ON THE MOVE Millard, wife Marion, Monk resigns as pastor of Sunny Hill Baptist Church in Kurthwood. HOMECOMING Bayou Rouge Baptist Church, Evergreen: 175th Anniversary, July 31, 11 a.m. Music: Friends and Family Gospel Singers from Centerpoint. A catered meal will follow morning services with additional musical presentations and an inflatable fun house for children. For more information, call 318.346.2419 or email davidtrimbur@gmail.com. Pastor: David Trimbur. Hebron Baptist Church, Summerfield: Homecoming, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. Lunch will follow the service. Music will be by the former youth choir. Pastor: Kenneth Nutt Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Pollock: Homecoming, Aug. 7, 11 a.m. Speaker: Casey Johnson. Worship: Pine Ridge Quartet. Pastor: Sammy Morrow. First Baptist Church, Greensburg: 150th Homecoming, Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m. Speaker: David Hankins. Music: Reggie Bridges. Dinner on the grounds will follow services at noon. Please join with us and our friends as we celebrate what the Lord has done for our church through the years. For more information or to get directions, please call 225.222.6580. Pastor: Tommy Smith. REVIVAL Beulah Baptist Church, Many: Revival, July 31-August 3, Evangelist: Scotty McDowell, chalk artist. … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message RUSTON/LAFAYETTE – At next month’s PreTeen Invasion, Louisiana Baptist youth, fourth through sixth graders, are in for double the fun. Why? Participants will have the choice between two locations – Temple Baptist Church in Ruston on Aug. 20 or First Baptist Church in Lafayette on Aug. 27 – for this age group’s annual evangelism conference. PreTeen Invasion will take place at two separate locations on two separate dates, and it will offer games, interactive activities, worship, Gospel opportunities, and just a great time for the children involved. “PreTeen Invasion has become the go-to event to celebrate back to school,” said Dave Anderson, Children Ministry Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. “Statistics show that these years are prime for young people to make a life-long commitment to Christ. PreTeen Invasion presents a wonderful opportunity for the kids.” The event will feature encouraging messages by Eric Thomas, pastor of First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va., music by the worship team from Cypress Baptist Church in Benton and Louisiana College’s interactive games team. Free inflatables and other games will also be on hand to entertain the students during lunchtime. The theme for … [Read more...]

SHREVEPORT - Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport hosted on July 19 briefing for church staff and members on important legal issues in the state. Topics discussed included current challenges in religious freedom, changes in taxes for Louisiana non-profit agencies, gender identity issues and the abortion crisis in Shreveport. State Rep. Mike Johnson, who also founded Freedom Guard, was the guest speaker and was prayed for by Lane Moore, director of missions for Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association, and others in attendance. Freedom Guard is a not-for-profit law firm that defends religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and traditional American values. … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BATON ROUGE -- The Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge would like to treat our police officers and their families to dinner and a snack! We are asking church members to donate $30 gift cards to local restaurants be distributed to local law enforcement officers. Each participating church will then package them with a 20 ounce Gatorade, a granola bar, and hand sanitizer. A letter letting the officers know that we are praying for them and listing the participating churches will also be placed in each bag. If you would like to donate a gift card, please bring it to your church on Sunday, July 24. If your church would like to contribute completed blessings bags and participate in the distribution, please contact Stephanie Hulett at shulett@jeffersonbaptist.org. Completed bags will be collected at Jefferson Baptist Church between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, Aug. 3 and distributed that afternoon. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff TIOGA - An international missions effort close to home is taking place this week, with the hopes of planting seeds of the gospel that will make a return trip overseas. Nearly 50 fourth through ninth graders from South Korea arrived in central Louisiana July 15 for the start of Camp USA. A partnership of REACH Missions and the Korea Baptist Church Development Board, the camp involves 25 churches in three Baptist associations. The children are participating in a Vacation Bible School at Alpine First Baptist Church and spending the afternoons participating in activities such as swimming, skating, English classes and fishing at area churches. After a week in central Louisiana, the campers will depart for southeast Louisiana and spend the remainder of their time in the Ponchatoula area. While there, the children will participate with American children in a music day camp at First Baptist Church of Ponchatoula. The combined 90-voice choir will present Kidz Under Construction at 6:30 pm on July 31 at First Baptist Ponchatoula. Camp coordinator Susan Duke said the cultural experience and opportunity to take English classes are a draw that could lead to something much bigger - a personal relationship with Jesus … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE – Amidst the strife and destruction a cowardly shooter caused on Sunday in Baton Rouge, God can work in a mighty way to bring about good to the situation said Pastor Jeff Ginn during a special prayer service Tuesday night. “There was a man who very recently meant evil and he brought about evil in this