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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Public safety a top priority amid ongoing New Orleans terror attack investigation

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – City, state and federal officials, during a news conference Jan. 1, praised the response by law enforcement following a terrorist attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and promised a safe environment for the Sugar Bowl, which has been postponed to Jan. 2. “We are committed, no doubt, to uncovering all details surrounding this tragedy,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “And we’re taking every necessary step to put even more safety procedures in place, especially given the nature of the investigation.” Around 3:17 a.m. on Jan. 1, a man identified as U.S. born citizen 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, drove a white Ford F-150 Lightning EV truck around a police blockade and slammed into revelers before being shot dead by police. Authorities said at least 15 people, two from Louisiana, have now died including 28-year old Lafayette native Tiger Bech, 37-year-old Reggie Hunter, a father of two, and 30 sustained injuries. Multiple individuals were reportedly struck before the vehicle crashed. Once the vehicle stopped, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who then returned fire. Two officers sustained injuries and were transported via emergency medical … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist leaders following terrorist attack: pray for New Orleans

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Hours after an individual intentionally drove his truck down Bourbon Street and killed at least 10 people and injured 35 on New Year’s Day morning, Louisiana Baptist leaders expressed sympathy and asked for prayers for those impacted by what the FBI is investigating as a terrorist attack. According to a New Orleans Police Department news release, at around 3:17 a.m., multiple law enforcement officers responded to a report of a vehicle having driven into a crowd of pedestrians on Bourbon Street after exiting Canal Street. Multiple individuals were reportedly struck before the vehicle crashed. Once the vehicle stopped, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who then returned fire. Two officers sustained injuries and were transported via emergency medical services to a local hospital and were last listed in stable condition, while the suspect died. A news release from the FBI said the suspect has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which the FBI said that it appears to have been rented. The FBI said an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and they are working to determine the subject's … [Read more...]

LCU narrows pool of presidential candidates

By Baptist Message staff PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Christian University has narrowed down its list of candidates for the next president to five individuals. According to Presidential Search Committee Chairman Tommy Kiker, the committee met Dec. 11 and chose the finalists from a list of nine semi-finalists. “What I am most encouraged by is that I believe we are trying to pull the best fit and follow God’s direction in making this decision among a pool of excellent candidates,” Kiker, also pastor of East Leesville Baptist Church, told the Baptist Message. “Any one of these five men, I’d be proud to introduce as LCU's next candidate. “Pray that God would give us wisdom and make it very clear the choice He has for LCU,” he said. “There is really not a bad selection among this group. We don’t just want a good choice; We want God’s choice.” The committee will conduct in-person interviews with the finalists in January and hope to have a final candidate by the time the board of trustees meet Feb. 25. LCU has conducted a nationwide search for the 10th president of the nearly 120-year-old institution since June. Since then, the search committee has received applications and recommendations from alumni, community … [Read more...]

Haitian congregation reaching New Orleans for Jesus

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Escalating gang violence in Haiti’s capital city had forced Louisiana Reach Haiti to refocus its ministry on several fronts in 2022, but in New Orleans God was opening a door for Dawest Louis to share Christ’s love with his fellow countrymen, including those forced to move to the U.S. due to the situation in the Caribbean nation. Dawest, who graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary two years earlier, had longed to reach the more than 10,000 Haitians living in New Orleans with the Good News and began the process through the North American Mission Board to plant a church. Without a church building to call home, Louis and 11 others gathered for prayer and sought the Lord for His direction. God answered in April 2022 when Connect Church, Algiers, offered a space in their facility and Eglise Connect International was born. The church continued meeting and has grown to 65 who attend Sunday worship services. Of those, 12 have been baptized since its inception. In addition to holding Sunday worship and Tuesday Bible study and prayer, the church brings water to and shares the Gospel with taxi drivers at Louis Armstrong International Airport. … [Read more...]

Drive-by prayer ministry a soul-winning mission

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer HAMMOND, La. (LBM) – Door-to-door evangelism has been a way of life for Pastor Les Fogle­man for the last 40 years but in 2023 he felt led to use the parking lot of New Beulah Baptist Church in Hammond as a Gospel tool. Since June 2023, Fogle­man has placed signs on grassy areas near the parking lot to alert motor­ists to the opportunity of sharing their prayer needs. Through this ministry that operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons, Fogleman has shared the Gospel with more than 350 people and seen 10 of them surrender their lives to Christ and follow through with bap­tism in a portable baptis­tery on the church parking lot. “A lot of people will honk and wave at me as they see me on the park­ing lot,” Fogleman told the Baptist Message. “I never know what problems and difficulties people may share when they come and ask for prayer. I’m thankful the Lord has allowed me the opportunity and honor to be there to pray with someone in need.” The idea to start the parking lot prayer ministry came to Fogleman while he was praying in front of the church. He noticed 15-45 cars at a time would pass through a red light by the church and knew that the community could … [Read more...]

Masters to retire after 33 years of LSU ministry

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – For the past 33 years, Steve Masters has discipled thousands of students on the Louisiana State University campus, led multiple Baptist Collegiate Ministry disaster relief trips and contributed to collegiate ministry on the national level as a consultant as well as a contributor on collegiate ministry committees. Masters, who is set to retire May 31 from his role as LSU’s BCM director, said he is grateful for the opportunity to build relationships with so many students and see them become faithful servants in their secular and ministry roles. Since graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1982, Masters has pursued God’s call to minister to college students. Before coming to LSU, he served as a BCM intern with University of Arkansas, Little Rock, BCM director with Arkansas Tech University, and BCM director with Oklahoma State University. “I thought I would be at Oklahoma State forever, but my name was given to (former Louisiana Baptist State BCM Director) John Moore by Lynn Hawkins, former BCM director at Louisiana Tech,” he said. “I remember getting a phone call and being asked to consider going to LSU. I had to get out a map … [Read more...]