NATCHITOCHES – Danny R. Von Kanel, a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Franklinton, received the Natchitoches Rotary’s “Service Above Self” award at their monthly meeting May 3rd. Over a five-year period, Von Kanel has raised $28,0000. Money raised was used to award a $192 scholarship to students who took one of 12 fine classes offered after school at the L.P. Vaughn School of Fine Arts in Natchitoches, which he directs. This year, he led the school to raise $15,582 through sponsorships and a brick memorial fundraiser. During the award presentation, Von Kanel said he was “totally overwhelmed. What a wonderful way to be honored.” Von Kanel has lived in Franklinton since 2002 and was minister of music at First Baptist Church there from 2002-2005. He also served as minister of music at Memorial Baptist Church in Bogalusa from 2005-2008. He and his wife, Beverly, has two grown sons and six grandchildren. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer An order by the Obama administration that public schools and universities permit transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the gender identity of their choosing has drawn opposition from many Louisiana Baptists. Issued on Friday, the order signed by Department of Education and Justice officials threaten to pull federal funding for schools that do not comply. A letter on the matter was sent to all school districts in the U.S. “Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender students,” the letter said. “Harassment that targets a student based on gender identity, transgender status, or gender transition is harassment based on sex, and the Departments enforce Title IX accordingly. If sex-based harassment creates a hostile environment, the school must take prompt and effective steps to end the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects. A school’s failure to treat students consistent with their gender identity may create or contribute to a hostile environment in violation of Title IX.” The letter said a school can provide separate facilities based on the … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message WINNSBORO - Memorial services for Pastor Joel Senn, 63, of Rayville will be held at 10 a.m., May 16 at Crockett Point Baptist Church in Winnsboro, with Eddie Wren and Robert Warren officiating under the direction of Brown-Holley Funeral Home in Rayville Senn was born Feb. 25, 1953 in Rayville and passed away Friday, May 13, 2016 in Rayville. A member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board and the Pledge Leadership team,. Mr. Joe was a member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Properties, Executive Board, and the Pledge Leadership Program. Casey Johnson, pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church in Bastrop and a former staff member at Crockett Point, wrote this on his Facebook page, “Words cannot express my heart. There are feelings of sadness, yet feelings of joy. The Apostle Paul said it best, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." His heart was to be with his people but he understood the glory that awaited him … glory that is indescribable. A glory that I heard Joe Senn speak of during the years of I spent in ministry with him. “Yesterday, that indescribable glory became His own,” Johnson continued. “His faith has now been made sight. His presence will be missed but his legacy lives … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message CROWVILLE -- Joe Senn, the pastor of Crockett Point Baptist Church in Crowville, passed away today according to the church’s Facebook page. “Please pray for our church. Bro. Joe Senn went to his heavenly reward this afternoon,” read the Facebook post. “Pray for his wife, Brenda and his children and grandchildren.” Pastor Craig Beeman, pastor of First Baptist Winnsboro, and Bodie Spicer, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bastrop, confirmed Senn’s passing asking for prayers for him, his family and his church. Both men are trustees for the Louisiana Baptist Message. “It appears Brother Joe passed away today,” said Beeman. “Pray for the Joe Senn Family. Also, please be in prayer for Crockett Point.” Spicer added, “Praying for Crockett Point Baptist Church and for Brother Joe’s family.” Crockett Point’s pastor for the past 16 years, Senn, a former evangelist, was preparing to lead revival services beginning Sunday at Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Dubach. He spent more than 30 years in ministry. When Senn took over in 1990, the church had fewer than 100 people. But in 15 years, he has helped the congregation to more than 250 participating at Sunday morning worship. In 2015, Crockett Point … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE — Almost one-third of Louisiana’s 105 members of the state’s House of Representatives signed a letter Friday asking Attorney General Jeff Landry to determine the constitutionality of separate executive orders issued by the U.S. president and Louisiana’s governor pertaining to the apparent creation of a new protected class, “gender identity.” In a joint letter to the attorney general, 32 representatives said President Barack Obama’s directive issued Friday which “implements new policies to allow ‘transgender’ students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex” was in direct conflict with federal and state court rulings that “already rejected arguments that Title IX and related federal regulations require schools to provide student access to opposite-sex restrooms and changing areas.” The legislators noted Louisiana law does not recognize transgender persons as a special class, but the signers of the letter still believed “every person deserves respect and dignity.” However, they clarified that “keeping the sexes separate for the purposes of bathroom and locker room access, for example, is important for the privacy and safety of the children and adults of our state.” The … [Read more...]