By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer MEXICO – Nearly 200 members of the LSU, New Orleans Metro and Southern University Baptist Collegiate Ministry took a trip south of the border over their spring break to give the gift of salvation to more than 60 people. During the March 23-30 evangelistic outreach, they witnessed a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit in a variety of ministry opportunities in which they participated, according to LSU BCM Director Steve Masters, including seeing five members of their own team put their trust in Jesus Christ. UNIFIED FOR SERVICE The team included 178 LSU, 11 New Orleans Metro (comprised of Loyola and Tulane University students) and five Southern University students, BCM staff, pastors and van drivers. Masters said the cooperation among the three BCMs with churches in the Baton Rouge area made for a memorable trip. “The Mexico mission trip was a great week of missions, ministry, sharing and connection,” Masters said. “The participating students slept on the floor, worked long hours, had to take cold showers, much of the time ate sandwiches for lunch each day, gave up time with their families and loved every minute of it.” Florida Boulevard Baptist Church, Istrouma Baptist … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter WOODWORTH – It’s time to embrace your own inner “Queen Esther” to fulfill God’s purposeful plan for your lives. This was the challenge participants at the Louisiana Baptist WMU Mission Celebration were encouraged to embrace by Sandy Wisdom-Martin, the event’s keynote speaker. “God’s best for us lies just beyond our comfort zone. God calls us to remember our past, but He does not want us to stay there. You have been made ‘queen’ for such a time as this,” Wisdom-Martin, executive director-treasurer of the Woman’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention, told the attendees at the two-day conference. The celebration, which was the 118th, was held at the Georgia Barnette Conference Center at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center April 13-14. Courage, passion and humility are three traits needed to be like Queen Esther for “such a time as this,” Wisdom-Martin said in the afternoon session on Saturday. “What fear is holding your heart captive?” she asked, adding that God has a plan for everyone’s lives and we need to stand with courage. “The future requires boldness.” With boldness, Wisdom-Martin explained, God’s providence for everyone’s life can unfold. “There is … [Read more...]

Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WINNSBORO – For three years, Zach Smith planted Gospel seeds in the life of his father-in-law, Frank Knox, with the hopes of seeing a great harvest. Smith’s persistence paid off in early April, when Knox, 46, accepted Christ as his Savior during a session of the Deer Creek Association Harvest Revival in Winnsboro. “My wife, Hailey, and I cried to God for his soul for so long, and to see him alive in Christ is so beautiful,” said Smith, youth minister at Temple Baptist Church in Winnsboro. “Glory be to God for what transpired during the revival and for what God has planned for him.” Knox was so passionate about his newfound faith that he made it known the following Sunday in his desire to join Temple Baptist and share his testimony through baptism. A week after joining the church, Knox was baptized April 15 by Smith. “I was blind my whole life and now my eyes have been wiped clean,” Knox said. “Having my son-in-law and my daughter not give up on me means so much. My plan now is to reach out to as many people as possible to let them know about Jesus.” Knox was one of five people to come forward and accept Christ during the Deer Creek Association Harvest Revival April 2-7 at … [Read more...]

By Jeremy Shepherd, Pastor Pineville Park Baptist Church, Pineville, LA I am proud and thankful to be a Louisiana Baptist. As the pastor of Pineville Park Baptist Church, I do not pastor one of the larger churches in our state. While this is true, I have been pleased to learn firsthand that every Louisiana Baptist can have a voice. I have been concerned with the amount of politicking that feels so pervasive in our state convention right now regarding the upcoming SBC presidential election. I have also felt that the Louisiana Baptist Message has been one-sided in its coverage concerning the candidates participating in this event. Others have expressed those same concerns. It has been my experience as a pastor that I much prefer an individual coming to me with an issue rather than speaking with everyone else first, so I sought to do the same. As Louisiana Baptists, we have the opportunity to address our concerns through the trustee system of our various state Baptist entities and to speak directly with the heads of those organizations. In the last week, I have had the opportunity to address these matters with the board of the Louisiana Baptist Message and Will Hall. Without exception, every board member has been … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – The Southern Baptist Convention is defined by the voluntary cooperation of more than 46,000 congregations for the sake of sharing the Gospel with the lost in local areas, states, the nation and around the world. There are a number of ways to measure cooperation, including commitment of resources as well as service together. Meanwhile, the ultimate measurement of effectiveness of sharing the Gospel is winning souls. The Baptist Message has compiled information about the churches of Ken Hemphill and J.D. Greear from the Southern Baptist Convention’s records of data submitted by the churches via Annual Church Profile surveys. Previously, the Baptist Message reported information about the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina, for Hemphill. But, to provide a more appropriate comparison of leadership, in this article we are including data for the First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia, where Hemphill last served as a pastor. He served there 12 years, so we include 12 years of history for both FBCN and The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, led by J.D. Greear, for a consistent basis of comparison. As for service to Southern Baptists, in addition … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- Two iconic leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention have endorsed Ken Hemphill for SBC president. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the historic 13,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, in an email, said, “I enthusiastically endorse Dr. Ken Hemphill for president of the Southern Baptist Convention,” noting that Hemphill “is a proven leader with a consistent track record of supporting all the various ministries of our denomination.” “As our Convention faces so many critical decisions that will determine our denomination’s future for decades to come,” he continued, “we need a leader who has both the ability and the desire to unite, rather than further divide, Southern Baptists.” Bobby Welch, who served as SBC president from 2004-2005 while then pastor of the 4,100-member First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, shared similar thoughts through a social media message about the need for Hemphill’s seasoned leadership at a critical time in the life of the Convention. “There are a number of excellently qualified Southern Baptists who would make a great president of the SBC, any other time except this time,” Welch wrote. “This time, we are in desperate need of a … [Read more...]

