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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Kisatchie Baptist celebrates ministering at the crossroads

By Teresa Chance,  Special to the Message PROVENCAL – Kisatchie Baptist Church celebrated a special homecoming March 31, marking 151 years of Christian service and commemorating the commitment of the seven founding members who helped to establish the ministry within the community. A number of current and former members, relatives of deceased members, and residents of the surrounding area took part in a program of worship, remembrance, special music and fellowship, taking time to acknowledge the blessings God has poured out on the congregation since its inception in 1868. Church records document that Kisatchie member have been active in missions and ministry from the beginning, starting with the support of a missionary, 123 years ago, at the cost of fi ve dollars per month. Located west and adjacent to Kisatchie National Forest and bordered to the south and east by the Peason Range on Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center, the present facility stands within yards of the original building spot. But the structure has changed over the years from a log cabin, which doubled as the school house on week days, to the present brick building comprising the sanctuary, Sunday school classrooms and a fellowship … [Read more...]

Estate planning is stewardship

By Jerry Love, Louisiana Baptist Foundation Planning is a part of our daily lives. We plan menus for the day or week; we plan vacations; we plan meetings; and, … the list goes on. Why, then, is it difficult to make plans for one of the more important parts of our lives – our estates? Estate planning often is looked at as a dreaded or unpleasant task. Many people have expressed feelings that if they make plans for their estate their lives will be over. Others take a more cavalier approach, saying “someone else can deal with that after I am gone.” As followers of Christ, we should all be interested in the stewardship of our assets, or our “stuff.” A prayerfully thought-out estate plan can be the largest single act of stewardship that you will undertake in your lifetime. Indeed, determining how to take care of others, how to be a blessing to others and how to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ through your personal planning is stewardship. So, take a look at some essentials of estate planning, which is stewardship! PEOPLE The first step is as simple as making a list of the people who are most important to you. This should include anyone (children, spouse, grandchildren, parents) in your care during your … [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. HOMECOMING Bethsadia Baptist Church, Many: Homecoming, June 9 10:45 a.m. Dinner on the grounds in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the morning worship service. Speaker: James “Buddy” Greer of Paris, Texas. Pastor: Jay Begbie. Linda Lay Memorial Baptist Church, Gilliam: 100th anniversary/homecoming, June 9, 10 a.m. A catered BBQ lunch will be served following the worship service. Speaker: Steve Armstrong. Special Music: The Offering. Pastor: Eddie Kent. Laurel Hill Baptist Church, LaCamp: 150th Homecoming, June 22, 2 p.m. There will be a meal after the program. Former pastors have been invited to speak. Everyone is invited to attend. Pastor: Wesley Jackson. REVIVAL Bethsadia Baptist Church, Many: Revival, June 6-8, 6:30 p.m. Speaker: James “Buddy” Greer of Paris, Texas. Pastor: Jay Begbie. First … [Read more...]

Bridges: I am thankful to be a Southern Baptist

By Reggie Bridges RUSTON (LBM) -- Within today’s culture, there are many who seem to dismiss the idea of belonging to a denomination. These “non-conformers” denounce such organizations as archaic, stilted, and unnecessary, preferring instead a less-entangled, non-denominational or independent congregation at the expense of working together. My background as a life-long Southern Baptist has positively impacted my own position about our Convention, or fellowship, of cooperating autonomous congregations. You see, I used to be a Southern Baptist by birth, but I remain a Southern Baptist by choice and conviction: -- I hold to the basic doctrinal framework that defines us as Baptists -- that is first and foremost! When I operate within my denominational family, I acknowledge that we stand together on the foundation of God’s Word. -- I, my congregation and I, voluntarily cooperate together to advance the Gospel of Christ through missions and ministries. We recognize that we can do more together than we can do apart, demonstrating an unselfish spirit when we contribute to a collective effort instead of trying to build our own kingdoms. -- Moreover, as Southern Baptists, we have a wonderful extended family with whom we … [Read more...]

New River renewed after floodwaters, spiritual drought

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SAINT AMANT – Jacob Watkins was in bondage to a life of alcoholism, drug abuse and depression in Febru-ary when he accepted an invitation to attend New River Baptist Church in Saint Amant. One month later, Watkins was set free from the chains holding him back from a relationship with Christ when he turned to Jesus. “I have been clean of alcohol and drugs and haven’t suffered from de-pression because I have been shown that you just give all of your problems to God,” Watkins told the Baptist Mes-sage. Watkins is one of 17 new convert baptized since July 2018. Pastor Adam Beach celebrated Watkins’ salvation and his obedience by baptizing him March 10. Beach said Watkins’ story is representative of how God has moved through the congregation since August 2016, when its worship center and gymnasium were deluged under 4 feet of water during the record flood in that region of Louisiana. After the waters receded, the congregation went through a nearly two-year drought where no one was baptized. But since last summer the congregation has witnessed the wave of baptisms plus 13 other additions, growing by 30 new members, combined. “Once our members got back into the building and saw … [Read more...]

