and answered prayer that caught my attention: “I prayed for a brother, and God gave me the best.” It was an honest, clear statement. Zach didn’t add something like “even though Evan has special needs;” no, he made the … [Read more...]

Love Life Amendment passes

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – On Tuesday, 62 percent of Louisiana voters said "yes on #1," the ballot measure known as the Love Life Amendment, which now adds language to the state constitution to prevent action that has taken place in 12 other states, In each of those cases, an activist state court discovered an inherent right to abortion not specifically stated in any of the respective constitutions. using creative interpretations of a general phrase such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The actual language of the constitutional amendment reads “To protect human life, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” The amendment originated with overwhelming votes of approval in the Louisiana House and Senate in 2019. The LBC Executive Board endorsed the measure last year and months later messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention adopted a resolution in support of the constitutional change. Months of work by Louisiana Baptist leaders, state legislators, Louisiana Right to Life staff and other pro-life supporters resulted in the strong pro-life statement in the final tally. Will Hall, director of the LBC … [Read more...]

The 2021 Annual Church Profile is coming

By Clark Palmer TIOGA, La. - Information matters. Numbers matter. I want my doctor to get and record the right numbers on my blood pressure, temperature, cholesterol and more. I want my banker to get and record accurate numbers on my deposits and withdrawals. I want the right number in my checkbook or money management app. I want the scoreboard to be accurate so that I can know how my team is doing. You get the idea. Numbers aren’t everything but they do matter.  Leaders on the associational and state level are helped by those numbers. Do we need to plant a new church in our community? Accurate numbers will help us see the real picture. Are there struggling churches who need to make some decisions about their future? Real numbers can help us move toward a wise path forward. Can we afford to start new programs and hire new leaders? And in what areas are they most needed?  What about fair representation? The number of messengers to national and state conventions are based on reported numbers.   As the new moderator for our association looking for a sense of where we are, I discovered that I’m not sure where we are because a lot of the information seems to be missing. I’ve since discovered that one-third of our churches … [Read more...]

Zeta is third hurricane, fifth major storm, to strike Louisiana in 2020

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Hurricane Zeta made landfall in Louisiana, Wednesday, the fifth major storm to do so in the state this year. Zeta came ashore around 4 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, just one mph short of Category 3 status. The storm made landfall in Cocodrie, a fishing village 30 miles south of Houma. More than 456,000 businesses and homes in the state remained in the dark around 2:30 p.m, Thursday. The National Weather Service office in New Orleans reported winds of 112 mph at Bayou Bienvenue, 101 mph at Shell Beach and 100 mph at LaPlace. The storm was responsible for at least one death in the state. New Orleans EMS’ Twitter account reported that emergency crews had responded to a report of an electrocution fatality in the city. In Terrytown, 25 residents of an apartment building were evacuated after part of the building collapsed, WDSU-TV in New Orleans reported. One person was being treated for injuries. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Advocate reported that two riverboats and two barges tied up at a marine salvage yard in Lafitte broke loose on the Barataria Bay. Salvage yard owner Tom Dinh was able to slow the two riverboats enough to pin them to a corner of the Leo Kerner … [Read more...]

NOBTS avoids major damage from Hurricane Zeta

By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS communications NEW ORLEANS, La. (NOBTS) – Hurricane Zeta raced ashore just after 4 p.m. Oct 28 near Cocodrie, with wind speeds of 110 mph. The fast-moving storm quickly reached the New Orleans metro, and by 7:30 p.m., the storm had passed. The eye of the storm passed directly over New Orleans, including the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary campus. No injuries were reported at NOBTS. “Hurricane Zeta was a direct hit to our city and to our campus. We are grateful that we had no injuries on campus, and all of our people are doing well and in good spirits," said Jamie Dew, NOBTS and Leavell College president. “There is a good bit of damage to our campus, but we are still assessing that as we speak.” The storm downed trees throughout the city and left more than more 400,000 without power in the region. The most significant damage on the NOBTS campus happened at the Farnsworth Apartment complex. A portion of the roof blew off as the eyewall passed over the campus. Falling roof debris crushed one car in front of Farnsworth. Tree damage was extensive throughout campus; several cars and campus fences were damaged by falling limbs and trees. Seminary officials are still assessing possible damage … [Read more...]

Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief offers lifelines in Louisiana

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – University of Alaska-Anchorage Mosaic campus ministry director Scott Belmore was glued to his television screen in late August as he watched footage of the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura in his native state. Belmore, who previously served as the director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette from 2005 to 2013, wanted to do something to aid those impacted by the storm. So he contacted Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials to find out how he could help. By late October, Belmore and seven students from Mosaic (an Alaska Baptist Resource Network ministry that is similar to a BCM) packed their bags and traveled to Louisiana to serve as an Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief team. Throughout Oct. 18-25 they removed trees that had fallen on homes and cleared debris that was scattered across properties throughout Rapides Parish. But more importantly, they shared the hope found in Jesus with the 17 homeowners they encountered. Among those blessed by the Mosaic team were Rebekah and Jeremy Buckels, members of Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, who lost 30 trees to Hurricane Laura and then had two inches of … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists Johnson, Abraham celebrate Louisiana native Barrett as new Supreme Court justice

By Baptist Message staff WASHINGTON, D.C. (LBM) – The U.S. Senate's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court drew high praise from Louisiana’s congressional delegation as someone who is dedicated to her faith and the Constitution. The 52-48 vote, Oct. 26, filled the vacant seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18. PERSONAL BACKGROUND A native of New Orleans, Barrett graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School in Metairie, and later earned degrees from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and Notre Dame Law School. Barrett’s legal career has included serving as a clerk for Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She also practiced law in Washington, D.C., and was a professor of law at several universities. Aside from the bench, Barrett is married to her husband, Jesse. They have seven children, including two who are adopted from Haiti and another who has Down syndrome. STRONG PRAISE Congressman Mike Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church, Bossier City, said in a statement he was filled with joy that a personal friend is now a Supreme Court justice. Johnson said … [Read more...]