RICHMOND —Generosity and gratitude. These words resonate with International Mission Board missionaries when they hear of how faithfully Southern Baptists continue to support them through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program. The current total of gifts to the 2022-23 Lottie Moon offering is $196.1 million — besting the $190 million goal. “Thank you, Southern Baptists, for your growing commitment to get the Gospel to the nations!” IMB

INDIANAPOLIS — Efforts are currently underway to provide additional hotel space for Southern Baptist Convention attendees next summer after demand outpaced that of last year. More than 16,000 room nights, a new first-day record, have been reserved since reservations came open at 9 a.m. Eastern on Oct. 2. That figure a year ago for New Orleans was at approximately 15,700. “We are working to secure more rooms to meet those

CINCINNATI — Tennessee and Kentucky can prohibit certain gender-transition treatments for minors, a federal court said Sept. 28 in rejecting appeals from parents and others. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said gender dysphoria is so new a diagnosis that the safety and impact of medical treatments including puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgeries has not been proven. The court consolidated challenges to the laws in Tennessee

NASHVILLE —  A group of Asian American church leaders are expressing their “profound concern, dismay and disappointment” following staff cuts by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee that included two associate vice president positions responsible for overseeing ethnic relations. On Sept. 13, the EC announced it was cutting five full-time staff positions and two contractor positions in an effort to help cover rising costs related to the SBC Annual Meeting

ERLC staff Over the past several years, Southern Baptists state conventions and associations have been taking significant steps to prevent abuse within their churches and provide support for survivors. While the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has faced criticism for its handling of sexual abuse cases in the past, many state conventions are now prioritizing abuse prevention and survivor care. Here is a sampling of the efforts made by various state

BRENTWOOD — If you’re looking for a Southern Baptist church, you’re most likely to find one in the South. If you want to find a growing Southern Baptist church, however, you might want to try the Northeast. Analysis of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Church Profile (ACP) by Lifeway Research revealed the convention is made up of mostly smaller churches dotting the southern United States. Still, more than 1 in 5

NASHVILLE — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee deemed Matoaka Baptist Church of Ochelata, Okla., not in friendly cooperation with the SBC Sept. 19 after the church failed to respond to inquiries regarding alleged racial discrimination. The SBC Credentials Committee sought information from the nearly 200-year-old church after a representative of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) asked the committee to consider the church’s relationship “on the basis that

NASHVILLE — Executive Committee members approved a 2023-2024 operating budget of $8,305,500 for SBC and EC operating expenses, a decrease of .35 percent from last year. During the third quarter of the fiscal year, Cooperative Budget Allocation receipts decreased by 3.48 percent compared to the same period last year, reported Convention Finances and Stewardship Development chair Adam Wyatt. A negative change in net assets also occurred in that time to

NASHVILLE — A new code of conduct for board members and a commitment to investigate backgrounds and credentials of prospective staff hires are in place for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Executive Committee officers informed EC members of the new vetting process for prospective hires at the director’s level and above during the Sept. 19 morning plenary session of the board’s meeting in Nashville. EC members unanimously adopted the