By LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) = Former professional baseball players David and Jason Benham will be the speakers for the 2024 Dr. Maggie Martin Marketplace Leadership Summit, scheduled for April 25. The Benham Brothers are nationally acclaimed Christian entrepreneurs and best-selling authors who have started dozens of businesses and hosted a reality show on HGTV. According to their website, the show was canceled when activists pressured the network to fire them over their commitment to their Christian faith. Choosing Christ over television fame, they have appeared on news programs on several major networks encouraging others to stand for what they believe, whatever the cost. “The Benham Brothers’ story is one that weaves through the Fair Grounds Field in Shreveport, Louisiana to a thriving real estate empire that includes multiple companies across most of the states in the country,” said LCU Dean of the Young School of Business Kenny Holt. “Their story will inspire all current and prospective entrepreneurs in Central Louisiana and shows how you can be true to your Christian beliefs and still be very successful.” Today, the brothers run an online coaching series called Expert Ownership, where they train … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BENTON, La. (LBM) – Tim Tebow helped give hundreds of special needs individuals in Louisiana Baptist churches the red carpet treatment Friday, Feb. 9. Dressed in their formal attire, these special guests enjoyed a variety of activities to make them feel like kings and queens in God’s eyes at the tenth annual Night to Shine prom. Four Louisiana Baptist churches were among the 726 churches in 50 states and on six continents that hosted the event, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The former Heisman Trophy and NFL quarterback started the event for individuals who have special needs. From the beginning, the evening was magical for the guests, who were transported by limousine, trolley or classic car to a red carpet. Once there, they were greeted by an enthusiastic group of volunteers armed with cameras and cheers from the crowd. Guests received the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining areas, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors and a dance floor. All of this led up to the moment when each guest was crowned king or queen of the prom. “726 host churches. 56 countries. All 50 states. 6 continents. ONE … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer HAUGHTON, La. (LBM) – More than 300 members from 107 churches in the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association joined together, Feb. 4, to pray to Almighty God during the fellowship’s ninth annual “Call to Prayer,” according to organizers. Hosted by Eastwood Baptist Church, Haughton, the gathering brought together Christians of various ages and ethnicities to pray for law enforcement officers, the persecuted church, missionaries serving around the world, pastors and other church leaders. The event was marked by prayer from the worship center stage, in small groups around the room and by individuals who pleaded with God for revival in their community, state and nation. The evening also included a special message from U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church, Benton. URGENCY TO SEEK GOD NLBA Associational Missions Strategist Lane Moore told the crowd that America is at a crossroads and needs a divine solution to the troubles of the world. “We are clearly in an uncertain hour all across this nation,” Moore said. “2023 was a very turbulent year in our world to say the least. We are obviously living in a more wicked and fallen … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Mark Robinson told students attending the Collegiate Evangelism Conference hosted by Louisiana Christian University, Feb. 2-3, that they are ambassadors for Christ on their respective campuses. “We’re the ambassadors that are carrying the message of reconciliation,” Robinson, Louisiana Baptist collegiate ministry team director, shared during the conference’s opening session inside Guinn Auditorium. “You are an ambassador and should tell people about Jesus. You’ve got the authority and you’ve got the name badge that says you belong to Jesus.” Citing Luke 19:1-10, Robinson told the students that Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree, called him by name, and in the end, Zacchaeus turned to Jesus. He said that just as Jesus took notice of Zacchaeus, He also takes notice of them. “But you may feel in your life, like nobody sees you,” he said. “They don't know what's going on. They don't know what's happening with my grandparents. They don't know my parents just split up. They don't know anything about what's going on in my life. Let me tell you the good news. Jesus knows us.” HEAR GOD Robinson’s message was part of the two-day program that … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – More than 250 Louisiana Life March Central participants braved a steady rain, Feb. 3, as they marched to show their support for all pregnant and parenting woman. Men and women, young and old, from various denominations and ethnicities joined together to make the journey from the Louisiana Christian University campus to Sacred Heart Church in Pineville. Sarah Zagorski, communications director for Louisiana Right to Life, reminded the crowd that while Roe v. Wade (a decision in 1973 that legalized abortion) was