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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Gaines, Page gather with Sutherland Springs community to pray, heal

FLORESVILLE, Texas (BP) -- "We take care of our own," stated Frank S. Page, formerly a Texas pastor, as he and Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines and his wife Donna spent three days helping to serve families distraught over the Nov. 5 massacre of half of the congregation of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. The broader Southern Baptist family -- from the Gaineses to Tony Wolfe, pastor/church relations director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention -- demonstrated servanthood by visiting grieving families, and injured congregants and praying for area folks suffering from the tragedy. In the hours following the Sunday morning massacre by a deranged gunman from New Braunfels who eventually took his own life, local ministers accepted the SBTS offer to host a community-wide prayer meeting at nearby Floresville Independent School District's Eschenburg Field, setting local pastors free to minister to the flock of the targeted church and their extended family of God. A reported shooting incident at a nursing home a half-mile away, chilly temperatures and the threat of rain did not deter an estimated 2,500 or more area residents and more than 100 media representatives from attending the prayer … [Read more...]

GuideStone offers two seminars on church security in Texas; tips to ensure your church is ready

By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources communications DALLAS, Texas - With church security front-of-mind for pastors and other church leaders in the wake of the tragedy at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, many churches of every size are re-evaluating their security protocols. The tragedy in a small South Texas town helped shed light on an unfortunate truth: Violence can strike any church in any town. “The idea of ‘it can’t happen here’ has been shattered with the Sutherland Springs tragedy,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “Churches and ministries need to take precautions that make sense given their profile, location and local needs.” GuideStone and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company are offering two seminars for Texas churches who are interested in learning about implementing best practices for volunteer church safety and security teams, protecting kids in the ministry environment from predators, improving the volunteer screening process, and understanding active shooters and protecting the congregation. Space is limited; the cost is $15 per person and covers the cost for lunch and a copy of the detailed Church Safety & Security Guidebook, a 240-page guide that will equip your … [Read more...]

NAMB to pay funeral expenses for shooting victims; Gaines, Page to minister to survivors

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas – The North American Mission Board on the behalf of the Southern Baptist Convention has confirmed it has offered to cover funeral expenses for all shooting victims in coordination with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC). Ministering in the wake of the deadliest church shooting in U.S. history, Southern Baptists say they've witnessed "God at work" despite the 26 dead and some 20 others wounded at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Local pastors and field personnel with the SBTC began providing grief counseling within hours of the shooting at First Baptist's morning worship service Nov. 5. Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines and SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page plan to arrive in Sutherland Springs today (Nov. 7) to offer prayer and encouragement. SBTC executive director Jim Richards arrived yesterday (Nov. 6). Gaines, pastor of Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., told Baptist Press SBC leaders want to help First Baptist however they can. "Yesterday as we prayed at Bellevue for the families of those slain and also the others who were wounded at First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs," Gaines said in written … [Read more...]