By Message Staff PINEVILLE – Louisiana College has chosen to stay inside the family in its selection for its next athletics director and head football coach. During a press conference April 27, school officials named men’s basketball coach Reni Mason as athletics director and promoted defensive coordinator Justin Charles to the head coaching position. “God takes men of integrity, conscious, character and conviction and He raises them to levels of influence,” said LC President Rick Brewer. “Without a doubt, it’s a new day. There are new opportunities for us to grow and get better.” Mason will continue in his current role as head men’s basketball coach, a position he has held since coming to the school May 30, 2015. Before that, Mason had a 154-53 record at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport. There, his teams earned three district championships. He was named district coach of the year in 2010, 2011 and 2015. Mason is a graduate of the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in General Studies. Besides his time at UNO, he also played at Louisiana Tech. In addition to experience on the collegiate level, Mason also brings expertise on the professional level. He was general manager and assistant coach of the … [Read more...]

By Brad Welborn, Louisiana College sports information PINEVILLE - One of the great things about baseball is the way it transcends culture. No matter where you learned the game or the way you play it, the bases are still 90 feet apart and the mound is still 60 feet, six inches from the plate. For three guys from The Bronx, New York, they found that truth on the field, but gained so much more during their time at Louisiana College. On May 6, Algenys “Al” Diaz, Ronnie Diaz, and Eric Encarnacion, three Wildcat baseball players, will graduate from Louisiana College. They will walk across the stage, accept their diplomas, shake the hand of President Dr. Rick Brewer, and end the day as college graduates. While the degree is of high importance, the things that each will remember most from their time at LC will be the bond they shard with their brothers on the baseball field. “What I love most about our team is the family atmosphere we share,” head coach Mike Byrnes said. “These three guys are brothers to the guys that they’ve been playing with, and they’re going to remember each other from now until the day they die. “In 10 years, nobody is going to care how many home runs you hit or how many strikeouts you had. They’re … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS -- The past is proof God's mercies never fail, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley said in his "state of the seminary" address in Leavell Chapel following the spring meeting of the board of trustees. Kelley pointed to the seminary's 100-year history to make his point. "We serve an amazing God who delights in doing awesome work to nurture His children and extend the work of His Kingdom," Kelley said. "I would submit that 'exhibit A' of that statement is New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary." Prior to relating highlights of the academic year, Kelley looked back to the seminary's founding in 1917 in New Orleans, a city with few Baptists at the time, and said the Southern Baptist Convention intended the training center for ministers to be "a mission station as much as it was to be an institution." The trials and challenges faced by the institution in its 100-year history are evidence that God is always faithful, Kelley said. "I thank the Lord for putting us, and me, in a hard place," Kelley said, adding, "It is only in the difficult places that you get the clearest view of the glory of God and the deepest experience of the richness and … [Read more...]

By Message Staff So, you think you know your Bible? Well, you may not know it as well as you think and certainly not as well as this year’s participants in the Louisiana Baptists’ State Bible Drill and Speakers’ Tournament An estimated 360 children, youth and teens are expected to compete in this annual event. Participants in the Bible Drills and Speaker’s Tournaments go through a three-step process which begins in the church before moving on to the district level and finally advancing to the state level. It is at state where qualifiers will face the judges as they test their knowledge of the Bible and how well they are able to speak to a certain assigned topic. Since the district competition has already been completed, beginning tonight (April 25) at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston is the start of state competition, which is at one of three conveniently located sites. It will continue Thursday evening (April 27) at First Baptist Church in Covington and culminates Saturday morning (April 29) at First Baptist Church in Pineville. Bible Drill is a discipleship program for children and youth to help increase their knowledge of the Bible. It is also fun as children learn to memorize scripture and gain confidence in … [Read more...]

