By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer KEITHVILLE, La. (LBM) – Chris Willcutt spent nearly eight years on his knees, praying for his daughter, Brooklyn, to accept Christ. Then, a month before her eighth birthday, his prayers were answered when her sister, Ryleigh, led her to a relationship with Christ. Brooklyn was baptized on her birthday, August 25, to publicly declare her newfound faith in the same baptistery where her father was obedient in believer’s baptism 18 years earlier. “We prayed so long for Brooklyn and to see our prayers answered, watching her spiritual journey, and, to be able to baptize her made it a special time for sure,” Willcutt told the Baptist Message. “That day, I was thinking about the faithfulness of God and how He brought my life from the ashes,” he said. “To see what He has done with my own children is, oh, so special.” Brooklyn Willcutt was among 15 new converts who participated in the baptism and baby dedication service. The participants mostly were elementary-aged children, but included four adults and two high school students. During the service, a video was shown of four other students who were baptized in the ocean during the church’s summer camp in Panama City, Florida, in … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE (LBM)--During the campus revival at Guinn Auditorium, Sept. 17-19, seven students repented and professed Christ as Savior, 20 repented and restored fellowship with the Lord, and, countless others sought prayer. The seven new believers are among 57 students who have surrendered their lives to Christ since the start of the fall semester -- 25 during a seminar on personal evangelism in August. LC President Rick Brewer told the Baptist Message the college’s faculty and staff and local pastors have prayed many months for God to move among the students. “The awakening has just begun,” Brewer said. “We can sense what God is doing here. We’re excited and are anticipating a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit.” DISCIPLED IN CHRIST Already, faculty and staff as well as local pastors have begun discipleship training with the 57. In fact, the college has developed a study guide, “Joy Through Suffering,” as part of this semester’s eight-part chapel series on 1 Peter. It will be used to disciple new believers, Baptist Collegiate Ministry meetings will feature the studies, and, 35 discipleship small groups which meet weekly will use it for in-depth discussions. VALUED IN CHRIST The revival services featured … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – Jennifer Dykes, a Louisiana College alumnus, has been chosen by President Rick Brewer to be the assistant to the president. The Shreveport native graduated from LC in December of 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing. “Ms. Dykes brings an amazing array of skills that are evidenced through her initiative and hard work,” Brewer said. “She is a determined young woman who has a refreshing blend of professionalism and approachability. We are blessed to have someone so talented and who also commendably represents the vision and values of Louisiana College. “Jennifer exemplifies our best and brightest of alums who are equally qualified and gainfully employed in significant roles across the country,” he added. As a member of the President’s Leadership Team, Dykes reports directly to the president, providing him executive-level support. She is responsible for a broad and complex set of assignments related to the duties of the president, including resource development, event planning, marketing, external relations, technology, and chief of the president’s office staff. She also oversees LC’s social media and website “The opportunity to join my alma … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) — Jeff Ginn, pastor of the Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, which has a campus in Ascension as well as a Hispanic congregation at the main campus, will be nominated for president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2019 annual meeting. Kirk Jones, pastor of the Fellowship Church in Prairieville notified the Baptist Message, Oct. 3, of his intention to make the nomination because of Ginn’s “faithful service” as a pastor and his “heart for the Kingdom of God and the cooperative work of our Convention.” The LBC annual meeting is scheduled to be held in the Alexandria Riverfront Center, Nov. 11-12. STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Jones noted that he has known Ginn since 2011, especially in Ginn’s role of nurturing Fellowship Church, a congregation that averages nearly 1,000 in worship attendance now. “Istrouma was the sponsoring church of our church plant,” Jones told the Baptist Message. “Before Jeff arrived they had purchased property on our behalf and we had an agreement to pay them back when we were in the financial position to do so. “About the time Jeff arrived, Fellowship had grown enough to start paying back the loan,” Jones explained. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM)--Nearly a year after fire destroyed a large part of the congregation’s facilities, members of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City joined community members for a Sept. 29 groundbreaking ceremony to launch a $20 million rebuild project. “First Bossier has endured and dealt with this incredible tragedy where we navigated a lot of things emotionally and on the practical side,” Pastor Brad Jurkovich told the Baptist Message. “Walking through all of that made this groundbreaking so special. We had a great crowd of around 2,000 who joined us to help us celebrate moving forward.” Construction of the new 70,000-square-foot building could take 18 to 24 months to complete, Jurkovich said, and will include a new chapel that will incorporate some of the more traditional features of the original building, such as pew seating, but will include modern elements, such as capabilities for multi-media presentations. The new facility also will feature a student center, foyer/event center and space for Sunday school classes and other small groups to meet. ENGULFED IN FLAMES On Dec. 10, 2018, a three-alarm fire began at 5:30 a.m., originating with an uninterruptible … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) -- Louisiana has withstood its share of devastating hurricanes but the destruction left by Hurricane Dorian to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is hard to process, according a leading authority on disaster relief. “They have no electricity, no running water, no shelter, no trees on some parts of the island,” said John Hebert, missions and ministry team leader for Louisiana Baptists. “There are stories of rescuers on Sea-Doos riding 30-foot waves and going over raised bridges. “I just can’t fathom how people were able to survive a storm of that magnitude,” he continued. “God just laid on my heart the need for us, as a state, to come to the aid of these people. It is going to take a herculean effort to help get these people back up on their feet.” In the coming weeks Hebert wants to introduce Louisiana Baptists to a project called ‘Bahama Rebuild’ which will help restore the spiritual community on the island nation. “The churches are the center of the Bahamian culture and the majority of them were severely damaged or destroyed,” said Hebert. “We have pastors without churches and churches without congregations. I am currently trying to enlist the support … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) –In his first Executive Board meeting as executive director, Steve Horn challenged Louisiana Baptists to focus on “we” and on sharing the Gospel. “The reason for our meeting today, the reason for the existence of the Louisiana Baptist Convention is ‘we,’” Horn said during the Sept. 24 meeting at the Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth. “’We’ believe ‘we’ can accomplish together what we cannot accomplish separately,” he explained. “‘We’ is the fuel behind opportunities such as YEC, ECON and others. ‘We’ is the reason Louisiana Baptists have planted more than 249 churches over the last nine years. ‘We’ have the ability, potential and power to get inside the hearts and homes of 4.6 million people through efforts such as Harvest and Here for You. Without ‘we,’ there is no reason for us to take time away from our busy schedules for meetings such as this. “Southern Baptists and Louisiana Baptists believe in the power of ‘we’ to advance God’s Kingdom in Louisiana and beyond,” he declared. Horn shared with board members that during his first four months on the job he has facilitated 11 listening sessions with pastors and an additional session with … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM)– God has the power to open even the most impossible door to make a way for sharing the Gospel, Stephen Rummage said during the recent E4 Preaching Conference. “There is someone who sits on high and is in control,” said Rummage, pastor of the Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “God has the ability to open doors in ways we never could imagine. “Sometimes He opens up big wide doors to reach communities with the Gospel. Sometimes He opens up individual intimate doors to people. But God has the ability to give us opportunities we may not see.” Citing Colossians 4:2-6, Rummage encouraged the 82 pastors and 10 pastors’ wives in attendance at the First Baptist Church in Pineville to use prayer as a tool to open doors. “God who sits on high opens the door through prayer,” he said. “Prayer has the power to open up the doors. Continue steadfastly and don’t give up praying for someone. Being watchful and be alert. Give God thanks for the way He is answering the prayer.” Once that door is open, Rummage said Christ followers must be bold and take action by sharing the hope found in Jesus. “There is no one on the earth who God will not save … [Read more...]