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"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Baptist Golf Fellowship winners announced

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Columbia’s Bruce McGee won individual honors and First Baptist Church of DeRidder convincingly reclaimed team title honors May 9-10 at the annual Baptist Golf Fellowship. McGee, a retired pastor who is now serving as an evangelist, shot an impressive one-over par (73) at the 18-hole, par 72 Oak Wing Golf Course facility  to earn the title of Grand Champion while First Baptist DeRidder, after having their win streak stopped six months earlier, reclaimed the team title with a combined 314 score. Last fall First DeRidder lost by two strokes to Unity Baptist Church in Cotton Valley. Members of the winning team included Tony Branham, Jerry Istre, Eddie Joslin and Chad Johnson. Eighty pastors and laymen enjoyed pleasant weather, good fellowship and a couple rounds of golf May 9-10 at the annual spring Baptist Golf Fellowship held recently at Oak Wing. The Fellowship, sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Foundation and the Baptist Message, is a time for pastors and laypersons to come together for a little light-hearted competition around the game of golf. Medalist and Team play was completed on Monday afternoon. During the evening banquet at the Baptist Building trophies were given … [Read more...]

White House issues transgender order to schools

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration has issued an order today (May 13) instructing all public schools to permit transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of their gender identity instead of their biological sex. The across-the-board directive, reported first by The New York Times Thursday night (May 12), met quick protests from Southern Baptist leaders. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, described the federal guidance as "an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, human sexuality and morality, and an advancement of the attack against religious freedom." "Gender is not fluid.... Gender is not a human choice, but a gift from God to each of us," Floyd said in written comments for Baptist Press, adding the directive "contributes to the continual chaos in our society." "This is a flagrant and despicable attack on not just the present generation, but also the next generation," Floyd said. "Every Christian in America or anyone who has any conviction about morality needs to rise up and say, 'Enough is Enough!'" Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, described "the decree from the Obama Administration … [Read more...]

Take advantage of these revivals in these Louisiana Baptist churches

Horseshoe Baptist Church, Mer Rouge: Spring Revival, April 15-18, Sunday and 6 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday, 7 p.m. Speaker: Greg Pierce. Pastor: Bob Lonadier. New Hope Baptist Church, Jonesboro: Harvest Sunday, May 15, 11 a.m. Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: Hudey Beaubouef. First Baptist Church, Albany: Revival, May 15-18. Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria. Music: Scott Munson. Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, Spearsville: Harvest Day, May 15, 10:45 a.m. Evangelist: Sam Moore. Pastor: Adam Hill. Lake St. John Baptist Church, Ferriday: Revival, May 18-21, 6:30 p.m., Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: Mark Richardson. Bellwood Baptist Church, Provencal: May 22-25. Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: Roger Matkin New Hope Baptist Church, DeQuincy: Revival May 22-25. Evangelist: Bill Britt. Worship: Mackey Willis Family. Pastor: Roland Hebert Mt Pleasant Baptist Church, Columbia: May 29, Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria. Pastor: Jerry Hendrickson New Beginnings Baptist Church, Castor: Revival, May 29-June 1. Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. Pastor: David Boyler … [Read more...]

Russell Moore provoked Donald Trump into attack, Robert Jeffress says

by Marisa Lengor Kwaning, Christian Examiner ***This article was previously posted at the Christian Examiner and is used by permission. WASHINGTON (Christian Examiner) — Pastor Robert Jeffress has defended Donald Trump's attacks on Russell Moore, arguing that Moore had it coming because he provoked Trump. On Monday, prominent Christian ethicist Russell Moore, a vocal critic of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, was called nasty, heartless and a terrible representative of evangelicals by Trump on Twitter. Although Moore has received support from various partners and members of the Southern Baptist Convention, not everyone within the convention has come to his defense. Jeffress, senior pastor of the 12,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas and vocal Trump supporter, ardently defended the Republican candidate. In an email to The Christian Post, Jeffress said, "Trump's response to Moore was not unprovoked. Moore had been launching vitriolic attacks not only against Donald Trump's policies, but also personal attacks against [his] character." The pastor also insinuated that Moore had it coming, arguing "when you keep poking the bear don't be surprised when the bear takes a bite out of you." To Read the Full … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist state leaders accuse mission organization of strong arming

By Joni B. Hannigan, Christian Examiner ***This article was previously posted at the Christian Examiner and is used by permission. ATLANTA (Christian Examiner) – Several Southern Baptist state conventions leaders have accused the denomination's North American Mission Board (NAMB) of linking financial support from the national entity — funding for church planting and other ministries — to secretive Cooperative Agreements which include a clause that threatens to withhold ministry funds to the states if disclosures about the agreement — or concerns — are shared publicly. Cooperation is the essential bond among Southern Baptists whose 46,500 churches are autonomous, but historically have rallied together around a common theology and the desire to work together in evangelistic missions at home and abroad. Local associations, state conventions and the national denomination (which includes domestic and overseas mission boards and an extensive seminary education system) each adhere to a system of independent governance — driven by elections, boards and appointments — that provides accountability to the churches which ultimately are the centers of sustainability for a massive system of financing and budgets which includes special … [Read more...]

