By Message Staff BATON ROUGE – Members of the Baton Rouge community will gather on the steps of Louisiana’s capitol building for a time of prayer Saturday, Aug. 12. Scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m., “Prayers for Progress” will focus on praying for the recovery of the greater Baton Rouge area more than a year after the thousand-year flood of 2016. During that time, the area was inundated by floodwaters, which damaged more than 140,000 homes. The prayer vigil will feature area pastors and community leaders and is open to the public. “We are praying on the anniversary of the flood to bring awareness to the continued efforts that need to occur to attain recovery,” said Thomas Sheppard, pastor of the Church at Addis and president of the Provisions Project. “A year has passed and many people outside our area have forgotten about the destruction left behind. We have three to four years of work left here and we are hoping that by coming together for prayer, people will be reminded of the need we have.” The Provisions Project is a long-term disaster recovery group created by the Church at Addis. Through this effort, they are providing financial and physical resources to help people in the Baton Rouge area to move back into their … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, Director of Planned Giving ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – News of well-performing portfolios, updates on investments, progress on its new accounting software and the approval of its annual audit highlighted the second quarterly meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees meeting July 25. INVESTMENT UPDATES E.L. Paulk, trustee from Deville, chaired the morning meeting of the Investment Committee. In a conference call to trustees, Lee Morris, Investment Consultant with Graystone, reviewed the investment holdings and performance for the first half of 2017 in context of the U.S. Domestic Equities markets, which are positive for the year. Morris said fixed income portfolios remain relatively sluggish, as anticipated, explaining that the Federal Reserve is expected to raise rates once more by year end. He said active management was gaining traction versus passive management through the first half of 2017, with more managers “picking stocks” rather than essentially “indexing funds” to the markets. He also discussed alternative allocations, such as convertible securities and preferred stock, are performing well and adding value to the portfolio at both the performance and diversification level. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA (LBM) – The popular Christian group Mercy Me broke into the contemporary Christian music scene in 2002 with their inspirational single “I Can Only Imagine.” As Louisiana Baptists approach a season of focused prayer and giving for state missions and ministries, it may be appropriate to ask, “Can you imagine what Louisiana would be like without the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering?” The offering is the lifeblood of many ministries throughout the state including disaster relief, church planting and many more. Without the state missions offering, 86 churches that benefitted from Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief during the 2016 and 2017 floods likely would have received much less help. Without the offering, Louisiana Baptists might not have planted 200 churches since 2010 and would not have witnessed 11,000 new commitments to Christ, including 1,329 first-time decisions and 384 baptisms last year alone. Without the offering, church plants might not have received $330,000 last year in funding. Without the offering, Suburban Baptist Church in New Orleans might not have re-opened as soon as it did with the help of mission builders, six months after an … [Read more...]

By Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Never is it wrong to state a firm case for racial justice in America. If racism continues to be problematic the world over; at least not in America, and certainly not in the SBC, should we ever tolerate the raising of the ugly head of injustice or the unkindness that accompanies any racial intolerance. God is the Creator of all men, and He said that all that He created was “very good.” We, as Baptists, are entitled to no other view. The denunciation of the racism of the “alt-right” is most certainly in order. As Southern Baptists were voting their approval of the resolution against the alt-right, Congressman Steve Scalise was in the gun sight of a rabid member of what might be fairly styled “the alt-left.” And make no mistake, that angry man did not mean to wound but rather was determined to kill – all the Republicans that he could. That is why the resolution against the “alt-right” was superbly right and tragically wrong at the same time. Constitution guarantees free speech The free speech guaranteed by our Constitution has been abrogated on numerous college and university campuses. The president of the United States has been threatened … [Read more...]

