By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptist church plants enjoyed great health and growth during 2016, and to date are on pace for another banner in 2017. A BANNER YEAR According to a recent report by Louisiana Baptists’ missions and ministry team, church plants recorded 26,933 evangelistic contacts and 1,329 decisions to follow Christ in 2016. In all, 33 new churches were started and 360 people baptized by new congregations last year. A STRONG START With only partial data for 2017, things are looking good for this year as well. In January, church plants reported 1,859 evangelistic contacts and 83 new commitments to Christ. Also during that month, five new churches were started and 12 were baptized. The number of new church plants for February and March will be reported together at one time in April. However, baptisms and evangelistic contact statistics were released for February, showing church plants had baptized 60 people and recorded 4,615 evangelistic contacts. A REASON FOR HOPE Lane Corley is optimistic that when the numbers for how many churches were planted in February and March are released, the trend will show Louisiana Baptists are on track to plant 35 new … [Read more...]

By Message Staff TROUT – As a powerful EF-2 tornado moved over their home at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, Mike Devillier and his family knew of just one course of action to take while huddled together in the church parsonage bathroom – pray. “We joined hands and prayed,” said Devillier, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout. “Although there was the tension of the storm, we had peace in the middle of it knowing God was in control and no matter what happened here He was taking care of is.” Though Devillier’s home was left intact, many others in the church were not as fortunate. About half of the 200 who attend Sunday morning worship services at Fellowship Baptist Church received some damage to their homes, including a few which were totally destroyed as a result of the tornado, one of two in LaSalle Parish confirmed by the National Weather Service. However, no one was seriously injured or killed. Devillier said while the storm caused significant damage, it also has brought out the best in his members and others in the community. Not long after it passed and the rain stopped, a plethora of people got to work, using chainsaws to cut through trees that fell in yards, moving debris from rooftops, passing out bottled water … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – The story has been told numerous times already, but it is worth telling again. The boat ride began on a beautiful summer day under the cool shade of live oak trees that spread across the bayou with the sunshine glistening on the water. Pushing the boat to its limits in the small confines of a curvy narrow waterway was both thrilling and fun. And then it happened… There was no warning … no “check engine” light or bells or chimes.  One minute the boat owner was cruising along and the next minute he was adrift, drifting in the bend of the bayou where his boat broke down. St. Clair Bower was the boat operator on that glorious day in the early 1930’s. It was supposed to be a day off from his pastoral duties in the communities of Maragouin and Krotz Springs and points all along the bayou in between. As he went ashore to find help, he encountered a mother and her son and began to share Jesus with them. Right there near the bend of the bayou, close to where the boat lost power, this mother and son, who had not heard the Gospel before, accepted Christ as their Savior. Two new souls won to the Lord turned into many days of Gospel meetings, and, not long after, a church was … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love & Wayne Taylor, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Investment consultant and financial author Charles Ellis is attributed with saying, “Las Vegas is busy every day, so we know that not everyone is rational.” Oftentimes in the course of our lives we receive “good news” or we are presented with an opportunity that elicits the response “That’s just too good to be true!” All of these “too good to be true” moments can be initially exciting. However there are times when these moments occur around the presentation of investment opportunities. At these times our antennae should be up, radar tuned in and a healthy dose of “rational” close at hand. There is a fundamental principle in the world of finance regarding risk and return: The greater the potential return, the greater the risk. If a salesperson offers a product that purportedly is going to bear a higher than normal return, you have to find out what the risks are. If the salesperson claims this high yielding investment has “no risk” or that the investment is “guaranteed,” slowly back away from that “opportunity.” Either the salesperson does not understand the risk themselves or they are being dishonest. This type of situation merits a special word of … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE - Steve Horn - pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette and Louisiana College trustee - shared insights regarding the Fall of Man as he preached from Genesis chapter 3 during the college’s March 30th chapel service. “Satan’s strategy and tactics are the same in 2017 as they were in Genesis chapter three,” Horn said. Tracing the pattern of temptation in the Garden of Eden, Horn noted that doubt about God’s Word came first. “Satan puts question marks where God puts periods,” he said. That is followed by Satan’s deceit, human desire and a decision to disobey God. Then comes defeat and the denial of one’s spiritual condition. “The Fall establishes the fact that sin has a penalty,” the former Louisiana Baptist Convention president said. The good news, Horn said, is “God does not desire to punish, but to pardon. Where there is sin, there is always grace.” And where there is grace, there is a “point of choice. God’s extension of grace provides the choice.” Horn concluded with an invitation for those who did not know Christ to commit their lives to him, and for believers who felt estranged from God because of sin to repent and return. … [Read more...]

