By Archie England, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew   Question: What does this verse mean, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22)?   Archie England responds: Moses here identifies sexual intimacy between men as an abomination to God, constituting homosexuality, also known as sodomy. While this is undoubtedly the most direct statement in the Old Testament against it, Leviticus 20:13 moves beyond the mere labeling of homosexual behavior as wrong (detestable); it calls for judgment against such practices.   God’s people were to expose, judge, and execute the participants, informing such violators that the sacrificial system would not atone for this behavior. Sadly, these holy words are no longer acceptable to many today – but they should be.   These truths apply directly to those who follow God – not those who don’t. Yes, one day, every person will be accountable for what God has said; but, until then only those who claim covenant relationship with Him must obey His statutes.   God’s word does not point out only the wrongs of homosexual behavior; it also pinpoints the wrongs of heterosexual behavior. Though natural … [Read more...]

By Al Quartemont, Special to the Message   WALKER – For people who live or pass through suburban Walker, a stop at the local coffee house might lead them to more than just an Espresso or Muffaletta. It may lead them to Christ.[img_assist|nid=7530|title=Coffee Ministry|desc=Wholly Ground Coffee Shop, an extension of Walker Community Ministries, would not have happened without God’s blessing and support from Louisiana Baptists through the Georgia Barnette State Missions offering.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]   That’s because that coffee house, Wholly Ground, is actually an extension of Walker Community Ministries, a fellowship of believers under the direction of co-pastors Robert Miller and Richard White.   Miller, his wife Kristi, and daughters Miranda and Madelyn were sent to the small, southeast Louisiana community from Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, where Robert had spent seven years as missions minister. He took with him experiences learned in East Asia – specifically house groups – and began to implement that same approach in Walker.   Today, Walker Community Ministries includes five house groups that meet individually throughout the week and then … [Read more...]

