LOUISIANA BAPTIST CONVENTION ANNUAL REPORTS

 

 

      The Nominating Committee of the Board assigned members to the four major committees and recommended their officers. Wayne Morrow, pastor of Bethlehem, Winnfield, served as chairman and Larry Linson, pastor of Highland Park, West Monroe, served as vice chairman.

 

       The Business and Information Services Team serves as a support group for all the work of the LBC State Missions Services. The team provides expertise in the areas of financial accounting, information technology, facilities maintenance, office services and human resources. Our goal is to enhance and support the work of all LBC Teams so they accomplish the missions and ministry goals of the Convention.

      Renovations to the Baptist Building continued thru the year including kitchen and café as well as a new roof installation. During this challenging yet needful time of renovation, Tom Carpenter, Facilities Maintenance Team Leader and his staff work diligently to enhance and maintain the building and the surrounding properties. 

      In addition to coordinating the Annual Church Profile (ACP) process for the state, Shana Johnson serves as Information Services Support Manager and is responsible for the overall information support systems of the Convention. Through her team’s effort along with assistance from the entire State Mission Services Staff, ACP reporting maintains an above average reporting percentage of 91% of LBC churches reporting. Also congratulations to the Associational Clerks from 17 Associations who had 100% reporting.

      The LBC Accounting Team, led by Rusty Johnson, continued to develop the new accounting system. This new system benefits our work and reporting needs in many ways. It provides better integration to our reporting systems as well as faster, more real-time reporting for State Mission Services staff and LBC churches.

      This year Tall Timbers was added to the Business and Information Services Team. Tall Timbers’ Director, Sam White and his staff continue to serve the churches of the Louisiana Baptist Convention by providing a place for retreats, conferences, camps, seminars, and other events. This is accomplished by programs sponsored by Louisiana Baptist Convention entities, Tall Timbers, and church groups who provide their own programs. We saw tremendous increases in attendance in our summer camps for youth and children in 2010. Many people are making life-changing decisions for God at Tall Timbers each year. This year, we completed the renovation of our cabins to improve our lodging services to children and youth camps and retreats. Our entrance remodel project was delayed from last year but is now completed and will provide a great first impression to those who visit our facility. In addition, we completed several other capital improvement projects such as security cameras, classroom furniture replacement in the Activity Building, window replacement in one building, carpet replacement in the Dining Hall, etc.

            The Business and Information Services Team considers all of its various areas of support work as ministry unto the Lord. We count it a privilege to serve our Lord by serving our colleagues and Louisiana Baptists in the work of reaching Louisiana for Christ and strengthening our churches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord is using Baptist Collegiate Ministry all over the state of Louisiana to reach people for Jesus from the hometown girl, to the international student that was reared to worship another god.   Please pray for us as we lead this generation of students to radically commit to reaching the world.

 

 

 

            Sharing the Peace of Jesus, the first statewide evangelistic campaign of the national strategy of God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS) 2020, was a great success. Over 400 churches participated in prayer walks and mass Gospel distributions. Those churches participating touched approximately 500,000 homes. Most churches experienced greater than 50 percent participation by their regular attendees.

            One on One: Evangelism Made Simple continues to grow in usage through Louisiana Baptist churches and our partnership with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The tool’s website www.whativaluemost.com has received 25,000 hits from 81 different countries around the world.

            Jeff Ingram is a part of the Evangelism and Church Growth Team and serves as a specialist in the areas of Adult Ministry, Adult Sunday School and Adult Discipleship. He has specific responsibilities to plan, promote and direct strategies that assist churches in accomplishing the work of Adult Ministry through Sunday School and Discipleship. Jeff’s passion is to assist churches and associations in developing and implementing a strategy to better reach, teach and minister to adults through the Sunday School and small groups. Jeff continues to train and lead churches and associations through PowerUP Your Sunday School and Sharing the Peace of Jesus and found these two tools work effectively together. Multi-city previews for the annual January Bible Study and the Baptist Doctrine Study continue to provide pastors and staff with training to lead these events in their churches.

During 2009, two new fellowships were begun to support ministers and leaders of ministries focusing on Adults 55+ and Young Adult/Single Adults in the local church. The Senior Adult Luncheon at the State Evangelism Conference had over 600 in attendance. A statewide single adult retreat is planned for next year at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center. The Louisiana Baptist Religious Education Association (LBREA) has grown numerically and in events for Ministers of Education and other Christian educator leaders in the state.  In addition to an annual retreat in the spring, a luncheon prior to the State Convention and a dinner during the State Evangelism Conference were held.

Through a partnership with our collegiate ministries, a team of college students from around the state were enlisted to spend the summer leading VBS in eighteen churches that had zero or low baptisms. This team was called GOLA VBS and response was so good that some churches requesting help were not able to be scheduled this past summer.

 

 

 

During the year, Wayne Sheppard, Partnership Missions Strategist, assisted churches in developing an Acts 1:8 vision and participating in partnership networks between churches of all sizes. He coordinated the mobilization of volunteers through several initiatives, including the “Cast the Net” link on the LBC website which connects mission needs to volunteer opportunities and allows direct access to utilize the NAMB Forum web site for mission projects.

Accepting the “Plus 1 More” challenge, associational WMU directors have shared the joys of working with new groups. Strategists from the office assisted over 50 churches as they began mission’s education through WMU and worked with churches providing Bible study and discipleship for women. Through the leadership of Janie Wise, Women’s Missions and Ministry Strategist and Kimberly Williams Aguillard, Children’s/Youth Missions Education Strategist, women, children and teens participated in state wide mission action projects. CWJC at LA Baptist Children’s Home in Monroe graduated its first class and Baptist Nursing Fellowship encouraged its members to become Disaster Relief certified. 

