By Lonnie Wascom, Director of Missions Northshore Baptist Association   When the Louisiana Baptist Convention hosts its annual meeting in Covington this Nov. 14-15, it will be the first time in the Convention’s history that the meeting has been held in the Florida Parishes.   The host church, First Baptist Church, Covington, is situated in the center of the Northshore Baptist Association (NSBA), a fellowship of more than 90 churches, mission churches, and church plants. The NSBA is planning a Crossover Northshore prior to this year’s convention and wishes to invite our sister churches from all across the state to participate with us. The Crossover dates are Nov. 12-13.   Among the many evangelistic goals for the weekend is one that NSBA leaders pray will be a pacesetter for future Crossover emphases: To launch a new, high impact church plant in St. Tammany Parish. Like the Macedonian in Acts 16:9, we in the Northshore are imploring our Baptist brothers and sisters to “come over into [the Northshore], and help us” launch this new church.   Other events are being planned as well. In fact, events can be tailored to fit the strengths of churches that are willing to send teams to work … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor   These days when negative news seems to dominate the headlines, I am always on the lookout for inspirational stories that accentuate the positive. I discovered one recently that deserves to be not only read but also contemplated.   On July 22, Rachelle Friedman wed Chris Chapman in Pittsboro, N.C. Of the perhaps thousands of weddings that will take place in America over the next few days, what makes this couple’s nuptials newsworthy is that the bride’s father pushed her down the aisle in a wheelchair.   Friedman and Chapman were scheduled to marry about a year ago. However, just a few weeks prior to the wedding Friedman was injured in a freak accident, which resulted in her being paralyzed from the neck down.   It seems Friedman and some of her girlfriends were celebrating her approaching wedding with a backyard swimming pool party when a friend playfully pushed her into pool. Friedman’s head hit the bottom of the shallow end, and she was instantly paralyzed.   The wedding plans were placed on hold as Friedman’s recuperation took precedence. However, the idea of canceling the wedding was never entertained by Friedman or … [Read more...]

By Mike Edens, Professor of Theology and Islamic Studies at NOBTS   Are the Christian minorities at greater risk as a result of the uprisings in the Middle East?”   This is another key question that has been posed in a theology class I have been teaching in a Southern Baptist church recently. It’s a question that requires us to think outside our American cultural expectations.   None of us can fully understand the formative forces on ourselves or on friends who live in other cultural and societal settings, but failing to struggle toward this end detracts from abundantly living our faith. We need to understand as best we can the status of our Christian brothers and sisters living under governments that express Islamic values.   It is true that member states of the United Nations, including the Middle Eastern countries, have officially affirmed “The Universal Charter of Human Rights.” In Article 18, that document affirms, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, Professor of New Testament and Greek at NOBTS   Question: When I read my Bible, some of the New Testament quotations of Old Testament books do not match exactly the wording that we have in our Old Testaments. Why is this?   Bill Warren responds: This insightful question obviously comes from a good Bible study practice of looking up the New Testament (NT) quotes in the Old Testament (OT). Keep up that type of study! As a beginning point, let’s remember that the OT was written almost totally in Hebrew and the NT in Greek, so right away we have to think about the impact of translating from Hebrew into Greek when considering the OT quotes in the NT.   Indeed, the vast majority of differences in the quotes are due exactly to these language issues. The NT writers primarily used the existing Greek translation of the OT for their writings instead of making their own translations. This makes sense when we think about it: There was no need to reinvent the wheel by making yet another translation when one was already available and acceptable.   This translation began most likely in Egypt in the 3rd century B.C. The reason for Greek was because of Alexander the Great’s impact, which … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   ALEXANDRIA – Finances can be stretched thin at this time in the United States economy. BEL Credit Union may be able to help.   BEL FCU – short for Baptist Employees of Louisiana Federal Credit Union, the only Baptist faith-based credit union in Louisiana – is positioning itself to over time be available to every member of every Baptist church and entity in Louisiana that affiliates with the Louisiana Baptist Convention. See www.belfcu.com.   For the present, membership is limited to full-time or part-time employees and their immediate families of LBC and the Children’s Home, Foundation, College and Baptist Message, plus New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.   In addition, members of Baptist Temple Alexandria, First Chataignier, Mt.  Hope Oakdale, Peniel Calcasieu, Faith Alexandria, Trinity Oakdale and Aimwell Zwolle can be members. This is because their churches have requested to be added to the credit union’s field of membership, and their request has been approved by the National Credit Union Administration, which oversees the membership of credit unions across the nation.   A telephone call to Paul Allbritton, manager of the BEL Credit Union … [Read more...]