By Marc Eichelberger, LBCH Communications NEW ORLEANS – Your Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries continues to move forward with its mission. A Mobile Pregnancy Care Center (MPCC) is the latest addition to a multi-faceted strategy for meeting needs and changing lives.[img_assist|nid=7532|title=Life-saver|desc=The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries Mobile Pregnancy Care Center on July 20 provided free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. The MPCC partnered with the Baptist Friendship House in an effort to reach out just north of the French Quarter to a New Orleans inner-city community.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=360] Kay Bennett, director of the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans, said she is grateful for this new Children’s Home ministry. On July 20, the MPCC partnered with the Baptist Friendship House in an effort to reach out to Bennett’s inner city community just north of the French Quarter. Baptist Friendship House staff and mission volunteers distributed food through a Feed the Children project. MPCC registered nurse Cindy Kouf provided free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, while her husband Ron and crisis pregnancy volunteers shared pro-life literature and a positive … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer   ESLER – Though not as big as many churches, Esler Baptist Church has become a definitive model of spreading the gospel of Jesus to others through its many missions, outstanding group unity and dedicated commitment to God’s word.   “If you want to call us something, call us ‘mission-minded,’ said Esler Pastor Mark Breland. “Esler has always had a tradition of being mission-minded, and we want to continue that tradition.”   Breland was surrounded by WMU director Jennifer Rogers, youth minister Brandon Penton and Helping Hands Ministry head Ray Powell as he was being interviewed. Each member spoke passionately about his/her roles in the church, the specific missions being carried out, and the church’s passion for Christ despite having only 90-100 members most times.   “We are partners with Lifepoint Ministries in Cottonport and Marksville, where Brandon works with pastor Jacob Crawford,” Rogers said. “We do a lot of things with them, such as a recent end-of-school bash where we gave away bicycles provided by Mr. Ray and Helping Hands Ministry. We have volunteers here that work at Main Street Mission, and every Friday we work with Holloway Baptist … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer   URANIA – Pinehill Baptist Church Pastor David McGuffee is a pastor with radical ideas when it comes to the matter of getting out of debt.[img_assist|nid=7535|title=Debt free|desc=Pastor David McGuffee guided his church in paying off a $370,000 building loan in just six years. He now wants to share his experiences with other churches to help them avoid going into or staying in debt.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]   The pastor used his life-spanning experiences with debt to guide his church in paying off a building loan of $370,000 in just six years and now wants to share these experiences with other churches in order that they may avoid going into or staying in debt.   “Debt has wrecked many churches,” the pastor said. “Churches need to be really responsible with their money and open to the Lord’s guidance to avoid money problems.”   McGuffee said there were several reasons the church was able to pay off its debt.   “The first reason is God’s gracious giving,” the pastor said. “It would have been impossible for us to pay this off without God’s help. God even sent very generous people outside of our church that have given … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7537|title=Tim Patrick|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=66|height=100]DERIDDER – Tim Patrick, director of missions for the Beauregard Association for the past 10 months, has set two goals for himself and the association.   He wants to first help the 47 member churches better meet the needs of their communities. Second, by drawing upon his three decades of pastoral experience, he wants to be a pastor to the association’s pastors.   “Because of some of the issues I’ve been through in my 34 years of pastoring, God’s given me a heart to serve pastors and those who are in the staff positions and the issues they face,” Patrick, 57, said. Although he’s earned a doctorate of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he said he prefers to simply be called “Tim.”   His wife Judy, who also has a doctorate from NOBTS, is the association’s secretary. She also applies her education and experience to minister to pastor’s wives with counseling and serves in other women’s ministries, the DOM said.   Patrick was reared in Converse, La., the son of a Baptist deacon and Sunday School teacher. He graduated from high school … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7539|title=Alan Knuckles|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]MAMOU – Alan Knuckles, who prefers to be called “brother” instead of “reverend,” became the director of missions in January for the Acadia, Louisiana, and Mt. Olive Associations, after a lifetime of ministry in Texas and Louisiana.   Although he grew up in the church in the Atlanta, Ga., area, Knuckles, 60, said he wasn’t saved until the age of 23 when he attended a Billy Graham Crusade in Raleigh, N.C.   He always loved working with horses on their small family farm, he said, so he attended the University of Georgia to become a veterinarian but dropped out after three years when he realized his grades weren’t high enough for vet school. He did, however, “ace” an engineering employment test with IBM Corporation, and got a job as a customer engineer that took him to Raleigh, where he met the Lord and received the call to full time ministry.   He transferred to Baylor University where he earned a degree in Religion in 1978 and attended Southwestern Seminary. He met his wife Helen at a summer camp.   “She had been a missionary to Cameroon, Africa for … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7541|title=Tommy Middleton|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=82|height=100]BATON ROUGE – Longtime Woodlawn Baptist Church pastor Tommy G. Middleton is taking the reins of the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge in late August.   The association has been without an executive director since Rodrick E. Conerly, 61, suffered a fatal heart attack a few days before Christmas 2010.   A third generation preacher, Middleton, 57, was scheduled to preach his last service at the 1,200 member Woodlawn Baptist on July 24.   “I’ve loved serving this church and we’ve loved the people here since the very beginning,” Middleton said of his 24 years at Woodlawn.   He will begin as BAGBR’s executive director on August 22.   The association is a group of 108 SBC churches, affiliated missions and organizations including the Gonzales Seaman’s Center, the LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry and the Judson Retreat Center in St. Francisville.   During Middleton’s Woodlawn ministry, his innovative local evangelism and worldwide missions programs tripled the church’s membership. He also was involved in nearly all aspects … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message   SHREVEPORT – The anticipated opening of Louisiana College’s Judge Paul Pressler School of Law has been pushed to the fall of 2013.   Scheduled to open in the fall of 2012, J. Michael Johnson, the founding dean of the school, said waiting until 2013 would allow the college additional  time to renovate the 158,000-square-foot Joe D. Waggonner Federal Building, recruit students and faculty, and to continue its efforts to raise the $22.7 million needed for the law school.   Johnson said, “It takes substantial time to create a superior program of legal education, and it is not a process we want to rush unnecessarily.”   The delay will give LC more time to complete the necessary renovations to the Waggoner building, which sat vacant for almost 12 years. Included in those renovations is the ardous task of removing of asbestos.   The law school was originally slated to be housed in the historic CNB/United Mercantile Building in Shreveport, but after consideration by school officials it was deemed too small to house the entire program and lacked sufficient parking, Johnson said.   The Waggonner building, which has parking for more than 300, is … [Read more...]

By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message   [img_assist|nid=7544|title=Stanley Statham|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=91|height=100]FRANKLINTON – Stanley Statham, director of missions for the three Baptist Associations of Southeast Louisiana, came to the ministry late in life, after a secular career as a paramedic.   Statham has been since October 2010, the DOM for the Two Rivers, Washington and William Wallace associations, a combined group of 86 churches that cover parts of six area parishes.   He is 48 years old, has been married to Tracy for 27 years; they have four children. He grew up in Decatur, Ga., where he was saved at the age of eight following a church service invitation.   “That morning a man explained to me exactly what all that meant and made sure I knew what I was doing,” Statham said. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m very specific with children” about the plan of salvation.   After graduating from high school, Statham was baptized at the age of 20, graduated from Dekalb Community College with an associate degree as a paramedic and went to work as a paramedic in the Atlanta, Ga., area.   “I had served as RA director for awhile at First Baptist … [Read more...]