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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Celebrating 20-year partnership, NOBTS dedicates new facility at Angola

By Marilyn Stewart, Regional Reporter ANGOLA – Celebrating a 20-year partnership that has changed lives and deployed “missionaries,” New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary/Leavell College recently dedicated a new facility with expanded classroom and library space at Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. The Aug. 27 dedication followed a graduation ceremony marking the program’s 278th graduate. “This has been the most spectacular day we could ever have,” said Warden Burl Cain. “We have a new seminary building; we doubled our capacity; and, it means less victims of violent crime.” The Joan Horner Center, an 11,000 square foot building with a computer lab, two classrooms, an auditorium and library, was named in memory of benefactor Joan Horner, founder of Premier Designs of Dallas, who with husband Andy Horner were long-time supporters of the Angola ministry. An anonymous donor provided funds for the structure. James LeBlanc, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Corrections, echoed Cain’s correlation between the program’s success and a state-wide drop in repeat offenders, crediting as a factor the work of 35 NOBTS “missionaries,” graduates who asked to transfer to other Louisiana prisons in order to plant new … [Read more...]

LC Fall Revival calls for students to ‘Focus on Jesus’

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Curtis Zackery’s message on how to change one’s community, campus and world was simple yet urgent for the youth, college students and others attending the recent revival at Louisiana College. Focus on Jesus. Every single person, every single day needs to be reminded of the cross of Christ,” Zackery said. “Because it either tells us the story of what we can be rescued from or it tells us the story of what we have been rescued from. And when both of us realize what we’ve been rescued from, the one who is the rescuer becomes our focus. And when He becomes our focus, He begins to change things.” Zackery was one of three guest speakers for the three-day annual revival inside LC’s Guinn Auditorium. Sammy Tippit, a global evangelist with Sammy Tippit Ministries, preached the first day’s message and Lee Howell, founder of Awaken Men Ministries and director of St. George Island Christian Retreat Center, preached on the second day of the revival. Zion Hill Church, the Louisiana College Chapel band and Philadelphia Baptist Church provided music and worship for each of the sessions. Students gathered at the altar throughout the revival, coming forward to pray for a variety … [Read more...]

Fire can’t break spirit of Turkey Creek Baptist, congregation rebuilds

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer GILBERT – A fire in late 2013 may have destroyed the sanctuary of Turkey Creek Baptist Church but could not break apart the spirit of the congregation in the midst of rebuilding the structure 19 months later. The fire happened in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2013. Though no one was injured, the incident left the congregation without a place to worship. Kyle Spinks, who became pastor of the congregation in July 2013, said that’s when his congregation began to rise to the occasion. “Just about every help you could think of, from prayers and phone calls to monetary donations, we received,” Spinks said. “We are thankful for the prayers and support. During all this process our prayer has been God would shine through us and our adversity. And we did that the best we can. “I told our congregation that when my family and I moved out here, we prayed for the fires of revival,” he continued. “They just came in a different way.” With the absence of a sanctuary the congregation had known as home for more than 90 years brought a few blessings. While they were without a sanctuary, the congregation met in a church member’s home. Attendance fluctuated between 30 and 60 people … [Read more...]

LC honoring distinguished alums Hill, Brown, Hanson at homecoming

By Kathy Hegwood Overturf, Louisiana College Alumni Director PINEVILLE – Louisiana College’s 2015 Homecoming Celebration kicks off Oct. 1 at a chapel service in Guinn Auditorium honoring this year’s class of distinguished alumni, which is a diverse group of individuals from the fields of business, education and full-time ministry. Don Hill (64), a former student body president; Becky Brown (76), a member of the first women’s basketball team, the Wildcat mascot and the 1976 homecoming queen, and Dr. Gretchen Lower Hanson (81) are the three alumni who will be honored. After graduating from LC, Hill, a businessman from Dallas, Texas, received  a Masters in Statistics from Florida State University. He went on to have a successful career in the financial industry. He was instrumental in creating the first Credit Reporting Resources Guide. He is also one of ten people who established Salt Grass Steakhouse and later Lupe’s Tortilla, two very successful restaurant chains. He and his wife Terry have been married since 1967 and they have one daughter. Upon graduation, Brown, who is from Richland, Miss., received graduate degrees from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, … [Read more...]

Louisiana College, Louisiana Tech enter into 3+2 degree program partnership

By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE – Louisiana College students soon will have the opportunity to earn not one but two degrees. LC President Rick Brewer and Louisiana Tech President Leslie Guice on Sept. 15 signed a memorandum of understanding that allows for a 3+2 degree program partnership. Students at LC will earn a bachelor’s degree in pre-engineering in three years and then go to Louisiana Tech to earn an engineering degree in two more years. This new program allows for graduates to be more marketable in a changing world, contends Brewer. “I firmly believe that in the 21st century, success in the community will come through efforts of collaboration,” Brewer said in the press conference. “Programs like this 3+2 model will make graduates from LC and Louisiana Tech more marketable, and probably give them a good shot at grad school.” Guice called the partnership a great match, nothing that the agreement between the two institutions is both unique and historical. “The family spirit is very important on our campus,” he said. “We have a very positive culture on our campus that I think supports student learning.” “We are larger but it will be a nice transition opportunity for students that want to get some part … [Read more...]

