By Message Staff NEW ORLEANS - Just hours after multiple tornadoes caused damage in the southeastern part of the state Tuesday, Feb. 7, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams were already springing into action. Chaplains and assessors gathered Wednesday morning at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to begin assessing the needs for those affected by the tornado. Louisiana Baptists Director of Missions and Ministry John Hebert said it is hope to begin making assignments very soon in the New Orleans area. “Right now, our teams are in need of prayer,” Hebert said. “We need to not only lift them up in prayer but also those homeowners and others affected by this storm. As more details are released about the needs, we will respond accordingly and with Christ-like compassion.” Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association’s chainsaw team spent most of Tuesday afternoon removing trees that had fallen onto homes in Watson, according to Howard Turner, a member of the team. They plan to assess more homes Wednesday and continue working on damaged properties through Friday or Saturday. “With the way some of the trees fell onto homes, it’s a miracle we didn’t have several people killed,” Turner said. “The homeowners we visited with … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Public Relations NEW ORLEANS – The harrowing sound of a freight train sent pastor Jeffery Friend and wife Stephanie running for cover Feb. 7 when an EF3 tornado touched down in New Orleans East  about three miles from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary campus. Stephanie Friend was preparing to leave the house when she opened the front door, not realizing that the storm had come up so quickly and was upon them. “As soon as I shut the door, there it was,” Friend said. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains, workers, and assessors are on-site assessing damage to the Friends’ home, the three-building church campus, and a pastorium occupied by Nikos Elzy, a NOBTS student and Suburban Baptist Church associate pastor, with his wife and two children. Current estimates put the number of homes damaged at 250, with 31 injured. No fatalities have been reported. At NOBTS, chapel services began with a cautious note – the National Weather Service had issued a number of tornado watches for the area. The sky darkened as chapel attendees entered the chapel and seminary president Chuck Kelley started the service with an announcement about the potential … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications Three Louisiana College students each indicated their desire to become Christ followers at the conclusion of LC’s Feb. 7 chapel service. Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism Associate Keith Manuel challenged and encouraged students when preaching from Joshua 24:14-15 the chapel sermon titled “Choices.” Manuel, also an adjunct professor for LC, related several tough choices he made throughout his life and told students, “You are making ‘decisions on steroids’ right now.” Despite life’s obstacles, Manuel advised students: “Don’t you ever listen to anyone who tells you to quit. It’s a choice to be an #AndThenSome student.” “And then some” evolved into a motto at LC as well as a popular Twitter hashtag, locally, after LC President Rick Brewer mentioned the phrase in a December 2015 commencement message. “Do hard work - and then some,” Brewer said. God calls no one to mediocrity, Manuel said. Noting God's protection and promises, Manuel encouraged students to “consider the past to help make the right decisions today” and to consider the future to see where God might lead. “Your present condition doesn’t have to be your future,” said Manuel, who concluded the … [Read more...]

