By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer COVINGTON, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists were en­couraged to reach their friends and family for Christ as part of the continuing effort to create a culture of evangelism within their congregations. during ECON 2025, held in the facilities of First Bap­tist Church, Covington, Jan. 27-28. ECON featured Louisiana Baptist pastors, seminary profes­sors, a women’s ministry leader, vocational evangelists, an evan­gelism vice president from the North American Mission Board, and the president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The event also included times of worship led by a combined choir (FBC Coving­ton and area churches) as well as Selah, an award-winning Christian contemporary music trio. MIKE COURTNEY Mike Courtney, itinerant evan­gelist in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, reminded Louisiana Bap­tists to be faithful in their call to share the Gospel. “In spite of your failures, keep fishing,” said Courtney, draw­ing from Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to be fishers of men in Luke 5:1-11. “This is a call to faithfulness even when and if we have failed.” He reminded Louisiana Baptists that the passage is an example of … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists can celebrate multiple spiritu­al milestones reported for 2024 church planting efforts, including: -- 11,748 Gospel conversations; -- 742 professions of faith; -- 361 baptisms; -- 2,839 people in combined average worship attendance; -- 1,186 people in intentional discipling relationships; and -- $183,000 given through the Coopera­tive Program to support cooperative missions and ministries. “The most exciting thing to see was those who professed their faith in Christ,” Send Network Louisiana Director Lane Corley told the Baptist Message. “These planters started a new church in a community and began to meet their needs in real, practical ways that opened the door for Gospel con­versations. Every time I see a new church start, it's just exciting because you know that there’s just going to be a lot of good things happening through the local church that produces the kind of results in this report.” BACKGROUND The Send Network Louisiana partnership between Louisiana Baptists and the North Ameri­can Mission Board that launched on Aug. 1, 2023, seeks to expand His King­dom in Louisiana by one percent (more than 28,000 … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Heath, wife Jenny, Peloquin has been called to pastor Rock Hill Baptist in Brownsboro, Texas and is leaving Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport. His last day at Summer Grove is March 30. Lakeshore Baptist Church, Monroe: Derek, wife Kaylee, Dozier are the new associate pastor of education and youth. Andrew, wife Lydia, Ardoin is the new pastor of First Baptist Church, White Castle. Ardoin previously served 15 years in the foreign mission field. CRUSADES West Ouachita Crusade, March 30-April 2, 2025, 6 p.m. nightly. The Crusade is led by Evangelist Bill Britt and WeRCalled at West Ouachita High School and the crusade is hosted by churches of West Ouachita Parish. REVIVAL Philadelphia Baptist Church, Horseshoe Drive Campus, Alexandria: … [Read more...]

NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) – Louisiana Baptists, other non-profit organizations, law enforcement agencies and civilians worked together to reunite 15 missing children with their families in the days leading up to last weekend’s Super Bowl LIX in the New Orleans Superdome. The effort involved the training of 70 volunteers at Celebration Church, Kenner and the distribution of 10,000 booklets featuring 36 missing and exploited children identified by law enforcement agencies in the New Orleans area. Each booklet contained a photo and information about each missing and exploited child. These booklets were placed in convenience stores as well as other locations throughout the city. As information was received, it was relayed to a call center at an undisclosed location for security purposes. Additionally, Freedom Stickers (containing the National Human Trafficking Hotline) were provided to convenience stores and strategically placed in public restroom stalls (providing victims of human trafficking with a safe place to call or text for help). According to "In Our Backyard," a Bend, Oregon-based non-profit organization that fights against human trafficking, numerous survivors have been recovered as a result of Freedom Stickers. “The … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Message provides churches an opportunity to share with other Louisiana Baptists an upcoming revival, homecoming, new pastor, new staff member, a community outreach, or a concert in Louisiana Notables. To place your event in the paper, send your information (who, what, where, when, time) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. Please submit your information four weeks prior to the event to insure placement in the Message. ON THE MOVE Marty Black is the Director of Missions for the Concord-Union Baptist Association. Robert Grafton is the new worship leader at the First Baptist Church, Bernice CRUSADES Bayou Macon Baptist Associational: Senior Adult Revival, February 24-26, 2025, 10 a.m. with a meal served after. Guest Speaker: Ron Burch. Worship Leader: Mark Lanier. February 24, Trinity Baptist Church; February 25, First Baptist Oak Grove; February 28, First Baptist Church Kilbourne. Searcy Baptist Church, Trout: LaSalle Parish Rally, February 1, 2 p.m. Pastor: Steve Jensen. REVIVAL ReFirst Baptist Church, Haynesville: Spring revival, February 2-5, 2025, Evangelist: Sam Moore. Pastor: Rob Burns. Bellevue Baptist Church, Jena: Spring Revival, February 2-5, Evangelist: … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Just weeks before the board of trustees could announce their recommendation of a finalist to be the next president of Louisiana Christian University, Louisiana Baptists have been asked to set aside Feb. 2 as a day of prayer for the search committee, the pool of candidates and school. "I am so grateful for this focus of prayer among Louisiana Baptists for our school as we move closer to recommending our next president to serve and lead Louisiana Christian University in the years to come," LCU Presidential Search Committee Chairman Tommy Kiker, also pastor of East Leesville Baptist Church, told the Baptist Message. Established after a vote by messengers during the 2024 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, the special day will focus on specific needs for higher student enrollment, continued financial provisions, wisdom for the presidential search team; and strength and wisdom for Acting President David Jeffreys. Since June 2024, LCU has conducted a nationwide search for the 10th president of the nearly 120-year-old institution; and the search committee has received applications and recommendations from alumni, community members and a … [Read more...]