overturned in 2022, pro-life supporters must continue the fight for life. She also encouraged the crowd to follow public policy decisions made by the state legislature in its upcoming session that begins in March. “We’re very excited to see the progress we’ve already seen since the reversal of Roe vs. Wade,” she said. “It's important that even though Roe was overturned, we continue stepping up for women because there will always be unplanned pregnancies. There’ll always be crisis pregnancies and women will always need us.” The life march was the last of five held in the state over the past few weeks. According to LRTL officials, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer BOGALUSA, La. (LBM) – Pro-life supporters gathered Jan. 29 to celebrate the grand opening of the first pregnancy center in Washington Parish. The Southeast Louisiana Pregnancy Center for Women and Children, located at 502 Ave. F in Bogalusa, will be open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., though the hours of operation may increase in April. As the center grows, it will offer pregnancy decision coaching by trained advocates, free pregnancy tests, information about pregnancy options, maternity and other physical resources and post-decision support including parenting education. The center will also minister to women who make the wrong decision by providing post-abortive healing assistance as a way to show them the love of Christ. Center Executive Director Clelie Dugan expressed excitement about how the facility will lead to many saved lives in the area. “It is an honor to be chosen to make the dream of this mission a reality,” Dugan told the Baptist Message. “With God's help and guidance, we will serve the pregnant women and children of Washington parish and southeast Louisiana.” Dugan has 34 years of experience as a Registered Nurse and has a Ph.D. in … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff TIOGA, La. (LBM) – Faith Baptist Church will host a hymn sing, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., to bring together central Louisiana churches and benefit the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at Louisiana Christian University and Louisiana State University at Alexandria. The hymn sing will include reading of scripture, prayer and singing of hymns under the direction of Jeremy Christ, minister of music at Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria. An offering will be collected for the two BCMs. “We will have memorable and powerful times of worship happen when deeply committed believers give voice in song to hymns about the greatness of God and the cross and the glories to come,” Faith Baptist Pastor Clark Palmer told the Baptist Message. “These moments happen when we intentionally gather for the specific purpose of worship in song. Solid truth sung with the human voice that God created for the purpose of giving glory to Him will be soul enriching.”   … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer RUSTON, La. (LBM) - Pastors must deal with personal pain so they will not move to the point of disconnection, Northeast and Morehouse Baptist Associational Missions Strategist Steven Kelly said during a time of tes­timony for the 2024 Loui­siana Baptist Evangelism Conference, Jan. 23. Kelly shared about how God helped him through the pain of deal­ing with the Aug. 21, 2018, death of his new­born grandson, Elijah Kelly. Elijah weighed four pounds, 13 ounces when he was born, June 6, 2018. Two days later, the doctors diagnosed him with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition that left the newborn with only three of four chambers of his heart working properly. In the ensuing months, the baby en­dured open-heart sur­gery, brain bleeding, kidney dialysis and countless injections at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. On the day Elijah died, Kelly was attending a conference. He received a call that he needed to come to the hospital and arrived in time to spend four hours with family members in Elijah’s room before he passed. Kelly said he did not become angry with God, but that he did have to deal with great pain -- a pain that he has minis­tered to many times … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer RUSTON, La. (LBM) – Charles Billingsley has faced several medical battles, but with each trial he remained focused on praising God who eventu­ally gave him victory, he shared with the Baptist Message in an exclusive interview, Jan. 23. In 2007, Billingsley nearly lost his voice after a blood vessel burst on his vocal cords, leaving him with a polyp and unable to sing for several months. Then, in 2020, he spent Easter quarantined with COVID. Through those times, Billingsley said he rediscovered God’s gift of worship. “I remember I went up into the Blue Ridge Mountains (in 2007) and sat at a picnic table when I was reading a book by my friend David Jeremiah called ‘A Bend in the Road,’ and I couldn’t make any noise,” he said while at the 2024 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference. “But it’s crazy because in the midst of all that reading I was just crying out to God asking Him to heal my voice that I would be able to sing again. And in the middle of reading -- while I was out in the middle of the woods -- this big old huge maple leaf just came and landed right smack dab in the middle of my Bible, right as I was crying out to the Lord. And I just felt like the Lord was … [Read more...]