Louisiana Baptist pastors were challenged last week to fulfill the responsibility of their ministries - and look always to God for the power they need.   In a series of sermons during the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, speakers outlined the importance of pastors fulfilling their God-assigned tasks. Louisiana Baptist pastors were challenged last week to fulfill the responsibility of their ministries - and look always to God for the power they need.   In a series of sermons during the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Pastors’ Conference, speakers outlined the importance of pastors fulfilling their God-assigned tasks.   About 300 persons attended the annual meeting, which was held just prior to last week’s annual Louisiana Baptist Convention. The theme of the conference was "Blow the Trumpets," based on Numbers 10:1-7.   In his address, Louisiana College Director of Church Relations Alan Hix urged pastors to allow nothing to discourage them from finishing their ministry strong.   In a message based on Hebrews 12:1-3, Hix acknowledged ministers face increased pressures and demands. "It’s easy to get knocked off track, to lose our focus."   Hix called … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected officers last week and approved a motion affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and ...   Oh yes, not to be forgotten, they also adopted a record state Cooperative Program budget of $22,750,000 for 2001. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers elected officers last week and approved a motion affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and ...   Oh yes, not to be forgotten, they also adopted a record state Cooperative Program budget of $22,750,000 for 2001.   In addition, messengers spent much of their miscellaneous business session in debate and discussion of wording changes to convention documents.   However, messengers adopted the record budget goal without discussion or dissent, easily affirming the most ambitious financial goal the state convention ever has set.   The approved goal marks the fifth-straight budget increase for the convention - and represents a jump of $1,250,000 (5.8 percent) from the current year.   It includes $250,000 to be taken "off the top" for health care premium increases. Once that amount is removed, percentages in the budget remain relatively unchanged. Overall, 35 … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist messengers made a clear choice last week - voting to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as their convention’s statement of faith.   Messengers approved a motion affirming the 2000 version of the confessional statement on a vote of 1,112 (56.4 percent) to 860 (43.6 percent). Louisiana Baptist messengers made a clear choice last week - voting to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as their convention’s statement of faith.   Messengers approved a motion affirming the 2000 version of the confessional statement on a vote of 1,112 (56.4 percent) to 860 (43.6 percent).   The ballot vote came after brief but impassioned debate and after a show-of-ballots vote was ruled too close to call.   As expected, the issue arose at the start of the convention’s business session.   "I move that the Louisiana Baptist Convention adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in June of this year as the statement of faith of our convention and that it be printed in our Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual each year," Michael Claunch announced from a floor microphone. Claunch is pastor at First … [Read more...]

When it comes to challenging Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports, Louisiana Baptists are in relatively new territory. When it comes to challenging Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports, Louisiana Baptists are in relatively new territory.   That has led to some confusion about how to handle them since no established process is set forth in convention documents. As one convention president said in the midst of debate several years ago, "In all honesty, when the Louisiana Baptist Convention set up its rules, I don’t believe leaders really expected this (type of challenge) to happen - but here it is."   Indeed, it is.   The issue is a critical one. Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations reports are important because those two bodies are charged with nominating persons to serve on state committees and boards. The way the process works, electing like-minded persons to a committee or board can shift the direction of that body. Thus, in recent years, nominations have become a point of focus as persons on opposite sides of convention conflict have sought to elect persons who reflect their point of view.   That has led … [Read more...]

The 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention needs very little explanation. Messengers to this year’s convention took decisive actions by decisive votes. The 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention needs very little explanation. Messengers to this year’s convention took decisive actions by decisive votes. For what is probably only the second time in Louisiana Baptist Convention history, a president who was eligible for a second term was challenged for reelection. A strong majority of messengers showed they had no desire to replace T.C. French and kept him in office. The 389 vote margin was one of the largest vote differences in at least the recent history of state convention presidential elections. Interestingly, this election was the first time a former president of the state convention was nominated for president. Perry Sanders, who was nominated in opposition to T.C. French served as president 1968-69. Messengers to this year’s convention voted with a slightly smaller margin than in the presidential election to make the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message the official doctrinal statement of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Previous attempts to make an earlier version of the Baptist Faith and Message part of the state … [Read more...]

