By Gary D. Myers, NOBTS public relations NEW ORLEANS – Despite challenges and distractions, the church is all about Jesus and rooted firmly in His power, Jack Graham said during chapel services at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary March 7. “This is not about us. My church. Your church. It’s all about Jesus,” he said. Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, preached in chapel weeks after news broke that his church was escrowing Cooperative Program funds due to concerns over the actions by some Southern Baptist entity leaders. Even though the event was scheduled months before Prestonwood's decision to withhold funds, some called on NOBTS to revoke Graham’s invitation. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley rejected the idea, and instead, called on Southern Baptists to be more intentional about dialogue in times of disagreement. A group of NOBTS students printed and sold “I Heart CP” shirts. Though they disagreed with Graham regarding the escrowing of CP funds, they insisted that their goal was not to protest Graham or Prestonwood, but affirm their commitment to the Cooperative Program. After the chapel service, Graham met with the students for a short question and answer time. The students also gave Graham a … [Read more...]

By Louisiana College sports information BATON ROUGE - Louisiana College baseball has added a midweek game to its schedule for Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. against LSU in Baton Rouge at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The addition to both team's schedules comes after a rained out contest earlier this week between LSU and San Diego. The Wildcats had an open date on Tuesday, and will fill the spot on the Tigers schedule next week. With the addition of the LSU game, the Wildcats are now scheduled to play a total of six games in five days after the conclusion of the Marler Ford Classic at Billy Allgood Field this weekend. Wildcats assistant Matt Byrnes said, "LSU is a great team with great tradition. We have the upmost respect for their program and look forward to a great night of baseball." LSU and LC have met 22 times since 1914, most recently in 2012, when the Tigers posted a 10-2 win over the Wildcats. Over the past few decades, the Wildcats and the Tigers have played some tightly contested games, including a 7-5 Wildcat victory over LSU in 1994 and a close 2-1 LSU win three years earlier in 1991. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff Louisiana Baptists State Disaster Relief Director Gibbie McMillan has issued an urgent call for donations for ranchers who have lost thousands of acres of land and cattle from recent wildfires in several Midwestern states. The most pressing donations needed are bales or rolls of hay, trucks to transport the hay and money to purchase fuel to transport the hay or purchase additional hay bales. “It’s hard to get your hands on something this large, especially for us who are not familiar with that terrain and the kind of problems like this,” McMillan said. “But when people are hurting, what they need is a friendly hand and a shoulder to lean on. For the church to be the church, we need to care about people who are hurting. We’re not asking people to give all their hay away but I do know if a person has 100 bales, they should be able to share 10 round bales of hay without it crippling their yield for the year. And those people have nothing. That’s heart wrenching.” Around 811,000 acres of land in Kansas and Oklahoma and another 750,000 in the Texas panhandle have burned since the fires began. Six people have also perished due to the fires and the death toll for animals, which is being estimated into the … [Read more...]

By Brad Welborn, Louisiana College sports information The first year of college can be a trying time for any freshman. For many, it is the first time away from the comforts of a home cooked meal at the end of the day, the familiar surroundings of family and friends, and of course, the laundry service. For three Louisiana College freshman softball players, the adjustment to college life has been a quick one, as they are already leaving their marks on Lady Wildcat softball. Taylor Hammock, Sami Walters, and Shea Smith have quickly become staples in the top half of the LC lineup. The shortstop, second baseman, and right fielder; all freshmen, all starting, all from the same area of northwest Louisiana. Hammock spent her high school years playing at Calvary Baptist in Shreveport, while Walters went to school just 17 miles away at North DeSoto in Stonewall. Smith was a little farther out at North Webster High School in Springhill but all three spent their high school careers crossing paths on the softball diamonds multiple times a season. The path to the starting lineup started for each in their first semester on campus with early morning workouts. “I can definitely say that we work hard and our coaches have a lot of … [Read more...]