First Baptist Doyline dedicates new children’s building

By Message Staff DOYLINE – Making a commitment to its future, First Baptist Church of Doyline dedicated a new children’s building Sept. 13. The congregation broke ground in March, two years after focusing on a week of prayer about the possibility of a new children’s building. The church set goals they met along the way and by the time of the dedication and ribbon cutting, the building was finished debt-free. Long-range planning committee chairman Larry Dean said. “We felt like the children are the future of the church,” Dean said. “If we don’t provide a place for the kids, we won’t have a church.” The new 40 ft by 100 ft building was constructed at a cost of $400,000. It includes a foyer, nursery, classroom space, an assembly room, bathrooms and kitchenette. Of the 80 who attend church services on Sunday morning, 20 are children. Dean is optimistic about what the future holds. “We want to give God all the glory,” Dean said. “We couldn’t have done it without God.” … [Read more...]

Louisiana College to inaugurate Dr. Brewer as 9th president

By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE - The inauguration ceremony of Dr. Rick Brewer is the highlight event of a two-day celebration at Louisiana College, Sept. 17-18. Scheduled for Sept. 18 in Guinn Auditorium, the inaugural service begins at 2 p.m. The celebration begins officially with a Sept. 17 student chapel service in Guinn that will feature Michael Joe Harvell, pastor of Grace Place Ministries in Greer, South Carolina. Harvell also will keynote a special inaugural worship service at 7 p.m., Sept. 17. Keynoting the inauguration ceremony will be Dr. Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. No stranger to Louisiana and CenLa as well, Wilton is a graduate and former professor of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. During the early 1980s, Wilton had an Alexandria-based evangelistic ministry. The Sept. 18 ceremony also will feature several members of the LC family, as well as Dr. David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Pineville’s Mayor Clarence Fields. “These are exciting and invigorating days for Louisiana College,” Brewer said. “Cathy and I are humbled that God has allowed the opportunity to serve at … [Read more...]

Louisiana College officials remain optimistic despite declining enrollment

By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE - The sense of confidence that buoyed Louisiana College’s employees and stakeholders when Dr. Rick Brewer arrived as president in March of this year remains intact and even thrives with the prospects of recent accomplishment and future goals. “We have hope again,” said Byron McGee, who recently became vice president for institutional advancement. “What we are hearing from pastors, business leaders and alumni in CenLa and beyond is that Louisiana College’s future looks bright with Dr. Brewer as president. We all have been waiting for a leader who is not only a visionary, but is one who seizes the dream and makes it a reality,” McGee said. Having arrived only a few months ago, Brewer said he brings “decades of experience and success in growing an academic institution as evidenced by the double-digit and even exponential categorical successes God granted.” “We are grateful for the 1,109 students now enrolled at Louisiana College,” Brewer continued. “And though our enrollment has trended downward during the last 5 years, we need to remember that an institution the size of Louisiana College can hardly reverse a trend of several years in only a few … [Read more...]

Family relies on its faith, encouragement of others following death of NOBTS professor John Gibson

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW ORLEANS – In the days following the death of her husband, a beloved professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Christi Gibson has seen the Christian community rally around her and her family. And she now wants others to know they should feel free to reach out to others for help in overcoming a certain sin in their own lives. “The message we hope to get out is that we must do life in community,” Christi Gibson said. “And that means having some sort of environment where we hold each other accountable, are transparent, and talk about our struggles. She said we must adopt the attitude that “whatever it takes for us to get real in the Christian community, we are ready to do it. We are going to walk in truth.” Tragedy  Christi Gibson arrived home from work at approximately 5:30 pm. Aug. 24 when she discovered her husband, John, unresponsive at their home on the seminary campus. She immediately notified emergency medical services. Unfortunately, EMS responders were unable to revive him, and they pronounced him dead at the scene. Leavell College students were notified of their professor’s death during the first class period Aug. 25 and morning classes were … [Read more...]

Two Planned Parenthood protests planned Thursday

By Staff, Louisiana Right to Life Two protests against Planned Parenthood will be held in Louisiana tomorrow in conjunction with Women Betrayed: The Real Stories Rally and Lobby Day at noon in Washington, D.C. Locals will gather in Baton Rouge from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside Planned Parenthood Baton Rouge (3955 Government St., Suite 2) and from 5-6:30 p.m. at the new Planned Parenthood construction site at 4636 S. Claiborne Ave. in New Orleans. Protests are being held around the country Thursday in conjunction with the Washington, D.C. rally as citizens show their opposition to Planned Parenthood's abortion and baby-parts selling business. Pro-lifers will be urging Congress to defund the abortion business in this year's budget as they stand in solidarity for the unborn. There are no official programs at the local events, but Louisiana Right to Life officials, as well as leaders of Louisiana Students for Life, will be present and available for interviews. … [Read more...]