BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM)--Pastor Brad Jurkovich reassured members of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City, "There's hope today," Dec. 16 during the first Sunday worship service following a devastating fire only days before that impacted about three-quarters of the facilities on the church campus. His message to a packed crowd in the main worship center was consistent with his statements to the media that "God is in control ... we are going to press forward and trust Him," On Dec. 10 a three-alarm fire began at 5:30 a.m., originating with an uninterruptible power supply backup battery for a computer. The flames began in an office space near Faith Chapel -- the original worship center -- and spread quickly to the attic and other buildings including the childcare center and various youth facilities. About 65 firefighters fought the blaze, finally extinguishing it about 3:30 p.m. that same day. The congregation held a meeting in the Bossier Civic Center on Wednesday, Dec. 12, to pray, worship and organize for recovery, but the Sunday service was the first post-fire gathering on campus. There was an extended time for expressing gratitude to first responders and thanking officials for their support, but Jurkovich … [Read more...]

BATON ROUGE -- Robert E. "Bro. Bob" Anderson, longtime pastor of Parkview Baptist Church and the founder of one of Louisiana’s largest private schools, Parkview Baptist, passed away on Dec. 13. The 84-year-old Anderson, who had battled Parkinson's disease for seven years, died at his home surrounded by family. Born April 29, 1934, his mother Edith died of tuberculosis just eleven months later. Bob and his brothers were taken in by his paternal grandmother. A Shreveport native, Anderson committed his life to Jesus Christ at a crusade meeting led by the Rev. Billy Graham in 1951. He graduated from East Texas Baptist University, received his masters of divinity from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate from the International Bible Institute and Seminary. In 1951, 17-year-old Bob went with his Fair Park High football team to hear a young evangelist named Billy Graham speak in Shreveport. "I went forward and gave my heart to Christ," he said later. "Jesus became very real to me." So real, in fact, he answered the call to become a minister. His team won the state championship the next year. This began a life of winning from winning the heart of his high school sweetheart, Rochelle Reeves, whom he … [Read more...]

By Staff, Louisiana Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- The Louisiana Baptist Building received a bomb threat via email a little after noon today according to Louisiana Baptists Director of Communications John Kyle. "The email was time stamped around 12:19 p.m. and I noticed it around 12:40," Kyle said. "I immediately notified our chief information officer and her staff, who in turn notified the Alexandria Police Department." The APD responded along with other local and federal law enforcement officials and found nothing suspicious after thoroughly inspecting the building. "Later, the APD informed us that several institutions in Alexandria and across the country received similar emails," Kyle said. … [Read more...]

By Staff, Louisiana Baptist Message BOSSIER CITY – Fire investigators have determined Monday’s devastating fire on the campus of First Baptist Church in Bossier City was caused by an uninterruptible power supply battery back-up for a computer. According to a news release from the Bossier City fire department, based on fire patterns at the scene, the Dec. 10 fire began in an office space near Faith Chapel - the original worship center - before rapidly spreading to the attic and other buildings on the property. The determination was made following an extensive examination of the scene by investigators with the Bossier City Fire Department, the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Members and staff of First Bossier gathered Wednesday, Dec. 12, inside the Bossier Civic Center to pray, worship and prepare for recovery. They were joined by a number of community leaders, including Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker and Bossier City Fire Chief Brad Zagone. “What a powerful evening last night for our church as we gathered at the Bossier City Civic Center,” said Pastor Brad Jurkovich in a Dec. 13 statement to his congregation that was also shared with the Baptist … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BOSSIER CITY - Pastor Brad Jurkovich voiced thanks for the prayers and concern expressed by many individuals and churches across the state and nation following a fire that destroyed the original  sanctuary, but spared other parts of the facilities at First Bossier, December 10. The fire was reported around 5:30 a.m. and 30 fire department units responded in minutes from Bossier City and Shreveport, working tirelessly throughout the morning to contain the blaze, which resulted in no deaths. Jurkovich said the worship center and Tinytown preschool area are among the buildings on campus that will be operational moving forward. “Thank you Louisiana Baptists for praying for us and supporting us,” Jurkovich said. “So many of you from all across the state have been very supportive already. “Obviously it’s a tough deal when you see a part of your campus being ravaged by fire,” he continued. “But it means a lot that you’re praying for us. We know God’s going to help us move forward and we appreciate your prayers. Thank you for offering so much help. It means a lot to us.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDHpiCCrE8s U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, who was married in the facility that was heavily damaged in … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Ricky Chelette, a Louisiana College alum who turned from a lifestyle of homosexuality to one anchored in Christ, urged students attending a recent Baptist Collegiate Ministry meeting not to believe the cultural lie that people are born homosexual. “Some of you are struggling with this very issue,” Chelette said during the gathering, November 15. “The thing we have to do as people of the Gospel is to be able to say there is hope, there is hope to walk out of this.” Chelette founded Living Hope Ministries more than 25 years ago to help others who like him found freedom from the homosexual lifestyle through Jesus. He has discovered males are born with either a sensitive or rough and tumble personality, with the majority of boys experiencing traits of the latter. He said both personality types need affirmation that they have what it takes to be a man, attention from their fathers and affection to succeed. However, most dads do not know how to properly connect with their sensitive sons at early age. This causes a disconnect with the father and a stronger connection with the mother. Even so, the sensitive male craves affirmation, attention and affection from other … [Read more...]