By Brad Welborn, Louisiana College sports information PINEVILLE, LA – Louisiana College announced today athletics director and football coach Dennis Dunn has accepted the head coaching position at Pineville High School effective immediately. "I am grateful for my years at LC," Dunn said. "The coaches and the hundreds of players that have come through our program have impacted me eternally. One of our sayings through the years has been, 'leave it better than you found it.' I believe we have done that." Dunn was introduced as the new athletics director and head football coach at Pineville High School in a 10 a.m. press conference. Louisiana College President Rick Brewer said, "We all owe Coach Dunn a debt of gratitude for putting our football program on the map. He has demanded excellence from his student-athletes athletically and academically. But most important, he has expressed his deepest interest students' spiritual development. We commend Dennis for his years of service to LC, and know that he will continue with the same personal standards in his new role at Pineville High School." In 11 seasons as the Wildcats head man, Dunn compiled a 65-45 record, four American Southwest Conference runner-up finishes, and a … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bossier and Haynesville Formations of the U.S. Gulf Coast contain an estimated mean of 4 billion barrels of oil, 304.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 1.9 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to updated assessments by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These estimates are the largest continuous natural gas assessments USGS has ever conducted. While both formations extend from the Mexican border in Texas to the Florida panhandle, the “sweet spot” is located directly within Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District. “The shale gas renaissance has had a remarkable impact on Louisiana industry, and this new development has exciting implications for potential job growth and economic proliferation in Northwest Louisiana,” said U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson and a member of First Baptist Bossier. “Through my role on the Natural Resources Committee, I will work to ensure that unnecessary and duplicative regulations do not hamper the industry’s ability to invest or utilize these two shale formations. “It is amazing what technology and new data can produce,” said Johnson. “This discovery is welcome news not only for the people of the Fourth Congressional District, but for Louisiana and the … [Read more...]

by Gary D. Myers, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees approved three administrators for new roles and elected two faculty members during their spring meeting April 12. The trustees approved a $24.3 million budget. Several significant curriculum adjustments were approved including the renaming of the Division of Christian Education to Division of the Disciple and Ministry Leadership and name changes for the seminary's counseling degrees. The board approved the creation of a new vice president position to oversee institutional assessment and named current provost, Steve Lemke, to the newly created post. Lemke, who has served 20 years as NOBTS provost, will transition to the vice president of institutional assessment role in August. The board also honored Lemke with the title of provost emeritus. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley said increased assessment requirements from the seminary's two main accrediting bodies -- the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges -- precipitated the development of the new leadership position. Kelley called Lemke a natural choice due to his … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE – Prior to the start of the second day of the 2017 Louisiana Legislative Session, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Pastor Fred Luter told elected officials that when facing major decisions, follow Jesus’ example and consult with the Father. “Throughout His time here on earth, whenever Jesus had a choice to make, He always – without fail – consulted with His Father,” Luter said during his keynote address Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. “If you are in a dilemma, if you are in a predicament, if you need to do something, but you just don’t know what to do, learn a lesson from Jesus and take it to God in prayer.” Luter said when facing a major decision, one cannot stay neutral. Therefore, he said, every person should consider the sorrow, solitude, submission and strength Jesus showed in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night he was handed over to authorities for his eventual crucifixion. “On this Christian journey, there will be points in your life when you will face situations that don’t make any sense,” Luter said. “When things don’t make sense, when there are things in your life you don’t understand, just like Jesus you will find yourself in sorrow.” Luter said at times … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS – For years, James Fletcher struggled with drug addiction, resentment toward others and separation from his brother who was sentenced to serve life at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. But in late 2015, Fletcher found hope in Christ at Celebration Church, marking the beginning of an awakening in his own life, and also a revival among many of his family members. “I let those strongholds take over my life and had to realize forgiveness is one of the biggest things I need to have,” said Fletcher, who was baptized in January 2016. “I was so dependent on the things of the world to hide my feelings, but once I took it to the Lord, He took away those burdens and anxiety. IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK Fletcher also shared how God used his faith to touch the lives of those close to him. “Now, a lot of my family members have accepted Christ,” he exclaimed, “and we are so excited about what He is doing with us.” After his baptism, his mother, Veronica Singleton, and wife, Elisha, accepted Christ and both were baptized within a six-month period. His grandmother, Janet Richard, was redeemed in March and has plans to follow through with baptism in April. Fletcher, … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter MANDEVILLE – A “Grounded, Growing, and Bearing Fruit” theme called women to live on mission at the Women’s Missionary Union Missions Celebration and 117th annual meeting, March 31-April 1, at First Baptist, Mandeville. Cindy Townsend, former LBC women’s missions and ministry director now serving as executive-treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s WMU and women’s ministries, challenged attendees to shine the light on Jesus. “We are to go to our corner of Louisiana and we are to put the spotlight on Jesus,” Townsend said. “If we put the spotlight on him, he will draw them unto himself.” More than 150 guests attended the event led by speakers Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptists men’s ministry and disaster relief strategist; Gina Roberts, International Mission Board; and, Lena Plunk, WMU ministry consultant for mobilization, Birmingham, Alabama. A special collection benefitting the Mississippi River Christmas Ministry, an evangelistic effort serving families along the river, filled 38 backpacks with toys, schools supplies, hygiene items, and Bibles to be given away. Other activities included a missions fair highlighting ministries around the world, a Louisiana Baptist … [Read more...]