NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Baptist Global Response (BGR) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in a big way—with a campaign to raise $100,000 for people in need. Since 2007, the humanitarian aid organization has been partnering with Southern Baptist donors to fund disaster relief and community development projects around the world. And, BGR hopes to celebrate the milestone in August by raising $10,000 for each year of service, reaching a total of $100,000. “It’s hard to believe that it has already been 10 years since we started BGR,” CEO Jeff Palmer says. “It only seems like yesterday. But when I think about the thousands of projects implemented worldwide and literally millions of lives impacted, I thank God for bringing about BGR and then letting us be a part of this amazing ministry.” The 10 for 10 Campaign will run through Aug. 31. Those who want to get involved can find resources and fundraising ideas at www.gobgr.org/10for10/. On the site, BGR offers suggestions for donors such as selecting 10 items from the organization’s gift catalog and organizing a group of 10 friends to give $100 each. Palmer says generosity from donors has made BGR’s work possible and will continue to do so in the coming years. “Whenever we've … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RAYVILLE – Eddie Wren will be nominated for the office of president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2017 LBC Annual Meeting. Steve Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, plans to nominate Wren for the position. Wren, who serves as pastor of First Baptist Church in Rayville, is the only announced candidate for the office. Horn said he has known Wren since their time as students at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and added that his respect for Wren as a husband, father, pastor and friend has grown strongly through the years. “I am pleased to nominate Dr. Wren because I believe he cares about the issues that most Louisiana Baptists care most about,” Horn said in a written statement to the Baptist Message. “He is committed to a strong belief in the inerrancy, infallibility, and inspiration of the Bible which reveals itself in his preaching. He is passionate about the evangelism of all people—those in Rayville, the state of Louisiana, the United States, and the nations. He believes all ought to hear and all can be saved. “He is committed to our cooperative work as Louisiana Baptists and Southern Baptists,” Horn continued. “The evidence of … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BRAZIL – Robert Spinks and his New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary mission team took a week-long boat trip down the Amazon in June, stopping along the way to share the Gospel message in homes and villages, reaping a harvest of 1,100 souls. Spinks and his team of eight seminary students faced a range of spiritual obstacles, but relying on Christ, he said, helped them persevere amid distractions of crying babies and threats of roving animals. “I had a front row seat to see God work among the people of the Amazon River,” Spinks said. “Had it not been for the prayers, support and obedience of many others, I am convinced I would have missed this blessing. My life was changed, and I know this sounds cliché, but I did not come back home the same way I left.” AMAZON HOPE The seminary team joined 21 others for the May 31-June 8 trip, working with an organization named Amazon Hope which owns a boat that stays on the Amazon River. During the trip, the group slept and ate most of their meals afloat. During the day, they conducted eye clinics, distributed flip flops, led worship in churches and shared Christ in homes. Reaching some homes meant docking and then traveling by a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer TYLER, Texas – Two young men from Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria entered camp expecting to spend quality time with one another, but in the end left for home with something even more special that strengthened their friendship bond – a memory of their unplanned baptisms in late June. An out-of-state destination for a number of Louisiana Baptists, Pine Cove Christian Camp in Tyler, Texas, offers campers the opportunity to be baptized at the end of their week of faith building and summer fun. Andrew Cole and Colin Renois – both ten years old -- had accepted Christ at a younger age but had not yet followed through with baptism. But when the opportunity was presented at Pine Cove, Cole and Renois eagerly jumped at the chance to be baptized in a swimming pool. Surrounded by a handful of family members and friends who made the trip with them, each boy stepped into the water and was baptized by Todd Strain, connections pastor at Calvary Baptist, who was attending the same camp with his wife and children. Andrew’s dad, Philip, was emotional as his son was baptized. “Andrew had previously talked to us about salvation and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of his life,” he … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MONROE – Lydia Headrick will tell you her battle with cancer has not been an easy journey, but she also is quick to say it has been a little more bearable thanks to the encouragement she has received from pilots volunteering their time to fly her from northeast Louisiana to treatments at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Diagnosed in August 2016, Headrick credits Pilots for Patients for her emotional healing. “The staff at the hangar and the volunteer pilots worked together in such a compassionate way to see that I arrived in Houston on time for my appointments, chemo treatments, and surgery,” said Headrick, a member of New New Hope Baptist Church in Monroe. “I had to go so many times, and long car trips would have been next to impossible because I was so sick. Because of this wonderful ministry, I was able to participate in a clinical trial with excellent results. “Whenever I speak to others about Pilots for Patients, I always refer to it as a ministry; everyone associated with it has prayed for me,” she continued. “Pilots for Patients has literally fulfilled Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:36, where He said ‘I was sick and you looked after me,’ and in verse 40 where He … [Read more...]

