Southern Baptists bring timeless message to Winter Olympics
Volunteers from Connection Church in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, share the gospel. The Winter Games are set against a backdrop of Italy’s iconic landmarks, like
February 12, 2026
Volunteers from Connection Church in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, share the gospel. The Winter Games are set against a backdrop of Italy’s iconic landmarks, like
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from Feb. 6-22 at sites across northern Italy. I(MB Photo) By Kristen Sosebee Let the Games
Prayer supporters gather around newly appointed IMB missionaries Austin and Tara Render, sent from Highview Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky. The Renders are joining a team
Pre-registration for messengers and childcare opens today as Southern Baptists continue preparations for the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting, June 7-10 at the Orange County Convention Center.
The staff of a pregnancy center in Nashville, Ark., surrounds a woman receiving an ultrasound exam. The center is a ministry of the Little River
Until temperatures rise high enough and long enough to make roads more accessible, response to a winter storm stretching from Texas to the Northeast is going to have a more local focus, Southern Baptist leaders told Baptist Press Monday (Jan. 26).
Tokyo was a whirlwind of colors, sounds and — most importantly — signs. For two weeks in November, the Deaflympics met in the capital city of Japan, where the International Mission Board had more than 50 workers and volunteers sharing the gospel during the worldwide event for Deaf athletes.
Meant for the Mission, a two-year theme that will be woven throughout WMU curriculum beginning this fall, provided the backdrop for more than 20 different speakers who shared missions testimonies and illustrations of God’s faithfulness during WMU’s January board meeting, Jan. 10-12.
“Women all over the world have similar desires for love and relationship and affirmation, and also similar struggles,” said IMB missionary Julia Cota. “We may
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has released its 2026 Public Policy Agenda, highlighting its federal legislative and policy priorities
Yacouba couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
He heard there had been an attack on his brother-in-law’s village by a terrorist group. They hadn’t been able to get in touch with him, so he and his wife went to the village to search for her brother.
Students participate in recreation time at Student Life Camp in 2025. Lifeway camps will expand in 2026, adding four new locations and bringing new camps
The IMB’s Project 3000 initiative focuses on finding and researching the remaining unengaged and unreached people groups with the gospel. (IMB Photo) By Sue Sprenkle,
Nills Recinos, a member of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, prays over a couple who recently began attending the church. The couple responded to a
A newly appointed IMB missionary stands behind a screen as he thanks Southern Baptists for their support. Missionaries going to countries hostile to the gospel
Nigerian Baptists gather at the 2025 Nigerian Baptist Convention held in April. The convention was a time of celebration of all the Lord has done in
By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press EDMOND, Okla. (BP) – For the fourth time in the last six years, Isaiah 41:10 was the most downloaded Scripture
Sandy Wisdom-Martin makes a new friend while on a mission trip to Peru in 2019 to distribute water filters through WMU’s Pure Water, Pure Love
Women link arms as they walk in a parade for Nowruz, a festival marking the Persian New Year. This festival holds deep significance for them,
Suncica, a Deaf volunteer with the IMB, shares the gospel with two North American Deaf in line to see a volleyball match at the 2025
(Submitted photo) “Everything about the mission work is accomplished primarily because God is at work and moving in His people,” said Cliff Case, an International Mission Board (IMB)
A national partner in South Asia leads a discipleship group. The group consists of people from a former unreached, unengaged group. (IMB Photo) By Chris
IMB missionaries Walter and Mary Norvell serve in Lesotho as part of the Masters program, a 2-3 year, fully funded missions opportunity for those who
LITTLE ROCK – Volunteers gathered at the Arkansas Baptist State Convention office on Tuesday, Nov. 11, to pack materials for churches to use to promote
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention hosted IMB’s Sending Celebration during their annual meeting in Lubbock, Texas. They celebrated and sent out 31 newly appointed
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has launched a new initiative called “Across State Lines” to bring the hope of the gospel, advocacy for the preborn, and tangible help to mothers in abortion-permissible states through the life-saving power of ultrasound technology.
Rachel Drummond, from Florida, greets children outside of a local church on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, where she and a group of women from
Alex Edwards, students and young adults team leader at New Hope Baptist Church in Senoia, Ga., baptizes a student during the church’s September baptism service.
After hiking in 90-degree weather in flip-flops and a skirt to reach a village, Julia Spelter and another International Mission Board missionary were exhausted and dripping in sweat as they sat drinking tea in the dim room of a local nurse. The Malagasy nurse had the overwhelming task of serving several rural villages by herself in Madagascar.
Across the Asia-Pacific Rim, 15 trade languages have been identified for digital outreach. Each one needs native-speaking responders who can connect with seekers in their
Cheers erupted from the newly commissioned International Mission Board missionaries for the six global mission partners taking the stage. The representatives from Junta de Missões Nacionais in Brazil and the Korean Foreign Mission Board in Korea completed seven weeks of pre-field orientation alongside the American missionaries.
The volunteer team from Paris pauses for a group photo outside the International Baptist Church of Dakar in Senegal. The church was planted by an
An immigrant couple from a Slavic church in California will continue ministering in Spain, but they will return as International Mission Board missionaries. Another couple is going overseas after a long tenure of serving Southern Baptists through multiple entities. And a young man is returning to do missions in the same country he previously served as a Journeyman.
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission trustees pray over Interim President Gary Hollingsworth and Acting President Miles Mulling during the trustees’ meeting Sept. 16 in Washington,
The house where the first church plant met will soon be torn down to accommodate a new highway. With money from the government, the church
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Send Network Arkansas on Friday, Sept. 5, hosted a local, one-day event designed to inspire and equip planters, pastors, and followers
Friendly banter came before the final decision on who would carry which flag. Several of the new missionaries wanted to hold Mexico’s flag, of course. In the end, Roselia processed in carrying the flag of her home country and the home of seven of the 10 new Latin American global missionary partners, soon to join International Mission Board teams.
Hurricane Katrina evacuees were spread across the Gulf Coast. Here Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers prepare a meal in Meridian, Miss. In total, SBDR volunteers
Healthcare missions provide access to millions of people who’ve never heard of the Great Physician. The world’s greatest problem is lostness, and healthcare professionals play a crucial role in prescribing treatment for both physical and spiritual needs.
Explanations of Southern Baptist cooperation and helpful graphics like this one make “Navigating the SBC” a valuable resources for churches looking to partner with the
Joseph Hazen’s phone rang, and he answered to hear the voice of his North African friend. Hazen, an International Mission Board missionary, and his friend have served together for almost 20 years in a large European city, sharing the gospel on the bustling streets with people from all walks of life.
(Baptist Press) By Scott Barkley, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – Trustees for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission selected seven from their group today (Aug.
By Brandon Porter, Baptist Press ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders from across the country joined with Florida Baptists Aug. 12 to hear how
Martina, front right, listens to a Bible story shared using a felt board. Laura Metcalf, back far right, and her children also follow along. (IMB
A student missionary from the BCM at Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla., witnesses in South Korea. (Oklahoma Baptists) By Scott Barkley, Baptist Press NASHVILLE
Newly appointed missionaries share a little of their testimony and work they will do with more than 13,000 Southern Baptist messengers and their guests on
With his wife, Meredith, the ERLC leadership team, and the executive committee of the ERLC trustee board looking on, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood brings the
On the mission field, missionaries quickly forge close relationships with other missionaries, often becoming like family. When missionaries return to the U.S., isolation may set in as they lose proximity to their missionary family.
FBC Kerrville Pastor Joey Tombrella posted a Facebook video on Saturday, July 5 to encourage his church members to come worship the next day and
IMB missionary Sue Foster poses for a photo with some members of a local church. She joined them at a local women’s prison to lead
By Danny Franks This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.
(IMB photo) By Stella McMillian When Caylen Wood moved to Asia to serve as a Journeyman, she knew a big part of her job would
Photo by Roy Burroughs By Josh Powell, lead pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina Cooperation is hard. It has been difficult from the
By Karoline Chapman, content strategist at GuideStone Editor’s note: Sunday, June 22, is Mission:Dignity Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention. DALLAS – Psalm 68:5 says, “God
Dallas’ Omni Hotel is lit up to welcome Southern Baptists to the city. Photo by Roy Burroughs By Baptist Press staff DALLAS (BP) – More
Messengers lift ballots for a vote at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas. Photo by Sonya Singh By David Roach DALLAS (BP) – Messengers
DALLAS – A quick response kitchen trailer of the Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) was a prominent sight this week in the exhibit hall of
Adam Wyatt, chair of the SBC Executive Committee’s Committee on Convention Finances and Stewardship Development, speaks as messengers approve the 2025-26 Cooperative Program allocation budget
Julia Ketner, retired executive director for Arkansas WMU, was the 25th recipient of the Dellanna West O’Brien award for women’s leadership development, which recognizes Baptist women who demonstrate the ability to foster leadership in women, display the potential to be leaders in their community and world and excel in missions discipleship.
SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg speaks during the June 10 afternoon session of the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, leading
In a crowd of thousands at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas, a sacred moment unfolds—messengers surround Jude and Bridget Davis in prayer, two
SBC President Clint Pressley presides over the business of the morning session of the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas June 10. Pressley was elected
“Cooperation and the Cooperative Program are not bygone relics of a dying era. We stand today in awe of what God has done through Southern
Sheila Walsh speaks during the Ministers’ Wives Luncheon June 10 at the SBC Annual Meeting. (Mary Alford/ABN) By Erin Roach DALLAS (BP) – It is
Honoring Christ in the pastorate requires faithful preaching and holy living, attendees were told during the final sessions of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in Dallas June 9.
The very first group of Journeymen participants pose for a group photo in 1965. (IMB Photo) By Kristen Sosebee, IMB This year, the International Mission
Baptist Press By Scott Barkley, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — The newly proposed business and financial plan going before Southern Baptists
By Brandon Porter, vice president for Communications at the SBC Executive Committee. DALLAS (BP) – Resolutions to be presented to messengers to the 2025 SBC
IMB President Paul Chitwood speaks to trustees in the May 22 plenary session. (IMB Photo) By Leslie Peacock Caldwell, managing editor of IMB corporate communications
This article by Baptist Press Senior Writer Diana Chandler was originally published at baptistpress.com. DALLAS (BP) – Over 45 million online images of childhood sexual
Article by IMB Writer Sue Sprenkle(Photo provided) KINGSTON, Tenn. – Eight women sat around a table, their laughter filling Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. Flour
By Hance Dilbeck Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from “A Psalm for Unseen Servants” to be released by B&H Publishing Group June 3. Hance
This article by Scott Barkley, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, was originally published at baptistpress.com. DALLAS (BP) – A three-week reading plan associated with
This article by Jeff Iorg, President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, was originally published at baptistpress.com. One of the most important new sentences
Dozens of pastors, SBC officers, state Baptist convention leaders, SBC ethnic leaders and others gathered to commemorate Southern Baptists’ adoption of the Cooperative Program 100
Recently appointed IMB missionaries Jonathan and Wendy Baker talk with Kevin and Suzie Rodgers (right) at the Celebration of Emeriti event near Richmond, Virginia. The
When Ruth visited Fran in summer 2023, Ruth didn’t expect to end up in the hospital, fighting for her life. International Mission Board missionaries Wade
The Amazon River leads to many unreached people groups. Don and Maria Friesen found a way to disciple new believers by living on a floating
The North American Mission Board is working with Dallas-area churches and Baptist associations, along with Southern Baptist seminaries, to host Crossover outreach events that will
A preliminary schedule for this year’s SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas June 10-11 was released Tuesday (March 25) by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Order of Business.
IMB missionary Journeyman Olivia Tucker helps prepare a picnic lunch at the farm where she worked alongside locals. (IMB Photo) By Kristen Sosebee, International Mission
(Submitted) Editor’s note: This article was first published in a newsletter from Arkansas Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to security
(Lightstock) By Scott Barkley, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP) – Peer pressure can be a good thing. It’s not something
LightStock By Kie Bowman, senior pastor emeritus of Hyde Park Baptist Church and The Quarries Church in Austin, Texas and the SBC National Director of
Zoe Hill, IMB Journeyman, sorts through letters sent to her during missionary training. (IMB Photo) By Sue Sprenkle, International Mission Board The 20-something held up
(Screenshot) Editor’s note: This is a missions story first published by the North American Mission Board. “You really should hear them sing.” That’s one of
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) – SBC President Clint Pressley has announced his appointments to the 2025 Committee on Committees. Michael Wood, lead pastor of First Baptist
By David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists. Members of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Rowing team depicted in the movie “The
(Photo/Send Network) By Send Network staff ALPHARETTA, Ga. — This fall, Send Network One Day events are coming to cities across North America to catalyze
Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. The chain of islands hosts the most populous Muslim nation in the world.
This article by Kie Bowman, senior pastor emeritus of Hyde Park Baptist Church and The Quarries Church in Austin, Texas and the SBC National Director
Pastor and IMB trustee, Marshall Blalock, welcomes newly appointed IMB missionaries to First Baptist Church Charleston, South Carolina, the very first Southern Baptist church. (IMB
More than 200 leaders and volunteers representing 37 Southern Baptist state conventions – Canada and Puerto Rico included – gathered at Shearer Hills Baptist Church
A man walks along a street in a city in South Asia (Submitted). Editor’s note: Names were changed for security. Feeling God’s call to missions
LITTLE ROCK, Ark – Tim Wicker has been named director of Send Network Arkansas. Wicker, who most recently served as the Arkansas Baptist State Convention
The Abiding Church, a Send Network church plant in Los Angeles, became a distribution and delivery center that met the needs of those who survived
NASHVILLE (BP) – Jeff Dalrymple has been named to lead the office within the SBC Executive Committee dedicated to Southern Baptists’ long-term efforts in Sexual
Screen capture from NBC News By Laura Erlanson, managing editor of Baptist Press LOS ANGELES (BP) – Even as Southern California wildfires continue to burn,
Editor’s note: 3:16 on 3/16 is part of Arkansas Baptists’ Spring Outreach Strategy. Click here for more information on the four components of this strategy
Abiding Church Pastor Trenton Mueller, while in New Mexico for his grandmother’s birthday, received this photo from a neighbor of the approaching Palisades fire. His
Missions discipleship has been a major focus in recent years at Iglesia Bautista Nueva Jerusalén. Utilizing resources made available by the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU),
By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press senior writer WASHINGTON (BP) – Religious nationalism, mass displacement, authoritarianism, surveillance technology and other trends combine to persecute 300 million
This article by Kie Bowman, senior pastor emeritus of Hyde Park Baptist Church and The Quarries Church in Austin, Texas and the SBC National Director
Larry Johnson, back to camera and wearing jacket, leads a prayer today (Jan. 2) for officers from New Orleans and surrounding jurisdictions. Johnson is vice
IMB missionary Trey Fleming (center) and Journeyman Adam Gaskins (with glasses) gather with students during a 2024 summer outreach event in Osaka, Japan. IMB photo
Southern Baptists’ generosity helped facilitate 116,992 baptisms around the world in 2023. (IMB photo) By Karen L. Willoughby, Baptist Press national correspondent NATIONWIDE – In
First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky turned their gym into a miniature golf course for Christmas outreach opportunity. Photo submitted. SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – In a
By Myriah Snyder BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In January, around 4,000 ministry leaders and volunteers will gather in Nashville, Tenn., Houston and Fort Worth, Texas, and
By Paul Chitwood, IMB president Because this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® is the most important offering in the history of the International Mission Board,
Bill and Evelyn Bullington served 39 years with the International Mission Board (IMB), most of that time in West Africa. They began doing evangelism and
Annual events are most times anticipated, though some are dreaded. I will not get into tests, physicals and maybe a few difficult family situations. Let’s
The North American Mission Board communications team compiled this report. ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — A diverse group of more than 170 planters representing at least
Lightstock photo Someone recently asked me, “What does it mean to have people praying for you?” It’s a very timely question. You are about to
Jane Thompson, IMB missionary (back row, left), joins her ministry partners for a joyful photo. Jane asked Southern Baptists to pray for Zambian women to
Damon Friedman speaks to graduates of an SOF Missions Be Resilient Clinic. Photo courtesy of Damon Friedman DATELINE (BP) – Like all others who have
WMU executive director Sandy Wisdom-Martin stands with a wall of the craft stick house boat currently in progress. (WMU photo) By GRACE THORNTON, The Baptist
IMB Kenya missionary Kristen Lowry works alongside national partners to run Naivasha Children’s Shelter. They work on the streets to rescue boys, restore their lives,
LITTLE ROCK – Volunteers came together at the Arkansas Baptist State Convention offices on Monday to pack materials for churches to use to promote the
Photo by Mitch Pinion, NAMB ROGERS, Ark. – Send Network Arkansas hosted its first Sending Church Lab on Oct. 2 at the Arkansas Baptist State
Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church and former SBC president, has begun a transition out of the pastorate, he announced Sunday (Sept. 22).
SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg calls on Southern Baptists to press on as a force for good during his installation sermon Sept. 16, 2024
A Southern Baptist volunteer hands out flyers inviting people to a center called The Living Room, hosted in partnership with a local French church. (IMB
PARIS (BP) – At first, Adam Moore was a little skeptical about one of the Olympics outreach strategies in which his mission team was participating.
IMB photo This article was written by Kristen Sosebee, who writes for the IMB. PARIS – Right now, more than 10,000 athletes are gathering for
Hosting a children’s festival was one way mission teams from the U.S. helped Antony Baptist Church in suburban Paris make inroads into its community. This
The historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church Dallas burned Friday evening, July 19.
This article was written by Myriah Snyder, a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources. BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — A child, around 12 years old, and her parents
When I was asked to collaborate on this task force, I considered it a great honor not only for the association I serve, but also for our state convention
Next summer, kids will explore the vastness of God’s character through the details of Scripture with Lifeway Christian Resources’ 2025 Vacation Bible School (VBS) theme: “Magnified! Discovering the Bigness of God in the Smallest of Things.”
Mission:Dignity has been a tremendous blessing for many, including Arkansas resident Emily Ruth Watson. Watson, 93, served in the ministry alongside her late husband, Jimmy,
Attending all the sessions and listening closely to what the speakers had to say were eight New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary students in Dr. Mark Tolbert’s special event class offered in conjunction with the conference.
This article was written by Marilyn Stewart and published at baptistpress.com. INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley was elected SBC president Wednesday (June
Messengers and guests at the Southern Baptist Convention applaud IMB missionaries who will serve in countries where it is either illegal to share the Gospel
Mollie Duddleston of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas was elected to serve a second term as chairperson of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)’s Committee on Convention Missions and Ministry.
(Left to right) Shane Pruitt, Robby Gallaty and Paul Worcester lead out in prayer at the SBC Prayer Gathering Sunday afternoon June 9. Photo by
Southern Baptist messengers will have an opportunity to hear from the six men seeking to become the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) next week before election at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
The resolutions to be presented at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting are available in a preliminary form. This marks the earliest release date in recent history.
Because of LMCO, we didn’t have to worry about finances as well as my prognosis and transitioning back to the States. We will be forever grateful to everyone who prayed for and supported us – we still don’t know each one who lifted up a prayer and probably never will
Lightstock photo Every church needs a crisis communication plan to get leadership on the same page before a negative story is even written. What is
A group of Arkansas Baptist church planters recently traveled to Alpharetta, Georgia, for the North American Mission Board’s Send Network Orientation.
Close to 330 participants representing 76 countries met for the first Global Senders Forum on April 16-19.
GuideStoneFinancial Resources, Lifeway Research and Baptist state conventions have again teamed up for the SBC Church Compensation Survey.
Pastors and church leaders from across the state gathered at the Arkansas Baptist State Convention on Tuesday for the first of two Renewing the Church Summits.
Jeff Iorg will become the eighth leader of the SBC Executive Committee. Iorg received a unanimous vote from 60 EC members at a special-called EC meeting today (March 21).
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will consider Gateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg for EC president and CEO in a special called meeting from noon-3 p.m. March 21 in Dallas.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Diana Chandler, Baptist Press. INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – A preliminary schedule for the Southern Baptist Convention 2024 Annual Meeting
A special-called meeting will take place March 21 for SBC Executive Committee members to consider the nomination of Jeff Iorg as the next EC president and CEO.
A culture of prayer is never accidental. It has to be cultivated and nurtured for growth.
Gen Z has passion. The church has purpose. There is common ground between these two if we look for it.
On Valentine’s evening, many Southern Baptists gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, to celebrate the latest group of missionaries heading to the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Carol Pipes, director of corporate communications for LifeWay Christian Resources. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God,
John Barnett, director of the diaspora mobilization team for the International Mission Board, speaks with Arkansas Baptists. (Mary Alford/ABN) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Several Arkansas
ABSC churches are encouraged to schedule Sunday, February 11, 2024 to promote the hunger ministries of Arkansas Baptists and Send Relief and to collect the annual Global Hunger Relief Offering.
It is the IMB’s hope to continue to build relationships with churches.
Lightstock photo “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you
Editor’s note: This article was written by Brandon Elrod of the North American Mission Board. PLANO, Texas – Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas is hosting
This article was written by Leslie Peacock Caldwell, managing editor at the IMB. The call to reach all nations, people, languages and tribes with the
Nearly 200 missions leaders from across the country gathered on Missionary Ridge in Birmingham for WMU’s January Board Meeting this past weekend, Jan. 6-8, 2024.
