By Brandon Rogers, First West communications WEST MONROE  – First West has hired Mark Cole to be its next generation pastor. Cole will give leadership to preschool, children, and student age divisions and will build relationships with families to integrate them into the work and ministry of the church. “Words cannot express how excited we are to be joining the team at First West. I believe amazing things are in our future as we continue to lock arms with the West Monroe/NELA community in the days ahead,” says Cole. “My joy in life is to be invested in the daily lives of the next generation, helping them in their journey to and with Christ!” Cole has served as the Next Generation Pastor at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the past four years. His primary ministry responsibilities included setting vision and structure for ages birth through 12th grade and their parents. Before serving as Next Generation Pastor, he served as student pastor at Istrouma for five years. “I have known Mark for several years,” says Michael Wood, Lead Pastor of First West. “He values family and has the heart for family ministry. He is a man of integrity and is a great addition to our staff.” Before serving at … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – As the child of two deaf parents, essentially serving as their interpreter to the hearing world, Ed Newton spent his middle school years searching for something to satisfy his soul – from premarital sex to attempted grand theft auto. TRANSFORMED Then in in high school, he encountered Christ. “My life has been changed forever,” Newton told more than 5,700 students at Louisiana Baptists’ annual Youth Evangelism Celebration. “I would not be here if it were not for the divine intervention of Jesus interrupting my life’s story.” He challenged students not to waste the time they have to make a difference now. “You are the church right here, right now,” Newton said. “You are current leaders and it’s time to rise up and step up and change the world. But that only happens when you allow God to be a part of your story.” The 40-year-old pastor of the 27,000-member Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, Newton has served as a youth pastor, faculty member at Student Leadership University in Orlando, Fla., and executive director of the LIFT TOUR, an extension of Student Leadership University in partnership with LifeWay Students. The largest gathering of Louisiana … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – During a unified annual meeting highlighting a statewide soul-winning emphasis for 2017-2018, Louisiana Baptists overwhelmingly approved a motion for the Executive Board to consider conducting a study of “recent actions” by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in like manner defeated a motion for a 2018 move toward a 50/50 Cooperative Program split with the Southern Baptist Convention. Approximately 600 messengers registered for the Nov. 14-15 event which was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. CP DEBATE Kyle Sullivan, associate pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, introduced the proposed CP measure Monday evening during the opening session of the annual meeting, and the debate on the motion was conducted during the morning session, Tuesday. The motion called for a “50/50 split of the Cooperative Program giving” in the 2018 budget, citing the “vast lostness of the nations” compared to the lostness in Louisiana, and claiming the “primacy” of making disciples of “the nations” supersedes the needs of reaching the lost in the state. The motion also listed the SBC’s multiple affirmations of the “idea” of a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell & Will Hall, Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA – Messengers conducted important business during the Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 Annual Meeting, hosted this year by Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, Nov. 14-15. But they also took time for spiritual enrichment and inspiration before and after the several organizational actions they were asked to complete. DENNIS PHELPS Dennis Phelps, professor of preaching and director of alumni relations and church-minister relations at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, began all three sessions with a Bible study, each with a focus from the book of Jonah and the theme of “When God Moves.” Phelps developed the character of Jonah, describing him as an unlikely person to an unlikely place for an unlikely mission, and related that believers today should expect God to call out the most unlikely person to carry out His plan. “When God moves, He can use anyone to accomplish His purpose,” Phelps said, “even me and even you.” Phelps also nurtured the notion that despite Jonah’s desire to give up on the people of Nineveh, God refused to give up on Jonah. He said God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah in order to deliver him to the very threshold of the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Holding a pair of work gloves like the hundreds that were distributed during his presentation, Keith Manuel invited messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 Annual Meeting to commit to a God-sized vision – evangelize the entire state of Louisiana during 2017-2018. Reaching 4.7 million people with the Gospel in a two-year period may seem daunting, said Manuel, LBC evangelism associate, but it is within the realm of possibility through the Harvest initiative, a statewide campaign to engage 700 Louisiana Baptist churches to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana. “This task is hard,” Manuel said during the opening session, Monday, Nov. 14, at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. “It will take work. “Let these gloves serve as a reminder, to lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are white unto harvest. “Let’s go to work and envision a Louisiana where every home receives prayer and every person receives a Gospel witness and if the Lord is willing, may we see the greatest harvest of souls, who grow into the greatest group of reproducing disciples Louisiana has ever seen.” Manuel also gave an overview of what he said … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAS VEGAS – Vance Pitman says he may be pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, but at times he feels like he is pastoring “First Century Church” in Jerusalem, Holy Land. Founding pastor of Hope Church, planted in September 2001, Pitman told the Baptist Message he is amazed each day he wakes and ministers in the city alternately known as the “City of Lights” and “Sin City.” His congregation, which averages 3,000 during Sunday worship services, is putting forth its best effort to share the love of Christ, he said. But even with that number of members ministering within their neighborhoods, work places and various recreational settings, the task is monumental in a metropolitan population of 2 million in which only one in 10 residents professes Christ as Lord and Savior. “Everybody who steps inside our church is genuinely in love with Jesus or asking if Jesus is what they need,” Pitman said. “There is no cultural Christianity. It is very authentic and real. It’s intoxicating in our ministry because it’s so real. “There’s real transparency and honesty,” he said. “That’s really the church in Las Vegas.” Such openness has been characteristic of his congregation, since he and … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell. Message Staff Writer OAK GROVE – For most of her life, Stacy Miller has struggled with life’s setbacks. Now a single mother with two boys – one who is autistic – Miller said she just did not feel like she ever “fit in” when she stepped inside a church building. That is until Oct. 6, when she visited Unity Baptist Church in Oak Grove, let go of her past and accepted Christ as King. Three days later, Miller and her 12-year-old autistic son were baptized. “My life has changed, as I feel loved and more at peace,” Miller said. “I found God’s love is even greater than I could have imagined. I am very blessed to be a part of Unity Baptist Church, where we take the church out of the sanctuary.” Miller’s story is echoed by many of the members of Unity Baptist Church. Located in northeast Louisiana, the church has grown from 35 members attending Sunday morning worship in 2010 to 180 who show up on an average Sunday now. In order to accommodate the growth the church built a 6,000-sq.-ft. worship center that seats 250 – a capacity it has surpassed a few times. The growth has been fueled by the nearly 200 baptisms that have taken place in a four-year period, including 81 this year alone. On most … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – In May 2015, Sgt. Scott Bullitt was shot while conducting a DUI stop just outside of Monroe on the Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area in Ouachita Parish. After months of rehab therapy, Bullitt – the son of Louisiana Baptist Convention employee Cindy Bullitt  – still faces difficulties as he works toward recovery. During the final session of the 2016 LBC Annual Meeting, messengers honored Bullitt and other law enforcement officers during a presentation by Bill Robertson, pastoral leadership director for Louisiana Baptists. “We pray that God would touch him, restore him to his health, that he could do the things he longs to do and wants to do,” Robertson prayed, as pastors, friends and fellow officers of the law surrounded Bullitt. “And as we pray for him, we remember all of our brothers and sisters that are in law enforcement gathered here today.” Messengers also were led in prayer for members of the Louisiana State Police, Alexandria Police, Pineville Police, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebone Parish Sheriff’s office and Winn Parish Sheriff’s office, who were gathered on stage. “The badge has become a target for … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor BATON ROUGE – During a joint meeting of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee, Nov. 18, House members handed a defeat to Gov. John Bel Edwards in his attempt by executive order to create a special civil rights category for sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, these lawmakers voted to remove an LGBT non-discrimination provision included in a state insurance contract that was drafted to comply with an Edwards mandate issued in April, granting protected class status for sexual orientation and gender identity with regard to “state employees and employees of state contractors.” In May, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry issued a legal opinion at the request of 32 Louisiana legislators, declaring Edwards’ action to be “non-binding policy” and an attempt “to bypass the legislative process.” Rep. Rick Edmonds, retired pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport, made the motion to strip the language from the contract. Joining him to reject the LGBT clause, were Rep. Mark Abraham, Rep. Beryl Amedee, Rep. Tony Bacala, Rep. Larry Bagley, Rep. John Berthelot, Rep. Lance Harris, Rep. Cameron Henry, Rep. Bob Hensgins, Rep. Katrina Jackson, Rep. Jack … [Read more...]

By Will Hall & Brian Blackwell ALEXANDRIA – Messengers received a number of entity and ministry reports during the 2016 Louisiana Baptist Convention 2016 annual meeting, including highlights regarding extensive disaster relief efforts in response to two historic floods, and, a progress report on the 2020 Commission goals pertaining to church planting. DISASTER RELIEF In March, more than 3 feet of rain fell in 48 hours in some areas of the state, concentrating in northern parishes, affecting more than 18,000 homes and 14 Louisiana Baptist churches. Importantly, an estimated 85 percent of the state’s trained disaster relief personnel were impacted during this time, according to disaster relief leaders, yet they responded to the many needs of others. Then in August, the state’s southern parishes unexpectedly received 31 inches over a two-day period in some areas. More than 155,000 homes and 72 Louisiana Baptist churches were damaged. “Just like in all the other times of disaster, Dr. Gibbie McMillan and our disaster relief volunteers swung into action for the second time in five months,” said John Hebert, missions and ministry director for Louisiana Baptists. “Like super heroes in yellow shirts but without capes … [Read more...]