Stephen Curry thanks God ‘for talents He’s given me’ in accepting 2nd straight MVP

By Michael Foust, Christian Examiner SAN FRANCISCO (Christian Examiner) – Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry accepted his second straight NBA Most Valuable Player trophy award Tuesday, and then sprinkled comments about his Christian faith throughout a news conference televised nationwide. Curry became the first unanimous selection in the history of the NBA trophy, winning all 131 first-place votes and doing something that the NBA's other great players of the past – such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan – never did. To read the rest of the article, click here. … [Read more...]

Dirt work has begun on new ULM BCM

MONROE -- A construction company has started to move dirt today in preparation of pouring a foundation for the new $1.2 million University of Louisiana at Monroe BCM. An official groundbreaking is scheduled but no date has been released yet. The cost of project is $1.2 million but includes volunteer labor. The new BCM will be located at 1005 University Avenue and is scheduled for completion July 1, 2017. The new 10,000-square-foot BCM will feature expansive worship, office and meeting room space, lobby and student apartments. "We have already raised about 80-85 percent of the $1.2 million," said Chad McClurg, BCM campus director. "We were at a point that it would have cost just as much to renovate our old building what with the problems to our roof, heating and cooling system than to go ahead and build a new building. "This building will be functionable for at least the next 50 years and will allow us to impact students for a long, long time," McClurg continued. "We will be across the street from two dorms and two blocks away for a new international center. So, we are strategically placed to reach the campus. We are excited to get started. "As the university is growing, the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish because … [Read more...]

Sexual addiction tragedy prompts seminary conference

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS -- The suicide death of a beloved colleague after a sexual addiction came to light drove the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary community to their knees in prayer last August. They rose determined to help others caught in pornography and sexual addiction. "Recalibrate," a campus-wide conference with Greg Miller of Faithful & True, a ministry to those impacted by sexual addictions, came together as a response to the death of John Gibson, longtime professor at NOBTS' Leavell College on the opening day of classes on Aug. 24, 2015. Thomas Strong, Leavell College dean, encouraged the seminary community to attend the April 28 conference in an NOBTS weekly publication. "We have come to the realization through a most tragic event here on our campus that secret sin has a devastating impact," Strong wrote. "We want to start a conversation on breaking the power of secret sin" -- a conversation "seasoned with redemption and hope." Miller, speaking to a full audience in Leavell Chapel, said 50 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women self-report they are "addicted to porn." Self-reported statistics, he added, typically skew low. By age 18, "virtually all" … [Read more...]

Navigating rising costs in health care

by Timothy E. Head, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS -- Health care costs continue to rise due to impact from the federal Affordable Care Act and are causing insurers to seek large rate hikes, while others have chosen to depart the health care exchanges altogether, according to GuideStone Financial Resources. The financial services arm of the Southern Baptist Convention noted some ways to help "mitigate the impact" of rising costs. UnitedHealth, the nation's largest medical insurance provider, recently announced it lost $650 million in 2015, on top of a $425 million loss in 2014, as a result of offering medical insurance on the various exchanges established through the Affordable Care Act. UnitedHealth has announced it would pull out of all but a few exchanges for 2017. While private insurance rates may vary from the rates charged on health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, they are related. According to the Associated Press, customers in the health care exchanges could see medical insurance rate increases that reach "well into double digits," as evidenced by Virginia health care providers on the HealthCare.gov website filing preliminary notices seeking average premium increases ranging from 9.4 percent to … [Read more...]

Minor fire at NOBTS extinguished without injury

By Staff, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Communications NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary experienced a small fire just before noon April 27, impacting the John T. Christian Library. The fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured during the event. The fire started in the motor of an exterior air condition chiller unit and never spread to the structure of the library building. Thanks to quick responses from the New Orleans Fire Department and the NOBTS facilities department, the fire was quickly contained and extinguished. Preliminary assessments indicate that the damage was confined to the chiller unit motor. Due to the nature of the fire, the air conditioning unit pushed smoke into the library and library occupants were evacuated without injury. After extinguishing the fire, the NOFD deployed fans in the building to help dissipate the smoke. The NOFD completed its work and left campus at approximately 1:45 p.m. At that time the NOBTS facilities department began its full assessment of the damage. The library stayed closed the rest of the day and reopened the next morning at 7:30 a.m. … [Read more...]