IMB Photo This article was written by Myriah Snyder for the IMB. Twenty-five Embera people were busy at work, taking care as they handmade each
Baptist Press article by Scott Barkley, national correspondent for Baptist Press. DALLAS (BP) — The Ministry Check website will soon be the central hub for
Baptist Press article by Art Toalston, former editor at Baptist Press. HARTSELLE, Ala. (BP) – Junior Hill, a beloved and in-demand evangelist among Southern Baptists
NASHVILLE (BP) – A six-month update on the status of various committees connected to his role as Southern Baptist Convention president included Bart Barber’s recommendation
Missionary candidates who move through the pipeline are approved by IMB trustees, then blessed by Southern Baptists for service to the nations at Sending Celebrations
Send Network church planting missionary Justin McKay baptizes a new believer during The Local Church’s first anniversary service. Planted in Arvada, Colo., a suburb of
IMB is in the process of assigning each missionary unit a portfolio of churches. This will serve to put a very personal face on our cooperative efforts to take the gospel the ends of the earth.
Generous gifts provide Angela Dawson, IMB missionary, with a car to drive. When she received a “big” car for Thailand, she wondered why. It didn’t
“It was God’s call that kept me on the field, but it was the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the generosity of Southern Baptists that helped provide the things that were needed to stay on the field,” Moore said, also stressing the importance of prayer support.
Ethan Gee recorded a video plea asking the whole world to help him “raise 1,000 and 100 dollars” for IMB missionaries to share the gospel
Widows hold a deep place in the heart of God, and He loves and cares about them greatly.
Christians have less confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) than non-Christians, especially when it comes to AI use by churches, Barna Group researchers found in a study conducted in partnership with Gloo.
About 2,800 chaplains – including about 1,100 who are Southern Baptist – serve in the Armed Forces.
If you want your team to lead more prayerfully, a staff prayer retreat is a game changer. It’s a necessity for any church attempting to build a culture of prayer.
Spending a day in prayer requires both spiritual devotion and practical preparation.
Editor’s note: This article written by Paul Chitwood, International Mission Board president, was published by Baptist Press. October is Cooperative Program Emphasis Month in the
Editor’s note: This article was first published by the International Mission Board. Linda Gray moved to Benton in 1985. She joined Baring Cross Baptist Church
For the people IMB missionaries Aaron and Sheila Crowder are trying to reach, a coffee meeting can take around three hours. Last year, Sheila was
Caring Well Sunday, Sept. 24, is on the SBC Calendar this year for the first time, giving churches an opportunity to acknowledge the emotional toll of sexual abuse and commit to ensuring congregations are safe places.
(SWBTS photo) This article was written by Ashley Allen, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Beginning his 40th year of service in
A missions movement for 18-25-year-olds is coming to Second Baptist Church, Conway, Arkansas on Oct. 14. Rev7:9 aims to create a community of people who
Editor’s note: This article was written by Scott Barkley, national correspondent for Baptist Press. ROCKWALL, Texas (BP) – Messages of condolences and prayer support came
Woman’s Missionary Union invites you to participate in a simple and easy project that allows your association, church, or missions group to support North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries with “gifts” for their specific ministries.
Imagine arriving on the mission field knowing no one, speaking none of the language and wondering where your house is, with no one to guide you. Then imagine immediately being thrown into cross-cultural ministry, also with minimum guidance.
Mission:Dignity has been a tremendous blessing for north Arkansas resident Nancy Stanley. Nancy served in the ministry alongside her late husband, Patrick, for more than
Southern Baptists have adopted a groundbreaking resolution on artificial intelligence that will serve as a guide to church leaders as well as their government lobbyists.
Chitwood shared the impact Southern Baptists had through IMB workers in 2022, made possible through record Lottie Moon Christmas Offering giving and $100 million in Cooperative Program receipts.
Messengers voted to amend the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention, to clarify the role of pastor Wednesday, June 14, at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
2023-2024 SBC officers are (left to right) Recording Secretary Nathan Finn, Second Vice President Kason Branch, President Bart Barber, First Vice President Jay Adkins and
A young mother saw a group of Southern Baptists who were sharing the gospel in New Orleans, so she yelled to them. “I need to be saved.”
Editor’s note: This article was written by Timothy Cockes, staff writer for the Baptist Press. NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) – Texas pastor Bart Barber was
Editor’s note: This article was written by Scott Barkley, national correspondent for the Baptist Press. Michael Catt was a speaker at the ABSC Prayer Workshop in
On Sunday evening, June 11, attendees of a prayer gathering in the New Orleans Theater worshipped, heard Scripture and prayed. They embraced times of silence designed for focus, and swung arms over shoulders in times of support.
Willie McLaurin, interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, exhorted churches to use their spiritual gifts to glorify God in a June 11 sermon at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Several Arkansas Baptist church planters from around the state gathered on Saturday, June 3, at Dickey–Stephens Park in North Little Rock
A group of men prays together at the prayer gathering ahead of the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim. BP file photo NEW ORLEANS (BP)
Several Southern Baptist churches and entities have been hit with online fraud nearing $1 million each. Their dramatic losses serve as warnings to all our churches
Editor’s note: This article was written by Nathan A. Finn, SBC Recording Secretary and originally was published at baptistpress.com. Each year, the Book of Reports
Editor’s note: This article was written by the staff at Baptist Press and was originally published at baptistpress.com. NASHVILLE (BP) — The 2023 Book of
IMB President Paul Chitwood addressed missionary emeriti and new missionaries preparing for their first term. Referring to the faithful service of those leaving the field,
Messengers pray at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Kathleen Sparks/IMB) Written by Diana Chandler, Baptist Press senior writer NEW ORLEANS
Baptist Press file photo By AARON EARLS, Lifeway Christian Resources BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — For the second straight year, baptisms and giving increased among Southern Baptist
David Sons, Executive Committee chairman, leads the group’s special-called meeting in Dallas on May 1. Members declined to call Texas pastor Jared Wellman as the
FARMERSVILLE, Texas (BP) — SBC President Bart Barber has announced his appointments to the 2023 Committee on Committees. Riley Prather, pastor of Green Valley Crossing,
BLACKSHEAR, Ga. (BP) – Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, announced in a video on April 26 that he has “prayerfully agreed
he 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting will convene at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Tuesday, June 13, at 8 a.m. and adjourn at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, according to the official schedule for the meeting released Thursday (April 20).
IMB missionaries Caleb and Carina Beaty sing Christmas carols at their neighbor’s house. The Beaty’s neighbors were moved by the Beaty’s Easter Sunday musical performance
Southern Baptist Convention president Bart Barber (left) and Send Relief president Bryant Wright (second from the left) visited Wynne, Ark., to encourage survivors of a
Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber said, “Southern Baptist Disaster Relief gives people a true picture of who we are and what the gospel of Jesus Christ has done in us.”
“One of the beauties of Southern Baptist disaster relief network is the relationship we have between the states where if one of us is running short of manpower or resources, we have the ability to call on other states, our brothers and sisters in the ministry and they’re there,” said Hubert Yates, SBDR director for Mississippi Baptists, while Mississippi and Arkansas Baptists responded to the March 24 storms that hit his state.
A group of Arkansas Baptist church planters recently spent a few days, March 20-23, in Alpharetta, Georgia, attending Send Network Orientation. It was the North
By Brandon Elrod, staff writer for Send Relief. ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Wars, natural disasters and famines have been displacing tens of millions of people around
Decades of memories will be on the agenda for former summer staff of Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center at the group’s annual alumni reunion June 1-4.
Editor’s Note: In support of the sixth strategic action of Vision 2025 adopted by messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, Baptist Press will continue
Through the Cooperative Program (CP) and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO), Arkansas Baptists in 2022 gave more than ever before to international missions. The
This story was written by Natalie Sarrett and originally published by Send Relief. Over the course of the weekend, Send Relief’s L.A. team was battling intense spiritual warfare
Send Relief local partners began distributing water, food and other emergency supplies within hours of the disaster. More than 36,000 people have been reported dead
KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey (BP) — A pair of earthquakes and a series of aftershocks have devastated portions of Turkey and Syria. According to the BBC, more than
If you were unable to attend Econ this year, you are still invited to connect with any of these church planters. You will find more information on all the Mission Connection planters beginning next week at the Arkansas Baptist News website.
Kevin and Casey Kilgore decided in 2021 to sell everything they had, purchase an RV and travel North America to encourage church planting missionaries who have been sent out by the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Together with their four kids, they’ve visited more than 125 church planters in 27 of NAMB’s send cities.
Jeff Struecker competes in the Munga, a five-day, 1,000-kilometer race in South Africa dubbed “the toughest race on earth.“ WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – Endurance,
Marty and Chandler knew, as soon as they left the mission field, that they’d only be gone temporarily. They were only leaving their current assignment
AZTEC, N.M. (BP) – “It is so simple,” says Pastor Mike Napier. “It’s prayer and evangelism. That’s all that it is. Everything that is happening
By Brandon Elrod, who writes for the North American Mission Board. NAMB photo. ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Southern Baptists and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) had a
More than 90% of IMB missionary teams actively engage unreached people groups, many in hard-to-reach places where safety and security are daily considerations.
Little Cakes with Big Attitude owners Robyn Schwartz, left, and Bridget Vaughn, right, pose for a photo. The bakery and coffee shop donated 10% of
This article originally appeared in the Baptist Press. It was written by Erin Roach. IMB photo. RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – Johnny and Bonita Kron had
Light is scarce during scheduled electrical outages as Ukraine suffers a bombed-out power grid, yet women there are using their light this Christmas to crochet angel ornaments to send churches and other supporters in the U.S.
The mission team from Immanuel Baptist Church, Magnolia, Arkansas, expected things in Brooklyn, New York, to be different from their small southern Arkansas town.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Diana Chandler. LVIV, Ukraine (BP) – Russia’s increased attacks across Ukraine forced the Ukrainian Baptist
Southern Baptists are known for their support of missions, as evidenced by a record Lottie Moon offering. However, a significant portion also comes from the tithes and offerings given each Sunday and funneled through the Cooperative Program.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Diana Chandler. MARIUPOL, Ukraine (BP) — A Baptist pastor and his wife remain missing
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Brandon Porter. NEW YORK (BP) – SBC President Bart Barber was a guest of
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Jonathan Howe, vice president for communications at the SBC Executive Committee. NASHVILLE (BP) –
A new partnership between the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) will provide additional resources to start churches in high need areas throughout Arkansas.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Timothy Cockes. NASHVILLE (BP) – As Southern Baptists across the country prepare and mobilize
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Mike Ebert. CHICAGO—Southern Baptists gave a record $68.9 million to the Annie
Ten-year-old Mai was in the jungle near her home in Southeast Asia looking for food with her mother when a plastic bag dangling from a tree caught her eye.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary announced Friday (Sept. 23) that president Adam W. Greenway has resigned from his post effective immediately.
The team tasked with finding the next person to serve as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee is looking at “11 quality candidates,” search team chairman Adron Robinson told SBC EC members.
Members of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee voted Tuesday (Sept. 20) to propose a change in the timeline for submitting and publishing resolutions to be voted on by messengers at SBC annual meetings.
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee voted Tuesday to add a sexual abuse awareness day to be known as Caring Well Sunday to the SBC Calendar of Activities. The first Caring Well Sunday on the SBC calendar will be Sept. 24, 2023.
In his Monday night (Sept. 19) plenary session address to the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, Willie McLaurin urged Southern Baptists to continue to cooperate in carrying out their shared mission.
SBC President Bart Barber preaches at Executive Committee meeting on Sept. 19 in Nashville. (Baptist Press photo by Brandon Porter) Article written by Diana Chandler,
Chaplains can’t directly proselytize, but their presence and words of encouragement naturally lead first responders to want to know the source.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission board of trustees named Brent Leatherwood the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy entity in a unanimous vote Tuesday (Sept. 13).
SBC President Bart Barber recently announced the theme for the 2023 Annual Meeting. Pointing to 2 Corinthians 4:5, he said it will be “Serving the Lord; Serving others.”
This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
August 28 is Global Hunger Sunday. Global Hunger Relief (GHR) is an initiative of the Southern Baptist Convention dedicated to combating hunger and sharing the Bread of Life.
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way.
Southern Baptists will, on Aug. 28, recognize Global Hunger Sunday to raise support for those in need.
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has been informed that the United States Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC that will include “multiple SBC entities,” according to an Aug. 12 statement from all SBC entity leaders and SBC President Bart Barber.
MILLS, Wyo. (BP) – Merry Marcus is among countless Southern Baptists nationwide who carefully watch their money to be sure they are able to participate
A Lifeway research study explores U.S. Protestant pastors’ experiences with mental illness and how well their churches are equipped to respond to those who need help.
As surveyors continue assessing the damage done by the historic flooding that has deluged eastern Kentucky, Southern Baptists have begun planning their response.
During their first day in Peru, IMB missionary Amy Fisher had the missions team from Iglesia Bautista Nueve Jerusalem, Little Rock, Arkansas, do an activity
The group tasked with recommending the next president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is currently working through the process with an active candidate, its chairman told Baptist Press July 26. Todd Howard, pastor of Watson Chapel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Ark., said the search team will present its report at the ERLC trustee board’s annual meeting in September.
One person sharing the gospel with another. It sounds simple but it can be intimidating.
Pregnancy care centers across the United States were told to heighten security over the weekend in light of Friday’s (June 24) Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered what most religious liberty advocates declared an important victory in ruling Monday (June 27) the post-game, midfield prayer of a high school football coach did not violate the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion.
Southern Baptist leaders are responding to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Political leaders are urging the pro-life community to prepare for a possible violent reaction to the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Southern Baptist advocacy for life doesn’t end with the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on abortion.
Yesterday was an historic day for the Southern Baptist Convention.
In one of two runoff elections at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting, Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, was elected SBC president June 14 in a runoff with Florida pastor Tom Ascol.
Southern Baptists publicly lamented the harm their “actions and inactions have caused to survivors of sexual abuse” in a resolution adopted by messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., on June 15.
The Southern Baptist Convention has set aside the fourth Sunday in June for churches to celebrate and raise a special offering for Mission:Dignity.
Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton, former SBC president Fred Luter and noted author and pastor Tony Evans announced an initiative June 15 to build racial unity nationwide, conducted by the local church.
Missionaries heading to global areas where security is a concern were shown behind a screen. More than 90% of IMB missionary teams actively engage unreached people groups, many in hard-to-reach places where safety and security are daily considerations.
Southern Baptists responded with an overwhelming majority in favor of adopting the two recommendations presented by the Sexual Abuse Task Force presented June 14 at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.
Texas pastor Bart Barber won a run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday (June 14) evening at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood began IMB’s report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting with recent good news from the mission field.
Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., intends to nominate Georgia pastor Frank Cox for the office of SBC president Tuesday (June 14) during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.
Seven new SBC Executive Committee officers were elected during the group’s June 13 meeting, including new EC Chairman Jared Wellman, lead pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas.
Mark Clifton opened the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference by reminding shepherds of local congregations that there are no unimportant churches and no unimportant places.
Daniel Dickard, senior pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., was elected president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference Monday afternoon (June 13).
Amid the busy event schedule of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, nearly 2,000 attendees gathered for the International Mission Board dinner.
Thirty-four churches engaged their communities through various outreach events Saturday, June 11, through Crossover, which partnered with Send Relief to host a Serve Tour experience that took place ahead of the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – With the weight of so many important decisions facing Southern Baptists in the coming days, hundreds gathered to pray at the
Send Relief announced its intent June 8 to give $3 million to fund the proposed Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) recommendations for sexual abuse reform, and an additional $1 million to establish a survivor care fund to provide trauma care for survivors and trauma training for pastors.
As Southern Baptists prepare to travel to Anaheim for the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting, the three known presidential candidates have submitted First-Person style essays to Baptist Press.
Former National Football League player Benjamin Watson and his wife have collaborated for the third time with the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity to provide an ultrasound machine for the benefit of women in crisis pregnancies.
Former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear says he’s encouraged by the SBC’s bottom-up structure putting power in the hands of lay members.
But at a gathering of missionary emeriti, these stories of sacrifice didn’t fill many moments. Instead, they spent hours telling stories of countless people coming to faith and the gospel penetrating the globe’s darkest places.
A hotline has been established to allow those affected by sexual abuse within Southern Baptist churches. The number is 202-864-5578.
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has dispatched ministers to South Texas to minister to the community and assist with relief in the wake of an elementary school shooting earlier Tuesday.
Months of work by the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions concerning the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee (EC) resulted in a 288-page report released publicly Sunday (May 22).
Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Moldova, a small and impoverished nation bordering Ukraine, has received an estimated one refugee for every 25 Moldovans. Most refugees are being housed and cared for by churches in the Moldovan Baptist Union.
“It’s awesome that we were able to welcome more kids with special needs than ever before!”
Four miles from the Tops Friendly Markets mass shooting May 14, North Buffalo Community Church Pastor William Smith is comforting a crying community.
Southern Baptist congregations saw a rebound in the number of baptisms and an increase of $304 million in overall giving in 2021, both hopeful signs congregations are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 40 percent of Generation Z believe Jesus was a human and sinned like other people when He lived on earth, the American Bible Society reveals in State of the Bible 2022.
Charlie Houck loves serving as lead pastor at Mesa Church in San Diego.
If a church has a great next gen pastor, then that congregation should do everything within their power to cultivate a favorable environment for the pastor to have a long, fruitful ministry in the church.
hough he’s a busy senior professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Robin Hadaway will be somewhat of a hometown presidential candidate when the SBC Annual Meeting takes place in Anaheim this summer.
Whether it’s from a video posted on social media or a microphone at the SBC Annual Meeting, you don’t have to listen to Bart Barber long before you know he cares about Southern Baptist polity.
For more than 30 years Tom Ascol has been known as a leader with deep theological convictions through his work at Grace Baptist Church and Founders Ministries.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is “bringing the Dome” to Arkansas, connecting alumni, friends, and prospective students during Southwestern Nights event.
As pastors think about their greatest needs, some of those go beyond their ministries and are instead connected to their personal lives. Many pastors worry about their time management skills and how they can balance all the responsibilities they have at church and at home.
The new app, provided through a partnership of the SBC Executive Committee and the Acts 2 Network, makes the programs more accessible for those not attending the 2022 events June 12-15 in Anaheim, said Jonathan Howe, SBC EC vice president for communications.
Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president Matt Henslee announced his intention to nominate Texas pastor Bart Barber for the office of SBC president at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, June 14-15, 2022.
MinistrySafe provides training to thousands of ministries, training more than 50,000 child-serving staff members, live and online, every month.
Southern Baptists have given more than $5.5 million to date. Disaster Relief teams from several state conventions have mobilized. Churches and small groups voiced prayers.
For the more than 1,500 Baptist churches in Romania, the decision to sacrifice their resources for the safety of neighbors was automatic…
The North Carolina coach has experienced the highs and lows of being a missionary in his own backyard, this year while leading the Tar Heels into a new era following the retirement of Roy Williams.
Try to make a judgment on Cleveland Road Baptist Church from its exterior.
Disciple-making is the primary call of every pastor, and most recognize this as a skill they should continue to develop as church leaders.
Wendy Farrell of Springfield, Missouri has five daughters, including one she adopted from Ukraine eight years ago. When the war in Ukraine broke out, she felt compelled to help.
Honoring Armstrong’s life means honoring the missions heritage of Southern Baptists and the contributions of Southern Baptist women.
As hearts and buildings are broken, International Mission Board missionaries are providing a digital lifeline for Ukrainians through a Facebook ad developed by missionaries and global partners.
“What a blessing it is to invest in the lives of the next generation of missionaries!”
Voddie Baucham, dean of theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia, will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim…
Daniel Dickard, pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., will be nominated for president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference.
Founders Ministries President Tom Ascol announced his intention to run for SBC president Tuesday (March 22) in a story published at the Daily Wire, a conservative news site conceived and founded by political commentators Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing.
Former International Mission Board missionary Wade Akins has announced he intends to nominate fellow former IMB missionary Robin Hadaway for SBC president at the upcoming 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Women in the slum brothels of Kampala, Uganda, are learning God has not forgotten them, there is hope and redemption in their life stories, and He has given them a new name.
Despite a variety of challenges resulting from the ongoing war, a Christian radio station broadcasting to Slavic nations has continued its Gospel ministry, this time from Romania
A Disaster Assistance & Response Team (DART) of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) and volunteers returned from Poland last week to survey ways volunteers from the United States might engage and serve Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion of their homeland.
At least 97 million more people have fallen into extreme poverty globally since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, World Relief said in a study released March 15 on the second anniversary of the declaration of the pandemic.
Amer and Vicki Safadi weren’t sure at first that Cincinnati was where God wanted them to plant a church.
A new Mandarin translation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the official statement of beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention, is now available in traditional and simplified scripts at sbc.net.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
It is not every day that over 30 International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries are able to make a special “short-term” trip themselves to intentionally invest in those who have sent them. One of the great benefits of the Cooperative Program (CP) is this mutual encouragement and investment.