By John Marcase, Special to the Message PINEVILLE (LBM) – Pineville native Jacob Sooter was doing what he does best and what he does for a living – writing Christian music – when one of his co-writers that morning in Nashville asked if he was going to the Dove Awards later that night. Sooter knew he had been nominated for Worship Song of the Year with “Spirit of the Living God.” It is a song he co-wrote with Mia Fieldes and which his wife, Meredith Andrews, was the lead singer as part of the Vertical Worship project. What Sooter did not know was he also received a nomination for Children’s Music Album of the Year, “Bright Ones.” “When he asked if I was going to the Dove Awards, that’s when I found out,” Sooter told the Baptist Message. He went and “Bright Ones” won. “It was a real treat and honor. The best thing is I tied Meredith now that I have two Doves,” he joked. PINEVILLE ROOTS A dry and sharp sense of humor has been part of Sooter’s life since birth. He grew up in Pineville, the oldest of two children to Alexandria attorney Vic Sooter and his wife, Molly, who teaches piano in Central Louisiana and who has performed with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra. So, music has been part of Sooter’s life … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, Director of Planned Giving ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – Reports of a strong third quarter, the election of new officers, the addition of a new manager for the domestic equity pool and beefed up security against potential cyberattacks highlighted the Oct. 23 agenda of the final 2018 meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees. THIRD QUARTER RESULTS Lee Morris with Graystone Consulting reviewed the Foundation’s portfolio for the quarter, presenting a positive view of asset performance for the period. The increase in the portfolio was led by growth-oriented companies, primarily in the technology sector; and, fixed income investments also performed in line with expectations, he said. Alternative allocations, financial instruments other than standard stocks and bonds, also are adding value at both the performance and diversification/risk control levels. LBF portfolio year-to-date performances as of Sept. 30: -- Short Term Fund: 1.30% actual annualized yield; -- Group Investment Fund, comprised of various market sectors: 2.87% total return; -- Diversified Income Fund, conservative income-oriented fund: 0.16% total return. All funds are generating returns that are in line with their respective … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer METAIRIE – Memorial Baptist Church and School recently went “all in” for the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home Fall Food Roundup and collected more than 30,000 items that will be used to help feed and provide supplies for residents at the ministry’s campus in Monroe throughout the upcoming year. The effort was embraced by the students, parents and church members as they worked together to surpass their all-time record. One class at the 335-student school collected 5,000 items and was rewarded with a trip to a local restaurant. The congregation, which averages 125 in Sunday morning worship, also gave $2,200 and set up a Facebook donation page that raised an additional $1,000. Pastor Dan Pritchett even stepped up to provide extra motivation for the drive by offering to shave his head if more than 30,000 non-perishable groceries, paper products, and cleaning supplies were contributed to the drive. “In previous years, the school principal and I competed with one another, with the person coming in second sleeping on our church roof,” Pritchett said. “We finally had gotten at a place where we needed something fresh and wanted the Lord to blow this up. Then I walked in one day and … [Read more...]