By Philip Caples, Louisiana College PINEVILLE (LBM) --While reading through the book of Galatians recently, I was reminded of a very important word: “freedom.” In Chapter 1, verse 5, Paul stated, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free,” (NIV) and according to Ronald K. Fung, this use of the word “freedom” references the Christian being free from subservience to the Law. “Hence the Galatians must stand firm in this freedom and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery,” Fung wrote in “The Epistle of the Galatians” volume of the New International Commentary of the New Testament. The subject of freedom is not foreign within the Book of Galatians. For example, Paul references the cost of freedom in his statement about the substitutionary atonement of Christ in Gal. 1:3-5 and in his allegorical use of Sarah and Hagar in Gal. 4:21-31. Freedom is not foreign to an American citizen either. Independence Day marks an important event concerning Americans’ freedom. On that day our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer JENNINGS – More than 200 students from Texas traveled to southwest Louisiana in mid-July to help a dozen homeowners bounce back from damage caused by the August 2016 floods. For a week, the middle and high school students from the organization Bounce Student Disaster Recovery worked to repair homes still wrecked by the previous high water. During the day, the students installed flooring, painted walls, built wheelchair ramps and re-roofed homes. First Baptist Church in Jennings provided housing for the students and Bounce team leaders provided meals. Brian Wells, minister of education and senior adults at First Baptist Jennings, said the students’ labor of love in the community left behind many seeds planted in the lives of the homeowners and other residents. “People from our community and parish were very grateful for them coming in and providing an expression of God’s love, compassion and hope,” Wells said. “To see people still concerned after 11 months and wanting to help really put us as the church in a good light.” Wells recalled the joy and gratitude he encountered at each site he visited. “They would come to tears when you asked them about the help they were … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Larry Evans is the new pastor at Parkerson Avenue Baptist Church, Crowley. Frank (wife April) Walker is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Carlyss. Casey (wife Katie) Stark is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Slidell. Jeff (wifeSusan) Smart resigns as pastor at East Leesville Baptist Church to become the new pastor at Cook Baptist Church, Ruston. Leonard Free is the new associate pastor at Unity Baptist Church, Pineville. HOMECOMING Hebron Baptist Church, Bernice: 169th annual Homecoming, August 6, 10 a.m. Dinner on the grounds following morning worship. Speaker: Joe Aulds. Pastor: Andy Price. First Baptist Church, Greensburg: 151st Homecoming, August 13, 9:15 a.m. (Sunday school), 10:30 a.m. (worship), Noon (dinner on the grounds). Speaker: Kevin Hand. If you have any questions or need directions please call 225-222-6580, First Baptist Church, 6260 Hwy 10, Greensburg, LA. Everyone is welcome. Pastor: Tommy Smith. Cypress Baptist Church, West Monroe: Homecoming, Aug. 13, 10 a.m. Special Music: Ben Waites. Pastor: Chad Ballard. Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Farmerville: 145th Homecoming Service, August 13, 9:45 a.m. Special Music: Sanctuary Quartet. Pastor: Larry … [Read more...]

By Message Staff NEW ORLEANS - Five months after a powerful tornado damaged several buildings of Suburban Baptist Church, the congregation is just hours away from getting back into its worship center. Teams from First Baptist Church in Haughton and Grace Baptist Church in Springfield, Tenn., have spent the last two weekends performing a flurry of work to finish the flooring, ceiling, painting and plumbing it the worship center. They plan to hold their first service since before an EF-3 tornado touched down in the area Feb. 7 this morning (July 30). More than 100 churches from across the U.S. have responded in the months following the tornado, helping rebuild the facilities. In the past week alone, teams from Metairie Baptist Church, Level Ground Church in New Orleans, First Baptist Church in Lockport and Vintage Church in New Orleans have provided food and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary provided housing. First Baptist Church in Rayville also donated funds to the rebuild. "The journey has been more exciting than destination," said Jeffery Friend, pastor of Suburban Baptist. "Since the tornado I've met so many wonderful people that I wouldn't have had it not been for the storm. So, my list of friends increased … [Read more...]