275 million people are estimated lost in North America. That’s men, women, young adults and children. Among that population are more than 40 million people
The announcement comes a day after current SBC President Ed Litton of Saraland, Ala., announced he will not seek a second term.
Citing a growing desire to develop a strategy to “bridge our divides and bring about a Gospel-driven unity and reconciliation” and the need to lead as a “pastor rather than from the office of president,” SBC president Ed Litton announced Tuesday (Mar. 1) that he would not seek a second term as SBC president at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Polish Baptists and International Mission Board missionaries quickly rallied to respond to the needs of Ukrainian refugees crossing the border to seek sanctuary from the attack on their homeland.
The typical parental approach to the topic of sexuality is to avoid the subject as much as possible, drop one big “talk” sometime in their kids’ tween years, and then avoid it again for as long as possible.
“We need a miracle from God,” Yaroslav Pyzh, president of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said from his western Ukraine home in a Zoom interview with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s news staff on the evening of Feb. 26.
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and launched attacks on cities and airports throughout the country, including near the capital, Kyiv.
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has created a search team to begin the entity’s search for the new president and CEO
“We are called to serve well. We are called to steward well. We are called to submit to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ,” McLaurin said in the Feb. 21 plenary, drawing resounding applause and standing ovations.
“This investigation and the findings of it are not the ending of where we stand regarding sexual abuse,” said Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, Okla. “It’s the very beginning. As an Executive Committee, with one heart [and] regardless of how the votes went in the past, we are united to stand against sexual abuse wholeheartedly.
Lottie Elizabeth Sandusky charmed everyone she met in her mere 13 months of earthly life…
The selection process for a new president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is progressing, trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention entity were told Thursday (Feb. 17).
New Send Network church planting missionaries can take advantage of increased support through the North American Mission Board (NAMB), anchored by a slate of customized benefits from GuideStone Financial Resources
Recently, I was blessed to hear Bill Elliff speak on the subjects of prayer, revival and spiritual awakening…
The congregations at Sligo Baptist and New Bethel Baptist, rural churches with similar footprints, had never heard of each other before the December tornadoes swept through western Kentucky.
The Ministry Report serves to aid the Southern Baptist Executive Committee in planning, evaluating and implementing the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget that will be presented for adoption by messengers at the June 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
*Names changed for security Ben is from a culturally Christian family in North Africa. He grew up in London and is familiar with Scripture. Adam*
Last April, Archie Mason received clear confirmation that the podcast he hosted was meeting a long-neglected need and could literally save lives.
The start of 2022 indicates a continuation of recent giving trends in the SBC as giving through the national Cooperative Program Allocation Budget has soared to more than 12 percent above budget for the fiscal year.
Neither John nor Serena Tail grew up as believers. “We routinely just lived for ourselves,” John explained. As a young person Serena often heard that church was full of hypocrites.
George Liele is one of the most significant figures in the history of Christian missions.
In 1897, Annie Armstrong, recording secretary of the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), met with Nannie Helen Burroughs, an up-and-coming leader in the National Baptist Convention (NBC)…
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) announced Thursday, Jan. 27, that more than 50,000 people had, through the Who’s Your One evangelism campaign, represented their commitment to pray for and share the Gospel with at least one person by placing their “one” on the Who’s Your One map.
Baptists in Western Ukraine have made plans to shelter fellow believers in the case of a Russian invasion at Ukraine’s eastern border, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate who now leads a Baptist seminary in Ukraine told Baptist Press.
Willie McLaurin will be the interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. The EC officers made the announcement Tuesday (Feb. 1)
Kara and her husband are refugees from Burundi and live in South Africa. They work with IMB missionaries David and Julie Yngsdal, who serve among refugee communities in Durban, South Africa.
For Jason and Allison Cook* history does repeat itself. Like Philip in the Bible, the Cooks obeyed God’s call on their life and traveled to another land.
ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) – My mother-in-law is an 88-year old loyal Southern Baptist who lives on a fixed income in a modest retirement center. She loves the Lord, her church and Southern Baptists. She has been a lifelong advocate of the Cooperative Program and understands, as a contributing member of a Southern Baptist church, she is a primary funder of Gateway Seminary. She reflects that understanding when she often asks, “How is my seminary doing?”
After speaking directly with pastors to gather their perspectives on their ministry and personal challenges, Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. pastors for the 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study to discover what they see as their most pressing issues.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Officers of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will meet with EC vice presidents by the end of January, with a recommendation for one of them to serve as interim president coming at the Executive Committee’s February meeting, EC Chairman Rolland Slade told Baptist Press.
Six months ago, Daler* received a Bible from local Christians who were ministering in his village. Christian worker Brent Dorsett* has made several visits to this town, and he recently accompanied his national partner on a follow-up visit.
Hope. Merely reading the word can stir our emotions, inspire positive thoughts and lift our spirit. Hope is what keeps us going, causes us to press forward even in the face of hardship or despair, and prevents us from giving up on ourselves or others regardless of past disappointments or current circumstances.
MONETTE, Ark. (BP) – Pastor Stan Ballard noted Monday’s “beautiful weather” as he described the resilience of the 1,500 or so people in Monette, Ark., in the face of death and destruction from unseasonable tornadoes.
A Lifeway Research study finds 9 in 10 U.S. adults say they celebrate Christmas, including many non-Christians. Overall, 91% of Americans celebrate the Christmas holiday, unchanged from 2010.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s oral arguments Wednesday (Dec. 1) left pro-life advocates hopeful the justices are poised to uphold a state ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation and possibly to overturn long-standing decisions in support of legalized abortion nationwide.
The week of prayer for international missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is Nov. 28-Dec. 5.
Collectively, these three ladies had and are still having an immeasurable eternal impact for the Kingdom.
Parents of kids with disabilities have both similar and unique needs in comparison to other parents. Brothers and sisters in Christ want to help each other but may struggle to know the best path
The Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is focusing on pro-life work as oral arguments are scheduled for Dec. 1 at the Supreme Court in the case of Dobbs vs. Mississippi. Leaders from the ERLC talked with Jonathan Howe, vice president for communications of the SBC Executive Committee, during a special edition of the SBC This Week podcast released Monday
When Georges Boujakly arrived in Canada on New Year’s Eve 1969, his homeland of Lebanon was at war, the 19-year-old knew little English, and he had $30 to his name.
November 28 – December 5 is the Week of Prayer for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO).
“There are a lot of forgotten people in a lot of forgotten places across rural America.” We give to the Cooperative Program to make sure they are not overlooked with the Gospel.
On Oct. 29 in Kenya, IMB missionaries serving in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Asian Pacific Rim signed a memorandum of understanding solidifying the sending of missionaries from Asia to serve in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sept. 26 marked the first time the IMB specifically celebrated the achievements and contributions of Hispanic churches and missionaries in taking the Gospel to every nation, tribe, people and language.
This past summer more than 87,000 kids and students attended Lifeway camps with over 475 summer staffers providing fun and inspiring experiences at FUGE Camps, CentriKid Camps, Student Life Camps and Student Life Kids Camps.
Those of us whose families God has grown through adoption know that while our story is good, we did not become a family without brokenness and difficulty.
One hundred years ago a solemn procession made its way from the US Capitol, past the various National monuments, and across Memorial Bridge into Arlington National Cemetery.
Kitchens and his wife, Sherri, expressed their sincere gratitude to Southern Baptists for their faithful support and prayers during his decades of ministry as an endorsed Southern Baptist military chaplain.
For 176 years, Southern Baptists have sent missionaries to proclaim the gospel of hope among the nations through the IMB.
An amendment to the Texas constitution prohibiting the state government from imposing limits on religious worship services passed with 62 percent of the vote Tuesday (Nov. 2).
As a new budget year gets underway, Southern Baptists continue to exhibit financial faithfulness and generosity resulting in a strong start to the 2022 fiscal year. Gifts through the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget topped $16.7 million, exceeding budget expectations by more than 5.8 percent.
Along with discipleship, Geyer Springs First Baptist Church believes its generous support of the Cooperative Program is a key part of its strategy for advancing the Gospel.
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled Monday (Nov. 1) its dissatisfaction with a lower court’s ruling on a state abortion mandate and ordered it to reconsider that decision in light of the justices’ unanimous opinion in support of religious freedom earlier this year.
We can probably all agree that God works in amazing and unique ways. However, it never ceases to amaze me when I see His hands at work! God moves when you sometimes least expect it.
At this stage, the high court is not considering the constitutionality of the Texas law but whether it may remain in effect while the case is being adjudicated and whether the U.S. government may challenge it in federal court.
A dozen states are challenging the Biden administration’s funding of organizations that perform or promote abortions in one front in an ongoing policy struggle.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee met in a closed session on Thursday (Oct. 28). It was the first meeting for the group since the resignations of key EC staff members and a letter from long-time attorneys, Guenther, Jordan & Price, withdrawing from providing legal counsel for the group.
The only demolition, however, came to perceptions about evangelism and discipleship – spiritual strongholds that whispered a tiny church in a county of less than 20,000 people couldn’t make a difference. The key tool was prayer. The first call, however, went to a plumber.
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – Nathan Rostampour expresses a heart for house churches. Among fellow Farsi speakers in his native Iran where he accepted Christ in secret, any outward display of salvation can be deadly.
Government leaders voted in favor of the settlement in exchange for the church dropping its lawsuit that claimed the county’s measures amounted to discrimination.
In serving SBC churches, the statement began, NAMB seeks to “fulfill its mission in fidelity” to The Baptist Faith and Message. As part of that commitment, NAMB will endorse or fund church planters whose practices remain consistent with the BF&M.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville, lists a trio of claims for Stone’s legal action: defamation – libel, false light invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Officers of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee are planning for a special called meeting of the members. A letter from 25 EC trustees calling for the meeting was sent to EC Chairman Rolland Slade on Oct. 13.
Even the 2019 kidnapping and torture of two team members, the 2015 kidnapping and brutal beating of his wife Laurie and the 2018 murder of a base manager did not sway medical missionary David Vanderpool to close shop in Haiti.
Greg Addison, executive vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, is stepping down. Addison notified Ronnie Floyd, SBC EC president and CEO, of his intention to step down on Oct. 15, according to an email sent to EC trustees and staff on Wednesday (Oct. 20).
f you ask Archie Mason, senior pastor of Central Baptist Church, how many cattle he manages alongside his son, Ty, he’ll tell you, “One too many.” However, for the last couple of months a mentality of “just one more” has taken root at the Arkansas church as 76 baptisms have been registered between its campuses in Jonesboro and Paragould.
“There is a difference between living next to someone and being their neighbor.”
Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, announced his resignation Thursday night (Oct. 14) in a letter to Southern Baptists released by email.
“[God’s] hand has been and is all over your life and your preaching and your ministry,” Dew said to Luter. “You are not just the pastor of Franklin Avenue, you are the pastor of New Orleans, and brother, we are grateful for you.”
Nigeria is increasingly in the news, and not for its tourist attractions. Headlines amplify the spiral of hatred, civil unrest, violence, kidnapping and destruction that is “spinning out of control” in many parts of the African nation, according to some observers.
Pastors from Texas, Oklahoma and Washington join a CPA in making up the five-member Committee on Cooperation that will act as a liaison between the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions during the ongoing investigation over the possible mishandling of reports of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention.
Proud, officially announced to the role on Monday (Oct. 11), has been in his current position as director of missions for the Orange County Southern Baptist Association in southern California since August 2011. His first day as Colorado Baptists’ executive director will be Dec. 1.
Supporters of abortion rights succeeded in the executive branch Monday (Oct. 4), when the Biden administration announced the repeal of a Trump-era rule that prohibited family planning funds for Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortions.
Trustees met for more than three and a half hours via Zoom before the group voted in favor of a motion to waive privilege by a margin of 44-31. Three members abstained from the vote. Six members of the committee resigned between today’s meeting and the meeting on Sept. 28.
Digital media has changed the world. Jesus commissioned believers to make disciples of all nations, and that work is directly impacted by the accessibility provided through the internet. The ancient Roman Road opened the way to share Christ with the world in the apostle Paul’s day, and today the internet is opening the world in a new way for believers
John Dina’s job description isn’t medicine as missions, but he sees his work in community development in Mozambique as one way of doing healthcare missions.
A group from the ERLC, including Elizabeth Graham, ERLC vice president of operations and life initiatives, personally delivered the ultrasound machine to Hope House today to begin training their staff for this life-saving work.
Attendees at the Shrink the Divide racial reconciliation gathering at Redemption Church in Mobile, Ala., Sunday night (Oct. 3) took their seats, perhaps beside those who appeared most familiar. Then they were asked to change.
After a pandemic-influenced decline in 2020, Southern Baptists rallied to give $66.5 million to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® (AAEO) in 2021, the highest amount ever given to the offering that supports missions in North America.
Hello! We are the Pollard* family. Both of us, Adam* and Evelyn*, were born and mostly raised here in Arkansas. We have five children, and four of them were born overseas. We have
The Marshalls are two of the 34 IMB missionaries recognized during the Sending Celebration on Sept. 29, 2021, at Staples Mill Road Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. The missionaries were approved for appointment by International Mission Board trustees earlier that day during their meeting.
Tim Beougher considers himself blessed that he already understood evangelism to be a natural part of the Christian life before he realized that for many Christians, it isn’t.
A five-hour meeting by Executive Committee members Tuesday (Sept. 28) included debate over three different motions and amendments toward negotiating a contract with the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions. The end result brought another agreement to extend discussions another seven days in order to pursue a potential agreement through what came to be called the Michigan model.
As feeding begins to wind down in Louisiana, most Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) sites will continue assisting homeowners into October. Some sites will remain active until the middle of the month, while at least one will continue until the end of October.
Brewton had served as the Carolyn King Ragan Professor of Church Music and Worship since 2002 and was head of the Department of Biblical Worship. He taught students at Boyce College and Southern Seminary for almost 20 years.
In a ceremonial bill signing at Great Hills Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Austin, Abbott called the moment “a celebration,” the Texas Tribune reported. He was at the church for the annual Texas Faith, Family & Freedom Forum, hosted by policy group Texas Values.
Pray for Joel and Kellie to continue ministering with favor and boldness.
A marathon afternoon session that stretched past three hours Tuesday (Sept. 21) ended with Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members approving a motion to fund a contractual agreement with Guidepost Solutions for investigating claims of mishandling sexual abuse accusations.Â
NASHVILLE (BP) — Southern Baptist sacrifice and generosity has pushed cumulative giving to the annual Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American Missions past the $2 billion mark. The milestone was announced by North American Mission Board (NAMB) president Kevin Ezell as he shared a report with members of the SBC Executive Committee Monday evening, September 20.
Debate over the long-term effects of waiving attorney-client privilege and remaining in step with the entitys fiduciary responsibility led the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to call for an executive (or closed) session Monday afternoon (Sept. 20).
“From our first meeting she was eager and excited to know God,” said Ellison. “She believed that God’s Word was truth and was eager to learn it for herself.”
“My heart is heavy about this gathering,” he said. “I think all of us feel the weight of it, and we need to find a way forward for the glory of God together.”
Children’s Ministry is difficult in a lot of ways. It’s not even working with kids that make it so challenging. Instead, having enough people ready and able to serve is the most difficult part.
The Digital Public Square project will focus on the areas of human dignity, ethics, free speech and religious freedom. Jason Thacker, ERLC’s chair of research in technology ethics and author of the forthcoming book, “Following Jesus in the Digital Age,” from B&H Publishing, is spearheading the project.
Barry Calhoun opened the Bible study book on his desk and thought about Jesus’ parable of a man who refused to stop knocking on his neighbor’s door for help.
Baptist work in Brazil has grown from a small group of people 150 years ago to 15,000 congregations and 3.5 million people today.
The board of trustees of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention announced today they are accepting applications from interested candidates for the office of president and CEO of the ERLC.
FORT WORTH (BP) – In a conversation during chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Tuesday (Sept. 14), Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton addressed topics ranging from God’s work through suffering, racial reconciliation, the crisis facing the SBC Executive Committee and the accusations of plagiarism that have dogged him since early in his presidency.
The ERLC trustees endorsed without opposition a profile presented by the presidential search committee that consists of eight criteria a candidate must meet to fulfill the role of the commission’s next head. The action occurred during the trustees’ annual meeting, which will conclude Wednesday (Sept. 15) at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.
The GMB has appointed Mark Dooley as interim executive director. Dooley has been an active figure in convention life for decades and has served as the BCM/D’s state director of evangelism and Church Services team leader since 2019. He began serving as the interim executive director Wednesday (Sept. 15).
Cabrera was sent to partner with IMB missionary Jeremy Taliaferro’s team serving these refugees earlier this summer. The team’s main objectives are humanitarian aid and spiritual aid. He plans to be in the country for a minimum of three years.
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reacted to the announcement saying: “We encourage vaccination but oppose mandated vaccination. We are watching the situation closely and fully expect multiple legal challenges to be filed against the President’s announced mandate to private employers.”
When an individual from an unengaged, unreached people group comes to faith, many rejoice
Twenty years after spending weeks in what could only be called a war zone, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are reflecting on their experience working in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and how it affected their lives.
The high court granted a stay of execution on the same night John Ramirez was scheduled to receive the death penalty for a 2004 murder in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Messengers approved the formation of the task force at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in June just five days after the Executive Committee had announced Guidepost would conduct a similar review at its own request. The Executive Committee-commissioned review was subsequently put on hold pending the actions of the task force.
A week before Hurricane Ida hit southeastern Louisiana, William Bekemeier had just endured a heart attack. After he rode out the storm and felt the shock of a tree landing on his family’s house, he didn’t have the strength or stamina to clear the tree from his yard
Bethlehem Church, with Sunday attendance of about 4,000 on its three campuses, is routinely one of Georgia’s top baptizing churches with 200 or more yearly since 2018.
Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton and North American Mission Board Send Relief President Bryant Wright visited Louisiana Baptist churches, Sept. 6, who are hosting disaster relief teams in areas hit hard by Hurricane Ida.
Through the IMB Summer Sojourners program, four U.S. university students braved COVID-19 and unrest in Columbia to spend the summer serving with the Touch of Life Foundation in Bucaramanga, which ministers to Venezuelan refugees.
The Gospel is still the power of God for salvation.
The Florida Baptist Convention has begun the process of sending more than 1,200 tarps to pastors and churches in the affected area near the large city of Les Cayes, about 150 miles west of capital city of Port-Au-Prince.
In a 5-4 split, the high court rejected a last-ditch effort by abortion providers and advocates to halt enforcement of the Texas Heartbeat Act (S.B. 8), which can prohibit abortions as early as five to six weeks into pregnancy.
Churches in several communities in Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. John the Baptist and Jefferson parishes were damaged, including churches on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain and spanning more than 150 miles inland to Denham Springs. Ida killed at least eight people in the state.
Lifeway was made aware of the need for Bibles by Felix Cabrera, senior director of NAMB’s Send Network Español, who had been in contact with Brandon Hembree, lead pastor of Impact Church in Washington D.C. Impact Church has a sister church near the border in El Paso, Texas, that regularly ministers to immigrants in detention centers.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to block enforcement of the measure in response to a last-ditch request by abortion-rights organizations meant the law became the first heartbeat ban to take effect in the United States.
For believers in South Asia, persecution comes in many forms. Often, professing faith in Christ can affect their standing within their communities and their ability to secure a means of providing for their families.
As New Orleans’ power company, Entergy, faces what it described as “catastrophic transmission damage” and the city faces what might be weeks without power, Dew pledged the seminary’s support to displaced students, staff, and faculty as they face displacement for the next couple of weeks.
The prayer guide is one of the many resources Send Relief is providing for Southern Baptists related to the Afghanistan crisis.
Southern Baptist seminaries and affiliated colleges are taking a position of following COVID-19 recommendations while allowing room for individual choices as a surge in cases continues, driven largely by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Pastor Terry Dale Hudgins was in chapel at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary 27 years ago when he thought he heard God’s call to international missions.
Members of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs voted 69-35 on Aug. 22 to demolish the 100-year-old building that had been preserved as a memorial.
International Mission Board missionaries saw 18,380 churches planted, 144,322 new believers and 86,587 baptisms in 2020. This could not have happened without the prayers and financial support of Southern Baptist churches.
Send Relief is working with the Florida Baptist Convention and local Haitian churches on the ground to meet critical needs in the wake of the earthquake.
Parents and ballplayers know some things simply go with being a part of California Little League’s District 66.
Vazgen Zohrabyan was nine years old, living in Soviet Union-controlled Armenia when the Iron Curtain began to crumble in 1990.
When you give to your church, you give to missions through the Cooperative Program, bringing the Good News to the whole world.
Send Relief, Southern Baptists’ compassion ministry arm, has begun the process of helping Afghan refugees as they resettle around the world by working with World Relief and other ministry partners.
Over the last two months, it’s been The Question directed at Ed Litton. “How are you going to unify the Southern Baptist Convention?”
Refugees take more than one journey. The more obvious journey is the one they take away from instability and threats of violence and death in search of stability and safety. Another journey is one of trauma, and for many women, it includes domestic and sexual abuse.