By Russell Meek, Louisiana College PINEVILLE (LBM) – Ecclesiastes, sometimes thought to be the “black sheep” book of the Bible because of its several seeming unorthodox statements and sometimes doleful tone, is in fact a frank discussion of the issues that we all face – death and injustice. Indeed, the author invokes the image of Abel (whose name is the same word commonly translated as “vanity,” “meaningless,” and “futility” in most English translations) in his presentation of several situations that do not turn out, perhaps, as we might think they ought. Such “inconsistencies” with our way of thinking include “the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful . . .” (Eccl. 9:11, CSB). Likewise, blunt statements such as Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 tend to offend our senses: “[T]he fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath . . . all come from the dust, and all return to the dust.” Finally, the lack of fairness in some of the wisdom that is offered -- “there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COVINGTON – Jay Johnston will be nominated for the office of first vice president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2017 LBC Annual Meeting. Tom Harrison, executive pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, plans to nominate Johnston for the position. Johnston, who is associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington, is the only announced candidate for the office. “He has been a convention leader who has effectively served Louisiana Baptists and Southern Baptists,” Harrison said in an e-mail to the Baptist Message. “He is a man of prayer, recently serving as chairman of the Louisiana Governor Prayer Breakfast and as the volunteer state coordinator for the National Day of Prayer. “Jay is a man of integrity, a leader, caring minister, master of resources and an outstanding Christian man,” Harrison wrote. Johnston said, if elected, he would work with LBC leaders to advance Louisiana Baptists’ campaign to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in the state. “I am grateful for the vision of current LBC leaders related to the Harvest emphasis,” Johnston said. “The emphasis reveals the heart our leaders have for people without Jesus … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Scottie Gray is the new pastor at New Hope Baptist Church, Monroe. John Walker is the new associate pastor/administrator at Brookwood Baptist Church, Shreveport. Tony, wife Nikki, Campanale has resigned as pastor at Greenacres Baptist Church, Monroe to become pastor at First Baptist Church, Oak Grove. Cecil Marr is the new pastor at North Shreve Baptist Church, Shreveport. Danny Taylor resigned as pastor at Belle Park Baptist Church, Haughton. Donny Bradley resigned as pastor at Mansfield Road Baptist Church, Keithville. Lee, wife Tina, Whitley is the new pastor at Tom Hebert Road Baptist Church, Lake Charles. Chad Mack is the new pastor at Crosspoint Church, Galliano. Nathan Stanford is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Grand Isle. Mike Davis is the new pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, Mathews. HOMECOMING First Baptist Church, Hornbeck: 29th Annual Homecoming, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will follow worship services. Special Music: First Hornbeck choir. Pastor: Jack Bell. Mount Vernon Baptist Church, West Monroe: 180th Anniversay, August 20, Sunday school, 9 a.m. Worship Service, 10:15 a.m. A pot luck lunch will follow the service. Speaker: Wayne Sheppard. … [Read more...]

By Gary D. Myers, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary communications NEW ORLEANS (BP) - For churches with worship bands, finding and keeping enough trained musicians to play all the instruments can be a struggle, said Darryl Ferrington, a music professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. But he's found the use of iPads and apps to be a way to fill in the gaps. Ferrington spent the past year studying the use of iPads as instruments for his sabbatical project. What he found should serve as an encouragement to churches that struggle to find musicians to lead corporate worship. Ferrington published his research findings at www.appsinworship.com, along with keyboard, guitar, bass, and drum app evaluations, and a detailed guide for implementing the concept in a local church. Often presented as a novelty, numerous iPad performances have gone viral on social media in recent years. After seeing several novelty performances, Ferrington wondered if app-based instruments could help churches improve their Sunday morning corporate worship. "Mainly, the idea is geared toward small churches who perhaps have a good guitar player and a good keyboard player, but don't have a bass player or a drummer," Ferrington said. … [Read more...]

By Jared Clark, LC News PINEVILLE (LCNews) - Louisiana College celebrates the success of its inaugural Bridge program with a 94 percent pass rate. “We had 27 students this summer and we held them to a high standard,” said Lillian Purdy, director of the month-long remediation that met June 26 - July 27. The Bridge program -- an academic initiative providing potential freshmen the assistance needed to help meet enrollment requirements -- includes remedial English and math, and instruction in test-taking and study skills. Students were eager to participate and to excel, Purdy said, noting that some were as much as 30 minutes early to class, and almost all completed the program with perfect attendance. “We have handed these students the tools for success in college,” Purdy added. English professor Jeannie Gauthier was “pleasantly surprised to find this group of young men and women with such a positive attitude and strong work ethic.” “Thank you so much for helping me get my son on track with school,” wrote one Bridge student’s parent in a text message to LC’s Athletics Director Reni Mason. “I’m so glad he chose you and LC because everyone there seems to care for my child like I do, and that makes me feel amazing … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA- Area principals and teachers took a break Tuesday, Aug. 1, from preparations for the upcoming school year to learn how they can help grow the Central Louisiana Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Throughout the course of the hour-long meeting, they heard from FCA board members, principals and school leaders about what they offer, answers to any legal concerns and how to form a chapter. “We wanted to do this before school starts first of all to thank the principals for their leadership and let them know how FCA can have an impact on campus,” said Central Louisiana FCA board chairman Warren Morris. “It's not just for athletes. It’s for all students. “We want to have a thriving Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle on each campus,” said Morris, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria and former LSU baseball standout. “We’re excited about having that start right now with the principals.” Board member Sheila Johnson added that support for existing chapters has helped reach thousands of students since the organization was formed 60 years ago. “We felt like this was a great time to get all the principals together to lift them up and pray for them as they begin a new school year,” … [Read more...]