Lighthouse Ranch for Boys
Danny Smith, Loranger, LA
Bro. Danny Smith, originally from Southeast Texas and a graduate of Texas Bible College, came to Louisiana in the seventies and has been there since. His background includes working as a Christian School Administrator, fundraising, lobbyist at the Louisiana Legislature, and pastoring. These experiences helped to prepare him to take the helm at the Lighthouse Ranch for Boys in 2010. “Working with youth as a high school principal, learning the skills of raising substantial funds from across the nation, meeting a payroll in business, and pastoring a wonderful congregation, gave me the background to hit the ground running.”
Lighthouse Ranch for Boys in Loranger, Louisiana was founded in 1979 as a non-profit charity and accepts troubled teenage boys ages 12-18 for residential rehabilitative and behavioral correction. The 40-acre boys’ ranch is a working ranch featuring livestock and agricultural projects. After a rigorous application procedure, boys who are accepted live full-time at the ranch, attend the on-site school (Lighthouse Christian Academy), learn to work, do assigned chores, and work on getting rid of their self-destructive personal habits. The Boys’ Ranch has turned out over 1,000 boys from across the U.S.
“By the time I was seventeen, I was a drug addict, thief, gang member, and an alcoholic. I was running out of time and I was running out of hope. I finally found what I needed when I came to Lighthouse Ranch for Boys. It’s more than just some institution to send “bad boys.” The Ranch was a place where I could separate myself from a bad environment and find structure again. I was taught to be proactive and not reactive, how to work through my emotions and respect others, and more importantly, how to have a true relationship with God,” shares a former student of Lighthouse Ranch.
Are you feeling a tug at your heart? Are you wanting to help and be a part of this important ministry? You can support the Boys’ Ranch ministry by praying for them and becoming a supporter. Find out more about the Ranch online at www.lighthouseranch.com. You can give periodically or become a monthly Ranch Partner. You can also support and attend the annual Ranch Day celebration on the fourth Saturday weekend in October. “On that day we invite all Ranch alumni, friends, and supporters to come and celebrate with us. We will have a lot of free food, a petting zoo, horseback rides, gospel music, and much more,” states Bro. Smith. Lighthouse Ranch For Boys is located at: Boys’ Ranch, 51453 Hwy 443, Loranger, LA 70446. You may contact them at: Boys’ Ranch, P. O. Box 238, Loranger, LA 70446. Also, call 985-878-6560 or visit www.lighthouseranch.com.
“All boys must go through the rigid application process before being accepted. As we normally keep a full population of boys, we maintain a waiting list for new applicants. When a slot comes open for another boy, we give priority to the next in line.” For further information, contact Danny Smith at the Boys Ranch: Phone – (225)-505-9009 Email – dsmith@lighthouseranch.com.
Why Holiness?
Timothy Mitchell, Montgomery, A
Rev. Timothy C. Mitchell has been an ordained minister with the UPCI for over 50 years. He is the founder of New Testament Christian Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
His book Why Holiness began as a Bible study and expanded into seven years of extensive research. He explained, “My book is based on Biblical doctrine and confirmed by secular documentation while maintaining a flow of spiritual understanding. In years gone by, the elders spoke, and we believed and obeyed. Today, we have an enlightened generation whose knowledge is rapidly increasing, and their questions demand convincing answers. My book is a scholarly attempt in Christian apologetics to defend a necessary doctrine many Apostolics are discarding. As we approach the Lord’s return, many are questioning the need for teaching and practicing holiness, yet we must understand that without holiness no one will see God (Hebrews 12:14).”
The intended audience for Why Holiness includes: 1) Pastors who have allowed holiness to go by the wayside in an attempt to grow faster and build a larger church. Bro. Mitchell noted the words of Rev. Jerry Dillon’s sermon, The Power of Impartation, preached at the Alabama District Camp Meeting, June 15, 2011; “When you lose separation, you lose the power. You gain the crowd, but it was the crowd that crucified Jesus. That is when churches become monuments instead of movements.” 2) Third-generation Apostolics, born in the church, who weren’t there when the fences were built. While inheriting the blessings of preceding generations, some are abandoning the old paths for slippery slopes. These need to understand why the guardrails were placed there by their forefathers to begin with. Holiness keeps people in the church. A lack of holiness allows the rot of worldliness inside. 3) The younger generation, born in the Information Age, is now compelling the elders to prove what is acceptable unto the Lord. This group needs to be convinced by the knowledge of teaching. Not motivated by emotional pleas, they want truth with understanding proof. 4) New converts coming in need to be taught boundaries between the world and the church; the difference between being a child of the devil and the bride of Christ. 5) Those who have loved, obeyed and endured the pursuit of holiness need to be encouraged and their long-held convictions bolstered.”
“This is not your ordinary holiness book based on personal opinion,” said Bro. Mitchell. “It presents biblical precepts and backs them up with real-world examples. Jesus actually used the word methe as a sign of the end-times. It literally took an act of congress for a certain woman to wear pants after the Civil War. Elvis Presley and his parents received the Holy Ghost and were baptized in Jesus’ Name!” Scholastically written with over 600 biblical references and 500+ footnotes, Why Holiness covers every aspect of holiness.
Feedback on the book is very positive. Recently, Bro. Mitchell felt impressed to give a copy to a lady who obviously didn’t reflect holiness. Her pastor later told him she had asked to speak privately with him. She said, “You didn’t know it, but I was a compulsive gambler. That book straightened me out. And, I was a backslider, hurt years ago by hard, loveless holiness preaching. Now, I understand holiness, and I won’t be wearing pants again, either.” Bro. Mitchell said, “When a person is having a problem in an area of holiness, if I can get them to read that section of the book, the problem is over. The book does the work for me without confrontation.”
Why Holiness is available on Amazon in paperback ($20) or eBook ($9.99.) Bro. Mitchell can be contacted at www.knowthetruthministry.org, email tcmshm@bellsouth.net or at (334) 320-6858.