The full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a federal judge and its own three-person panel in a
Several recent news stories provided Southern Baptists the opportunity for reflection, reinforcement and encouragement regarding the pro-life ethic.
More than half of Gen Z Christians, 53 percent, have a very positive view of letting the way they live be the primary witness of their faith to non-Christians, compared to 40 percent who have a very positive view of sharing their faith by testimony
Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law on Aug. 10 a bill that in essence defines churches and other religious organizations as providers of “essential services.”
On Jan. 13, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 outside of China was reported in Thailand. Since then, Southeast Asia has experienced wave after debilitating wave of the virus.
As Taliban insurgents take control in Afghanistan, Christians around the world and believers in the beleaguered nation are pleading for prayer.
I like to say that I teach Cake to Christ. When women are learning how to bake a cake, they’re getting the gospel.
The ERLC applauds the Indiana court’s decision to reaffirm the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ constitutional rights and its prerogative to operate according to its deeply held religious beliefs, and the bearing that has on all other religious persons and institutions.
[Dana] Moore is the pastor of Second Baptist Church Corpus Christi and has been ministering to John Henry Ramirez in prison for several years as a part of Second Baptists’ chaplaincy ministry.
Calls from Southern Baptist leaders and others for immediate assistance, warnings of devastating consequences for Christians and prayer requests followed the rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban.
A massive earthquake that struck Haiti Saturday morning (Aug. 14) and has left more than 1,200 dead has spurred Southern Baptists to coordinate relief efforts.
At first glance, Korean and Zambian cultures don’t share many similarities.
During consideration of a budget resolution, senators approved in a 50-49 vote an amendment by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., that bars federal funds from being used to pay for abortions.
For a quarter century, Stewart served in multiple capacities at NOBTS until his retirement in July 2003.
This is good news for children, families and Christians who want to continue serving in roles without conforming to “the latest fashionable ‘right side of history’ cause.”
Historically a study of how adults interact with Scripture, this year’s State of the Bible includes the opinions and perceptions of Gen Z, which spans ages 9-24, and studies Gen Z youth as a subset spanning ages 15-17.
Jesus is the one who gives eternal life, and you cannot lose your salvation! Imagine hearing that truth for the very first time.
Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, states have enacted 1,313 abortion restrictions – 566 of them since the beginning of 2011. But this year alone, there have been an additional 561 abortion restrictions proposed in state legislatures…
Clint Purvis walked the sidelines with Bobby Bowden for 21 years and was his friend for 33. In that time, he witnessed a sporting legend grow as Bowden became one of the winningest college football coaches in history, claiming two national championships and an era of success few programs have experienced.
The CALLED website features a library of video and blog post resources contributed by a variety of prominent evangelical leaders aimed at helping individuals process their own calls to ministry.
Leading a declining church through change and revitalization takes a sense of humor and lots of patience says Charles “Buddy” Parrish, pastor of First Baptist Church Sweetwater.
An Aug. 3 press release from Judicial Watch and The Center for Medical Progress uncovered public records from the National Institutes of Health (a part of HHS) related to “government-sponsored fetal experimentation” that focused on minimizing the amount of time aborted fetal organs go without blood flow.
The team distributes a pamphlet that explains each of their pins. If people have time, they share their faith and use the pins to talk about faith, grace and God’s redemption.
According to a study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research, when asked which feeling they seek to avoid the most, 4 in 10 U.S. adults (41 percent) say fear. Far fewer say shame (24 percent) or guilt (22 percent). Around 1 in 10 aren’t sure.
NAMB mobilizes college students across North America each summer. These GenSend student missionaries work with church planters and compassion ministry missionaries, helping them serve and reach their communities for six to eight weeks.
The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) decried the July 30 action by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called for its reversal.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Summertime often negatively impacts church attendance and giving as families travel for vacations. But even as the country experiences more than usual travel this summer and a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, giving through the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget remains consistent, meeting the expected budget again in July.
HANNIBAL, Mo. (BP) – As a professor of Christian studies and religious history at Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU), Miles Mullin is always looking for ways to communicate the history and impact of Baptist work to the students in his charge.
In 2020, 4.3 billion people lived in cities – that’s 56 percent of the global population. By 2050, it is estimated more than 2 billion people will be added to that number.
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. (BP) – The Cooperative Program is neither a “sacred cow” nor the only way to support missions. Rather, it’s the best way to financially provide for Kingdom-building missions, say members of Goshen Baptist Church, who will celebrate the church’s 150th anniversary next year.
GALLATIN, Tenn. (BP) – A week ago, Pastor Travis Fleming of First Baptist Gallatin thought all-digital worship services, recommended masking and strict social distancing were a thing of the past.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) – Evangelist and well-known speaker Wade Morris died Tuesday morning (Aug. 3) at age 51 after a battle with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
When an individual from an unengaged, unreached people group comes to faith, many rejoice: the missionaries who’ve dedicated their lives to reaching the people group, the believers and churches in the United States who’ve spent time praying for and investing resources in the people, the national believers and churches who have been instrumental in gaining access to and reaching the people, and even the angels in heaven (Luke 15:10).
Prestonwood Baptist Church Pastor Jack Graham (second from right) presents a $1 million dollar gift to IMB President Paul Chitwood (second from left) Sunday, Aug. 1. Also pictured: L. Gilberto Corrdera, pastor of Prestonwood en Español (left) and John Brady, IMB’s Vice President for global engagement (right).
TOKYO (BP) – Japan’s population is aging. Almost 30 percent of its population is 65 years old and older. This statistic is affecting church planting, church health and church growth. International Mission Board missionaries and Japanese Christians must answer the question, “Who will lead the next generation of believers?”
TAMPA (BP) – Florida deacon Bobby Falcone was seeking to become the legal guardian of his handicapped sister when he discovered a trail of stolen, black-market babies that led to his biological father who never knew Falcone existed.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptists continue to fight against human trafficking worldwide as the issue is acknowledged by the United Nations on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today, July 30.
Williams said the SBC cannot change its past but must move forward with a united goal.
Speakers focused on the meeting’s theme, “Pressing On Toward the Goal,” and the central verse of Phil. 3:12-14.
The ERLC and five other organizations joined in a brief filed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) regarding a case involving Mississippi’s ban on abortions of unborn children whose gestational age is more than 15 weeks.
Conflict in terms of race relations boils down to a pivotal question, Pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship told those gathered at his church on Wednesday, July 21.
At the beginning of 2021, Glenn Mitchell, co-director of the church’s food pantry ministry, shared that he needed help due to a potential shortage of workers and the ongoing need for provisions. We prayed and I encouraged him to pray and encourage all involved to pray together to ask God to provide the food and workers. He and the others who serve in that ministry began meeting in prayer each week before they distributed food. They gather in a circle while holding hands to pray for direction, more workers, and food to share with those in need.
VIENNA, Va. (BP) – Controversy over the election of three elders reached a boiling point during a contentious business meeting last Sunday (July 18) at McLean Bible Church, where former International Mission Board President David Platt is pastor.
Several evangelical organizations, both internationally and in the U.S., are partnering together in an effort to cover Japan with 1 million hours of prayer during the 30 days of the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic games.
NASHVILLE (BP) – SBC President Ed Litton released a video Tuesday (July 20) following the first meeting of a task force he named to oversee an independent review of the SBC Executive Committee.
ST. LOUIS (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders commended the latest court victory for a student faith group that was removed from a state university campus for requiring its leaders to be Christians.
Many Central Asian refugees found themselves grounded in one country on the refugee highway, routes often traveled by refugees crossing country borders, in 2015 and 2016 and the grounding continues due to the pandemic. This is the longest missionaries William and Darlene King*, who serve with the International Mission Board, have had with refugees whose journey on the refugee highway is somewhat of a modern-day telling of Homer’s Odyssey.
DALLAS (BP) – As a 33-year-old with a young family, NBA writer Jonathan Tjarks had never really thought about his own mortality, which is why he said it was “absolutely shocking,” to be diagnosed with cancer this April.
In a unanimous decision, the federal court for the 8th Circuit held that administrators at the University of Iowa are violating the First Amendment by removing Christian, Muslim, and Sikh student organizations for choosing student leaders who share the group’s mission and values. The court’s ruling of InterVarsity v. University of Iowa follows a series of recent decisions that uphold the First Amendment’s free exercise clause and specifically rejects skewed applications of anti-discrimination policies based on a leader’s viewpoints.
Jose and his wife, Juanita*, were Spanish speaking immigrants to Israel, working in a newly opened coffee shop when Ben and Christy walked in that spring evening.
HOUSTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity called for prompt congressional action after a federal court halted a program that has prevented the deportation of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
WASHINGTON (BP)—The congressional effort to continue to prohibit taxpayer funds from paying for abortions suffered multiple setbacks Thursday (July 15).
KADUNA, Nigeria (BP) — In six days of attacks after the kidnapping of more than 125 Baptist school students in Kaduna, Nigeria, terrorists have killed at least 33 area civilians and burned four churches and hundreds of nearby homes, witnesses told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
LACHISH, Israel (BP) — A written inscription spelling the biblical name “Jerubbaal” or “Yeruba’al,” has been found during an archaeological dig in a Southern District of Israel, according to media reports.
NASHVILLE (BP) — An expressed love of missions, education and the Gospel flow from the life experiences of Florida’s Archalena Coats and Louisiana’s Carolyn Fountain, the first two Black women to serve on the SBC Executive Committee.
The opinion overturned a 2-1 decision last August by a Seventh Circuit panel in favor of a music director terminated by a Catholic church.
Along with making sacred American music accessible to the public, the NEH grant will support the research and writing of 425 volume summaries, 100 collection descriptions and 15 bibliographic essays introducing readers to the many works and contributions of the authors.
Teaching others English as a second language is personal to Natalie Prim of Ocala. Her father was an immigrant who came to America in the late 1940’s and married her American mother.
NASHVILLE (BP) – John Blackmon’s father-in-law couldn’t hear the message, but its boldness and life-changing capability rang through loud and clear two weeks before he died.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) — Before his “eureka moment,” one of Pastor Reginald Hayes’ favorite meals was a McDonald’s fish sandwich. He could buy one, eat it in the car and be tempted to buy another upon reaching the next McDonald’s just around the corner.
WASHINGTON (BP) – The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $220,000 in legal fees in a settlement with Capitol Hill Baptist Church. The settlement comes nine months after a federal court ruled the government could not prohibit the Southern Baptist congregation from meeting outdoors with proper safety measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are now in the third wave, and it is the highly contagious Delta variant. So many people are getting sick. In fact, my husband tested positive this week, and my daughter and I are experiencing symptoms, so we are all in quarantine for two weeks.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – A squad of gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in an overnight raid on their home Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the Caribbean country that was already enduring gang violence, soaring inflation and protests of his increasingly authoritarian rule.
TERRY, Miss. (BP) – A year before pastor Lee Faler’s firstborn son Rankin, 6, developed terminal brain cancer, First Baptist Church of Terry was focused on suffering and prayer.
WASHINGTON (BP) – Human traffickers took advantage of the conditions produced by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last year, but those working to combat the trade in human beings adapted their efforts to protect the vulnerable and aid victims, according to the U.S. State Department.
CHICAGO (BP) – Pastors are calling for prayer after the long July Fourth holiday weekend came to a violent end with at least 108 people shot in Chicago, 17 fatally.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Air Force is mostly responsible for a former serviceman killing more than two dozen people at a Texas church in 2017 because it failed to submit his criminal history into a database, which should have prevented him from purchasing firearms.
KADUNA, Nigeria (BP) – About 125 students kidnapped from a Baptist church school in northern Nigeria are especially in danger because of their Christianity and the unwillingness of local authorities to pay a ransom, a leading persecution watchdog group told Baptist Press.
In a small town near Madrid, Spain, a missionary couple, Walker and Becca Welch, walked around a university hoping to meet Chinese students and share the gospel. Usually, the town’s university hosts more than 300 Chinese exchange students every year. Unfortunately, due to COVID 19, the Welches have had few opportunities so far this year to get to know them.
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity has cheered the enactment of a new federal law nullifying a rule that had the effect of permitting predatory loans nationwide.
NASHVILLE (BP) – A search committee has been named to find a successor to Russell Moore as president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
NASHVILLE (BP) – After nine months of lagging behind the previous year’s totals due to the COVID-19 pnademic, giving through the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget surpassed year-over-year numbers and climbed to more than $6 million above budget for the current fiscal year.
Today, a Christian couple sits in prison. Arrested for sharing the gospel, they wait for another trial date to face the authorities and angry family members. They’ve been to trial already but have not yet heard a final verdict or sentencing. Trials are often postponed and drawn out, while government leaders look for further evidence against Christians and hope that believers will renounce their faith in Christ.
NASHVILLE (BP) — Mark Richt, the former college football coach who is now a national spokesperson for Send Relief, announced Thursday (July 1) he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
SARALAND, Ala. (BP) — SBC President Ed Litton joined Jonathan Howe, SBC Executive Committee vice president for communications, on Friday’s (July 2) episode of SBC This Week, a weekly podcast related to SBC news and events.
CWJC/CMJC provides a Christian environment in which women and men are equipped for life and employment.
For the first time since 2019, a Promise Keepers Men’s Conference will convene in Arlington, Texas on July 16 and 17. Lifeway Baptist Church in Little Rock will host a simulcast of the live conference.
Following the release of a video showing similarities in a sermon, SBC President Ed Litton and his predecessor J.D. Greear said Litton had sought and received permission to use material from a sermon earlier preached by Greear.
During the height of a civil war, persecution was rampant and ruthless where IMB worker Edwin Hayes* serves.
A day after the 12-story Chaplain Towers South Condo collapsed on itself, Pines Baptist Church Pastor Luis Acosta was as close to the smoldering rubble as authorities allowed.
The Supreme Court of the United States denied a petition by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) to review its ongoing case involving a lawsuit filed by a former Southern Baptist state executive director.
As Southern Baptists from across the country gathered for the annual meeting last week, many were intentional about sharing the love of Jesus with the staff at the Music City Center.
Wally Contreras of First Baptist Church Gahanna, Ohio, had a passion for missions before he became pastor in January 2020.
As COVID-19 fears ease, Vacation Bible School leaders are especially delighted, as well as thousands of children who will receive spiritual nurture through music-sparked worship, Bible studies, activities, games and crafts.
Traumatic experiences are part of the context for many missionaries, pastors and leaders who currently work with people who have been affected by some type of tragedy, especially in this time of pandemic. The suffering and the aftermath left by these experiences are part of the challenge that the Christian worker faces in presenting the message of the gospel.
A Uyghur family prepares dinner over an open fire.
WASHINGTON (BP) – Americans who most often turn to Scripture are more hopeful and forgiving but still suffer stress and trauma, the American Bible Society said in the latest release from its 2021 State of the Bible report.
Williams Baptist University has released the names of students on the President’s and Dean’s Lists for the 2021 spring semester. The President’s List includes those full-time students who achieved a perfect 4.0-grade point average, while the Dean’s List consists of those with at least a 3.5 GPA.
At the recent Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, the topic of pastoral sexual abuse and assault dominated much of the conversation and business, including passing a resolution that “any person who has committed sexual abuse is permanently disqualified from holding the office of pastor.”
Messianic Southern Baptists are among Jewish and Gentile Christians issuing a statement decrying anti-Semitism that is rising globally and spiking since the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Last week’s 2021 SBC Annual Meeting was the largest since 1995, and much of that had to do with the location and the involvement of first-time messengers to the convention.
A local Bambara subsistence farmer in the village of Falako in Mali, West Africa shows an IMB missionary and volunteer the worms that are killing his crops. This village is one of 120 that will benefit from 500 tons of millet. The grain was provided to help stave off the starvation for about 31,000 people living in this rural area.
Religious freedom advocates objected to Colorado cake artist Jack Phillips’ court loss in his latest attempt to defend the freedom to conduct his business according to his Christian convictions.
Presidents of the six Southern Baptist seminaries gave reports to messengers and guests attending the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting Wednesday (June 16). A common theme of the reports was God’s faithfulness during the challenges of 2020. Below are summaries of each report submitted by the seminaries.
Ramsey* didn’t want to take his own life. Instead, he accepted missions that put him in harm’s way. Years later, after he became a Christian, Ramsey still doesn’t want to take his own life, but is willing to lay down his life for the sake of Christ and accepted a mission that puts him in harm’s way.
The SBC’s future hinges on a reemphasis on evangelism and missions, four former presidents agreed during a panel discussion before the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting.
Refugee women display bracelets they made with the help of volunteers.
The 973 Korean Southern Baptist churches in the United States unanimously passed one resolution at their annual fellowship meeting in mid-June. It was to tell the government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) they oppose that nation’s efforts to pass an “equality act” that would in effect silence preaching on biblical marriage.
Ben Mandrell, Lifeway Christian Resources president and CEO, expressed confidence in the future of the organization during his report to messengers at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting on Wednesday (June 16).
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission intends to place 50 ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers during a two-year span in its ongoing and increasing effort to protect unborn children, acting President Daniel Patterson told messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting on Wednesday (June 16).
The Williams Baptist University athletics department announces the hiring of Tyler Fraley as the new head coach of its wrestling program. Williams Baptist University announces the hiring of Tevin Howard as their new men’s basketball assistant coach.
South Carolina pastor Tom Tucker’s reelection Monday (June 14) as vice chairman of the SBC Executive Committee became moot Wednesday (June 16), when messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting rejected a motion to nominate him to a second term on the Executive Committee.
George Smith’s COVID-19 test came back positive. The diagnosis began a months-long battle of prayer and physical challenges for Smith and his wife Geraldine, IMB missionaries in Uganda.
A slate of elections pushed to Wednesday (June 16) witnessed close votes among three contests as well as one result by acclamation.
Messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting overwhelmingly approved a motion calling for a task force to oversee a third-party investigation into allegations of mishandling abuse claims at the SBC Executive Committee.
The Resolutions Committee had declined the resolution, reasoning that while “messengers would agree with some aspects of this resolution,” the issue of abortion was addressed in another resolution condemning the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding of abortion.
Hispanic Baptists showed up by the hundreds to the Hispanic Celebration ahead of the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting Sunday (June 13).
The Filipino Southern Baptist Fellowship of North America two years ago said they wanted to support Filipino church planters, and they sent out their first this January.
Messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting approved a broad resolution on the Bible’s sufficiency regarding race and racial reconciliation Tuesday (June 15) but chose not to address specifically the contentious issue of critical race theory.
Messengers resoundingly defeated a change to the SBC Business and Financial Plan proposed by the convention’s Executive Committee.Critics said the proposal would have granted the EC too much authority and left the six SBC seminaries in trouble with accreditors.
IMB President Paul Chitwood addresses the Southern Baptist Convention during the IMB report on June 15, 2021. (IMB photo)
n the press conference following his election as the 46thpresident of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Ed Litton, pictured above, spoke of family, healing and conversations to come. All of those dealt not only with subjects such as racial reconciliation and sexual abuse, but a Convention still divided over how to approach them.
Saying they faced a defining moment, the “most important crossroads” in a generation, departing SBC President J.D. Greear challenged Southern Baptists to hear the concerns of the entire body while unifying around the one true Gospel and the Great Commission.
Worship led by Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans, a rousing sermon from Tony Evans and a concert by Crowder kicked off the Send Conference 2021 Sunday night (June 13) at Music City Center.
Local Baptist associations are vital catalysts for unity in the SBC and the rebound of Cooperative Program giving, according to the three candidates for convention president who participated in a forum Sunday (June 13) hosted by the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (SBCAL).
Twenty years from now, historians are going to call the upcoming annual meeting a defining moment for the Southern Baptist Convention. It will determine if the SBC chooses to let the Great Commission and the Gospel define its mission or if it will be seen as a geographical, cultural and political voting bloc. It will determine the basis for SBC unity.
About 130 people from most of 27 Southern Baptists’ distinct Asian cultures met for the “Asian American Kickoff Gathering” Sunday (June 13) in a double-sized room at the Music City Center.
Matt Henslee, pastor of Mayhill Baptist Church in Mayhill, N.M., was elected president of the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference Monday afternoon over four other nominees. Also elected to join him next year will be Vice President Cam Triggs, pastor of Grace Alive Church in Orlando, and Treasurer Sam Greer, pastor of Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga.
SBC presidential candidate Randy Adams said he, along with others he declined to name, combined to fund the publication and delivery of a tabloid-styled newspaper. “SBC News” was being distributed outside the Music City Center Sunday and Monday (June 13-14).
If the SBC Executive Committee’s meeting Monday (June 14) is any indication, the convention’s annual meeting this year could involve drama.
Following the release Thursday (June 10) of audio clips from two 2019 meetings among Southern Baptist leaders regarding how to address sexual abuse in the convention, SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd has joined Executive Committee Chairman Rolland Slade in calling for an independent, third-party review.
While the rewritten Business & Financial Plan up for vote at the SBC annual meeting next week has generated a lot of discussion, its overarching goal is to generate more transparency and accountability among SBC entities.
Houston’s First Baptist Church not only takes reaching the nations seriously, but they also take their call to reach the nations that have come to Houston seriously.
SBC President J.D. Greear led the third and final Wednesday sessions of focused prayer for the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting today (June 9) at 2 p.m. CDT.
