https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET5KdvRt-Bs By Message Staff Without the Cooperative Program and the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering, current efforts, such as responding to last month’s historic flooding would be difficult, said Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief state director Gibbie McMillan. That’s why McMillan is so thankful for Southern Baptists, including many individuals and churches in Louisiana, who continue to see the need to give to the Cooperative Program as well as the state’s missions offering. The money given provides funding to purchase tools, mold-fighting chemicals like Shockwave, train new volunteers and cook meals for those affected by a disaster. “If it had not been for the Georgia Barnette State Mission Offering, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing right now in dealing with this flooding and clean up,” McMillan said. … [Read more...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TsZ5hc3uE HAMMOND – Four weeks and counting – that’s how long Freddie Arnold, Tom Long and Pat Hayen have been manning the southeast regional incident command center at Woodland Park Baptist Church. A normal rotation is between 7 and 9 days but because of the scope of the recent flooding in the region, Arnold is working longer than usual. After opening not long after heavy rainfall caused flooding in mid-March, the incident command center could close on Friday or Saturday. Since opening, teams have completed 60-70 jobs. “Our goal is to finish our remaining jobs by Friday,” said Tom Long, southeast regional disaster relief coordinator. … [Read more...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbkXKb-dVcI By Message Staff COVINGTON – Waylon Bailey has a message for all those affected personally by the recent flooding in Louisiana – the key on the road to recovery is to lean on one another and God for encouragement. Bailey speaks from first-hand experience. He also knows just how beneficial Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams can be to people trying to recover from a natural disaster. In late 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of southeast Louisiana, disaster relief teams from Louisiana and throughout the US showed up in force. For several months, teams worked out of the parking lot at First Baptist Church in Covington, where Bailey serves as pastor. Throughout that time, teams not only helped rebuild homes but offered a spiritual uplifting to many who were hurting. Ten years later, disaster relief teams have come to the state once again to give a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. “Based on Hurricane Katrina, remember the same God who is always been with you in the past is going to be with you,” Bailey said. “There are people who are going to show up and they are going to continue to show up and help and encourage. “We all need church,” he said. “We … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message Numbers will fade, but the lives touched will always be remembered. Currently Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has served over 46,000 meals, provided 1,800 showers, washed 1,130 loads of laundry and completed 930 jobs with over 5,000 volunteer hours. These numbers are only what have been recorded. With the water receding very slowly in many areas, particularly in north Louisiana, SBDR is still planning and responding to needs across Louisiana. Called the ‘yellow-shirt’ Cavalry by former Louisiana Baptist Convention President and First Baptist Covington Pastor Waylon Bailey, everywhere teams have served they are being greeted warmly by Louisianans. Disasters have a way of changing lives by bringing people together and we are seeing this happen across Louisiana.   … [Read more...]

By Deanna Wallace, Louisiana Right to Life BATON ROUGE -  State Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Bossier), introduced HB 1081, The Louisiana Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act, Tuesday April 5, which would protect unborn babies by ending the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion in Louisiana. A dismemberment abortion, also known as a D&E, is a second trimester abortion method where the abortionist uses large forceps to seize and tear body parts from a live, unborn child. Johnson, who is also a constitutional law attorney, said the following about his decision to introduce HB 1081: "Louisiana has a long history of protecting the most vulnerable members of our society - unborn children. HB 1081 will continue in that tradition by protecting these little ones from the barbaric practice of being torn apart in the womb by an abortionist's forceps." Louisiana Right to Life Legislative Director Deanna Wallace added: "Dismemberment abortion is a violent procedure, and there is ample Supreme Court precedent for banning such a procedure. