By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MELDER – Jason Townley wakes up each Sunday with anxious anticipation about how God will move within the congregation of Pine Ridge Baptist Church. Since January Townley has baptized more than 70 people of all ages and walks of life, and all wanting a new life. “They basically are telling us we are tired of our way, we want a new way and that’s following Jesus,” Townley said. “It truly is amazing. Through the power of prayer and preaching the truth of the Word of God we have seen the power of the Holy Spirit time after time draw people to Himself. We never want it to end and believe that it doesn’t have to end. “What’s amazing to us is that every Sunday God is bringing new people to Pine Ridge Baptist Church and we are seeing many of them come to Jesus,” he said. “People are looking for a place where the presence of God is and that’s what we pray for at Pine Ridge Baptist Church.” ALL TO JESUS  Changing lives at Pine Ridge Baptist Church ‘one family at a time’ is what Kloee Martin and her husband Brett experienced. During their first year of marriage they were on the verge of divorce. However, hearing God’s Word as Townley counseled them one on one, both Kloee and … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – Horseshoe Drive Baptist Church commemorated the dedication of its new worship center June 30, 1968, with a congregational photo, and interim Pastor Robert Daniel said he hopes for a reenactment Aug. 21 as members celebrate a “last service” in the recently renewed and updated facilities before re-launching as a revitalized congregation Sept. 18. “This will be our final service as ‘Horseshoe Drive Baptist Church’ and we’re going to treat it as a homecoming,” said Daniel, director of missions for Central Louisiana Baptist Association. “We’re inviting past members and leaders to come and celebrate our legacy, but also to rejoice in the future God is unfolding for us as a reborn family of faith.” He added that it is important to recognize all the impact the congregation has had as salt and light in Alexandria before it is reborn as a multi-site campus of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. “We’ll have a time of food and fellowship Sunday morning in place of Bible study classes,” he explained. “Worship services will include a message, but also a time to recognize pastors and long-time members who have contributed to this ministry since Nov. 16, 1958.” The ‘final service” will … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message ANGOLA – The deadline is quickly approaching to submit forms necessary to participate in the annual Louisiana Baptist Angola Prison Revival. Set for Sept. 16-17 on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, the annual event will feature revival services and one-on-one Gospel presentations with inmates throughout the weekend. The Angola revival has taken place since 1995, the year New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary held its first class at the prison extension center. The first day of the revival begins at 5 p.m. with a time of worship and ends around 8 p.m. that evening. The revival continues the following day at 9:30 a.m., with an opportunity to visit one-on-one with inmates, before ending at 2 p.m. Only males are eligible to participate in the revival. Because of a lack of housing, the prison is not offering housing on campus. Though meals are not provided, participants may bring snack items to enjoy in their vehicles. “Louisiana Baptists’ Angola Prison Revival provides our volunteers a way to touch lives who quickly lose contact with the outside world,” said Keith Manuel, evangelism associate for Louisiana Baptists. “The average inmate has little contact with … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter ALEXANDRIA – Students of the Louisiana Baptist All-State Youth Choir spent the early part of this summer worshipping through song, sharing testimonies and reaching out to others. Seventy-eight youth, representing 38 churches throughout the state, participated in a June trip to Tennessee accompanied by 10 adult sponsors. The choir sang praises to God and presented personal testimonies at youth detention centers, public parks, shelters, rescue missions, nursing homes, shopping malls and a few unexpected places. Chris Turner, minister of music at First Baptist Church in Pineville, headed up the tour this year. “The youth choir got to sing and help minister with a church in downtown Nashville that reaches out to the homeless under a bridge. It was a moving experience,” Turner said. He has participated in the choir tour for three years as a sponsor, but this year he oversaw the 10-day trip for Herb Armentrout, the LBC youth music consultant out of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, who was unable to travel because of scheduled surgery. The group made quite an impact in Tennessee, Turner said. “This was not just a choir tour. The youth were given the opportunity to do … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA -- The Louisiana Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees met at the Louisiana Baptist Building July 26 for their third quarterly meeting of the year with the morning dedicated to meetings by the investment committee and operating committee and the afternoon spent in general session by the entire body to consider committee reports and other business. INVESTMENT UPDATES Lafayette’s Jim Prince, who chaired the morning meeting of the Investment Committee, called on Lee Morris of Graystone Consulting, the LBF’s investment consultant, to give the quarter’s update on the investment managers and market conditions. Morris noted the following market conditions as considerations for the context of his report: -- US domestic equity market was the only positive performer for the past 12 months.  All others around the world were negative. -- Entering 2016 analyst expectations were interest rates would rise and fixed income portfolios would struggle as a result.  The opposite has happened.  