The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will maintain the same aim in its work while the search is underway for a new leader, acting president Daniel Patterson said.
A second letter written by former Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore has elicited response from Southern Baptist leaders and calls for an independent investigation.
Jihadists are blamed for killing 160 people in Burkina Faso in a prolonged weekend attack among the latest in violent religious persecution in Africa’s Sahel region.
In January 2020, International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood announced 2025 targets built around the IMB’s vision and mission to engage unreached people and places in the next five years. The first target is “send an additional 500 missionaries.”
“Praise God. God is good all the time,” Seth Mahiga proclaimed at the altar of Life Church International in Nairobi, Kenya. Just two days earlier he announced his resignation as general secretary of the Atheists in Kenya Society.
Raymond*, a church planter and pastor, went to jail for sharing his faith in 2008, and now faces the possibility of more time in jail.
I have received a copy of the letter from former ERLC president Russell Moore to our current SBC president J.D. Greear.
magine being forced to leave your home with fear and uncertainty of where you are going or whether you will even survive.| For nearly 26 million refugees worldwide, this is a reality. As Christians, we are to show compassionate love to refugees by caring for their physical and emotional needs, while pointing them to the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ. June 20 is world refugee day. Consider the following WMU resources to learn more about the refugee crisis and how you and your church could respond.
In a letter written more than a year before his departure from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, former president Russell Moore asserted that much of what he described as pushback from SBC leaders during his tenure resulted from his stances on race and sexual abuse issues.|
Download this full-color prayer guide for the Middle East to use at home or distribute in your churches. Presentation slides are also available below to use on screens.
The financial upturn much of the country has seen as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down is becoming evident though an increase in giving across the Southern Baptist Convention. Both Cooperative Program giving and designated giving reports for May 2021 showed strong year-over-year increases, and CP giving continues to run above budget for the fiscal year.
TULSA (BP) – Although for years, the horrific incident was only whispered about, Deron Spoo was very intentional in trying to ensure it was solemnly remembered.
One Year. That’s how long it was that retired pastor Homer Hinson and his wife Doris were unable to touch each other due to COVID-19 restrictions in Homer’s nursing home.
Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson is disputing allegations made by the seminary in the 2021 SBC Book of Reports that documents and other items belonging to the seminary were “improperly removed” from the campus after his firing in 2018.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on global persecution, leading churches to pray for the persecuted church. The Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church will be observed this Sunday (June 6).
On Friday, President Biden released his FY 2022 budget proposal. His budget notably removes the Hyde Amendment.
Winter scenes at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp near Kraków, Poland, are never cheerful and the weather usually has a big part to play. Even the cheerfully colored umbrellas of tourists exploring the ruins of the old camp barracks cannot change what history wrote there—the scar of concrete fenceposts and lives lost remain.
After tornado alarms sounded in Joplin on May 22, 2011, Pastor John Swadley of Forest Park Baptist Church here took shelter with his family in a crawlspace under their home. They listened to radio reports covering the storm and its devastating aftermath.
Religious freedom advocates mourned but expressed hope that a Christian college in Missouri will ultimately prevail after an opening setback in its challenge to a federal order that requires schools to open dormitory rooms, restrooms and shared shower facilities to members of the opposite sex.
Before we come together for our 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville, I want to share a few thoughts on the present state of the Convention.
Surfing involves a lot of things coming together. The waves have to be breaking. One has to get a sense of the ocean’s movement, when the wave is about to approach and join it. When that happens, it can take you farther than you expect.
In the silence since the May 20 ceasefire between Israel and Gaza ended 11 days of violence, Baptist workers among Israeli and Palestinians urge churches to look past the politics and see people in need of Jesus.
Answering an acute need, the Fellowship of Native American Christians (FoNAC) helped provide clean water to Native American tribes in Arizona this past year as a way to minister both physically and spiritually.
SBC President J.D. Greear led the first of three Wednesday sessions of focused prayer for the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting today (May 26) at 2 p.m. CDT.
U.S. Protestant churches endured a difficult 2020, including starting the year with fewer congregations.
May 26 marks the first of three consecutive Wednesdays in which SBC President J.D. Greear invited Southern Baptists into “committed, specific times of prayer and fasting,” leading up to the SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville June 15-16.
At first glance, the merging of Burncoat Baptist Church and The Church on Seven Hills may have appeared to benefit one congregation more than the other. Burncoat’s membership and building were both showing their advancing years. The Church on Seven Hills was energetic, four years removed from its founding and full of college students.
Like most other things in 2020, church planting looked different. But thanks to a strong network of support and a cadre of resilient church planters, Southern Baptists planted 588 new churches, an increase of 36 over the previous year.
Adam*, a national believer, knew death was coming. He told Jonathan*, an International Mission Board worker, he would be killed. His days were numbered, and though he didn’t know the number of days, he knew what God had called him to do.
Amaziah Church between Hickory Flat and Myrtle, averages 75-80 people in attendance and, like all churches, has been impacted by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped the members from sacrificially supporting the work of the Lord at home and around the world.
Dr. Kyle Walker, Senior Pastor of Cartersville First Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia has announced his intentions of nominating Jamar Andrews, Senior Pastor of Word Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas as a candidate for president of the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Pastors’ Conference.
Meghan Aranda, an IMB journeyman, serves in Colombia among Indigenous people along the coast, including the Zenu. Toward the beginning of her two-year term, Aranda attended a workshop hosted by Send Relief in Panama. The purpose of the workshop was to provide practical tools to equip or start microenterprises within communities.
Dr. D. Hance Dilbeck Jr. was unanimously elected GuideStone president-elect during a called meeting of the GuideStone Trustee Board on Thursday (May 20). Dilbeck, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists since 2018, accepted the call and gave thanks to the Lord, his family and trustees for the opportunity to serve at GuideStone.
ohn Wesley famously said, “God does nothing in the world except in answer to prayer.” That’s probably an overstatement, but the apostles’ experience in Acts verifies at least the sentiment behind it. It was after a 10-day prayer meeting that God gave Peter the power to birth the church through his preaching in Acts 2.
Last year was a statistical mess with the pandemic; churches weren’t meeting for much of the year, much less having intimate events like baptisms where hugs and close contact abound. Baptisms dropped by about half to 123,160 the lowest since the flu epidemic of 1919. That was a good comparison, I thought.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Fifty years ago, as they prepared to bring their third child into what seemed to be increasingly chaotic times, Bill and Gloria
AUSTIN, Texas (BP) – Texas has become the latest and largest state to prohibit abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Gov. Greg Abbott
NASHVILLE (BP) – Annual Church Profile data collected for 2020 by Lifeway Christian Resources shows the staggering impact of COVID-19 but also the faithfulness of
LAKE CHARLES, La. (BP) – Some may give up trying to make a home in southwest Louisiana with flooding that has killed four people and
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – IMB missionary Jim Flora, who served among the Basotho people of Lesotho in Sub-Saharan Africa, died Friday, May 8, 2021 from
NASHVILLE (BP) – When a local television station in Nashville aired footage of pastor Zach Lloyd leaving Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital, probably few people realized
Editor’s Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) – When Julie Busler returned to America with her family after serving with the
Macie Craddock* said she always felt compelled to serve overseas in some capacity. From an early age Craddock interacted with missionaries through Girls in Action
Russell Moore is leaving the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, ending an occasionally controversial eight-year tenure, to take a role with Christianity Today.
WASHINGTON (BP) – Pro-life advocates gladly welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement Monday (May 17). It would rule on the constitutionality of Mississippi’s ban on
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on global persecution, leading churches to pray for the persecuted church. The Day of Prayer for
CHICAGO (BP) – Southern Baptist Messianic Jewish believer Ric Worshill is receiving prayer requests from those in danger as fighting continues between Israel and Hamas.
WACO, Texas (BP) – Baylor University’s Board of Regents approved a resolution Friday (May 14) that paves the way for an officially recognized LGBTQ student
NASHVILLE (BP) – Lifeway Christian Resources has completed the sale of its building in downtown Nashville for $95 million. “I’m pleased and grateful to God
NASHVILLE (BP) – Billy Graham is the subject of a new documentary premiering Monday (May 17) on PBS. The film chronicles the life, ministry and
When Eric Haney stepped onto the train platform after a long night of music rehearsal in Stockholm, Sweden, his eyes were drawn to the wall
International Mission Board trustees approved 68 new fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 11-12 meeting in Richmond, Virginia. This is the first in-person
Having presented the 2020 Annual Statistical Report (ASR) to IMB trustees during the May 13 board meeting, IMB is now making the full report available
WASHINGTON (BP) – State Department officials sought to provide assurances the Biden administration will maintain the United States’ commitment to international religious freedom in commenting
I am Joel, and my wife, Kellie, and I have been serving with the International Mission Board for the past 19 years in Southeast Asia
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) – Large numbers of baptisms continue to make a splash throughout the Southern Baptist Convention as several churches baptized hundreds of people
The Cooperative Program (CP) has caught on with Iowa Baptists – to say the least. Since 2014, total CP giving through the Baptist Convention of
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – More than half of Americans believe the Bible is “without error,” the American Bible Society (ABS) said Tuesday (May 11) in its
ROWLETT, Texas (BP) – Crossroads Church doesn’t plan a youth Sunday anymore. To be honest, the concept seemed pointless. “A lot of what we do
IMB missionary couple Jay and Kathy Shafto understand the importance of people hearing the gospel in their own languages. The Shaftos currently serve in the
NASHVILLE (BP) – As more Americans have access to legal marijuana, most U.S. Protestant pastors remain opposed to its use and legalization. In November 2020,
WACO, Texas (BP) – Adam Kovach spent much of his childhood in hospital waiting rooms while his father battled terminal brain cancer. The family struggled
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on global persecution, leading churches to pray for the persecuted church. The Day of Prayer for
JISR, Israel (BP) – Jewish Israeli Neta Hanien has forged a business partnership with Arab Israeli Ahmad Juha in Jisr, the only exclusively Arab town
WASHINGTON (BP) – An estimated millions of Americans petitioned God for the health and care of America as the nation marked the 70th anniversary of the
OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) – Mart Green has a vision that everyone in the world will have the Bible in their own heart language in the
What would happen if the more than 47,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention were directly connected to International Mission Board missionaries and actively engaged
MARION, Ala. (BP) – The Judson College faithful fought hard for five months trying to save the school, but in the end it just wasn’t
NASHVILLE (BP) – Attention to mental health across the country increased over the last year due to the potential effects brought on by the COVID-19
NASHVILLE (BP) – The American economy has bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic at a quicker pace than many experts expected. Thankfully for Southern Baptists,
Maggie Pearce* was crushed. Her friend who had been so receptive to studying the Bible and hearing about Jesus suddenly seemed angry and closed to
Christian leaders are working tirelessly to serve—finding oxygen cylinders, medicine, empty hospital beds, meals and burial sites for countless people. Pray Isaiah 40:31 that as they wait on
Death is literally in the air. I opened the veranda door of my apartment in Delhi this week and realized the sky was grey and
DULUTH, Ga. (BP) – A simple furniture purchase turned into a life-changing experience for two men visiting Pastor James Merritt this past weekend. Merritt, pastor
BOSTON (BP) — During their spring 2021 meeting, trustees of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) unanimously passed a resolution formally requesting the SBC’s collegiate
SOMERVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A steady stream of teenagers is coming to faith in Christ at Fayette Baptist Church. Madison had been attending the Memphis-area
PEABODY, Mass. (BP) – A grim statistic has created new ministry for New England pastor Antonio Luis Ferreira. With more than 400,000 deaths, Brazil ranks
GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – The recent 2020 Census results may have led to headlines nationwide and particularly regarding the state of Texas. But for Doug Hixson the
At age 15, Cristhina Danies knew God was calling her to work with women and children overseas who were victims of wars, human trafficking and exploitation. Danies moved to Miami, Florida,
The International Mission Board is collaborating with Nik Ripken Ministries to raise awareness about current religious persecution through the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted
NASHVILLE (BP) – State governments are on pace to enact a record number of pro-life laws during a year. Already in 2021, a total of
NIGERIA (BP) – Boko Haram and affiliated Islamic terrorists are poised to form a caliphate in Sub-Saharan Africa, international religious liberty leaders told Baptist Press.
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (BP) – Trevor Lawrence isn’t your typical 21-year-old, but he was a fairly normal church kid. In January 2019 Lawrence hit the national
NASHVILLE (BP) – For more than 30 years, Southern Baptists have focused on working together to serve and reach those in the host city of
COLMESNEIL, Texas (BP) – Over the last two months, we have seen an amazing manifestation of the Spirit of God in our little community of
CLINTON, Miss. – Nursing is a demanding profession even in the best of times. Those demands have skyrocketed over the past year as nurses and
NASHVILLE (BP) – The 2021 SBC Annual Meeting will convene at the Music City Center on Tuesday, June 15, at 8 a.m. and conclude Wednesday,
La Unión Femenil Bautista Misionera Helen Stuart donated $1,180.88 to the 2020 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® (LMCO). The group is a part of the Baptist Convention of Panama’s Woman’s Missionary Union and has faithfully donated to the International Mission Board (IMB) for many years.
AMES, Iowa (BP) – Shane Kelley and his wife Samantha couldn’t have fully prepared themselves for the world of foster care even with the mandated
WASHINGTON (BP) – The largest portion of teenagers in the U.S. believe that more than one religion may be true, Pew Research said in its
AUBURN, Ala. (BP) – A year into his pastorate at Lakeview Baptist Church, Al Jackson was approached by three men who said they felt called
In March 2020, Sophia Roberts* was scheduled to fly to Southeast Asia to begin her term with IMB’s Journeyman program. As she was signing the contract
BURLINGTON, W.Va. (BP) – Broken Before the Throne prayer ministry leader Dan Biser discovered a reality when working with a multidenominational group of Christian ministers.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Joe Wright expresses a heart for the “smallest of these,” churches numbering 75 or fewer in Sunday attendance and comprising two-thirds of
When COVID-19 first arrived in Guinea in March 2020, churches closed almost immediately. With churches and many businesses shutting down simultaneously, most church leadership completely
TRENTON, Tenn. (BP) – Going to church on Easter Sunday wasn’t an option for the inmates at the Gibson County jail. So, Sheriff Paul Thomas
RIPLEY, W.Va. (BP) – “He was sent our way out of Florida. On suicide watch, he’d lost some buddies in Iraq. He was scarred and
NASHVILLE (BP) – John Yeats, who has served 23 terms as Southern Baptist Convention recording secretary, will be renominated to the post at the SBC
Time is never a guarantee when Christians meet a refugee in Greece. They may have years, months, weeks or just hours to share the hope
WASHINGTON (BP) – Countries used COVID-19 as an excuse to persecute religious minorities and sometimes blamed certain religions for the pandemic itself, the U.S. Commission
BOSTON (BP) – Soon after it launched in 2005, Boston’s Grace Church had a realization: nonbelievers would drive an hour for work or Little League,
LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (BP) – As a deputy for the Loudon County Sheriff’s department and a bivocational pastor, Kenny Palmer is used to calls for
MINNEAPOLIS (BP) – Leaders and pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention joined others today (April 20) in commenting on the verdict of former police officer
March 22, 2021, marked one year anniversary of the first COVID-19 related death in Czech Republic, where I serve. In memory and honor of those lost in
DALLAS (BP) – Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson has long known the sanctity of human life. It was instilled in him from his youth, when
WASHINGTON (BP) – Pro-life advocates decried the Biden administration’s decision to rescind policies that restricted research using human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions. The
SOUTH ASIA (BP) – Missionary Liz Karwood* reports that in the area where she serves, the lostness can feel staggering. She understands that her team
NASHVILLE (BP) – Fewer churchgoers filled pews and Bible studies during the pandemic, but many still continued personal discipleship habits throughout 2020. A study by Nashville-based
WASHINGTON (BP) – Evangelical Christian and other advocates for resettling more refugees in the United States are waiting to see if the Biden administration will
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Biden administration has issued new policies to grant abortion providers access to federal family planning funds and to remove the in-person
HOUSTON (BP) – The coalescing factor behind a record missions gift by Houston’s First Baptist church is that it truly was an act of worship
Pastor Cecil Richards calls it “pure gold” – a missionary’s 5-gallon bucket of water that led to his salvation after the 1979 La Soufriere volcanic
AUSTIN, Texas (BP) — My first pastorate, on a back road through the tobacco fields of Kentucky, had a church building with room for about
WASHINGTON (BP) – Seven years after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a majority Christian school in Chibok, Nigeria, U.S. religious freedom advocates are lamenting
(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) – The WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 13 from 1-5 p.m. at Nashville First Baptist Church.
NASHVILLE (BP) – The 2021 SBC Annual Meeting will move to the Music City Center in downtown Nashville June 15-16, the SBC Executive Committee announced
Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) has the longest-running civil war in history, spanning 70 years. The country is divided into seven regions, and within these
NASHVILLE (BP) – The submission portal for 2021 SBC resolutions opened today (April 15) at 12:01 am. In accordance with SBC Bylaw 20, proposed resolutions may be
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear has announced the 68 members of the Committee on Committees that will meet prior to the
CINCINNATI (BP) – Pro-life leaders praised a federal appeals court decision upholding an Ohio law that prohibits a doctor from knowingly performing an abortion because
“A demon came to me and said, ‘You cannot serve both God and me—you have to choose.’” This is what one witch doctor’s apprentice, Choi*,
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – These days at Long Hollow Baptist Church, interruptions aren’t considered bad. The plan isn’t as crucial as the response. Things flow
RAYADO CREEK, N.M. (BP) – A couple of years ago, Jeff Ogata felt God calling him to plant a church in New Mexico. Today, he
Dr. Justin Lohmeier, M.D., had no idea how valuable his skills as a healthcare professional could be, when he was first presented the opportunity to
WASHINGTON (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders and other religious liberty advocates applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest decision supporting the free exercise of religion in
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (BP) – About 10 miles below the erupting La Soufriere volcano on the small island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kingstown
CLEARWATER, Fla. (BP) – When Calvary Church turned 150 years old in 2016, Pastor Willy Rice laid out an ambitious vision: plant 150 churches in
SANFORD, Fla. (BP) – When Arthur Gonçalves first met Adam, he was pushing a cart in downtown Sanford. When offered a meal and prayer, he
International Mission Board leaders are celebrating a monumental milestone in Southern Baptist life: On March 31, 2021, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® surpassed $5 billion total
WASHINGTON (BP) – Federal courts have recently delivered victories to student faith groups that were kicked off state university campuses for requiring their leaders to
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (BP) – When Resurrection Church found its present home in downtown Charleston, members Cleve and Katie Persinger offered to lease the church’s storefront
CARY, N.C. (BP) – Have you ever been tempted to jump into an online comment section and take someone to task? The impulse to argue
A couple of months ago, a longtime patient at our dental practice passed from this life. He was a retired pastor, director of missions, and
Travel restrictions and a worldwide pandemic haven’t kept Southern Baptists from engaging in the work God is doing in East Asia, though churches and IMB
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — Milton Hollifield, the longtime executive director of the North Carolina Baptist Convention who retired in February, will be working with the North
NASHVILLE (BP) – More than 25 states are considering bills to limit women’s sports to biological females, blocking men who identify as transgendered women from
NASHVILLE (BP) – As Americans attempt to move past the life-altering effects of 2020, their perspective is shifting on some of the most significant questions
Snow shuts down half of this Central Asian province in the winter. Where a person is when the immobilizing snow hits is where they will
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – The excitement was like “anticipating or opening gifts on Christmas Day,” Fred Luter said of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church’s onsite Easter
MARION, Ala. (BP) – Campus life will continue at the 183-year-old Judson College despite recent fundraising efforts coming up more than $3.7 million short of
“If you want me to go to Africa, I will go,” vowed the 10-year-old girl as she put down the Girls in Action study book.
