HISPANIC BAPTIST LEADERS SAY LOSS OF ‘SENSITIVE LOCATIONS’ RULE HURTS CHURCH
FORT WORTH – The loss of a rule that prevented officials from entering churches to arrest immigrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally has hurt the Church’s witness, the National Hispanic Baptist Network (NHBN) said Jan. 29 in calling for the rule’s reinstatement. The NHBN, a group representing more than 3,300 Southern Baptist churches, […]
MCDONOUGH LEAVES LEGACY OF EVANGELISM
Renowned Baptist leader and church-planting specialist Reginald “Reggie” McDonough passed away on Dec. 24 at the age of 88. McDonough became one of the top Southern Baptist leaders while traveling the globe, teaching Christian church planters the importance of strategic planning in building and maintaining congregations for the Glory of the Lord.
JIMMY CARTER REMEMBERED FOR SPEAKING OPENLY ABOUT HIS FAITH
PLAINS, Ga. — Former United States President Jimmy Carter, who spoke of his faith more openly than other modern leaders, taught a Baptist Sunday School class for decades and became the nation’s longest-lived president, died Sunday, Dec. 29, at age 100. A member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., Carter was a third generation […]
LESS THAN HALF OF AMERICANS ATTEND CHURCH AT CHRISTMAS
BRENTWOOD — As Americans make their Christmas plans, slightly less than half say they usually attend a church service during the holiday season. A Lifeway Research study finds U.S. adults are split on whether they’ll be at church sometime this Christmas—47 percent say they typically attend church at Christmastime, while 48 percent say they do […]
BIBLE STUDY, CHURCH ATTENDANCE CAN DECREASE LONELINESS
PHILADELPHIA — The Bible protects against what the U.S. surgeon general has termed an “epidemic of loneliness” as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in releasing its latest chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible. Bible engagement, forgiveness and church attendance all offer individual antidotes […]
CP’S ‘LONG-TERM STABILITY’ CONSIDERED AS STATE CONVENTIONS RETHINK SBC ALLOCATIONS
NASHVILLE — The Cooperative Program stands at a crossroads as its 100th birthday approaches. Messengers to the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Summit felt that reality this fall. They voted reluctantly to decrease the SBC percentage of the Tennessee convention’s CP allocation from 47.5 to 45 and retain 55 percent for Tennessee ministries. “When we started moving […]
SUPREME COURT’S SKRMETTI RULING ‘MONUMENTAL’ FOR CHILDREN’S SAFETY, ERLC SAYS
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 4 in United States v. Skrmetti, a case which will determine the constitutionality of a Tennessee law banning gender transition procedures or so-called “gender affirming care” for minors. The case involves three transgender teenagers and the Biden administration suing Tennessee officials in order to bar the […]
BIBLE STUDY, CHURCH ATTENDANCE HELP STEM LONELINESS
PHILADELPHIA — The Bible protects against what the U.S. surgeon general has termed an “epidemic of loneliness” as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in releasing its latest chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible. Bible engagement, forgiveness and church attendance all offer individual antidotes […]
TWO HEARTS REVIVED: HOW AN HVAC HERO SAVED A LIFE AND FOUND HOPE
CHATTANOOGA — As far as David and Marilyn Killian are concerned, God sent Cameron Lowe to save David’s life so David could help save Cameron’s. An HVAC repair worker, Cameron is trained to get compressors and blowers back up and running – not human hearts. But that’s exactly what he had to do one Thursday […]
NOV. 9 A SPECIAL DAY TO FOCUS ON WIDOWS, ORPHANS
Southern Baptists have set aside Sunday, Nov. 9, to focus on caring for widows and orphans. Based on James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (CSB), the day gives churches an opportunity to […]