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – In a time when suffering, darkness and desolation are rampant in today’s culture, there is hope God will do just as He did during the time of Ezekiel – bring life when there seems to be no hope. “There is hope, not because of any human being but because of the God of the universe can breathe life in your lungs in the midst of sufferings,” said Curtis Zackery during Louisiana College’s March 9 chapel service. “Maybe you’re praying there is a revival at your school and you’re starting to feel hopeless. We don’t have to feel hopeless because in the midst of dry desolation God can breathe life into your lungs.” Zackery, a youth evangelist from Franklin, Tenn., shared with students about how in Ezekiel 37, lifeless bones came alive in a valley of dry bones after Ezekiel asked if they can come alive again. Likewise, God can do the same today. “It is God who breaths the breath of life,” Zackery said. “There is a living God who wants to breathe life into your lungs. It has everything to do with the God of the universe seeing you in the midst of your desolation and dryness and saying I want to breathe life into your lungs.” Zackery’s message was part of a campus-wide revival, which began Tuesday, … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE - A group of Louisiana College students brought to light the unborn though a one-day memorial on its campus. The Cemetery for the Innocent featured 600 flags scattered across the quad area Thursday, March 9. Each flag represented five lives aborted each year. Hannah Terrebonne, president of Louisiana College Students for Life, said while she believes many on campus are pro-life, the event painted a visual picture of the battle they face. "A lot of people here know about the issue but don't have a real picture of the magnitude of why we need to stand up," said Terrebonne, a senior and member of Gulf Coast Baptist Church in Galliano. "As a premed major, this is important to me because as a future physician the most important things are to preserve life. And as a Christian it's just as important to speak up for the unborn, elderly, kids in need of foster care and those needing adoption." Theressa Sanon, a sophomore at LC and member of Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans, said the challenge she wants all of her classmates to take up is standing up for life. "An unborn child can change the world," Sanon said. "So it's sad that many kids get aborted in our country. If no one else speaks out, then the … [Read more...]

By Message Staff TROUT – A year after floodwaters destroyed the 100-year-old building housing Zenoria Baptist Church, the congregation will hold a time of celebration to mark the remarkable progress that has been made on a new facility. Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, the event will give members and guests a peek inside its future home. Located at 3133 Hwy. 500 in Trout, the facility will feature a worship center seating 138, Sunday school classrooms and a fellowship hall. Since Monday, March 6, nearly 80 Kingdom Builders have literally raised a new building from the slab up and they expect to finish much of the work by the end of the week despite two days of rain. Pastor Joel Johnson hopes his congregation of 65 people can be in their new facility by Easter. “It’s going to be a time of jubilee,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t have pulled this off without the help of people in the community, sister churches and the Kingdom Builders. We’re not finished yet but we’re approaching a place where we can soon meet together again.” Zenoria Baptist Church was destroyed after 9 feet of water from Little River – located less than a half-mile away – surrounded the church March 11, 2016. In just 12 hours time, … [Read more...]

By Message Staff MONROE – The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Louisiana-Monroe will break ground on a new building Wednesday, March 8. Scheduled for noon, the groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 1005 University Avenue with a lunch to follow. This new facility will be built within 12-18 months on the existing property of the original building, which was demolished in 2015. Since the building was torn down, the ministry has held worship services at College Place Baptist Church, just a few blocks from the ULM campus. Once complete, the center will be able to hold between 300 and 400 people for worship services, meals and special programs. ULM BCM director Chad McClurg said the new building will position the ministry to reach students for decades to come. “We are excited about the impact BCM will continue to make at ULM,” said McClurg. “Our ministry loves the students, faculty, and administration of this university and we are grateful to many faithful givers to this project so that we can continue our ministry here.” For information about ULM BCM visit www.ulmbcm.com. … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – Brad Webb, pastor of Family of Grace Church in Alexandria, praises his congregation, which now includes members of the former Baptist Temple, because of their commitment to worship God through corporate ministry as well as through corporate church services. “God has granted favor to Baptist Temple members for their step of faith in embracing the vision of what we could do as one congregation,” Webb told the Baptist Message. “Likewise, He has blessed our people from family of Grace, who also stepped out in faith to see the possibilities here.” Those possibilities are reality now as more than 300 people receive ministry each week at Family of Grace on the south side of town, where attendance for Sunday morning service as Baptist Temple had dropped to fewer than 40. The campus is alive with children who receive academic tutoring three nights a week and other youth who come by bus on Wednesday nights for discipleship, families who are enrolled in English class, adults who are part of literacy courses, and people who come to be set free from addictions. Webb said the ministries meet needs in the neighborhoods surrounding both campuses while everyone gets to see the face of Christ … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SLIDELL – Glenda Ledet’s life changed when her hometown church went down in flames July 2, 2016. It jarred her into realizing she needed to return to Bayou Baptist Church and her walk with Christ. Surrounded by friends and family, Ledet was one of two people baptized Jan. 29, a week after the dedication of the church’s new facility. “My dad was in ICU when we got the news that the church had burned,” Ledet said. “I felt this was a wake-up call, to come back to God after drifting away and return to the church I grew up in.” She had professed Christ at a younger age, but had not been obedient through baptism. “God was calling me back,” she said, “and since then I’ve never felt closer than I am now.” The special day drew some of Ledet’s family members who had not stepped inside a church building in many, many years. “I was so thrilled they came and I think maybe this will change their lives,” Ledet said. “A seed was planted and I am hoping and praying for them.” She is equally excited about God’s plan for her church. “My church has overcome a lot and I’m excited about where we are headed in the future.” THREE DISASTERS Like Ledet, other Bayou Baptist … [Read more...]