MADISON, Tenn. (BP) — Like most every church in Tennessee, Madison Heights Baptist Church in Madison had to learn to adjust to the unique challenges
Easter 2019 was an unforgettable Easter. Several new believers from surrounding villages came to a celebration we had at our house under the huge, shady
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14, NIV) Immigration is a hot topic in
PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) – If “you have 30, 60 seconds,” Pastor Jeff Henry is bound to tell you “an amazing story.” There’s the time three
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Kentucky Senate approved a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion a day after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide if
Planting a church in downtown Cincinnati has been “the greatest experience of my life and the most difficult experience—sometimes on the same day,” said Pastor
NASHVILLE (BP) — “Someone asked me the other day how I felt about launching a church this weekend,” Derrick DeLain, lead pastor of Proclamation Church
Psalm 90:12 teaches us to “number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” When applying the truth of those words to the
NASHVILLE (BP) – Working through a time of grief. Exhausted from what they’ve been through. Excited about what’s to come. As pastors prepare for Easter
HENRICO, Va. (BP) – In its ninth year, a partnership between the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and the Ghana Baptist Convention is looking
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (BP) – First Baptist Church here served as the official starting point for the Alaska Baptist Convention at its organizational meeting March 27-28,
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) – Evangelist Richard Hamlet, who has preached the Gospel in nearly 100 countries, had just returned from Russia and Belarus when the
EULESS, Texas (BP) – The crowd of approximately 700 Hispanic young people sang and swayed to the Christian singers and musicians at Cross City Español
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (BP) – With the current migrant crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border worsening by the day, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) churches and
Annie Armstrong is perhaps one of the most recognizable names in Baptist life. Although many may know the name, few people can actually tell you
For Mateusz Kowalski*, a Polish believer, Lent and the Easter holiday changed meaning when he gave Christ lordship of his life more than ten years
WASHINGTON (BP) – Church members are in the minority for the first time in at least eight decades, with just 47 percent identifying with a
Travis Burkhalter and his wife, Beth, have served with the IMB in Central and South America since 2010. In those years, their Spanish language skills
DURHAM, N.C (BP) – There is no evidence that Bryan Loritts discouraged anyone from reporting sexual abuse when he was pastor at a Memphis church,
NASHVILLE (BP) – When Nik Ripken met with a radically changed freedom fighter in Central Asia, he realized the bold story of conversion was powerful
Fannie Heck was born in 1862 in Virginia. She grew up in North Carolina with a mother who was passionate about missions, and from an
ORLANDO, Fla.—Irma Moss vividly remembers five or six Communist soldiers invading her family’s home in Cuba and whisking her father off to jail in the
DALLAS (BP) – Members of Primera Iglesia Bautista of Dallas and their pastor, Ricardo Brambila, could not have known that Sunday in October 2019 that
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A nationwide collection of local Send Network Gathering events on March 17 encouraged hundreds of North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planting
Oklahoma Baptist University recently introduced a new degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Global Marketplace Engagement, that will include a semester-long internship during the student’s
Seriously? They ought to know better…. Murat* sighed as he looked down at the door hanger attached to his apartment door. It read: “Don’t celebrate
NASHVILLE (BP) – Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, churches responded to serve churchgoers in a variety of ways, and churchgoers are overwhelmingly proud of how their
NASHVILLE (BP) – COVID-19 wasn’t the only influence on Southern Baptist Disaster Relief preparedness across state conventions last year, but it was a big one.
As we celebrate notable women during Women’s History Month, we are reminded each of these women was once a teenage girl. For many people, the
Naomi*, a young Deaf widow, had a hard decision to make. Year after year she saw and understood the truth of the gospel as she
CALHOUN, Ga. (BP) – Pastor Shane Parrott’s wife Resa wanted to know what possessed him to install a 16-foot wooden cross on the front lawn
SOUTH ASIA (BP) – Desperation took over as the mother and father prepared the last bit of food they had for their children and then
(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) – Beginning this fall, children’s leaders will have a new curriculum option for children’s discipleship that is flexible enough to fit just about
MILTON, Ga. (BP) – Elders at Crabapple First Baptist Church condemned both the “extreme and wicked” actions and the purported motives of a church member
WASHINGTON (BP) – Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment are seeking to revive the controversial proposal in the face of adversarial legal opinions and criticism
LAS VEGAS (BP) – Joseph Gibbons and his wife Kristen had been involved in youth ministry in Alabama for a while when God started tugging
NASHVILLE (BP) – Extraordinary prayer is experienced when you pray beyond your normal practice of prayer. If you ordinarily pray five minutes a day or
WASHINGTON (BP) – Xavier Becerra narrowly gained U.S. Senate confirmation Thursday (March 18) as secretary of Health and Human Services to the dismay of pro-life
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – The T-shirts say it all. “Ask me why I’m not in church” encourages people on the streets to ask just that of
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) – One was a young church plant, a few years old and outgrowing their meeting space. The other was an older congregation
Is passion genetic? Can one love burn for three generations? Do children pick up Great Commission tendencies from parents, along with mannerisms or voice inflection?
MILTON, Ga. (BP) – The elders of Crabapple First Baptist Church issued a statement today (March 17) expressing grief after a series of Atlanta-area shootings
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Equality Act will explicitly contradict the “fundamental liberties” guaranteed in the Bill of Rights if it becomes law, the Southern Baptist
Using data collected for IMB’s most recent Annual Statistical Report, this collection of videos features highlights from each of IMB’s nine global affinities. Use these short videos with
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BP) – Despite the hardships of 2020 – and the inevitable continued challenges the pandemic brings – Blue Valley Baptist Church in
Last night at sunset the electricity in our neighborhood flickered off. I stalled my dinner prep in hopes that the lights would return quickly, but
ALBANY, Ga. (BP) – Citing a desire not to stay one day too long or leave one day too soon, Michael Catt announced his retirement on
DESOTO, Texas (BP) – As in much of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, churches are easy to find in DeSoto. What is harder to find,
NASHVILLE (BP) – The economic fallout of COVID-19 among churches, it turns out, wasn’t as bad as anticipated. Nevertheless, the pandemic left an imprint on
SANGER, Calif. (BP) – Before the people at Set Free Church got involved in Bernice’s life, she didn’t have a bed. She also didn’t have
When COVID-19 became a global pandemic, many missionaries were forced to return to the U.S. or made the decision to return because it was the
NASHVILLE (BP) – Facebook timelines changed forever on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Many if not most churches opted to go digital-only that day after witnessing
AUSTIN, Texas (BP) – Texas has won the latest legal battle in its lengthy effort to remove abortion giant Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Longtime Bible study leader Beth Moore has publicly announced that she is ending her affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and Lifeway
FARMINGTON, N.M. (BP) – For a while now, Joshua Valdez has felt that his call to Farmington was a call to go out and look
NAMPA, Idaho — When Anders Snyder met Josh*, the man was leaning on the side of the church, head in his hands. “He was released
As a photographer with the International Mission Board, I have had the privilege of working alongside Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) partners on numerous projects
If you had to get an urgent message out to a million or more people but could not physically access any of the countries where
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (BP) – Taken from his cell in Iran’s harsh Evin prison for a trial that to him was impromptu, evangelist Dan Baumann was
WASHINGTON (BP) – Republican efforts in the U.S. Senate to insert a long-standing protection against federal funding of abortion in a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief
WASHINGTON (BP) – In an 8-1 vote, the Supreme Court ruled today (March 8) that $1 in damages is enough to revive the lawsuit of
When Erasyl* started university in his hometown in the former Soviet Union, he knew very little about Jesus. Being from a Muslim home, he was
Annie Armstrong is one of the most well-known names in all of Southern Baptist history. Born in Baltimore on July 11, 1850, Annie spent most
NASHVILLE (BP) – The year is 2041. What do we want the Southern Baptist Convention to look like? More importantly, what steps can we take
NASHVILLE (BP) – Church closures related to COVID-19 and winter weather in the Deep South slowed giving through the Cooperative Program in early 2021, but
DALLAS (BP) – GuideStone trustees gathered March 1 for their Winter 2021 meeting, their second Zoom meeting of the full trustee board in the last
Editor’s Note: This year’s Week of Prayer for North American Missions is March 7-14 and is focused on the theme: The Mission Moves Forward (“Therefore, my dear
IMB missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa have a goal to see 55 unengaged, unreached people groups engaged with the gospel by the year 2025. Among these
LYNN, Mass.— Above the Hills Church in Lynn, Mass., plans to launch on Easter Sunday and North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planting missionary Simon
ASHLAND, Ky. (BP) – Ninety-year-old Fred Boggs stepped into the church sanctuary for the first time in almost a year last Wednesday night (Feb. 24).
Taking a gap-year is an appealing option for many recent graduates, and studies show growing numbers of students are choosing to pursue other interests before
WASHINGTON (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders expressed disappointment and concern for the ramifications of Bethany Christian Services’ national policy reversal to place children for adoption
Eden Benton, a 16-year-old high school student from South Carolina, is proof of the adage, “God can use you no matter your age.” She’ll be
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (BP) – The issues brought by the historic cold front that enveloped Texas last month were many: bitter cold, power outages, frozen
Missionaries with Oklahoma connections are coordinating with leaders of the International Mission Board (IMB) and leaders in the global Deaf Community to advance the gospel
HOUSTON (BP) – A Texas appellate court has overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit by a man accusing longtime Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler of
I have a confession. Sometimes I “zone out” until a speaker begins to tell a personal story; only then am I completely engaged. Maybe like
WASHINGTON (BP) – Pro-life advocates decried a COVID-19 relief bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives that fails to include safeguards against abortion funding
On Feb. 25, the International Mission Board hosted a panel discussion, “The Future of Missions: Why Biblical Diversity Matters”. The discussion was streamed on Facebook and through
Sammy’s vision in 2004 was clear: God wanted him to raise up leaders who have the same faith that Moses of the Old Testament had.
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed Thursday (Feb. 25) for the second time a far-reaching gay and transgender rights proposal that opponents
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – The five years after what was termed a historic financial and operational “reset” for the International Mission Board have brought two
REDLANDS, Calif. (BP) – Brody Brewer wanted to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in 2020, but he wasn’t sure how. As a 12-year-old
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee disfellowshipped four churches today (Feb. 23) for adverse policies and practices including employing convicted sex offenders
Sometimes when relationships go south, forgiveness is refused. As we know, churches, denominations and personal friendships can be ruptured by the wounds of unforgiveness and bitterness.
I had dreamed of 2020 for as long as I can remember. The anticipation and expectations were high as I counted down to welcome 2020.
NASHVILLE (BP) – A dispute about whether a Southern Baptist entity can suspend trustees for misconduct will be studied by a task force formed by
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled for a floor vote on a controversial bill titled the Equality Act. This legislation, filed as H.R.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – The North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee (EC) announced a new investment that will help
NASHVILLE (BP) – Saying the global pandemic didn’t cause the crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention, but revealed “a deeper, more insidious crisis,” SBC President
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd urged Southern Baptists to return to unified Great Commission cooperation as he lamented “a
NASHVILLE (BP) – Most churches have found a way to continue meeting despite the ongoing pandemic, but fewer met in person in January as COVID-19
Southern Baptists are helping victims of an unusual and disastrous winter storm in Texas, where nearly half a million residents are still without electricity or
NASHVILLE (BP) – As states continue with the initial rollout of vaccines for COVID-19, the availability for pastors depends on their location as well as
BENTON, Ark.—New Beginnings Pregnancy Center in Benton, Arkansas, has had a few new beginnings of its own over the past several years. Originally established in
WEST POINT, Miss. (BP) – At 83, Bill Duncan is still the man Mississippi churches are apt to call as an interim when they aren’t
Neighboring is hard, especially in a pandemic. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). Yet, the challenges of a
LEXINGTON, Ky. (BP) – Richard Gaines knew the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. To prove it, he put some skin in the game –
The piazzas are empty. The selfie-snapping, sneaker-wearing tourists who normally frequent Milan’s historical squares are no longer visiting Italy due to COVID-19 restrictions. And, like
WASHINGTON (BP) – The North American Mission board has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the United States in its ongoing case involving a lawsuit
KILLEEN, Texas (BP) – As the overwhelming majority of the country experienced a blast of Arctic air, Southern Baptists joined others in helping weather the
EASTERN CONGO (BP) – Spiraling Islamic terrorism that has killed more than 100 people in a two-week span in the Democratic Republic of Congo is
When we experience a new technology or innovation, we often believe the ethical challenges we encounter are brand new and may even require a novel
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (BP) – Winford Smith remembers when, as chairman of the pastor search team for First Baptist Church, he realized the group needed to
WASHINGTON (BP) – The decision to increase dramatically the number of refugees to be welcomed into the United States will provide Christians with important opportunities
What is biblical diversity? Why does it matter in a conversation about international missions? How do we pursue diversity and unity at the same time? God’s
The International Mission Board has introduced a new interactive tool, Knowing the IMB, that enables Southern Baptists, in less than an hour, to discover what’s
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—How can your church start a missions group like Love World to help young women develop a heart for missions? Kim Cruse, a former
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Internationally-known evangelist and apologist Ravi Zacharias sexually abused women under the guise of massages for a chronic back injury at least
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld late Thursday (Feb. 11) a lower-court ruling that blocked Alabama from executing a prisoner because the state
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – Brian Croft jokes that masks are the new “color of the carpet argument” in churches, with similarly poor outcomes. Pastors are
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Some 45 abortion clinics across the U.S. ceased performing the procedure in 2020, according to a recent report published by Operation Rescue,
HOUSTON (BP) – “Daddy, he looks like me!” My young Black son pointed to the only Black basketball player on the court that night at
The wilderness doesn’t sound like much. But in the Bible, it sure is a popular place. Jesus spent 40 days there. Moses, 40 years. When
NASHVILLE (BP) – Fewer Americans believe our nation has made significant progress in race relations, and a majority say things grew worse under Donald Trump’s
EASTERN EUROPE (BP) – More than 125 people put their trust in Christ during a three-day mountain retreat in the Caucuses region of Europe. National
WASHINGTON (BP) – Nearly all of the Republicans in the U.S. Senate have united to warn the Democratic leadership they will oppose any effort to
In a year marked with hardships, loss, separation, and isolation, it is my honor and privilege to inform Arkansas Baptists of the incredible outcomes of our partnership and cooperation to support missions at every level.
In a 6-3 opinion, the high court halted California’s prohibition of indoor worship in Tier 1, the state’s category for the highest risk of COVID-19’s transmission, and substituted a limit of 25 percent capacity.
A settlement in a lawsuit filed by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Baylor University effectively returns control of the Harold E. Riley Foundation to the schools.
Before COVID, the small church in northern Indiana averaged 80 in worship attendance. Since restarting in-person meetings, that number is around 30 or 35, at the most. When the economy suffered, so did the church budget.
National WMU will provide a virtual experience leading into the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Week of Prayer, which is March 7-14. The offering supports missions and ministry through the North American Mission Board (NAMB).
To say “times have changed” when it comes to the way people consume content is a tremendous understatement. When social media started to dominate the internet around 2006 with the expansion of Facebook beyond college campuses, the way we all consume content changed dramatically.
Each summer, California Baptist University sends 30-35 teams and more than 300 students on missions throughout the world. The plans changed during 2020, of course, but still included sending the Gospel.
Young people today don’t operate in ways that older adults are accustomed to or fully prepared for. Rather than conforming to tradition, young people today are quite content blazing their own trail.
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives both approved Friday (Feb. 5) a budget resolution that paves the way for the enactment of President Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – The board of trustees for the North American Mission Board unanimously passed a resolution on cooperation and missional strategy at their February
GLEN ALLEN, Va. (BP) – The International Mission Board celebrated the appointment of 33 missionaries being sent to the nations in a virtual Sending Celebration
NASHVILLE (BP) – After a slow start to the budget year, giving through the Cooperative Program rebounded in January with more than $19.3 million being
The church shouldn’t be a place where people are trying to preserve their favorite songs and rituals at the expense of making the message accessible to outsiders. Reaching people—presenting the message in the most winsome and considerate way—was what the apostle Paul strived for.
Los 175 años de ministerio de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales (IMB siglas en inglés) entre las naciones han dado como resultado la formación de 140 convenciones y uniones bautistas en 73 países.
The SBC Executive Committee voted in February 2020 to approve the first Sunday in February as the annual George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism and Missions Day, at the recommendation of the International Mission Board.
Registration for the 2021 Send Conference officially open. Jointly hosted by the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the event will take place on June 13-14 in Nashville ahead of the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
A racist letter sent to a prominent Black pastor drew swift condemnation from SBC leaders while further highlighting elevated racial tensions within the convention.
NASHVILLE (BP) — A new resource for churches is offering a set of tools for greater financial stewardship and support of missions and ministry through
WASHINGTON (BP) – Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore urged leaders in a Democratic-controlled Congress Tuesday (Feb. 2) to continue to include the Hyde Amendment and
Drinking tea and telling Bible stories was Cynthia Martin’s favorite thing to do while on the missions field in Central and South America. It still
A devout Muslim responded to hate with hate, but he surrendered to Jesus and now leads a weekly bible study for the people he once vowed to kill.
A task force studying the effectiveness of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission issued its report today (Feb. 1), acknowledging both support within the Southern Baptist Convention for the entity and that some see it as “a source of significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.”
The International Mission Board celebrates the ongoing and indelible legacy of African Americans who have served and are serving on the mission field.
Messenger and childcare pre-registration are open at sbcannualmeeting.net for the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting June 15-16 in Nashville.
New Testament translations were completed in 141 languages, and 8 languages now have completed translations of the Old Testament.
IMB will host another virtual Sending Celebration to allow Southern Baptists to collectively rejoice in 33 missionaries being sent to the nations. Join us on
SEATTLE (BP) – Kevin Gibbs was a minister to college students at a church in Arlington, Texas, the first time he traveled to Seattle. He
WASHINGTON(BP) – Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear declared abortion the “greatest moral tragedy of our day” at the 2021 March for Life held virtually
Former Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter announced today (Jan. 19) his intention to nominate longtime friend and Mobile, Ala.-area pastor Ed Litton for SBC president at the upcoming annual meeting in June.
Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga., and immediate past chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, will be nominated for SBC president at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, per an announcement today (Jan. 13) by fellow Georgia pastor Kevin Williams.
I do know the Lord will bring peace one day, and my prayer for all of them is that they would find the hope and healing that is found in Christ.
IMB is celebrating with these partnering churches and is grateful for the continued generosity shown by those who have joined with us to spread the gospel to all peoples.
The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission commended the United States declaration on the Trump administration’s last full day that China has committed genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities.
As it appears Missouri has become the first state since the Roe v. Wade decision to virtually eliminate abortions, Baptists are celebrating while preparing for more battles ahead.
The heart of those who founded this nation and led us to our independence as the United States of America believed with great conviction, “out of many, one.” They knew their strength was working together and acting as one people.
A Korean Christian and three nationals of India are in jail in Uttar Pradesh state, accused of fraudulent conversion attempts while distributing food and other aid to people in need due to the COVID-19 lockdown, sources said.
Security cameras at Nashville’s First Baptist Church captured the moment a bomb exploded four blocks away on Christmas morning, damaging 40 buildings downtown and injuring at least three people.
Whatever we face in the days to come, may we remember: Fear not the future, God is already there.
WMU offers several resources on human trafficking: an hourlong simulation called Trafficked: Fighting to be Free; an online course called Human Trafficking: The Church’s Response; and WMU Compassion Ministries.
While COVID-19 continues to reshape and affect everything across America and the world in 2020, I want to share a few wonderful things God has done through our work together as Southern Baptists despite a global pandemic.
In 1971, one family left all of their comfort, all of their family, all of their “normal” to serve as missionaries.
What do Hurricane Erma and Dixie Jackson have in common? Both played a major role in leading pastor Dustin Logan to First Baptist Church in Lambrook, Arkansas. One brought him to the state; the other led him to stay.
Several weeks ago, the ERLC was presented with an invitation to join a brief written by lawyers at the Thomas More Society, in support of one of our SBC entities.
IMB missionaries and staff pledged $802,700 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® through an internal campaign that began Sept. 23 and ended Nov. 30.
Southern Baptists joined other religious liberty advocates in voicing opposition to President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
As a researcher and statistical analyst, Minh Ha also studies the history and reality of Southern Baptist Convention congregations by race and ethnicity.
In March 2020, IMB missionary Reid Karr’s church was unable to meet as the Italian government had already restricted gatherings.
Independent abortion clinics that combine to provide nearly 60 percent of abortions in the U.S. are struggling to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from an abortion advocacy group.
Twenty years is a long time. That’s how long it took to establish a gospel presence among a Muslim unreached people group of 10 million in South Asia.
If you go for a tour at the National WMU building in Birmingham, Alabama, you are bound to see the letter. That’s right, the letter written by Lottie Moon in 1889 to Annie Armstrong.
While challenges due to the COVID-19 global pandemic continue for churches across the Southern Baptist Convention, giving through the Cooperative Program remains above budget through the first two months of the budget year.
The Worthy family recognizes the importance of investing in relationships in the Italian culture. For more than 17 years, Charlie and Shannon Worthy have invested their lives and ministry in Italy as IMB missionaries.
This month, members of Lakeshore Church may wake up to find a shadowy figure in their front yard. There won’t be cause for alarm, though.
Throughout its 175-year history, Southern Baptists have maintained an uninterrupted witness among the nations, in spite of famine, war and civil unrest.
For 25 years at his previous in-state pastorate of First Baptist Craigsville, Sommerville had always included a missions moment in the worship service.
Like many tribal people groups, the Akawa are animists who live in fear of the spirits that inhabit the world around them, said Joe Brewster, an IMB missionary who works with the small tribe.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 physical/social distancing began. Churches moved online, as did groups.
Let’s make one thing clear from the outset: There is absolutely no denominational hierarchy when it comes to the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Council of Seminary Presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention has reaffirmed “with eagerness” the BFM’s status “as the doctrinal statement that unites and defines Southern Baptist cooperation and establishes the confessional unity of our Convention.”
Along the Kwilu River, deep in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the town of Kikwit rests nestled among verdant foliage.
Medical missions leads to church planting
Southern Baptist leaders praised a federal appeals court decision that enables states to prohibit abortion giant Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds.
Government restrictions against Christian schools in Kentucky and Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic have been upheld by a federal appeals court.
