MARYLAND-DELAWARE BAPTISTS READY TO RESPOND AFTER BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSES
BALTIMORE — Southern Baptist volunteers in Maryland and Delaware are ready to respond as needed after the Francis Scott Key Bridge suddenly collapsed into the Baltimore harbor following a “ship strike” in the early-morning hours on March 26. Search and rescue efforts continue for at least six people who fell into the harbor. “Because of […]
FIRST PERSON: EASTER MESSAGE IS REACHING LOST IN DRAMATIC WAYS
He has risen! As you celebrate this Easter season, please remember your many IMB missionaries on the field. In some areas, like where we live in the Asia-Pacific Rim, it’s the perfect time to explain the true meaning of this holiday. We want you to know how Christians are presenting the gospel on the island […]
EASTER REMAINS A HIGH ATTENDANCE DAY FOR MOST CHURCHES
BRENTWOOD — Most pastors are expecting one of their largest crowds on Easter, but those expectations have tempered some in the past decade. The three highest-attendance Sundays for pastors—Easter, Christmas and Mother’s Day—have remained the same since 2011, but each is now less likely to be among the top days, according to a Lifeway Research […]
IORG MAKES ABOUT FACE ON RETIREMENT PLANS, PREPARES TO ‘LEAD ON’ IN NEW ROLE
Jeff Iorg has been discussing leadership, calling and ministry in his weekly “Lead On” podcast for nearly seven years. What he didn’t anticipate was that he would indeed continue to “lead on” in a major capacity after his time as a seminary president. “It wasn’t very many weeks ago that we were tracking toward retirement […]
EC MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY ELECT JEFF IORG
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information and quotes. DALLAS — Sixty members of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention voted unanimously in executive session to elect Jeff Iorg as its new president/chief executive officer during a called meeting March 21 in Dallas. The election of Iorg comes after a […]
2024 SBC ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
INDIANAPOLIS — A preliminary schedule for the Southern Baptist Convention 2024 Annual Meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis was released March 18 by the Committee on Order of Business. Worship and prayer June 11 at 8 a.m. precede the official 8:15 a.m. call to order, launching two days of business and updates concluding June 12 at […]
SEVERAL FAITH-BASED SCHOOLS PART OF ‘MARCH MADNESS’
Twelve Protestant and Catholic schools — three of which have historic Baptist ties — are among the 68 represented in the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament (see list below). Ready for “March Madness” — the frenzy of championship postseason games taking place all over the country starting this week and leading into the championship game on […]
FERGUSON TO CHAIR COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS THROUGH NEW PROCESS
NASHVILLE —SBC president Bart Barber has named Kristen Ferguson, associate dean of educational effectiveness and director of online education at Gateway Seminary, to serve as chair of the 2024 Committee on Resolutions. It will be Ferguson’s third year to serve on the committee, having been vice chair at the New Orleans Annual meeting. “The resolutions […]
CRIMINAL CONSIDERATIONS ASIDE, SOUTHERN BAPTISTS WANT ABUSE REFORM, ARITF SAYS
NASHVILLE — Southern Baptist sexual abuse reform leaders say work must persist even as investigations into allegations of the SBC’s mishandling of sexual abuse continue. The SBC Executive Committee released a statement on March 6 saying it had been informed there would be no further action taken in the investigation that was launched in 2022. In August 2022, a […]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONCLUDES EC INVESTIGATION; ‘NO FURTHER ACTION’
NASHVILLE — The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded its investigation of the SBC Executive Committee, Southern Baptist leaders learned Feb. 29. In a statement today, Jonathan Howe, interim SBC EC president/CEO, said the DOJ has told the EC’s legal counsel there is “no further action to be taken.” Email requests for comment from the […]