TROUT - A Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team from Wilda Baptist Church in Boyce spent their Monday, April 3, cleaning homesdamaged by a storm that roared through LaSalle the day before. Mickey Smith, a member of the team, said they were showing what disaster relief is all about to the homeowners and residents who are struggling to clean up the damage caused after powerful winds uprooted large trees and snapped power lines on Sunday, April 2. "Some people aren’t able to help themselves, so we help them," Smith said. "The fact is we are here to help them. We show the love to them that we have in our heart." https://youtu.be/YIeZYFjBRHU https://youtu.be/eftZifd1fzA   … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA -- Hours after powerful storms tore through many parts of Louisiana Sunday, April 2, Louisiana Baptists were quickly on the ground, responding to neighbors whose homes were heavily damaged. Around 75 people from Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria divided into five teams Monday morning, April 3, and helped clean up yards in nearby neighborhoods. “We are here to help the neighbors walk through a difficult time,” said David Brooks, pastor of Calvary Baptist. “This is one way we can come alongside them and let them know we care and want to help.” James Thompson, whose niece’s home was damaged, said he was thankful the church members came out to help. “They are a God-send,” Thompson said. “These people are a blessing and are bringing all of us happiness.” For much of the day April 2 and into the morning hours April 3, portions of the state were deluged with torrential rains and high winds. The Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness reported four confirmed tornadoes in the state, but that number could increase following assessment by National Weather Service personnel. A suspected tornado flipped a mobile home off its foundation Sunday at 9:30 … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message LAKE CHARLES -- With the recent storms in southwest Louisiana, more than 100 homes have been damaged by flooding, fallen trees, and wind. This weekend with more severe weather expected the Carey Association is asking for help. In an email sent Friday, March 31, Sara Drott, Carey Association director of communications,  said some of the families affected or will be affected by this weather are unable to clean up and repair the damages by themselves. They are asking for volunteers to come help in the clean-up process. “If you would be willing to spend a day or two working,” said Drott, “please call me at 33.474.1865 or email me at  sara@careyassoc.org  and we will contact you with more details as we get them. We appreciate any and all help that we get!” … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Supporters of the first pregnancy care center in central Louisiana signed articles of incorporation, paving the way for an entity that could save the lives of many unborn children. During a special ceremony March 30 at the Baptist Mission Center in Pineville, a room full of pastors, physicians and other pro-life supporters gathered to finalize paperwork to make the formation of the Cenla Pregnancy Center official. With a targeted opening of late this year, the center will not only equip pregnant women with the necessary education to go through with the birth of their unborn child but provide them with tools for biblical-based parenting. “Our goal is to save lives and save souls,” said Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock. “We want to save the lives of the children but we also want to share the Gospel with the parents. We want to not only teach about choosing life but we also want to teach about marriage and the role of a mom and dad in the home. We will offer free classes from everything to maternity care to caring for the newborn to parenting to pre-marital counseling.” Since his church began praying in January 2014 for the establishment of a … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – It was a fitting honor for the man who was the face of Louisiana College athletics for almost four decades. Billy Allgood, the legendary former basketball and baseball coach at LC, returned Wednesday, March 29, to the baseball facility that deservedly bears his name for a special ceremony. A permanent sign at the entrance to the baseball field where he won hundreds of games in 30 seasons was dedicated. In addition to being honored by the school but also received a key to the city of Pineville and got an opportunity to reminisce on his storied career. He told reporters after the ceremony that he was humbled to be honored by so many former players, friends and community members. "It's a great honor and you have to experience it to appreciate it," Allgood said. "There was a lot of work that went into this field and it turned out to be very good. Coach (Mike) Byrnes has done a great job of keeping the field up and improving it." Allgood came to LC as head basketball coach and assistant football coach in 1959. He was appointed athletic director in 1965 and was given head baseball coach responsibilities in 1969. While at LC, Allgood, who had a reputation throughout the south as a solid coach and a stern … [Read more...]