Leaders of the national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) are executing a plan to send hand-written appeals to 20,000 Southern Baptist churches to encourage every church to give to the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Surrounded by cow pastures and hayfields, South Fork Baptist Church is small enough to fit into a corner of many big-city church sanctuaries.
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board (GBMB) has offered voluntary early retirement to 50 employees to “right-size” the organization in the midst of dwindling revenue, GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond told Baptist Press.
After living in Croatia for more than 22 years, missionary Eric Maroney understands why some people describe life and ministry as difficult in this part of Europe.
International Mission Board missionary Kristen Lowry and the staff at the Naivasha Children’s Shelter in Naivasha, Kenya, see the value and worth in the life of each boy.
Nueva Esperanza (New Hope Ministries) is bringing people to Christ through its food distribution ministry.
On November 18, the International Mission Board celebrated the appointment of 79 new missionaries in a virtual Sending Celebration streamed on Facebook and through the IMB: Advance the Kingdom app.
R. Albert Mohler Jr. describes himself as “a creature of print.” He pores over more than a dozen newspapers a day in order to prepare for his podcast, “The Briefing with Albert Mohler,” in which he provides cultural analysis from a Christian worldview.
According to a recent Barna study, half of 18-year-olds in the U.S. report anxiety and fear of failure, and about 40 percent say they often feel sad or depressed.
“They found my brother’s body last Friday,” he says, recounting a recent storm that caused his brother to be swept away by the current of the nearby Cumberland River.
“I don’t think our family is complete. I think we’re supposed to have a fourth child.”
Taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to every language, every tribe, and every nation is why we join in partnership to support full-time, fully-funded missionaries across the globe.
They left their world behind in search of a safer one. On their journey, they found the Creator of the world.
When Jesse Florea glances out his office window at the patchwork display of fall colors surrounding the snow-capped summit of Pikes Peak, he’s reminded of the power of worldviews.
Hurricane Iota has sights set on Central America, making it the second major hurricane to hit the region following Hurricane Eta’s Nov. 3 landfall.
The nation’s High Court allowed blatant discrimination to stand in at least two cases limiting church activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told the Federalist Society Thursday (Nov. 12).
The new document is another part of the multi-faceted effort by a partnership of the ERLC and SAAG that began more than two years ago.
With more than 400,000 children reportedly in the foster care system in the United States, and 100,000 of them available for adoption, experts in these fields say the COVID-19 crisis has opened up more opportunities for families to explore ways to help vulnerable children.
Newly mandated sexual health education in kindergarten through senior high public schools in Washington state includes guidance contrary to Scripture, according to several groups opposing the change.
The church needed a military ministry, she told them. If they didn’t start one, she would.
Jim Richards, the executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), has announced his intention to transition from leadership, effective Dec. 31, 2021.
The SBC is a convention of churches. Churches plant churches and churches send missionaries.
In early September, fires destroyed Moria, the largest migrant camp in Greece on the island of Lesbos.
“We’re aware of people that are hurting,” Galvan said. “[W]e’ll just have to pray and let God be sovereign,” Galvan said.
Over four million Americans served in World War I, and all of them are gone now.
The difference a 6% annual increase in giving would make
Viewers can join the celebration livestream on Facebook, Vimeo and on IMB’s Advance the Kingdom app.
A surge in new COVID-19 cases has at least a few churches returning to online-only worship as many churches continue meeting onsite.
The U.S. Supreme Court gave hope Wednesday (Nov. 4) it will uphold the freedom of religiously based adoption and foster care agencies to carry out their ministries according to their beliefs.
Southern Baptists continue to exercise financial faithfulness as the nation recovers from the economic struggles brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In the nearly 14 years since retired Air Force Master Sgt. Greg Fields became pastor, Nellis Baptist Church has continued and added several ministries to ever more effectively reach its community.
Oregon will become the first state in the nation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs including Oxycodone, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine beginning in February 2021.
Southern Baptist leaders encouraged Christians to be patient, pray and trust God as they await the results of the race for the White House between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
World Changers is gearing up for another year of serving those in need.
No matter the outcome, we must choose to live what we testify to already know.
Like many churches across the U.S., Cropwell Baptist Church hosted thousands of voters on election day as a polling location. The church used the opportunity to be a blessing to its community.
LifeWay Christian Resources President Ben Mandrell has affirmed the evangelical commitment of the group intending to purchase the Ridgecrest Conference Center from LifeWay.
Pray for Katherine, Adam, and all new refugee believers, that God will continue to bring believers alongside them to walk with them in healing and growth as followers of Jesus to comfort others with the same comfort they’ve been given.
On Nov. 1, Christ followers around the world will recognize the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – a global prayer movement for Christians who boldly witness for Christ at any cost in nations where Christianity is not welcomed.
Total registration for the event topped 5,200, with many watching the livestream in groups or with their churches.
Remember to pray for missions with these custom backgrounds for your computer and mobile devices.
Casting a long shadow across one of Mexico City’s poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods stands a seven-story tall image of Santa Muerte – the Saint of Death.
No matter what you believe, what you think, how you vote, or how you live your life, someone is going to disagree with you.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) and Dallas Baptist University (DBU) have partnered together to offer a joint Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration degree
Citing a desire to serve as a uniter amid turbulent times, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said he has agreed to accept a nomination to serve as SBC president at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting.
In the throes of one of the most isolated seasons in human history, LifeWay Women launched this new tool to keep women connected.
Illinois churches host students displaced by pandemic; Georgia churches help bridge broadband gap
My first Sunday back after quarantine, I sat in a daze on the pew in my Central Asian church.
They go abroad and visit churches. When they leave the islands, they leave behind Islam. When they return, they pick their Muslim identity back up.
Jesus died for every person in every town, city, state, and nation. His call to us is to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.
In our cultural moment wrought with crises, we’re faced with a new question: What does it look like to lead well in peculiar and difficult circumstances?
Every number represents a person so valuable to God that he’d be willing to send his only Son to die in their place. That’s value!
The U.S. Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in a nearly party-line vote Monday evening (Oct. 26), and Southern Baptist leaders focused on prayer for the new justice.
With Chicago Public Schools continuing virtual learning, Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles is working with Progressive Baptist Church to distribute hundreds of laptops to low-income students.
Heading into the final week of October, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) operations have gone from seeing a light at the end of a tunnel to staring down the barrel of a potential Hurricane Zeta.
What’s a good way to learn a language? Converse with a native speaker. What’s a good way to advance the gospel? Invest in a missionary. What can catalyze both objectives? A global pandemic, apparently.
The United States has signed with at least 31 other members of the United Nations a pro-life declaration decrying abortion and affirming the family unit and universal health coverage among other beliefs.
The Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program funds the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at LSU, as well as BCM outreaches at more than 20 other Louisiana colleges and universities.
A pastor’s work is never finished. When he goes to bed Sunday evening, the last thoughts on his mind are the things that he will need to attend to the following week.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s religious freedom entity and other faith organizations have urged a federal appeals court to reconsider its application of the “ministerial exception” rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court in cases involving employment decisions by churches and other religious institutions.
The financial offering is an exciting part of worship deserving preparation and exhortation on par with sermons, SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd believes.
In recognizing these demographic shifts, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) will emphasize Hispanic church planting starting in 2021.
On October 29, 7-9 p.m. EST, please join the IMB for a virtual event highlighting the global, cultural, and spiritual realities that are impacting and shaping the future of international missions.
Arkansas Baptists are grateful and honored to be served by Greg Addison, and we congratulate him as he moves forward to serve at the Southern Baptist Convention.
Churches who chartered or have ever hosted a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop should seek legal counsel now in case they are named in future sex abuse claims against the BSA, a Southern Baptist legal representative told Baptist Press.
Pro-life advocates and the state expressed their disappointment with a federal court decision Wednesday (Oct. 14) that invalidated a Tennessee law requiring a 48-hour waiting period before an abortion.
Psalm 139 Project places ultrasound machine; Asian American leaders meet with GuideStone
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) has selected Paul Worcester as its National Director of Collegiate Evangelism.
Here are some ways to show your gratitude during this Pastor Appreciation Month
LifeWay Christian Resources has reached an agreement to sell Ridgecrest Conference Center and Summer Camps to the Ridgecrest Foundation.
LifeWay Christian Resources and Thom Rainer have agreed to settlement terms in a breach of contract lawsuit between the SBC entity and its former CEO.
Permanent resettlement is an elusive dream for many of the world’s 79.5 million forcibly displaced people.
Louisiana received a “gut punch,” Friday, as the second hurricane in six weeks made landfall in the state.
This is the twelfth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report.
On Monday (Oct. 5), the North American Mission Board (NAMB) announced the 2020 total for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® (AAEO) for North American missions.
The International Mission Board is reporting a 2019-20 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering total of $159.5 million, the second highest offering in history.
The 2020 fiscal year for the Southern Baptist Convention ended September 30, 2020, and despite challenges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, giving by Southern Baptist churches through the Cooperative Program for national and international missions and ministries totaled more than $192.9 million.
Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd is encouraging Southern Baptists to help the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions (LMCO) exceed its $175 million goal for 2020.
Nevada’s new COVID-19 safety guidelines still unconstitutionally favor casinos over churches, religious freedom advocates said.
There were no 4-on-4 full-court scrimmages, no defensive rebounds and no passes of any kind, but First Baptist Church of Alpharetta, Ga., still held summer basketball camp and is preparing for winter leagues.
October is when we encourage all Southern Baptist churches and congregations to promote our Great Commission mission and ministries giving through the Cooperative Program.
Lakota Hills Baptist Church in West Chester, Ohio has been heavily involved, ministering in their community throughout the months since COVID-19 arrived in the spring. They’ve met needs and shared the gospel with their neighbors.
In Southeast Asia, IMB workers strive to equip and empower local churches to reach what they’ve identified as the edge of lostness.
With Christmas approaching in a few short months, the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering resources have been shared with the public.
LifeWay Christian Resources has decided not to proceed with a breach of contract lawsuit against the SBC entity’s former president Thom Rainer, but will instead seek to resolve the dispute without litigation.
International Mission Board trustees unanimously approved the appointment of 80 full-time, fully funded personnel during their Sept. 29-30 meeting.
Barron Martin, lead pastor of One Faith Christian Center, said he is blown away at the way his small church plant has been able to impact its community and spread the Gospel.
Online hotel registration opens Thursday (Oct. 1) for the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting June 15-16 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville.
Southern Baptist leaders Russell Moore and Ronnie Floyd commended President Trump’s nomination Saturday (Sept. 26) of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
It perplexes Pastor Rolland Slade that certain secular institutions have the good sense to strip professional credentials from sex offenders, while some churches seem to overlook their crimes.
Every year, the World Meteorological Organization maintains a list of 21 official names for major storms that originate in the Atlantic. In 2020, the season has been so active that they have had to turn to the Greek alphabet for names, including Tropical Storm Beta, which hit the Texas Gulf Coast Sept. 21.
Bobby Bowden coached football for more than 50 years. Over the course of 34 seasons as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles, his teams won twelve conference championships and two national championships. Coach Bowden knows about winning.
This is the tenth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based on 2019 research data. A full copy of the report is available at imb.org/asr.
In these uncertain, divisive and fearful times, I want to remind us of a sustaining vision we find in God’s inerrant, all-sufficient Word – a vision recorded by the apostle John in the midst of their own fearful and uncertain times.
From the heights of the mighty Himalayas to the crystal-clear water of the Maldives, South Asia is both awe-inspiring and heart-wrenching. Despite the beauty of much of the region and its people, South Asia remains home to the largest concentration of non-Christians on the planet.
New Mexico pastor Steve Ballew will be nominated as the next executive director of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico (BCNM), the search committee announced at a meeting of the BCNM State Mission Board.
Southern Baptist layman and financial expert Jeff Pearson will be the next chief financial officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, replacing William “Bill” Townes who is retiring.
Decreased giving during the COVID-19 pandemic led the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to adopt a Cooperative Program Allocation Budget Tuesday (Sept. 22) that is 5 percent less than the committee projected last February.
God used our simple, imperfect family to be His hands and feet in a place on the other side of the world for His glory. By His grace, He is still using us. However, this is not just our story.
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention has sold the Wordsearch Bible to Logos Bible Software creator Faithlife.
Debbie Reese has met a lot of people over the past 13 years she says she’ll never forget – people who have lost homes, friends, family members and in some cases, everything.
In 2012, a church in Texas committed to pray for an unengaged people group in Northern Africa. They knew they would not have access to much, if any, information or updates but they remained committed to pray.
This is the ninth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report.
As Hurricane Sally’s deluge flooded Alabama and the Florida Panhandle Wednesday (Sept. 16), Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) readied its response.
Pastoring a church has never been an easy job—preparing sermons, counseling church members through difficult circumstances, managing the day-to-day business of the church.
SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd hosted a Facebook Live event today (Sept. 15) to share more about the 2021 Annual Meeting and encourage as many churches as possible to send messengers to Nashville.
When a hurricane leaves town, the ensuing days evoke whirlwinds of activity for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.
In 2017, IMB workers Mark and Hannah Bustrum attended a retreat with missionaries from the region and invited national partners to participate. For more than a decade they had worked to strengthen relationships with Portuguese believers but inviting them to this retreat was about more than building or maintaining those relationships.
Southern Baptist religious freedom advocate Russell Moore and other evangelical Christian leaders have commended a new Trump administration regulation to protect the constitutional rights of students and organizations on college campuses.
Len Arney has seen ash before, and he offers a little perspective.
SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd will host a Facebook Live event Tuesday (Sept. 15) to share more about the 2021 Annual Meeting and encourage as many churches as possible to send messengers.
Greg Addison, the Associate Executive Director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) has announced his plan to leave his current position to join the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as the Executive Vice President.
Every church has adjusted some aspects of ministry since the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. But even as the effects of COVID-19 continue to press into the modern landscape of the evangelical church, some congregations are already turning from the question of how to shift from the current moment toward changes for the long-term future.
The International Mission Board joined with Barna Group for an online workshop titled The Future of Missions. The workshop, hosted virtually on Wednesday (Sept. 2), included IMB President Paul Chitwood, IMB staff and Barna Group representatives. Nearly 1,000 people joined the online event from around the world.
With only one month remaining in the 2020 fiscal year, giving through the Cooperative Program remains steady despite challenges faced by churches and members through the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Survivors faced decimated homes, church buildings, and communities that had scattered across the South. More than 1 million people fled the Category 5 hurricane and its aftermath, many of them for good.
In January 2020, IMB President Paul Chitwood announced five targets built around IMB’s vision and mission to engage unreached people and places over the next five years.
Netflix or Nehemiah? Disney+ or Daniel? When confronted with the choice, Americans including Christians are choosing streaming over Scripture.
A Southern Baptist pastor is among 18 deaths related to Hurricane Laura, dozens of churches are damaged and parts of Cameron Parish remain flooded five days after the storm, according to news reports and interviews.
A manual providing guidance on hiring staff members and selecting volunteers is the latest Southern Baptist resource designed to help churches prevent sexual abuse.
Grant helps NOBTS meet COVID guidelines; SWBTS virtual preaching conference advocates sermon-based small groups
The 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina will find Gulfport Pastor Jimmy Stewart praying where First Baptist Church stood before Katrina destroyed it.
Charles Grant has been named executive director of African American relations and mobilization at the SBC Executive Committee.
Southwestern Seminary launches Women’s Leadership Institute; WMU Foundation grants national WMU $45,000
Madisonville rancher Craig Bailey drew from the New Living Bible translation of Romans 8 to encourage the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Board to view the “thorns and thistles” of life from a heavenly perspective.
Gateway developing a ‘new normal’ as students return to campus; New study Bible takes readers on a Holy Land journey.
Southern Baptist churches and associations from west Louisiana to east Texas were preparing for the storm Monday and Tuesday, with mandatory evacuation orders impacting 750,000 or more residents in the target zone.
In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources unanimously approved a $210 million budget Tuesday (Aug. 25) for the 2020-2021 fiscal year that includes reductions of 17 percent year over year.
The Chinese government’s repression of Uyghur Muslims is a foretaste of the world’s future if there is not a change, human rights advocates warned Aug. 21 in a Southern Baptist-sponsored panel discussion.
Like a lot of cities, Kansas City has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime this year. And at least one pastor is looking to do something about it.
Churches are providing options for parents as schools delay or modify reopening plans to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Coy Webb, longtime director of Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, has been selected to take the helm of Send Relief’s new crisis response arm.
China’s increasingly repressive regime will receive the attention of a panel of experts Aug. 21 in a webinar hosted by the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
Shirley Clark and her husband, Charles, served as missionaries in Venezuela for more than 30 years.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (BP) — Cheryl recalls the moment she heard the storm sirens as a powerful, sustained windstorm — a derecho — approached Cedar
NASHVILLE (BP) — William “Bill” Townes, CFO of the SBC Executive Committee, announced his retirement from the post effective December 31, 2020. Townes and his
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — School districts across the nation are striving to continue delivering food to children at risk when school buildings close due to
NASHVILLE (BP) — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee meeting scheduled to be held in Nashville Sept. 21-22 has been canceled and replaced with a
DAVIS, Okla. (BP) — Anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 students attend a camp at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center in Oklahoma each summer. This year,
Editor’s note: This is the fourth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based on
WASHINGTON (BP) — A silver lining has appeared for pro-life advocates in the U.S. Supreme Court’s otherwise disappointing decision in June regarding the protection of
The coronavirus has left virtually no country unaffected. Unrelenting and indiscriminate, the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the welfare of millions and has wreaked havoc on
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (BP) — Brentwood Baptist Church digital strategy director Darrel Girardier admits that he has a love-hate relationship with analytics, especially in relation to
NASHVILLE (BP) — The American economy may have recorded the largest contraction in its history over the past few months (a 32.9 percent reduction in
LEAWOOD, Kan. (BP) — Pastor’s wife Marilane Carter has been missing since Aug. 1 when she departed her Overland Park, Kan., home, reportedly to seek
LAKE CITY, Fla. (BP) — At 96-and-a-half, Betty Schoch is believed to be the oldest person to ever be baptized at Hopeful Baptist Church in
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (BP) — Flash flooding rolled through the St. Joseph, Mo., area beginning July 20, displacing families and rendering many homes unsafe. But
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Pastor Dan Panter’s awareness of the effectiveness of the Cooperative Program dates to his 24 years in the U.S. Navy. An active
WASHINGTON (BP) — Chaplain Col. Randall (Randy) E. Kitchens of the U.S. Air Force received confirmation from the U.S. Senate to become the Air Force’s
NASHVILLE (BP) — Continued financial faithfulness of Southern Baptists has pushed monthly giving through the Cooperative Program to levels not seen since before the COVID-19
NASHVILLE (BP) — Most churchgoers say they can address doubts others have about the Bible, but half admit they have problems understanding Scripture on their
MUNFORD, Ala. (BP) — A barbecue restaurant, a fast food place or two and a department store are about all the town of Munford has,
[BAPTIST PRESS] EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with additional comments from Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief Director Dwain Carter . DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
ALPHARETTA, Ga.—The North American Mission Board (NAMB) announced on Tuesday (July 28) that pastors can now get its evangelism kits for free. Four kits, which
NASHVILLE (BP) — After the cancellation of the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando, preparations are underway for the 2021 meeting to be held in
WASHINGTON (BP) — Pro-life advocates, including a Southern Baptist, welcomed a Planned Parenthood affiliate’s repudiation of founder Margaret Sanger’s eugenics advocacy but said the country’s
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — Southern Baptist leaders challenged college students and young adults to use their first years out of college to serve on mission
WASHINGTON (BP) — Religious freedom advocates and four justices expressed strong disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to grant relief to a church seeking
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Churches are gathering again, but services and programs remain drastically different from the beginning of the year. At the start of
JACKSON, Miss. (BP) — Longtime editor and lay preacher William Perkins likens it to standing on a railroad track, sticking your hand out and telling
YouTube is a major media platform for young South Koreans. “You have your cell phone and you also have your YouTube channel,” said IMB missionary
SILVER SPRING, Md. (BP) — China persecutes Christians to gain leverage in future diplomatic relations with the U.S., a Christian seeking U.S. asylum claimed in
Editor’s note: This is the second post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based on
JACKSON, Miss. (BP) — The Baptist Record will cease printing after 143 years, going fully digital and free of charge on its own website, according
Whitfield to be nominated SEBTS provost By BP Staff WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) — Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, plans to nominate
The words weren’t easy for Angela to hear: “If you go back as a single career missionary, you probably will never get married.” She understood
[IMB] Editor’s note: This is the first post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based
NASHVILLE (BP) — When 9-year-old Zac McCullar presented a motion at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting to add Children’s Ministry Day to
Over the past few months, my morning routine has consisted of the same few activities: exercising, reading Scripture, and browsing through news sites of my
Follow the continuing adventures of the Singerman missionary family Do you remember the Singerman family who were stranded in Kenya during the lockdown? If not,
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written by Aaron Earls, online editor of Facts & Trends. As churches begin to regather and eventually restart their children’s ministry
SBTS adds three online doctoral concentrations By Forrest Strickland LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — Beginning January 2021, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will add three fully
NASHVILLE (BP) — Tennessee enacted a law Monday (July 13) that provides some of the country’s strongest protections for unborn children, but it remained in
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — During a called meeting Tuesday (July 14), trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary unanimously approved a “conservative” budget for the
FRESNO, Calif. (BP) — Many California Southern Baptist pastors will likely find ways to continue to worship while obeying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Monday (July 13)
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about this article, click here. The COVID-19 pandemic has created serious challenges for leaders and citizens around the globe. The
EDITOR’S NOTE: Click here for a link to the official ERLC document. WASHINGTON (BP) — Churches should partner with government officials to fight the spread
WASHINGTON (BP) — The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed in two 7-2 rulings Wednesday (July 8) that churches and religious organizations are free to make employment
For the past 13 years, IMB has hosted the MedAdvance conference as a forum for healthcare professionals, students, church leaders and state and associational leaders
International Mission Board senior leaders are urging Southern Baptists to use extreme caution if they are considering overseas missions travel for the remainder of 2020.