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in his discussion of the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban, bluntly stated that in a dismemberment abortion, the unborn child 'dies just as a human … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional reporter BATON ROUGE -- Newly elected Gov. John Bel Edwards told about 150 pastors and other church leaders gathered for the Louisiana Family Forum's Pastor’s Briefing, that he believes in the power of prayer and reiterated his pro-life position. Edwards, a Democrat and devout Roman Catholic, often asked voters to pray for him during last year’s campaign and repeated that request again on Wednesday morning, following the 52nd annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Baton Rouge River Center. “I ask for prayer for me and for the leadership of the state of Louisiana and for our people,” Edwards said. “We have some very real challenges and they span across a wide spectrum of issues … but I am certain we are going to come together and meet those challenges head-on.” “I would ask you to join me and my administration, not just in prayer, but in action every day so we can do that together,” he said. He said he briefly reviewed the LFF’s list of upcoming ‘bills to watch’ in the legislature and told the pastors that while he agrees with most of them, “quite honestly we won’t always agree on some of them but I’m always willing to sit down and talk.” When Sen. Gerald Long, R., Dist. 31, asked … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message LEESVILLE – Don and Margie Fulkerson’s faithful service to Christ brought the couple great joy as they served side by side in disaster relief. The couple, who would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary next month, had served on 15 disaster relief trips together since their first assignment in 2012. Fulkerson died of a heart attack on March 29 while serving with his team from First Baptist Church in Galatia, Ill., along with other Illinois Baptist volunteers in Leesville. The visitation took place on April 1 at First Baptist Galatia, with the funeral occurring the following day at the church. Both the Louisiana Baptist Convention and the state of Louisiana not only paid their respects but also showed their appreciation for this faithful servant of God. The Louisiana Baptist Convention paid for the embalming and flying of Fulkerson’s body back to Illinois. Gibbie McMillan, state disaster relief director for Louisiana, added that when the LBC offered to pay for a plane ticket for Fulkerson’s widow, she declined because “she had never flown before and wasn’t going to start now.” She returned home with the Illinois team. “What the LBC did was to say ‘we appreciate the help we … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Mike, wife Dawn, Holloway is the new pastor at Ouachita Baptist Church, West Monroe. Terry, wife Rhonda, Horowitz is the new pastor at Carson Baptist Church, Zwolle. He recently resigned as pastor of Paradise Baptist Church, Ball. Matt Simmons is the new minister to students at Watson Baptist Church. HOMECOMING Emmanuel Baptist Church, Shreveport: 75th Anniversary Celebration, April 17, 10:45 a.m. Former members and staff are invited to the service at 10:45 and the luncheon to follow. Please RSVP by calling (318) 686-7548 by April 10. Pastor: Chad Hardbarger. First Baptist Church, Benton: Homecoming Celebration, April 17. A continental breakfast will be served beginning at 9 a.m., worship, 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch. Former members can contact the church at 318.965.2351 for more information. Pastor: Robert Beadle. REVIVAL Colfax Baptist Church, Colfax: Revival, April 7-10. Evangelist: Lyndon Longoria. Pastor: Gary Howard. Ft. Jesup Baptist Church, Many: Revival, April 10-13; Sunday, 11 a.m. Monday-Wednesday, 6 p.m. Evangelist: Michael Courtney. Pastor: George Treutlein. Richey Baptist Church, Deville: Revival, April 10 – 13; two services Sunday 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday 7 p.m. … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE - There is a worldwide revival underway with an estimated million people each week becoming Christians, Jim Denison told more than 1,400 people gathered at the River Center for the 52nd Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. But in America the number of atheists and agnostics has quadrupled in recent years, he contrasted. “Our fastest-growing religious demographic is those who have no religion,” Denison said while showing a series of slides where Christianity is booming, like Nigeria, where 90 percent of the people attend church on Sunday. Denison is a longtime Baptist pastor who, since 2009, has been operating the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture. He writes a daily commentary on current events read by 113,000 subscribers worldwide, and, he refers to himself as a cultural apologist. “Why are we not seeing the spiritual awakening that is sweeping the nations?” he asked. “All across Scripture, our God is a King. Jesus taught us to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’ (Matthew 6:33). He called us to ‘repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17). When he returns, his name will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). “Tragically, in our culture God is … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS – The friendship between the atheist Chinese student and the Georgian-turned-Cajun Tulane University Baptist Collegiate Ministry intern was almost instantaneous. After meeting at a BCM dinner in the fall, Lucy (last name withheld for security reasons) had many questions about Christ and Laura Hamilton had the answers. Two to three times a week, the two met and Lucy seemed to grasp the concept of God. However, she was not convinced, wanting to fully investigate Christianity before making a final decision to follow Jesus. Lucy and Hamilton continued attending Bible studies together and went to Metairie Church regularly. But it was when she was alone with just her Bible at her residence a few hours after one of their Bible studies that Lucy asked Jesus to be her personal Lord and Savior and fully committed her life to Christ. “Throughout the whole study, God was amazing in how He gave her answers to deep questions, giving her understanding that amazed me each time,” Hamilton said. “God very clearly said to me through this, ‘I am the One who gives understanding. You just do your little part and I am the powerful One at work here.’ “I remember lesson four in … [Read more...]