By Message Staff NEW ORLEANS – A tornado that touched down in the eastern part of New Orleans Tuesday, Feb. 7, has destroyed Suburban Baptist Church. One of several tornadoes to strike cities in Louisiana, the tornado destroyed the Louisiana Baptist church. Stephanie Friend told the Baptist Message she and her husband, Suburban Pastor Jeffery Friend, were not injured, though their home was heavily damaged. “Praising God for lives spared!!,” Friend posted on her Facebook page. “Devastated at the loss of our church and our home!! Always trusting the one who holds my heart!! Thank you Jesus for your grace and mercy!!!” New Orleans Baptist Association said they are providing a room for the Friends at Providence House, the hotel operated by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “Please join us in prayer for churches and families affected by the severe weather in our region today,” the association said in an e-mail. “Early reports tell of severe damage to at least one church, Suburban Baptist, and several homes in New Orleans East.  As soon as we have more information regarding damages and the response of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, we will communicate requests, as well as material, ministerial, and volunteer … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – God cares for you, even in the small things of life, Reggie Bridges said during the Feb. 2 chapel service at Louisiana College. Basing his message off the miracle of the floating axe head in 2 Kings 6, Bridges shared with students how God called him from a career in secular education into the ministry. “God cares about you as a student,” said Bridges, vice-chairman of the LC trustees and pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Ruston. “He cares about what you're going thru right now.” All upcoming chapel services, along with a schedule of speakers, can be viewed here. … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer A record Louisiana Life March Central crowd of more than 5,000 turned out to boldly proclaim a simple message - that every life matters. Many held signs such as "Abortion Hurts Women" and "Louisiana Is Preaux Life." Others simply walked alongside their spouses, children or fellow church members. The march began at Louisiana College in Pineville and ended at the amphitheater in downtown Alexandria. "God's people across Cenla showed up in full force today to march for an abortion-free Louisiana," said Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock and organizer of the march. "We exceeded all expectations with over 5,000 people taking a stand for life: I am overwhelmed by how God's people are coming together like never before to fight the greatest evil ever perpetrated upon humanity.  God's people will win the fight to protect every life, and today we made a giant step toward that goal." In his post-rally message, Gunter said the dream of a pregnancy crisis center is closer to reality. By the end of 2017, the center could open. A location will be announced once funding is secured. "We encourage local churches to include Cenla pregnancy center in their missions giving … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT – Nearly 900 members of the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association ended their final days of January by crying out to God to bring revival to a nation becoming increasingly filled with turmoil, according to Lane Moore, director of missions for the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association. Much like the association’s first Call to Prayer, which was hosted at First Baptist Church Bossier City in January 2016, Moore said this gathering brought together Christians of various ages and ethnicities to pray for law enforcement, the persecuted church, missionaries serving around the world, pastors and other church leaders. The 2017 event at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport was marked by prayer from the worship center stage, in small groups around the room, and by individuals even in the hallways outside, he described, adding that in the end, participants uniformly described a movement of the Holy Spirit in that place as pleas for revival were lifted up. FRAMING THE NEED During Moore’s opening remarks, he said the culture is desperate for the love of Christ and is watching how believers live. “My desire tonight is that we would not leave this place the same … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DENHAM SPRINGS – The baptismal waters for the congregation of First Baptist Church Denham Springs were calm for several months following the historic flood of August 2016, but they have stirred once again for the congregation, just not where they would have expected. In December, 10-year-old Elise Hebert stepped into a livestock watering trough at the Denham Springs Junior High School cafeteria and declared her faith in Christ before being plunged beneath the surface in obedience and as a public display of her faith. Despite the dislocation from their church campus, the event was a true homecoming for Elise and her family. Elise, who along with her sister Ann Marie, had just recently returned to Denham Springs after living with their uncle in Maryland for two months immediately following the flood. Pastor Leo Miller told members the baptism was another reminder their future was bright. “It is one thing to have worship and the music in a service to lift you up, but when you see God do things like the ordinance of baptism, it’s a really encouraging reminder  to know God is moving and using difficulties to bring about his plans and purposes,” he told the Baptist Message. During … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer RUSTON – A pizza party and a service focused on sharing the Gospel with youth served as a kickoff for the Harvest, a statewide soul-winning initiative slated for 2017-2018. The event hosted Jan. 24 at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston, as part of the two-day 2017 Evangelism Conference, officially launched Louisiana Baptists’ campaign to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana. Last year was spent sharing the vision with pastors and developing plans with them. In 2017, more churches will be enlisted, statewide evangelism training will be conducted and different evangelism methods will be piloted, with 2018 dedicated for a strong push for concentrated prayer and soul-winning activities. The cooperative effort will include a diversity of approaches such as multi-church crusades, door-to-door outreach, one-on-one evangelism, single-church revivals and other activities which leverage compassion ministries to share about the love of Christ. PACKED SERVICE Ed Newton, pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, shared a Gospel message to the packed worship center, which included hundreds of youth. A drama and a “trash can” band from … [Read more...]