 

Louisiana Baptists gratefully gave through the mission offerings to assist and support mission work in Louisiana, North America and around the world. 

►Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering (Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2009)

►Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions

►Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions

            Received: $2,078,017.44

 

            The vision for the Pastoral Leadership Team is to ensure that there is no church without a leader, no leader without training, and no pastor or staff member without a friend. Together, our team seeks to be a friend to every staff person; a training resource for every staff member and resource provider for every church.

 

 

 

 

 

            In its 111^th year of ministry Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries continued moving forward with its mission to provide love, care and a positive Christian witness for children and families in need. The Children’s Home staff ministered through its residential child and family care programs in Monroe, Sellers Maternity Ministries in Baton Rouge, and the Granberry Counseling Centers located throughout the state.

            In 2010 Louisiana churches participated in the Annual Children’s Home Sunday Offering. The theme of the offering was “Hope and a Future.” The offering provides for many of the critical needs the children have during the year. The date for the 2011 Annual Children’s Home Sunday Offering is June 12.

Churches also continued to support the children through the Fall Food Roundup which provides all the non-perishable foods needed for the entire year. In the summer, churches from across the State donated their VBS offerings to support the children throughout the year. God also used LBC Cooperative Program giving from the churches to share God’s love with those in need.

Throughout the year, as a result of this great witness provided by Louisiana Baptists, many experienced the joy of salvation in Christ and received real hope for life and life eternal. Thank you for providing Help Today and Hope for Tomorrow through your Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries.

 

 

 

 

The Louisiana Baptist Foundation was chartered in 1944 as a non-profit agency of the Louisiana Baptist Convention to encourage giving to the Louisiana Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention and to provide investment management and trust administration services for churches, institutions and ministries of Louisiana Baptists, as well as for individuals who wish to sustain Baptist ministries into the future. The Foundation is governed by a board of twelve trustees elected by the Convention and two ex-officio trustees who are Convention officers. The Foundation receives approximately 40% of its operational funding from the Cooperative Program.

-          A lady who established an endowment in memory of her husband to help continue the ministry that they had been involved in together.

-          A couple who established an estate plan that cares for family members but also provides for future gifts to 6 different ministries.

-          A gentleman who established a Charitable Remainder Trust that will meet specific needs of his family, then provide income to his church, Louisiana College, and the Children’s Home.

 

                Louisiana College, your college, stands strong in 2010. We continue to grow and thrive as a distinctively Christian college, grounded in the preeminence of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Scriptures and academic excellence.

Enrollment numbers have again broken the all time historical record of the College. Last fall’s enrollment broke the all time record with 1461 students enrolled. This fall has again surpassed expectations, with over 1,800 students enrolled in the College. These numbers demonstrate a growth rate of over 80% since Dr. Aguillard became President.  These numbers represent strong undergraduate programs with majors that have drawn continued interest from students as well as a robust graduate program, the Master’s of Arts in Teaching reaching teachers all over Louisiana and Texas.

On September 1, the College’s Board of Trustees formally announced the appointment of the founding dean of the Louisiana College School of Law and the location in Shreveport, Louisiana. J. Michael Johnson, Esq., began his tenure as dean in July 2010. A strong Christian lawyer with vast experience as Senior Legal Council for the Alliance Defense Fund, Dean Johnson is also a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport. The College has received major gifts of over $5.6 million in donations and the actual building site, 509 Market Street. Students wishing to study law and enroll in the founding class may be admitted in Louisiana College’s Pre-Law program with anticipation of beginning Law School in August, 2012. Accreditation application for the Juris Doctorate degree will be made to the Commission on Colleges and the American Bar Association in the Spring.

Another exciting development is the Louisiana College School of Medicine. Since the feasibility study was conducted in 2009, new opportunities are currently being pursued. At present, the College is working on the possibility of beginning the Medical School in the current Huey P. Long Hospital should they move to another facility. The Liaison Commission for Medical Schools has recommended a start date for the first class in August of 2013. 

Louisiana College is a mission driven college. This year students participated in international and home mission projects across Louisiana, Brazil, Turkey, Ecuador, and Taiwan. It was amazing to see our students lead the lost to Christ and to see them grow in Christ while living out the great commission among people of other lands.    From Nashville, to India, Brazil, Ecuador, Sulfur and elsewhere, over hundreds of Louisiana College students poured out their lives into ministry and mission work for the Kingdom. For the past two years, LC students have been investing their talents and the gospel at the Baptist Mission on Main Street giving at-risk children what is needed the most—Jesus. 

In addition, students are giving their lives to Christ on our own campus. It is no longer unusual for students to accept Christ in a class or find Him at a chapel service. Since LC is drawing a diverse profile of students, we are able to share Christ in every venue whether on the football field or in the Chemistry Lab, Christ is unashamedly proclaimed.

In May the college invited community members, church leaders and public officials to observe the National Day of Prayer at Guinn Auditorium. This past summer LC was home to campers of all ages who came to worship, learn and have fun at the home of the LC Wildcats. No matter what the season, Louisiana College is available for you and your family.

Be sure to make plans to visit campus during Homecoming 2010 on October 15^th – 17^th. One of the highlights of the weekend will be a performance by, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Corps Band on Friday evening. You won’t want to miss the big football game at the Wildcat Stadium when the LC Wildcats take on Howard Payne.  

As always, we value your prayers and support as we continue to educate the next generation of leaders so they can . . . “change the world for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”