Throughout our 175-year history, Southern Baptists have maintained an uninterrupted witness among the nations, in spite of famines, wars, civil unrest and—as we have all
SAN JOSE, Calif. (BP) — Two San Jose churches have filed a federal lawsuit claiming a coronavirus-related ban of indoor worship violates their First Amendment
ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) — On-campus instruction, following specific protocols, will resume during the Fall 2020 semester at each of Gateway Seminary’s campuses. “We are committed
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Roy Hayhurst, director of denominational and public relations at GuideStone. DALLAS (BP) — Kasan Boyd is no
NASHVILLE (BP) — Gifts to the national Cooperative Program Allocation Budget for June 2020 were below budget by almost $1.3 million, but the deficit was
WASHINGTON (BP) — The U.S. Supreme Court narrowly upheld Tuesday (June 30) a state tax credit scholarship program that includes religious schools, thereby maintaining its
You can pray for missions with these custom backgrounds for your computer and mobile devices. Using IMB photos from around the world, you can focus
WASHINGTON (BP) — Defenders of religious freedom inside and outside the federal government praised a court decision to block enforcement of New York orders on
WASHINGTON (BP) — Pro-life leaders expressed deep disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal Monday (June 29) to uphold a Louisiana law designed to protect
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Brandon Elrod ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — Since the launch of the “Who’s Your One” evangelism initiative, the
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Alex Sibley, the associate director of news and information at SWBTS. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — During
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Tyler Sanders, director of communications for Gateway Seminary. ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) — Gateway Seminary is rapidly expanding
It is the uncertainty that has frustrated me the most. My family was due to return to the mission field this week but the invisible COVID-19
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Jenny Whitaker. The COVID-19 pandemic has given kids ministry leaders a lot of uncharted waters to navigate,
NASHVILLE (BP) — The Southern Baptist Convention is growing in three key metrics among ethnic minority fellowships despite a continuing decline among the broader SBC,
Most Arkansas Baptists develop a passion for missions in a very practical way. They feel a call to go on a mission trip, and while
GREENWOOD, Ark. – Southeast of Fort Smith, just off U.S. Highway 71 sets a half red brick, half white vinyl two-building structure. The steps leading
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post includes a video at the end. GALATIA, Ill. (BP) — “Why did you become involved in corrections ministry?” It was a
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) — Rolland Slade’s longtime friend John Hughes describes him as the pastor of all of El Cajon, a San Diego suburb
WASHINGTON (BP)—The U.S. Supreme Court left multiple questions regarding religious liberty unanswered but provided some hope in its landmark decision for gay and transgender rights,
FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) — More than a century ago, a Baptist church in Kentucky’s state capital city was started by slave owners and had a
RICHMOND – The International Mission Board on June 10 publicly released its Annual Statistical Report (ASR) based on 2019 data, revealing year-over-year increases in gospel
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Trustees for the North American Mission Board (NAMB) heard reports of how missionaries and staff are meeting needs and responding to
Tonight at 6 p.m. join us, along with other churches across the nation, as we celebrate during the Sending Celebration hosted by the International Mission
India and Bangladesh were already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic when Cyclone Amphan slammed ashore on May 20. The storm uprooted trees, flattened homes and
Editor’s note: With the necessary cancellation of the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting, Southern Baptist entity leaders offered reports during SBC Advance, a lived-streamed event held
Each year, around this time at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting (SBC), a Sending Celebration is hosted to pray and celebrate new missionaries being
The IMB Student Team is providing an opportunity for students to reach the nations through the Stateside Summer initiative. Stateside Summer empowers students to reach
Midwestern Seminary’s Accelerate program introduces four new tracks of study By T. Patrick Hudson KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) — Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College announced
By Brandon Elrod ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Every summer for the last few years, college students have participated in the GenSend missions experience, being fully immersed in one
It didn’t seem like much—just $32.20—but it was all this 11-year-old had. The small stash represented 6 months of household chores and errands, not to
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — Ravi Zacharias, the renowned Christian apologist, evangelist and author, died Tuesday (May 19) after a brief battle with cancer. He was
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — During a virtual meeting May 13-14, trustees of the International Mission Board approved the appointment of 59 new missionaries and received
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Like their fellow Southern Baptists in the United States, International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries are adjusting to government lockdowns and other
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — As airlines reduced flights and countries around the world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some International Mission Board
AUGUSTA, Ga. (BP) — When 327 delegates met at First Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., on May 8, 1845, they did more than start a
Most college students struggle figuring out their next step after graduation, but for Bob Smith,* a memorable mission trip to Southeast Asia after his freshman year
NASHVILLE (BP) — As churches adjust to ministry in a post-COVID-19 world, LifeWay has developed a collection of resources to help them. The new Church
NASHVILLE (BP) — LifeWay Christian Resources is canceling World Changers mission projects for summer 2020 and closing all future operations due to declining numbers and
2020 has been a year like no other. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has taken lives across the globe and caused untold
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Helping congregations without pastors or worship leaders during a time when churches are unable to hold in-person meetings is the
HOUSTON (BP) — Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) leaders and volunteers continue meeting needs and sharing the hope of the Gospel in response both to
Prospective students offered virtual lunches during “Meals with Midwestern” By T. Patrick Hudson KANSAS CITY (BP) — In the days before the new norm of
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — As COVID-19 started becoming a global pandemic, Send Relief staff began making preparations around the world to serve communities they knew
EDITOR’S NOTE: C. Ashley Clayton is executive director for church affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Sunday (April 26) is Cooperative Program Sunday
ORLANDO (BP) — The 2020 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference has been canceled, and its officers have asked the North American Mission Board to plan
ROSHARON, Texas (BP) — The 165 students earning bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies at Darrington Prison Unit in Texas can no longer attend classes, with
By Brandon ElrodSENECA, S.C.—Southern Baptists across the South have been providing disaster relief after one of the broadest storm systems in recent years delivered tornadoes
Midwestern Seminary hires Geoff Chang as Spurgeon Library curator By T. Patrick Hudson KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) — Midwestern Seminary President Jason Allen announced Tuesday
NOBTS receives $311,000 for summer scholarships By Gary D. Myers NEW ORLEANS — When New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College leaders asked alumni
NASHVILLE (BP) — With churches preparing for another week of online services — this Sunday, an unprecedented Easter — Ronnie Floyd gathered Southern Baptists from
By Tobin Perry KABUL, Afghanistan—Like many other ministry leaders around the world, Dan Thompson has needed to make a number of adjustments to minister to
Though it seems like the COVID-19 epidemic has brought much of the world to a standstill, God is always at work. Believers everywhere are finding
NASHVILLE (BP) — Earlier this week, Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, announced an SBC Good Friday Online Prayer Gathering. Today
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) — Talk to hospital chaplains for long about what they do, and they will eventually mention a regularly repeated phrase: “ministry of
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the United States, many medical facilities have faced shortages of masks and other protective
By Brandon Elrod ALPHARETTA, Ga.—The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is encouraging Southern Baptists to use social media to share their testimonies with their networks
NASHVILLE (BP) — While the financial impact of COVID-19 is still unknown, the SBC Executive Committee announced today that Cooperative Program giving in the SBC
By Brandon Elrod BALTIMORE—Governors all across the United States have been calling on the National Guard to assist in the fight to stop the COVID-19
By Tobin Perry NEW YORK CITY—When the COVID-19 pandemic began hitting New York City last month, Bridge Community Church in Queens, N.Y., wanted to help.
RICHMOND, Va. – International Mission Board (IMB) senior leaders have directed IMB missionary personnel around the world to postpone hosting any ministry volunteer groups through
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Eight months ago, Gregg Gober and his family arrived in New York City, ready to begin the process of launching a new
DURHAM, N.C. (BP) – I was warned that it would be tricky to lead the Southern Baptist Convention. But I don’t think any of us
Dear Southern Baptists, This announcement is one I neither expected nor wanted to make when I came to the SBC Executive Committee. In fact, it’s
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting has been canceled for the first time in 75
MADRID – The streets are eerily silent. It’s as if the life has been sucked out of this vibrant capital of Spain, this city of
These are hard, unpredictable times. Many of us have been caught off guard with the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the world—and our worship services—
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has paused part of its work in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) with decisions in important cases regarding
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – On the front lines of the global COVID-19 outbreak, Southern Baptist military chaplains serving in South Korea and Italy are faced with
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – After months of planning, The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, is launching eight-week courses for online students
SAN DIEGO – Southern California sounded like a vacation spot to Ebbie Davis at first, not a location for serious mission work. Besides, the seminary
BOSTON – If anyone had looked at a map of Southern Baptist church plants in Boston just 15 years ago, there would have been just
In light of the continuing global expansion of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), the International Mission Board’s coronavirus task force and senior leadership recommend that mission
DENVER – Thousands of people move to North America every year, many coming from nations and regions that have historically been difficult to reach with
Editor’s note: The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 1-8, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provide support for missionaries who serve
EDITOR’S NOTE: The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 1-8, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provide support for missionaries who serve
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) announced Bryant Wright as the new president of Send Relief
Nashville, Tenn. – If every Southern Baptist increased giving to international missions by the price of a single cup of coffee over the next five
FRANKFORT, Ky. – As pastors and lay leaders left Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, Ky., on Monday afternoon, Feb. 24, another stop on the
Editor’s note: The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 1-8, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering provide support for missionaries who serve
RICHMOND, Va. — In light of the global expansion of coronavirus (COVID-19), the International Mission Board has convened a task force to specifically address the
PETOSKEY, Mich. – Children’s Missions Day, an annual missions emphasis promoted by Woman’s Missionary Union, has the potential to generate missions projects that reach far
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) will work together to combine compassion ministry efforts in North
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd announced a new five-year initiative in conjunction with multiple entities to reach every person with the
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Mark Richt, a former college football head coach and current college football commentator, will be a national spokesman for Send Relief, the
Patrick and Erin Schwartz have had to get used to the darkness that often clouds Scotland’s beauty. According to the World Weather Information Service, Scotland
RICHMOND, Va. – The International Mission Board (IMB) has selected Somer Nowak to fill the newly created position of prevention and response administrator for the
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Five at a time, the members and friends of the two-year-old Church at Estrella boarded a SaberCat helicopter Jan. 19. In all,
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee announced today that Cooperative Program giving in the SBC is above budget for the fiscal year
APLHARETTA, Ga. – More than 130 pastors left the first gathering of the Timothy + Barnabas Institute (TBI) at the North American Mission Board (NAMB)
NEW ORLEANS – The inauguration ceremony of Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) and Leavell College, reflected the tone that is
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – From Alaska and Hawaii to Maine and Florida, Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) board members and state leaders from across the U.S. gathered
RICHMOND, Va. – Jason Thomas has joined IMB’s partner relations team as African American church mobilization strategist. In this capacity, Thomas will work with nearly
RICHMOND, Va. – For 175 years, Southern Baptists have not failed to have a witness among the nations, International Mission Board (IMB) president Paul Chitwood
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is calling SBC churches to participate in a nationwide focus on baptism this Easter
“Junior saw how tired the mayor was,” Jonathan Santiago, a Send Relief missionary in Puerto Rico, said as he relayed the story. “So, Junior stopped
VANCOUVER, Wash. – A group of Southern Baptists has announced an intention Jan. 14 to nominate Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention
YUACO, Puerto Rico – The ground is still shaking as southern Puerto Rico continues experiencing aftershocks from earthquakes earlier this week. Send Relief staff and
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Twelve-year-old Robert Moore couldn’t take his eyes off the dynamic preacher in front of him at his deaf school in St. Augustine,
YAUCO, Puerto Rico – “People are still very scared,” Jonathan Santiago said of residents in Puerto Rico who endured a 6.4 magnitude earthquake early Tuesday,
I don’t know about your household, but Hallmark has quickly become the go-to for our family in recent years because of its family-friendly and values-based
Editor’s Note: Modern hymn writer Keith Getty has written a series of essays, each focusing on a Christmas hymn or carol. This is the last
RICHMOND, Va. – Going on mission wasn’t new for members of First Baptist Church in Tifton, Ga. They were already partnering with IMB workers in
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Peter Yanes has been named executive director of Asian American relations and mobilization at the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The new
FORT WORTH – Southwestern Seminary provost Randy Stinson has issued a statement affirming the seminary’s commitment to biblical sexuality in response to former professor Robert
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The 71st annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society focused on the theme “Christ in All Scripture” and gave an opportunity
WASHINGTON – The government should not prevent faith-based agencies from providing services in keeping with their beliefs to children without homes and to families opening
MARIETTA, Ga. – Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., received a record $5.1 million in a single day for Great Commission causes, collected to
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Julio Arriola has been named executive director of Hispanic relations and mobilization at the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The new role
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. – As a 10-year, active duty service member in the Marine Corps, Brian O’Day regularly moved with his family. He traveled to 15
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Being a military chaplain is a special calling to be a pastor to the troops in uniform. The chaplain serves the role
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – “Lots of factors go into where someone pursues their career. Why wouldn’t the Kingdom and mission of God be the largest of
SOUTHEAST ASIA – The scent of pine trees and roasting coffee beans permeates the Southeast Asian air. International Mission Board worker Katelyn Summers* keeps careful
PITTSBURGH – While more than 100 volunteers and well-wishers filled Vintage Church’s freshly renovated basement during the grand opening of Pittsburgh’s Send Relief Ministry Center,
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Baptists in Texas received the benefit earlier this month of an alliance between the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) and Ethics
RICHMOND, Va. – More than 155,000 people die daily without Christ. This is a harsh and unacceptable reality facing Southern Baptists, IMB President Paul Chitwood
CLOVIS, N.M. – Baptist Convention of New Mexico (BCNM) Executive Director Joseph Bunce announced Tuesday, Oct. 22, he will retire from his position effective February
FORT WORTH, Texas – Four Southern Baptist Convention entity heads charged Adam W. Greenway to remain committed to a high view of Scripture, confessional fidelity,
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Fifty-six churches have been started in the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention (UISBC) over the last 5 1/2 years, messengers and guests
RICHMOND — Andrew (Andy) N. Leininger, who served as a Christian worker in the former Soviet Union for 22 years, died in his home state
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Religious freedom and pro-life advocates commended a new federal court decision that protects freedom of conscience for health-care professionals. In an
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Shane Pruitt, an evangelist, Bible teacher and director of evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, has been named director of
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Bay Area is known for being a launching pad for digital and technological innovations. A group of church planting
Editor’s note: October is the Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. To learn more about the Cooperative Program, go to sbc.net/cp. KANSAS
DETROIT – Travis Whittaker of Mile City Church encourages the Detroit-area church plant “all the time” to give. “Every Sunday before we have our time
Editor’s note: October is the Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. To learn more about the Cooperative Program, go to sbc.net/cp. ONTARIO,
WHEATON, Ill. — The International Mission Board and the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College’s Rural Matters Institute have launched a five-year research project that
SAN FRANCISCO – North American Mission Board trustees gathered for their annual fall meeting Oct. 7-8 with much to celebrate as Ronnie Floyd, president of
PHOENIX – Like some other churches around the country, Valley Life Church in the Tramonto neighborhood of Phoenix has adopted the “Who’s Your One?” evangelism
SAN FRANCISCO – For the third straight year, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) for North American missions has hit a record high. The 2019
KALISPELL, Mont. – Messengers to the 2019 annual meeting of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention voted unanimously Oct. 3 to enter into a seven-year reciprocal
SAN JOSE, Calif. – On Father’s Day 2017, Sophie Nguyen found herself in San Jose, close to 2,000 miles from her father back home in
TOKYO – The world will converge on Tokyo, Japan, twice in the span of a year for two international sporting events – the 2019 Rugby
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the fifth consecutive fiscal year, contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries through the Cooperative Program met
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In geese, Jay Wolf sees an illustration of the Cooperative Program. One goose “can fly 1,000 miles alone, but in a flock
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Mark Hoover, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hayti, Mo., is looking for a new “one.” After witnessing long distance to
SOLDOTNA, Alaska – The Alaska Baptist Convention (ABC) entered the third year of its refocusing effort involving a “new vision, new face, new structure” at
Editor’s note: October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. RICHMOND, Va. – As I near the first anniversary of being elected
COLUMBIA, S.C. – With a long family history of military service and after baptizing hundreds of soldiers in two years at Fort Jackson, chaplain Chris
FREEPORT, Bahamas – After three days surveying the damage from Hurricane Dorian, an eight-member team of Southern Baptists returned to the United States with a
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A report examining how evangelical Christians might help in healing America’s political and cultural divides was issued Thursday, Sept. 26, by the
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Nearly 200 associational mission strategists (AMS) from across North America gathered at the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Ga. Over the
BILLINGS, Mont. – A seven-year partnership between Southern Baptist churches in Montana and Canadian Baptist churches in Alberta is on track to begin Jan. 1.
BOHOL, Philippines – The International Mission Board has signed a covenant with One Sending Body, the sending entity of five Baptist conventions in the Philippines.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Church planting and gospel unity anchored much of the dialogue during the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s September meeting, spotlighting a new
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – At more than 47,000 churches strong, Southern Baptists can have a massive spiritual footprint – they just have to harness the power
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – In his first visit to the North American Mission Board in his new role as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive
HATTERAS, N.C. – As Hurricane Dorian moved along the East Coast, North Carolina officials hoped they had dodged a direct hit. Then, the storm made
Editor’s Note: Baptist Press is releasing a series of columns leading up to Sept. 8, which is Baptism Day in the Southern Baptist Convention. For
Editor’s Note: Baptist Press is releasing a series of columns leading up to Sept. 8, which is Baptism Day in the Southern Baptist Convention. For
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee in August were 2.05 percent
NASHVILLE , Tenn. – Jonathan P. Howe has been named vice president of communications for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee effective Sept. 5. Officers
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Hurricane Dorian finally completed its pounding of the Bahamas Tuesday, Sept. 3. After intensifying to a Category 5 before devastating the islands,
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Hurricane Dorian missed the island of Puerto Rico. While the storm reportedly appeared to be within striking distance, Dorian took a
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The words cut deep for Sam Calhoun who, at the time, pastored Windsor Hills Community Church in La Mesa, Calif. A young
Editor’s note: The experience of new birth – and the witness of baptism – undergird the intent of three Massachusetts collegians to reach their peers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In his first trustee meeting as president and CEO, Ben Mandrell gave board members an optimistic vision for the future of LifeWay
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Tropical Storm Dorian is staring down the islands of the Caribbean, two years after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and the
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Southern Baptist Convention is built upon relationships between local churches, associations, state conventions and national entities. A new change to church
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – More than 1,000 Hispanic Florida Baptists are coming together across the state for the annual Hispanic State Fellowship gathering focusing on the
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Eight state Baptist conventions – at their own initiative – are moving toward sweeping changes. The conventions’ goal: adding value to their
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Send Relief celebrated the start of construction of a new ministry center in Puerto Rico with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday,
Editor’s note: Southern Baptist will celebrate Baptism Day Sept. 8. ALPHARETTA, Ga. – To me, when I study the New Testament, especially the book of
It has been quite a journey serving as editor of your state Baptist news service ministry since 2011. There have been ups and downs, challenges
THE YEAR WAS 1845. Texas was the 28th state to be annexed into the United States. The sewing machine was invented. The New York Herald
CLARKSTON, Ga. – A lawsuit brought by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) against the City of Clarkston, Ga., potentially adressed important serious constitutional and
STURGIS, S.D. – “Their eternity is forever changed,” Garvon Golden said of 10,647 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attendees who named Jesus as their Lord and Savior
RICHMOND, Va.– International Mission Board trustees voted to elect Mark MacDonald as the mission organization’s vice president of marketing and communication during a virtual meeting
Editor’s note: J.D. Greear is president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area. Baptist Press will
SOUTH ASIA – Zoya’s* family life was a mess. She had fallen in love with a Hindu man, and consequently, her Muslim family disowned her.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – What would it take to boost evangelism and baptism numbers among Southern Baptists? Johnny Hunt says the answer is pretty simple. “If
CLARKSTON, Ga. – A couple of old, uninhabitable farmhouses from the 1900s are in the spotlight of a lawsuit between the North American Mission Board
RIDGECREST, N.C. – The Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf (SBCD) gathered for their 71st annual meeting and elected a woman president for the third
ON THE SAME day that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam shared comments on a radio program, which were widely interpreted to imply the approval of infanticide