A $5 million facelift: LC’s oldest residence halls to be refurbished

By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE (LCNews) - Louisiana College will refurbish its oldest residence halls with a multi-phase plan over 17-months through a $5 million tax-exempt bond. M.D. Descant, LLC, will complete the first phase of renovations, which include Tudor Hall and English Village. “This is an answer to prayer and the result of hard work to significantly upgrade facilities that have seen no major improvements in decades,” said Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. “With curb appeal ranking as the third most important consideration of a college by prospective students, these improvements will significantly improve our recruiting efforts and enhance our ability to retain students already enrolled.” Board of Trustee Chairman Ken Schroeder praised Brewer’s leadership, citing the “dramatic changes” the president has made “to the school’s overall culture.” “There’s a buzz around campus among the student body, the faculty, the administration, and the board,” Schroeder said. “LC’s enrollment continues to increase at a steady pace. However, one aspect of our school that hinders the growth in enrollment is the condition of our dorms. We believe that by improving this aspect of campus life, LC will be in … [Read more...]

SBC annual meeting notes

By Staff CROSSOVER Ahead of the Annual Meeting and Pastors Conference, Southern Baptists are set to gather for Crossover in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday, June 8, to blitz the city with the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the goal of visiting 20,000 homes. The metropolitan population is 1 million people, with 2 million living within 30 minutes of the city. A hub church in each of seven associations in and around Birmingham will serve as a base of operations, according toSammy Gilbreath, Alabama Baptists' state director of evangelism. He told the Alabama Baptist it will be an opportunity to present the Gospel to an area that is very unchurched. "While we have a lot of churches -- 3,280 in Alabama Baptist life -- there are a lot of people, a huge population in metro Birmingham, that are not connected to any church," he explained. "Not only are we getting the opportunity to knock on 20,000 doors, it's giving us an event that provides an opportunity to train our own people in the state of Alabama to do this in their own communities." But Crossover is an opportunity for other Southern Baptists to learn and do evangelism as well. Preston Nix, professor of evangelism and evangelistic preaching atthe New Orleans Baptist Theological … [Read more...]

Louisiana protects unborn at first heartbeat

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE (LBM) – By a vote of 79-23, Louisiana House members passed S.B. 184, which protects an unborn baby at the first heartbeat, usually detectable between 6-8 weeks of development. The measure authored by Sen. John Milkovich (D-DeSoto), requires an ultrasound “prior to any abortion” in order to establish “whether or not a fetal heartbeat is present,” banning abortion if the unborn child’s pulse is detected. However, an abortion is permitted to “prevent the death … or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” of the mother. Likewise, if the unborn child is diagnosed with a medical condition that “is incompatible with sustaining life after birth,” an abortion is allowed. Arguments were passionate on both sides of the debate. Rep. Valerie Hodges (R-East Baton Rouge, Livingston), the primary House sponsor, led the effort to pass the “heartbeat bill,” arguing a heartbeat is the definitive sign of life. "When a person's heart stops beating, you know their life is ended," Hodges said. "When you can hear a baby's heartbeat it is proof that life is present." She also defended the bill against attempts to add an exception … [Read more...]

Let us be thankful for God’s mercy

By Jeff Ginn Harvard is the oldest and, arguably, the most prestigious university in America. Not surprisingly, the competition for admission is stiff. Only about 5% of those who apply are actually accepted. Listen to these academic credentials for incoming freshmen: The average ACT score is 35 (36 is the highest score possible) The average SAT score is 1512 (1600 is the highest score possible) The average GPA is 4.04 To get into Harvard, you have to be nearly perfect academically. Truth is, it is hard to get into Harvard. Let me pivot and ask you: “Is it hard to get into heaven?” Let me offer an answer: No, it is not hard; it is impossible--based on your own qualifications (and mark those final words well). Listen to Jesus give the admission guidelines for heaven: “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Were that standard not sufficiently high, he adds: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). What Jesus is saying is that you don’t have to be nearly perfect; you have to be perfect. Gulp. Perhaps you’ve been tempted to take solace in the hope that God might grade us … [Read more...]

A weekend of appreciation

By Waylon Bailey In America, this is Memorial Day weekend, and today is Memorial Day–a day of giving thanks and remembering those who gave their lives in defense of our freedom. You probably know that Memorial Day began sometime in the aftermath of the American War Between the States. Both in the north and the south, there were days to place flowers at graves and to remember. Our Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and by the late 1860’s Americans in towns of both the north and the south started having springtime remembrances of those soldiers whose bodies lay in “almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971. We certainly need to remember, and we need to give thanks. According to how young you are, it may be hard for you to imagine that 400,000 Americans died in WWII. Many of the veterans of that struggle for the freedom of the world are still living alongside those who have fought in Korea, Vietnam, and every conflict since. Families and communities have paid a high price for our freedom and our way of life. Let us give thanks for all those who served and for those who paid the ultimate price. I can’t think of sacrifice … [Read more...]