NOBTS, Baptist Community Ministries offer counseling in wake of attacks
By NOBTS Staff
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – The Leeke Magee Christian Counseling Center (LMCCC) at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), in conjunction with Baptist Community Ministries (BCM), is offering free counseling services to those affected by the attack that took place New Year’s Day 2025 on Bourbon Street. This includes direct victims, their families, first responders and any other community members otherwise impacted by the event.
“We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Baptist Community Ministries,” said NOBTS President Jamie Dew. “After the New Year’s Day terrorist attacks in New Orleans, it’s more important now than ever that our city and our nation see Christians standing in the darkness and showing Jesus to people that are hurting. These funds from BCM will enable us to do this more effectively as we seek to serve our community.”
New Orleans Seminary’s LMCCC is a community-serving counseling center that has provided counseling services to the Greater New Orleans area for more than 10 years. The LMCCC can provide clinical counseling services to anyone regardless of faith background or religious belief. The counselors at LMCCC include NOBTS faculty, staff and students under direct supervision of licensed professionals who are trained in evidence-based counseling modalities.
Counseling services can be provided to address trauma (triggers, intrusive thoughts and images, or somatic/bodily reactions) grief, anxiety and/or depression. The LMCCC is also able to provide individuals with evidence-based trauma treatments which have been shown to be an effective treatment for traumatic experiences.
Individuals interested in seeking out counseling services should call 504-816-8004 and mention that they were referred to the counseling center following the New Year’s Day attack. Individuals can also email [email protected] mentioning the same. Finally, individuals can find more information about the Leeke Magee Christian Counseling Center here.
Winter storm closes MBTS for the day
By BP Staff
KANSAS CITY (BP) – A major winter storm making its way across a wide swath of the U.S. has brought frigid temperatures, power outages, treacherous roads and in some places, the largest snowfall in years.
As of Monday afternoon (Jan. 6), more than 50,000 people remained without electricity in each of three states – Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia. Large power outages also remain in Missouri and Illinois.
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., closed its campus Monday, but the campus did not lose electricity.
“We are thankful for the heretofore safety of the members of seminary community, and we look forward to the reopening campus on Tuesday, January 7,” MBTS President Jason Allen told Baptist Press.
Gaylon Moss, disaster relief director for the Missouri Baptist Convention, said his office is in touch with leaders around the state.
“It appears there are several counties with large areas of power outages,” Moss said. “It is highly likely we will be doing some cleanup later this week.”
Paul Gandy, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo., said his church met for regular Sunday services Jan. 5 despite about 8 inches of snow on the ground. A few members who live nearby were able to join in person.
“We hosted a livestreamed service, where most of our members were able to tune in and hear one of our pastors preach, and we just sang a few hymns together,” Gandy said. “It was a sweet time, and I’m thankful we were able to still gather. We thankfully didn’t lose power.”
He said Liberty’s deacons are assessing needs and will be helping with things like shoveling driveways and giving people rides.
“For example, one of our older members has an important doctor appointment later this week and doesn’t feel comfortable driving,” he said. “This is why I’m so thankful we have deacons. … Deacons have a great opportunity to serve and meet the tangible needs of our body in situations like this.”
As it moved east, the storm also dropped several inches of snow on Washington D.C. as lawmakers gathered to certify the results of the 2024 election. More snowfall was predicted for later today, bringing a total of more than a foot of snow to the nation’s capital in a short amount of time.
“A significant storm over the Ohio Valley will move eastward off the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Monday evening, the National Weather Service said in a statement. “… The storm will produce moderate to heavy snow from parts of the Ohio Valley through to the Mid-Atlantic. The snow will continue into late Monday night over the Mid-Atlantic.”
Gandy said such times provide avenues for those affected to share, and for those out the path of the storm to pray.
“Pray we’d be able to bear one another’s burdens well and that we can also use the snowstorm as an evangelistic opportunity to serve neighbors in need and open up opportunities to share the Gospel,” he said.
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