For the week of Novemeber 23, 2000 Potpourri •MONROE - College Place church: Greg Buchanan in concert; Nov. 29, 7 p.m.; Jeffrey D. Burns, pastor.   •GRETNA - First church: Louisiana Sonlight; Dec. 3; worship service at 10:45 a.m. and concert at 1:30 p.m., covered dish meal at noon; Ken Duke, pastor.   •HAUGHTON - First Church: Area Christians Together in Our Neighorhood (A.C.T.I.O.N), sponsored by local area churches, open Mondays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m., free blood pressure checks on Fridays, 10-11 a.m.; call for information: ACTION at (318) 949-1000 or First Church at (318) 949-2441.   •LAFAYETTE - First Church: Chalk artist Merle Langston presents the world missions challenge, Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m.; Perry Sanders, pastor.   •OAKDALE - First church: The Continental Singers presents The Jeremiah People, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.; John Campbell, pastor.   •HODGE - Hodge church: churchwide launch of balloons containing Christmas messages, Nov. 26, 4:45 p.m.; Dwayne Boudreaux, pastor.   •NATCHITOCHES - First church: Christian film, A Vow to Cherish; Nov. 26, 6 p.m.; Scott Shaver, pastor. Anniversaries •BASTROP - First church: 150th; Dec. 3, 10:15 a.m.; former … [Read more...]

Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational boards and committees without change last week - but not without challenge. Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers approved nominees to serve on denominational boards and committees without change last week - but not without challenge.   Messengers turned back challenges to change a pair of nominees on both the Louisiana Baptist Message board and the Committee on Nominations. Instead, messengers opted to stay with persons proposed by the state Committee on Committees and Committee on Nominations.   All in all, messengers elected 87 persons to serve first or second terms on state convention trustee boards and committees.   In proposing persons to serve on convention boards, Committee on Nominations Chair Jesse Wascom told messengers that 125 names had been submitted to fill 35 slots. Each person had been contacted regarding their support of state convention efforts and the Cooperative Program and their willingness to take their board responsibility seriously, said Wascom, pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in West Monroe.   In addition, the committee had asked the heads of … [Read more...]

His statement, coming from a saddened expression, always puzzled me. "I just think about my little wife, sitting at home having a sandwich while we are here enjoying this fine meal."   Was he serious? If he was so serious, why didn’t he send his "fine meal" back to the kitchen or simply order a sandwich? His statement, coming from a saddened expression, always puzzled me. "I just think about my little wife, sitting at home having a sandwich while we are here enjoying this fine meal."   Was he serious? If he was so serious, why didn’t he send his "fine meal" back to the kitchen or simply order a sandwich?   He was a wonderful preacher/pastor who was called upon to speak multitudes of times each year, plus he was in places of convention leadership through the years. (Believe it, when Baptists meet, they eat - well - wherever). He always said that little ditty about his wife. Maybe he just felt better remembering her and knowing he could tell her what he told us when he got home. Sort of a preventive strike.   That same sort of guilt may have driven a pastor-friend of mine here in Central Louisiana during the Louisiana Baptist Convention.   He and his good friend … [Read more...]

During my first full-time pastorate, I learned a very important and valuable lesson as our church sought God’s will in constructing a new building. The Building Committee had worked very hard and we paid a good deal of money to a renowned architect. During my first full-time pastorate, I learned a very important and valuable lesson as our church sought God’s will in constructing a new building. The Building Committee had worked very hard and we paid a good deal of money to a renowned architect. Finally, at a specially-called business meeting, we were ready to proceed with the vote. Shockingly, the recommendation for this building passed by only a slim margin. Those of us involved in the process were dismayed. Then, a very interesting thing happened. One of our elderly deacons stood up and addressed the gathering. He said that although the motion passed, it would be unwise to proceed given the small margin of victory. We dare not undertake such a weighty endeavor, he explained, without the vast majority of members behind it. He then made a motion that we not proceed with plans to construct the new building. It passed overwhelmingly. In subsequent weeks, we learned what was the real heart of our people for a new … [Read more...]

Most of the messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention received a copy of LIFeline when we entered the hall Monday night or Tuesday morning. On the back page is a note titled "Did he really say that?" It quotes an article in the Nov. 1, 2000, edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate to say that Dr. Perry Sanders "does not support the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement because the document opposed "homosexuality, adultery, pornography and abortion, and says that women can’t be pastors." Most of the messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention received a copy of LIFeline when we entered the hall Monday night or Tuesday morning. On the back page is a note titled "Did he really say that?" It quotes an article in the Nov. 1, 2000, edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate to say that Dr. Perry Sanders "does not support the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement because the document opposed "homosexuality, adultery, pornography and abortion, and says that women can’t be pastors."   Did he really say that? The answer is "No."   I received a copy of the letter the article is based on, and a copy of the article that appeared in the Advocate. Both are available online: Dr. Sanders’ letter at … [Read more...]