There is a chill in the air – and the days are about to start ending earlier as Daylight Savings Time ends. There is a chill in the air – and the days are about to start ending earlier as Daylight Savings Time ends. And that means the annual Louisiana Baptist Convention must be near at hand. Indeed, it is – with the two-day gathering set for Nov. 14-15 at First Baptist Church of West Monroe. The theme of this year’s annual session is “Louisiana Baptists Touching the World.” The meeting marks the first for David Hankins, who assumed duties as state executive director in February. In his welcome to messengers and guests in the 2005 Book of Reports, Hankins notes that the annual meeting comes at a time when Louisiana is struggling to deal with a pair of devastating hurricanes. He reminds persons that Southern and Louisiana Baptists are at the forefront of relief and recovery efforts in the state. “What a time to make a difference for the Lord,” Hankins emphasizes. “By God’s grace, may it be our finest hour.” As expected, the upcoming annual meeting will feature various reports and testimonies regarding the impact of the hurricanes on the state and the extent of the ongoing recovery efforts. Close to … [Read more...]
Personal experience provides bivocational understanding
Since the beginning of my ministry as an employee of a state convention and then state Baptist paper, bivocational pastors have had my deepest respect. These men have been a mainstay of Southern Baptist life since its beginning. Since the beginning of my ministry as an employee of a state convention and then state Baptist paper, bivocational pastors have had my deepest respect. These men have been a mainstay of Southern Baptist life since its beginning. More than 30 years ago, I had the opportunity to help organize what was thought to be the first North American Mission Board (then the Home Mission Board) convocation on the work and needs of bivocational pastors. The bivocational pastors at the convocation, who had not been properly acknowledged previously, poured out their hearts, and their hearts were filled with love for their ministries, and frustrations this particular ministry generates. I remember one pastor who talked about how God had blessed his church with exceptional growth–his church had grown to 300 in attendance during the 15 years of his bivocational ministry with it, but the members had little money–and the strain the ministry placed upon his family, and him. At a point, tears filled his eyes … [Read more...]
Revival scheduled for closing session of LBC meeting
For several years, the annual Louisiana Baptist Convention has featured only three business sessions. For several years, the annual Louisiana Baptist Convention has featured only three business sessions. This year will be the same – and yet different at the same time. Huh? It will be the same in that only three business sessions are scheduled for the annual meeting at First Baptist Church of West Monroe on Nov. 14-15. It will be different in that a fourth session is planned – but for worship only. A Tuesday evening session has been added to the convention. It is set for 6:30 p.m. and will feature a pair of speakers – Junior Hill, an evangelist from Hartselle, Ala.; and Dennis Swanberg, a humorist and self-described minister of encouragement from West Monroe. The service also will feature No Other Name musical trio and a combined choir and orchestra from area churches. The worship service is open to all, including persons who are not registered messengers, emphasized Philip Robertson, state convention president and pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville. “The only ‘business’ will be worship, praise, preaching and fellowship,” he said. “This will be a highlight of the convention, and … [Read more...]
Week of October 31, 2005
Weekly announcements Potpourri WEST MONROE – First church: Leonard Sweet, guest speaker; Nov. 13, 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m.; Keith Dickens, guest speaker at the 5:30 p.m. service; Donahue Praise Team will also be featured in the evening service; Scotty Sanders, pastor. VIDALIA – First church: The Stamps Quartet in concert; Nov. 12, 7 p.m.; Dan Glenn, pastor. CROWVILLE – Crockett Point church: Men’s Retreat; Nov. 4, 7 p.m.; Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Jack Daniels, Harold Danley, and Casey Johnson, evangelists; Mark Lanier, music; Joe Sin, pastor. RAYVILLE – Woodlawn church: “Set Apart Men’s Conference,” Nov. 11, 7-9 p.m.; Nov. 12, 10 a.m.- 12 noon; Jack Daniels, Jerry Chaddick and Casey Johnson, evangelists; Mark Lanier and Brad Mount, music; Joe Arnold, pastor. SHREVEPORT – Doug Burnley, chaplain of Christus Schumpert Hospital, has received the “Person of Vision and Tower of Strength” award from the Louisiana Chaplain Association at their recent Annual Retreat at Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth. KEITHVILLE – North Keithville church: Testify in concert; Nov. 5, 6 p.m.; free; nursery provided; Rich McGahan, pastor. Homecomings RAYVILLE – Eastside church: Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m. … [Read more...]
‘Pastornator’ goes off-road, online with the gospel
Guy Fredrick’s idea of fun may seem strange to some. He enjoys “breaking” his truck on rocks, spinning his tires in several feet of sludge, and slipping, sliding and smashing on deserted, impassable trails. Guy Fredrick’s idea of fun may seem strange to some. He enjoys “breaking” his truck on rocks, spinning his tires in several feet of sludge, and slipping, sliding and smashing on deserted, impassable trails. For most people, this might seem more like an impending insurance claim than “fun.” But for Fredrick, his weekend off-roading jaunts are not only his hobby; they have become a means of reaching an unreached people group – the unconventional “off-roading” community of America. “It’s just exciting for me to have an opportunity to reach out to an unreached people group,” says Fredrick, a Wisconsin native and master of divinity student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. “For me, as a church planter, as a cultural anthropologist, as a missionary, one of my goals is to find people no one else can reach. ... “Just because of my natural bent, my abilities as a mechanic and my love for a sport, I’ve found a lot of people that no one is reaching,” he continues. “On the weekends, … [Read more...]