By Eddie Wren, President of the LBC Why should you volunteer to be a messenger for the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas? I am so glad you asked! I believe four reasons prevail. First, to witness the Southern Baptist Convention. Oh, some will say the SBC is nothing but an oversized business meeting, but the meeting is fascinating nonetheless. Get the business meetings from your grandmother’s church out of your head. The SBC is not like her meetings. Instead, there will be reports and presentations from the major entities of the SBC. The Executive Committee of the SBC, The North American and International Mission Boards, Lifeway, Guidestone, the seminaries and others will give presentations and answer questions. The meeting can actually be fascinating, or at least entertaining. Second, in the couple of days that are the SBC, you will also be privileged to hear good preaching from preachers you may otherwise only hear on television or the radio. If you go early you will hear lots of good preaching at the SBC Pastor’s Conference. But if you cannot attend the Pastor’s Conference there will still be opportunities to hear good preaching. Steve Gaines, Ravi Zacharias and Paige Patterson will all preach … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE There will be a Commissioning Service this Sunday, May 6 for Matthew Beisel, the new pastor Sharon Baptist Church in Port Allen. This is Beisel's first pastorate and he will be commissioned by Glen Wagnon, acting interim and Randy Osbourne of the Greater Baton Rouge Baptist Association. Beisel, his wife Haleigh and their two children, Edith & Elliot, are coming to Sharon from Coral Springs, Florida.  The church will celebrate the occasion with a “pounding” for the Pastor's family and a covered dish luncheon. Matt, wife Erin, Mallette and his wife Erin is the new youth minister at Unity Baptist Church, Deville. Kenneth, wife Peep, Austin is the new interim pastor at The Church at Marksville. Jerry Penfield has resigned as pastor at First Baptist Church, Zwolle. REVIVAL Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans: Spring Revival, May 7-8, each night 6-9 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Pastor: Fred Luter. Franklinton Area Senior Adult Revival, “A Clean Heart Revival,” May 7-11; Monday, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Franklinton, Speaker: Michael Thomas; Tuesday, Bethel Baptist Church, Franklinton, Speaker: Mike Stafford; Thursday, Bogue Chitto, Mt. Hermon, Speaker: Joey Miller, Friday, First Baptist Church, … [Read more...]

By Louisiana Right to Life communications NEW ORLEANS - The number of abortions in Louisiana decreased by 3 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to preliminary figures provided to Louisiana Right to Life recently by the Louisiana Department of Health. It was the third straight year abortion numbers have dropped. There were 8,706 abortions performed in Louisiana in 2017, down from 8,972 abortions reported in 2016, 9,362 abortions reported in 2015, and 10,211 abortions reported in 2014. The number of abortions performed in the state had increased steadily since Hurricane Katrina before the abortion rate began to decline. Even with numbers down nearly 15 percent since 2014, an average of 24 abortions per day were performed in Louisiana in 2017. Louisiana Right to Life will continue working hard to reduce these numbers until every baby is saved. "We are excited that for the third straight year abortion has decreased in Louisiana," said Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life. "This decrease means that children were born in 2017 who may have been aborted in previous years. These babies now get to enjoy their life in the great state we call home. We believe that every life deserves a lifetime, and … [Read more...]