By Message Staff WOODWORTH –Tony Mathews reminded 45 pastors and their spouses of their responsibility to live out God’s missiological plan for the world during the first ever Louisiana Baptist African-American Missions Conference. “The personnel of the mission agenda is us,” the president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention African American Fellowship said during one of his messages. “You are employed by Jesus.” Throughout the conference, Mathews drew from his experiences of participating in mission trips with North Garland Baptist Church where he serves as pastor to challenge those in attendance to realize how they can influence the ends of the earth. Near the end of his final message, Mathews challenged pastors to join him in a mission trip to Ecuador in October, with two responding to go. Held Sept. 8-9 at Tall Timbers Conference Center, the retreat also featured intensive training led by Mathews and worship led by Thomas Keys, worship minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport. The pastors also heard encouraging words in breakout sessions from David Hankins, executive director for Louisiana Baptists, Leroy Fountain, church health strategist for New Orleans Baptist Association, Barry Calhoun, … [Read more...]

Spencer Baptist Church will host a revival Sept. 24-27. Lyndon Longoria will serve as the evangelist and Kerry Longoria will bring the special music. The church is located at 5764 Hwy. 143 in Spencer. David Richmond is pastor. … [Read more...]

Jamestown Baptist Church will have its homecoming festivities Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m., with Carl Griffith serving as the guest speaker. A pot luck dinner will follow the morning service. Everett Geis serves as pastor. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff STARKS – North Eunice Baptist Church has a lofty goal. Once a week, they plan to send a disaster relief team to gut out homes damaged by flooding. And the church is not wasting any time as they’ve already sent a team to work on the home of an 82-year-old man in Starks, where more than 200 homes in the area flooded because of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. North Eunice Baptist Pastor Travis Turner told the Baptist Message the homeowner, like many in Starks, had recently completed renovations on his home following flooding in March 2016. “It helped him knowing we were there to pray with him and assure him we were going to complete the job as we promised,” Turner said. “When we finished, I called him to share the news and he couldn’t believe it. He said thank you over and over.” While the team has responded to previous disasters, Turner said this was the first time they have ventured outside the Eunice area to do relief work. He expects the team will continue working on other homes in Calcasieu Parish. “Going to work on flooded homes like those in Starks makes us more grateful for what we have,” Turner said. “When we go, we go feeling we will bless others but in the end we … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ANACOCO – A group of Northwestern State Baptist Collegiate Ministry students kicked off their weekend by participating in a hands-on mud-out training session at a Vernon Parish home flooded by remnants of Hurricane Harvey. The team of 10 gutted out the inside of the house, as well as clearing debris from the yard. By the end of the afternoon, the students not only received disaster relief training necessary for future responses but also were able to help two disabled Army veterans to returning to their home in Anacoco, NSU BCM Director Bill Collins told the Baptist Message. "My guys saw the gratitude of the homeowner and realized how much it really meant for them to do this type of work," Collins said. "Plus, I now have 10 more who are trained for the next response. From the homeowners to my students, everybody won on this particular trip." Even before reaching the site, the students were given the opportunity to minister. Kobe Ardoin said the trip was a great learning experience. "We got a chance to pray with the homeowners before starting our work process," he said. "Being able to serve others through the grace of God is always a good thing for me and is something I wouldn't hesitate to do … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DEVILLE – On August 27, the season had yet to open for the Louisiana College football team, however, members of the Wildcats experienced a victory more meaningful than any margin posted on a scoreboard when 31 players came forward to humble their hearts to Christ and surrender their lives to Him during a special service held by evangelist Rick Gage at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. Him during a special service held by evangelist Rick Gage at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. Coach Justin Charles said he was overcome with emotion as he watched so many of his players, one-by-one, walk to the front of the worship center to speak with Gage, himself a former college football player and coach. “That day was more fulfilling than winning a football game,” said the first-year head coach for the Wildcats. “Knowing you had 31 young men all turn their lives to Christ is a feeling that is hard to describe for this coach.” Devyn Allen, a sophomore linebacker from Baton Rouge, said he was convicted that he was not living the way Christ intended and that he needed to repent. “I believed I was a Christian but I wasn’t living my life right,” Allen said. “His message hit me … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM)—Students with three Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministries took time out of a holiday weekend and a television schedule full of college football to minister to survivors of Hurricane Harvey. Saturday through Monday, Sept. 2-4, 130 BCM students and leaders from LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette and McNeese State, with assistance from Living Hope Fellowship in Baton Rouge, gutted homes that had been flooded by rainfall from the epic storm. They formed 14 different teams that each worked in one of four areas – Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Orange, Texas and Port Arthur, Texas. Blake Grundy, BCM campus minister at McNeese, told the Baptist Message that the trip was well suited for college students who have a heart of service. “Many of the students who went on this trip have done mud-out work before, so they know the heartache the destruction causes the homeowner,” he said. “College students have time and the one thing our students love to do with it is to serve. They love to bless people for whom hope seems lost. For them, it’s one aspect of putting faith into action.” Grundy said many of the students indicated their desire to make return trips to the hard-hit areas. He … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ORANGE, Texas - Frank Teat returned "home" Sept. 7-9, bringing his wife, Carol Beth, and three friends from First Bossier to minister to Hurricane Harvey victims in a community where lived and served on North Orange Baptist Church's staff for 21 years. Together, the team gutted out a home and unloaded at North Orange Baptist Church a trailer that members of First Bossier filled Sunday, Sept. 3, with items such as cleaning materials, diapers, food and water that will contribute to the church's supply area for Harvey victims. Teat, connections pastor at First Bossier, was student minister at North Orange Baptist Church during his time in that community. Because available lodging is scarce near Orange, the team stayed at East Texas Baptist Encampment in Newton, Texas, a 50-minute drive from Orange. "Camp Director Andy Narramore provided beds, hot meals at breakfast and supper for work crews, as well as sack lunches," Teat said. "At the end of a day cleaning of this nature, the drive is no issue as you know you are headed to a great hot shower, hot meal and a comfortable bed." He said First Bossier Pastor Brad Jurkovich not only understands his concern for this area based on Teat's tenure here, but sees this as a … [Read more...]

