By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer LAFAYETTE, La. (LBM) – The University of Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team has high hopes for the upcoming baseball season, but three players celebrated victories Sept. 10, when they were baptized at the Bayou Church. Surrounded by 50 teammates and athletic department staff, Andrew Herrmann, Carson Flono and Riley Marcotte were baptized by Matt Deggs, UL head baseball coach. Before he baptized each player, Deggs cited a memory verse and gave each player a challenge. They were among 10 new believers baptized during the service and 73 since January. “There are wins and there are losses,” Deggs said moments before the baptisms. “And then there is victory. Victory in Jesus Christ. It is for freedom that Christ set you free.” The three players made decisions to follow through with baptism after hearing Deggs share the Gospel in August during a team meeting, and again at Bayou Church with their teammates. In that service, Pastor Sean Walker shared a message about how to replace broken soundtracks with God’s truth through a relationship with Christ. “Talking with the coach this week, this is what I learned,” Walker said. “He’s not a baseball coach first. He’s a baseball … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer WOODWORTH, La. (LBM) – During a Sept. 26 meeting, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board members approved the 2024 Cooperative Program giving plan and were updated on the ongoing work by the Convention’s four entities. BUDGET REPORT Board members approved the business and finance committee’s 2024 financial plan based on Cooperative Program contributions of $18,080,569, an increase of $502,560, or 2.86 percent. Cooperative Program projections are based on actual receipts from August 2022 through July 2023. The allocation formula for distributing Cooperative Program gifts between Southern Baptist Convention and Louisiana Baptist causes changed for 2024, 62.87 percent forwarded to support ministries in the state (a decrease from 63.26 percent in 2023) and 37.13 percent forwarded to fund national entities (an increase from 36.74 percent in 2023). The budget will be presented to messengers for approval during the 2023 LBC Annual Meeting. ENTITY REPORTS Louisiana Baptist Foundation President Jeff Steed said $36.95 million in ministry support overall has been realized since the July 2020 launch of the LBF’s Vision200 (impacting the Kingdom with $200 million through the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – James Jenkins, the new Louisiana Baptist missions and ministry team director, shared a God-sized vision to help advance the Kingdom by one percent and lead the way to having a 2000-church state conven­tion by 2033. Jenkins, who has served in the interim role since John Hebert retired from the posi­tion in late December 2022, was approved for the role on a permanent basis by the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board during a Sept. 26 meeting. “I’ve been in this work for a while, so it’s not brand new to me,” Jenkins told the Baptist Message. “But I am excited to have that sense of stability. I now have been given the opportunity to impact the Kingdom in ways I’ve always wanted to. “I want to thank Dr. Steve Horn, Louisiana Baptist Executive Director, and the Executive Board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention for the opportunity to serve in this position,” he contin­ued. “I’m very mindful of the privilege of serving in this role and want to make sure Louisiana Baptists get a big return on investment.” “I want to also thank the men and women who serve on the mission and ministry team. We are dedicated team serve through women minis­tries, disaster … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your informa­tion (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmes­sage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three to four weeks prior to the event. ON THE MOVE Jerry Masters retiring as pastor at Red River Baptist Church Jack Norman is the new pastor at The Well, Monroe. HOMECOMING Welcome Home Baptist Church, Dodson: Homecoming service, October 8, 10:30 a.m. with Sanctuary Quartet. Pas­tor: Charles Wesley. Brushy Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Bancroft: 149th Year Homecoming, October 8, 10 a.m. – til. Speaker: Robet Gillis. Please bring your favorite covered dish for fellow­ship lunch. If you have any questions call Mike Streams 337.287.8367 or Velma Suchanek, 337.842.1569. Unity Baptist Church, Pineville: Homecoming, October 8, 11 a.m. Sunday school starts at 10 a.m. A meal will follow the worship service. Pastor: James Brown. Lakeside Baptist Church, Converse: Inaugural Harvest Reunion, October 14, noon until. Church members and … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University dedicated the Joshua D. Perry Prayer Garden, Oct. 3. Located behind Guinn Auditorium, the prayer garden was constructed in memory of Joshua D. Perry (the son of former LCU trustee J.D. Perry), who was killed in an automobile accident on March 13, 2021. The prayer garden includes a 15-foot cross that is lit 24 hours a day, a waterfall and 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The landscape architect on the project was Tony Tradewell, and the builder was GibKo. Landscaping was provided by Mark Brown.   … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials have issued an urgent call for monetary and bottled water donations for New Orleans area residents who are being impacted by saltwater in the water supply. The effort, called ‘Operation Living Water,’ is a joint effort between LBDR, New Orleans area churches and New Orleans Baptist Association Executive Director Jack Hunter and his staff. On Monday, Oct. 2, and then on Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the foreseeable future, four drop off locations will be accepting donations of bottled water: -- E. L. Kirkland & Son LL, 295 Booner Miller Rd., Deville -- Rolling Hills Ministry, 3487 Hwy. 33, Ruston -- New Life Missions, 123 South Pine St., Independence -- Lake Charles location, TBD Additionally, financial gifts to purchase water can be given through the LBDR website, louisianabaptists.org/dr. LBDR Strategist Stan Statham said one pallet of water can be purchased for $300 and a truckload of 20 pallets can be bought for $6,000. Statham said First Baptist Church, Port Sulphur, is expected to be the first church to deliver water to area residents sometime in the first week of October. The LBDR Incident … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Eighty-five couples said, “I do,” again, during the renewal of wedding vows with the witness of the First Baptist Church at the congregation’s Pineville and LeCompte campuses, July 30. Following Pastor Stewart Holloway’s message on the seventh commandment (found in Exodus 20:14), couples stood up in unison and voiced recommitment. Some have been married a few years while others have been wedded for decades. “This was a way to highlight the importance of marriage and why it is sacred,” Holloway told the Baptist Message. “And it showed the younger people who aren’t at the stage of being married that doing it God’s way is the best way. “A strong society is built on the foundation of marriage,” he continued. “Strong marriages lead to strong families that lead to a strong society. We’ve seen the breakdown in family and that will be turned away one family at a time, one generation at a time. This was a way to show that we are committed to marriage.” Blake Fuselier and his wife, Amy, were among those who renewed their vows at FBCP. He appreciated how the event allowed them to underscore that their family is based on a commitment to Christ. “I am not … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptists joined other students from across the state and nation to pray for their classmates and other at the 33rd annual See You At The Pole, Sept. 27. Since 1990, youngsters have gathered every fourth Wednesday in September around the school flagpole for this student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led time of prayer. … [Read more...]