By Al Quartemont, Special to the Message ALEXANDRIA – To hear John Hebert tell it, the numbers mean everything. The State Missions and Ministry Team Leader for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Hebert knows what those numbers say – nearly three-fourths of the state’s population is within 20 miles of Interstate 10 or south of it. Only one-fourth of the LBC’s churches fall in that same area. Stating it simply, three out of four Louisiana people are being served by only one out of four LBC churches in the state. And in the areas where population is growing faster than church membership, specifically New Orleans and the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, the need for reaching the “unchurched” population is growing more critical every day. “I like to call them ‘not-yet- Christians,’” Hebert said of those numbers. “For the most part, our churches are deeply committed to missions, but this is something, that within the last 10 years, is getting a higher emphasis than we have ever given it before. We are making progress, but we need to enlist new churches to get involved.” Fortunately, the LBC has the perfect vehicle for that involvement – The Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering. Named for the first executive director of the … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer   [img_assist|nid=7510|title=Supportive congregation|desc=The congregation of Epps Baptist Church fully supports the biker and cowboy ministries as young and old turnout for events.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]EPPS – Epps Baptist Church pastor Johnny Smith is a busy man with a busy church.   Smith has involved himself with several ministries, including a cowboy ministry and a biker ministry, as his church looks toward a future of active servitude to Christ.   “I must say that it’s rather fun to see such all these causes going on at once,” the pastor said. “I feel it’s an honor to get to engage in this type of work for God.”   Though he’s dealing with other ministries, Smith hasn’t allowed Epps Baptist to slack off in its work for God. Indeed, the church is as active in its own ways as the pastor’s other ministries.   “We have a compassionate ministry and a food and clothing ministry, and we just started up the biker ministry,” Smith said. “We’ve also had several professions of faith during our Vacation Bible School. At this point, we have a lot of irons in the fire.  Whatever the Lord leads us to do, we’re doing … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   PINEVILLE – A 120-voice choir of senior adults from across the state undergirded the music and worship that was much of the basis for the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s first-ever Senior Adult Summer Spectacular.   The three-day Chautauqua-type event that took place at Louisiana College was sponsored by the LBC Evangelism and Church Growth team. Jeff Ingram works with seniors.   “We wanted to provide an opportunity for senior adults to come together for worship, fellowship and learning,” Ingram said. “Baptist senior adults have so much to contribute to Kingdom work, and we had hoped this conference would inspire and encourage them.”   Many said it did that and more, and they wanted still more.   “It was beautiful,” said Mary Bourque of First Baptist Church in Gueydan, who attended all three days with her husband Glenn. “I enjoyed so much the music and everything!   “We always enjoy Christian fellowship, and this was a little getaway for our 27th anniversary,” she continued, and her husband added, “We always enjoy Christian music, and this was a special treat.”   Marcia Cox of First Slaughter was at the Senior … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   ATLANTA – A professional photographer has determined to use what he calls his “God-given gift” to advance God’s kingdom.[img_assist|nid=7512|title=Jason and Kim Woody|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=465|height=640]   Health issues led Jason Woody, a member of Iatt Baptist Church near Atlanta, to rethink his life and the way he had misused his talent for photography. Once known for the erotic fine art that was “quite profitable” when sold in New Orleans, Woody said he has decided to serve God with his camera.   He came to the realization in July that “It’s time to use these talents to bring people closer to Christ,” Woody said.  He’d been growing in his faith for the last 18 months, believing God spared his life “for a reason” after a stroke at 33 and a heart attack at 40.   His desire: to provide free photos to people from the community who come to a church for a sitting. He will take the photos with a digital camera, and place them on a disk that he will give to the people. No cost to the people or to the church.   “I had never before thought of using my photography for God,” Woody said. “Now all I can think about is bringing people … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   Comings and Goings   David (wife Libby) Savage is new as pastor of New Ebenezer Castor.   Alan Miller:  new as transitional pastor at Parkview Monroe, from transitional pastor at First Oak Grove.   Carlos Trapp:  new as senior pastor of First Oak Grove, from Park Place, Hot Springs, Ark.   Mike Russell: resigns as pastor of Pine Grove Jena.   Charles Ellzey: new as pastor of Bethel Livingston; from associate pastor.   Needed/Giving   East Fork Kentwood seeks a part-time Childrens/Youth Minister. Email resume toEastForkBaptist@hotmail.com or call Pastor Mike Shumock @ 985-229-8023.   First Lecompte seeks a part-time Children’s Minister. Call 318.613.1398.   Colyell Livingston seeks a permanent part-time music minister; apartment is available. Send resumes tocolyell@colyellbc.org or call  225.698.6243. Pastor: Bill Holifield.   Hebron Bush has a free wooden Pinewood Derby track in good condition. Call 225.665.6278. Pastor: Joe Alain.   Longview Baptist Church Deville is searching for a bivocational music minister, experienced in leading blended worship. Send resume’ to Longview … [Read more...]