VINTON - Crossroads Baptist Church has issued an immediate call for help providing meals for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, as well as for first responders. Pastor Rob Tibbitts said in an e-mail that volunteers will assist in one of two areas - cooking and serving. Some volunteers are needed to work in an outdoor kitchen, lifting large (often heavy) trays of food and need to be able-bodied. The cooking shifts are from 5 a.m. to noon, and from noon to 8 p.m. Other volunteers will work in the church kitchen, with the help of their Serve Team leaders, to serve meals and clean up the serving area afterwards. The serving shifts are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. To volunteer, call the church office at 337.589.7140 or, if no one answers the phone, call 337.526.0738. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer CALHOUN – Josh Elliff was at a spiritual crossroad in early 2016. He was a staff member for a congregation that was growing, thriving, and reaching their city… but still he was not at peace, believing God was about to move him and his wife. He and Jacqueline were happy at Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas, but he knew he had been called to be a pastor, and that God had him there to prepare for this next step. After a season of prayer, the Arkansas native was offered the possibility of leading a Calhoun, Louisiana, campus of First Baptist Church, West Monroe, which was expanding as a multi-site congregation. “God just put a burden on our hearts,” Elliff said. “He really just broke our hearts for the people here, just the need, the lostness that was in the community.” EXPANDING THE GOSPEL According to local pastors and demographic studies conducted by First West Monroe, roughly 6,900 out of the 7,745 people in the Calhoun zip code do not attend a worship service at any church on Sunday. With a five percent annual population growth rate projection, that number is likely to grow, further solidifying the need for expanding the Gospel there. “The fact is there are some great … [Read more...]