New Orleans Seminary police chief ministering from pulpit
Decked out in his police uniform with a pistol at his hip, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s police chief, Barry Busby, does not look like a pastor. But he is. Decked out in his police uniform with a pistol at his hip, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s police chief, Barry Busby, does not look like a pastor. But he is. Busby recently gathered about 15 relief workers together in the seminary’s Martin Chapel for worship and Bible study. They called it the “Church in the Quad.” The next Sunday, attendance swelled to nearly two dozen in the original chapel at the seminary. Although spared from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the chapel was without air conditioning, so the doors had to be propped open. The fledgling Church in the Quad is “a visual reminder that ‘the church’ is not a building,” Busby says. “That’s what I preached on ... that I am not building a building. I’m building people. I’m building disciples for the glory of God, and the door is wide open to anybody and everybody.” In his sermon, Busby drew attention to the brightly lit steeple of nearby Leavell Chapel that every night glows like a beacon from the seminary to the dark post-Katrina New Orleans skyline. He said the … [Read more...]
That all peoples may know him part two
As the youngest high school football coach in South Carolina Division 4-A history, 24-year-old Carter Bolin* relished the challenge of motivating his team before games against bigger, better opponents. As the youngest high school football coach in South Carolina Division 4-A history, 24-year-old Carter Bolin* relished the challenge of motivating his team before games against bigger, better opponents. “I’d point across the field and tell my players, ‘Look at those guys. Every one of them has 20 pounds on every one of you. It’s gonna be fun to smack ’em,’” Bolin says. “Eventually my guys would start yelling, ‘Yeah! Yeah! Lemme at ’em!’ They might bounce off the bigger guys a few times, but they’d eventually wear ’em down.” Bolin took his undersized, overachieving team to the state semifinals for the first time since 1950 — thrilling the whole town. “I could’ve run for mayor after that.” Instead, he joined the ministry staff of his church, East Cooper Baptist, next door to the Charleston-area high school where he coached. He spent the next 18 years helping mobilize the growing congregation — especially its young people — to follow Christ into the world. Local outreach spurred international … [Read more...]
That all peoples may know him, part one
Sunset paints a glorious reddish glow across the placid water lapping the beach at Khao Lak, Thailand. Sunset paints a glorious reddish glow across the placid water lapping the beach at Khao Lak, Thailand. The view calms the mind, quiets the heart — and packs in the tourists at posh resorts. Used to pack them in, that is, before the tsunami roared ashore last December. “It’s hard to believe an ocean that beautiful could cause so much destruction,” says missionary Mark Caldwell, gazing wistfully toward the horizon. But destroy, it did. Caldwell turns around and looks inland. He stands within walking distance of the places where at least 1,000 bodies were recovered after the Indian Ocean tsunami thundered north into the Andaman Sea — and laid waste to this stretch of Thailand’s southern coastline. Rebuilding continues to move ahead in the beach resort areas. But in the coastal town of Khao Lak, where the torrent destroyed eight of every 10 buildings, recovery proceeds slowly. Half-buried in the mud surrounding buildings in various stages of collapse or reconstruction, a child’s flip-flop pokes out here, a dress there, a lonely mattress lies just beyond. A 40-foot fishing boat perches inside the … [Read more...]
Weekly announcements
Week of November 7, 2005 Potpourri GARDNER – St. Clair church: The Greens in concert; Nov. 18, 7 p.m.; Ronnie Parks, pastor. HAUGHTON – Koran church: Bob and Carrie Burgoyne, guest speakers; Nov. 20, 11 a.m.; George Rogers, pastor. MONROE – Arabi First church: Weekend Retreat; Nov. 18-20; will be held at North Monroe church due to hurricane Katrina; for more information, call (504) 905-5019 or contact www.fbcarabi.com; David Howard, pastor. LIBUSE – Philadelphia church: No Other Name in concert; Nov. 13, 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.; Philip Robertson, pastor. HARRISONBURG – First church: Harvest Day; Nov. 13, 10 a.m. with dinner to follow; David Hankins, guest speaker; Ralph Webber, pastor. RAYVILLE – Boeuf River church: Harvest Day; Nov. 20, 10 a.m. with dinner to follow; David Herrington, pastor. PINEVILLE – Ball First church: Dixie Echoes in concert; Nov. 11, 7 p.m.; Mike Hedrick, pastor. RAYVILLE – Woodlawn church: “Set Apart” men’s conference; Nov. 11, 7 p.m.; Nov. 12, 10 a.m.; Mark Lanier and Brad Mount, guest musicians; Jack Daniels, Jerry Chaddick and Casey Johnson, guest speakers; Joe Arnold, pastor. Youth EUNICE – Acadian center: “Veritas” YEC alternative event; Nov. 20, 6 p.m. - Nov. … [Read more...]
Former Scientologist finds truth, freedom in Christ
Karen Pressley has heard it all before. The talk of space aliens having come to earth a millennia ago, the authoritative worldview, the buffed movie star glibly handing out solutions to personal conflicts. Karen Pressley has heard it all before. The talk of space aliens having come to earth a millennia ago, the authoritative worldview, the buffed movie star glibly handing out solutions to personal conflicts. Movie star Tom Cruise may be spouting the truth according to the Church of Scientology these days, but Pressley has lived in that world longer than Cruise and knows firsthand the nightmare it entails. “Tom Cruise is doing exactly what Scientology leaders want him to do,” Pressley says. “He’s a celebrity and considered to be a shaper of public opinion and he makes a good spokesman for the organization. Scientology primarily targets the ‘movers and shakers’ in society in order to influence others.” Such high-profile personalities “add a degree of respectability that breaks down any resistance listeners may have.” She knows well of what she speaks. For 17 years – nearly half of her life -– she was involved with the cult. Nine of those years she served at the group’s international headquarters located … [Read more...]
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