community,” said Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist. “It was something Satan intended for evil. It holds in it the carnal for potential division, unrest and destruction. “But I believe in it all God intends for good,” he continued. “We are His children and the good He intends, He is going to bring part of that through us. That’s the God who we serve.” Ginn gathered with others inside Istrouma Baptist Church to lift up law enforcement, the community and other needs during a special 'Night of Prayer.' The church is one of many throughout Baton Rouge and the state holding prayer gatherings to help the city heal after a gunman fatally shot three law enforcement officers Sunday morning and wounded three others. The shootings took place a little more than a mile from the Church. On Wednesday, Istrouma Baptist Church will also host a community blood drive at their Baton Rouge campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.to … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message "Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord." Joel 1:14 BATON ROUGE – Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police recently requested prayers following the tragic shooting of three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers. “We want and need your prayers,” Edmonson said. “Baton Rouge is in need of your prayers right now.” And churches are responding, especially after what transpired over the weekend. Prayer is needed now more than ever. At 6 p.m. this evening (July 19), Istrouma Baptist Church will host a night of prayer for Baton Rouge and law enforcement. According to the church’s website, “Anyone is welcome to stop by and pray for our city, our nation, our local law enforcement, and the families and friends of the officers who lost their lives Sunday.” On Wednesday, Istrouma will also host a community blood drive at their Baton Rouge campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.to help the blood bank restock its blood reserves. That evening, there will be a Night of Prayer at Istrouma’s ‘The Grove’ Campus, located on Hwy 42 in Prairieville, beginning at 7 p.m. PRAYING FOR HEALING & … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE (LCNews) - Louisiana College President Dr. Rick Brewer announced four promotions for academic and staff administrators on July 18.  The personnel changes become effective August 1. Jerry Pounds will become the college’s vice president for academic affairs, thus vacating his duties as professor of psychology. “Dr. Pounds brings more than an impressive resume to this position,” Brewer said. “He has served in higher education in numerous roles, from adjunct professor at Liberty University to president of Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia, and in several roles at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “Well-versed in Baptist culture, Jerry has served the local church as a youth minister and in the interim, bi-vocational, and associate pastoral roles,” Brewer noted. “Dr. Pounds’ experience in higher education and local church ministry demonstrates his commitment to integrating faith in and out of the classroom.” “Having personally observed Jerry’s work ethic, his relationships with campus peers, and his heart for the classroom, I believe he will acquit himself not merely from a sense of duty, but from a deep-seated commitment to our students and our vision,” Brewer said. “Dr. … [Read more...]

By Message Staff WINNSBORO – Prayer warriors from throughout the world are lifting up the wife of a Louisiana College graduate who was abducted and shot early Saturday morning in Franklin Parish and God is answering those prayers. On the morning of July 16, Kelly Kiper Longoria was on the way to work when she stopped at a convenience store. She was abducted at the store and taken to outside Gesthemane Cemetery in Winnsboro. She was shot in the head by her assailant by Kevin Mathis according to Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Department. She was discovered by workers. Emergency medical personnel were able to stabilize her, transport her to Franklin Parish Medical Center before being airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. She is in critical but stable condition. Since she was hospitalized, Longoria has shown miraculous improvements. According to a Facebook post late Sunday evening by her husband, Shane Longoria, his wife is responding to voice commands. “The doctors told us today that Kelly is responding to commands,” said Longoria, who is music leader and youth pastor at Life Church, a non-denominational church in Winnsboro. “If they tell her to give them a thumbs up, she does. If they say to squeeze, she does. Today they let me … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BATON ROUGE – Though heartbroken from Sunday’s deadly attack on Baton Rouge law enforcement, the community has hope for the future through Christ, said one pastor whose church was near the scene of the incident. “In the midst of our sorrow there is hope that God will redeem even this for His good purpose,” said Jeff Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist Church. “What Satan intends to destroy and divide, God will use to unite.” The church, whose entrance was just feet away from a police barricade placed on Airline Highway on Sunday morning, was about to start its first morning service when Ginn learned a shooter had ambushed officers responding to a call. They quickly changed the order of service, focusing on a time of prayer for the situation. Though they decided to hold both worship services as planned, Ginn said the atmosphere was very different than most Sundays. “There was an air of heaviness over the services,” he said. “One of the points I made in my message was Jesus had joy in spite of the sorrow he experienced. So we pressed on, remembering those who were suffering.” The church staff is meeting to plan their response. Possible ministry opportunities may include hosting a blood drive, offering their … [Read more...]