Rates have dropped and the fixed portfolios have delivered excellent returns. -- After six years of underperformance versus developed markets, emerging markets are starting to deliver the best … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – More than anything, God wants a personal relationship with every person through His Son. However, many times satan brings about distractions that can hinder that connection from happening. By focusing on Jesus Christ and resisting evil, man can grow in a relationship with God, a heavenly Father. It begins, Andrew Orr said, when a person accepts the free gift of salvation by grace through faith. “We run so hard that we sometimes lose focus,” Orr said during his message at Kids Camp on Aug. 2. “Some of you have been saved or baptized. When you get up every morning, you forget other people are watching you and you forget to focus on God. “Some of you are resisting or holding back or don’t know if God can save you,” he continued. “The Bible says He’s the only one who can save you.” Orr shared such messages of hope found in Christ during the third and final Kids Camp of 2016 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, which began Aug. 1 and ends today, Aug. 3. Nearly 400 children and adult leaders from 22 churches took part in worship sessions, Bible studies, recreational activities including a ropes course, bazooka ball, archery and basketball, and tracks such as … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – Curt Iles had a clear message for a room of 20 boys attending Royal Ambassador Camp this week – become a missionary, even if it means going to places that may be difficult and where they don’t know about Jesus. “As missionaries, we go to where people haven’t heard about Jesus and are hurting. We go to the difficult places,” said Iles, who served alongside his wife DeDe as missionaries with the International Mission Board in Uganda from 2013-2015. “We must as followers of Jesus go help them. Our job is to bring them the Gospel.” Iles, who previously was director of Dry Creek Baptist Camp, led individual breakout sessions on missions during RA Camp, which started July 27 and continues through Saturday. The camp drew 147 participants from a total of 14 churches. As of July 28, four young men had made professions of faith. The boys and their leaders took part in worship led by Kellie and Kristen Fuselier of Pineville and heard challenging messages from Brandon Digalormo of Haughton. The theme of the camp was ‘Running the Race,’ based on Hebrews 12:1. When they were not in worship sessions, the campers took part in recreational activities, including crafts, BB gun … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) -- Four Louisiana Baptist churches were among eight churches and six businesses in four parishes victimized by burglars and vandals in mid-July. Richey Baptist in Deville, Rosefield Baptist in Grayson and New Ouachita Baptist in Enterprise were burglarized while Lakeside Baptist in Pineville had its sign vandalized. According to investigators at the Sheriff offices in the four parishes (Avoyelles, LaSalle, Catahoula and Rapides), it does not appear the string of break-ins were linked in any way. In the break-in at Richey, Pastor Grady Dodge says he has “them on camera.” However, it was hard to make the thieves out as “the security cameras are not the best and the thieves wore long sleeves and hoodies. They definitely didn’t want to be seen.” On July 17, between 12:30 a.m. until 2 a.m., the thieves came to the church three times. At approximately 12:30 that morning, according to surveillance footage they broke into the church for the first time. “They broke in through the Life Center by busting down the door. They rummaged around the different buildings and made their way to a back room behind the sanctuary where they found our fireproof safe.” The thieves … [Read more...]

Baton Rouge — Louisiana Family Forum released its 2016 Legislative Scorecard July 26, providing a tool for Louisiana residents to evaluate members of the Louisiana legislature on key policy votes. The 2016 regular legislative session was augmented by weeks-long special sessions called by the governor before and after the regularly scheduled lawmaking assembly which convened March 14 – June 6. LFF President Gene Mills said his group maintained a constant presence throughout, assessing legislation to provide feedback to stakeholders on key bills. He said they also tracked how House and Senate members voted on these key issues and that the scorecard reflects a measure of a legislator’s actual stand, not just rhetoric, on a range of family values. "We encourage Louisiana residents to take time and evaluate this report,” Mills said. He also asked voters to “analyze how well your lawmakers represented Louisiana family values” and to call each with feedback. Mills announced his organization would be presenting Life and Liberty Awards to the men and women who successfully passed measures promoting life, liberty, and limited government this year. The 2016 recipients are: Rep. Rick Edmonds – HB1019 – prohibits abortion … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor JACKSON, Miss. – ‘What an awesome God we serve’ is such a simple yet profound statement. Shane and Kelly Kiper Longoria can attest to it. Eleven days ago, 22-year-old Kelly was abducted at a convenience store on her way to work, shot in the head by her assailant and left for dead in a Winnsboro graveyard. When she was airlifted to the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Jackson Memorial in Jackson, Miss., the doctors told the family the chances were very high Kelly would not make it as they could not remove the bullet. They were concerned what the adverse effects would be by leaving the bullet. Word quickly spread about the tragedy and people immediately began to pray. The prayer chain began slowly, just in the community, but it quickly expanded through family and friends to small groups, Sunday school classes and entire congregations. In less than two days, hundreds and then thousands were lifting the couple up in prayer. “So many people know Shane and Kelly. They are both great kids … well liked and well loved. And, so many people know Miss Lisa (Lisa Kiper is Kelly’s mother) and the Kiper family,” said Craig Beeman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Winnsboro. “They, … [Read more...]