October 15, 2026
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Vidalia men’s gathering leads to professions of faith, new discipleship efforts

Men pray during the What's at Stake? event at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Vidalia, Ga., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Index/Henry Durand)
VIDALIA, Ga. — Eight men indicated they had trusted Christ as Savior in connection with a men’s gathering at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Thursday, Oct. 8, while others committed to renewed discipleship and organizers began planning a follow-up revival.
Trending stories
Evangelist Doug Elks. (Photo/Festival of Hope, Frank Simme)
Monroe Festival of Hope sees 96 professions of faith
MONROE, Ga. — Rain fell on the opening night of the Festival of Hope at American Legion Post 64 Fairgrounds, but the four-night evangelistic event continued and resulted in 96 professions of faith.
Ken Bevel, connections and local missions pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, teaches on evangelistic prayer at an Engage 6 session in Tifton, Ga., on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Index/Henry Durand)
Engage 6 wraps 2026 with focus on evangelistic prayer
TIFTON, Ga. — The final round of 2026 Engage 6 gatherings concluded this week, closing a year in which 1,641 pastors and church leaders attended 36 evangelism training sessions across six regions of Georgia.
(Photo/Fellowship BC)
Fellowship Baptist sees attendance grow as young people catch fire for the Lord
GIBSON, Ga. — Fellowship Baptist Church in Gibson has more than doubled its Sunday attendance in the past year, and Pastor Jonathan Rosier says much of the spiritual energy is coming from teenagers who returned from summer camp determined to share the gospel. The 226-year-old church has grown from about 85 on Sunday mornings a year ago to an average of 220.
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers gather outside a trailer in Florida. (Photo/GBDR)
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief deploys to Florida after Hurricane Isaias
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — About 50 Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are working in the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Isaias brought destructive winds, flooding, and widespread damage to the region.
Evangelism conference to equip Georgia Baptists with practical tools for reaching the lost
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Georgia Baptists will be encouraged and equipped to maximize their evangelism efforts during a one-day conference on Monday, Nov. 9, at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, just before the Georgia Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
Baptist Life

Burnt Hickory breaks ground on 2,400-seat worship center

Members, families, and friends gather at the groundbreaking for a 2,400-seat worship center. (Photo/Burnt Hickory Baptist Church)
POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Burnt Hickory Baptist Church broke ground Sunday, Oct. 11, on a 2,400-seat worship center as part of its “All In” initiative, a project church leaders say will provide needed space for a congregation that is already holding five Sunday morning worship services in two auditoriums.

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(Photo/TMU)
CLEVELAND, Ga. — On Monday, October 12, the Truett McConnell University World Missions Center relaunched with a vision that reaches far beyond its walls. For World Missions Center Coordinator, Gracie Hudson, the Center is meant to be more than a place students visit. She hopes it will become a catalyst for a campus-wide heart for the nations, where meaningful engagement and a growing understanding of God’s heart for the lost overflow into every corner of TMU.
The groundbreaking at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church with, from left, Lucy Winters, Hudson Bruce, JoAnn Birrell, Steve Aslinger, and Pastor Clay Smith.
MARIETTA, Ga. — Johnson Ferry Baptist Church broke ground Oct. 7 on a major campus expansion that includes a new 2,500-seat worship center and is part of an $84.3 million Forward Together Vision aimed at making more room for worship, community, the next generation, and gospel outreach.
Florida Baptist Disaster Relief tents are set up in the parking lot of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
DESTIN, Fla. (BP) — Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are set up in several locations throughout the western Panhandle of Florida and southeast Alabama after Hurricane Isaias brought widespread destruction to the region.
(Photo/MBTS)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Midwestern Seminary welcomed pastors, ministry leaders, and students to Kansas City on Sept. 28–29 for the 2026 For the Church National Conference. Centered on the theme “The Work of the Word,” the conference encouraged attendees to trust the power, sufficiency, and enduring authority of Scripture in every part of the Christian life and ministry.
Georgia
The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, which houses the Georgia Supreme Court, in Atlanta on Dec. 10, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Georgia Supreme Court ruling could shift more fire costs to property taxpayers

ATLANTA — In a ruling with potentially far-reaching consequences for homeowners and businesses, the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a fire service fee levied by Chatham County.

A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 in Austell, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)

Man killed on a Six Flags roller coaster was thrown from the ride and hit other patrons, police say

MABLETON, Ga. (AP) — A 42-year-old man killed while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was thrown from his seat and struck other patrons before landing below the ride, police said Tuesday.
A pedestrian walks through the Georgia Tech campus as the downtown skyline stands in the background on March 11, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Georgia Tech to get temporary leader amid search for Cabrera successor

ATLANTA — An executive vice president at Georgia Tech will step temporarily into the top job amid a search for a permanent president.
The Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Photo/Wikicommons)

One person is dead, several others injured in incident involving Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia

AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — One person has died, and several others were injured in an incident involving a Six Flags roller coaster Monday afternoon in Georgia, according to police.

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Nation
The FBI seal is pictured in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Authorities investigate letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional, election offices

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”

Homeland Security officers carry boxes from the Washington residence of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, during a search. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone seized and relatives subpoenaed in criminal probe, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities investigating Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar seized the Democratic lawmaker's phone and have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, according to a person briefed on the probe.
The U.S. Department of Justice logo adorns a podium, May 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Justice Department threatens California with legal action over claim of noncitizens on voter rolls

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Justice Department has threatened California with possible legal action over what it says are noncitizens believed to have received mail ballots for next month’s midterm elections.
A fan puts on sunscreen prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Belgium and Egypt in Seattle on June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

The first new sunscreen type in 25 years has arrived on US store shelves

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Americans have a new option when shopping for sunscreen: a skin-protecting chemical that’s long been a go-to option in Europe and other parts of the world.

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World
Rescue workers carry an injured boy after rescuing him from the rubble of a roof collapse at a private school, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Zubair)

School roof collapse in Pakistan kills at least 35 and injures more than 50

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — The roof of a private school collapsed in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday, killing at least 34 children and a teacher and injuring more than 50 other people in the deadliest incident of its kind in the country, authorities and a hospital official said.

This photo, provided on Oct. 15, 2026, by the North Korean government, shows an underwater-launched missile test in the country’s eastern waters Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea holds first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly 3 years

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea performed its first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly three years on Wednesday, likely from an as-yet-deployed submarine that it says is designed to launch nuclear weapons.
Birds fly over a billboard advertisement for Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

Iran-backed Houthis strike Saudi oil company Aramco's headquarters, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit the headquarters of the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco in an overnight strike, two regional officials said Wednesday, damaging the offices of the firm’s chief executive and other top officials.
A mobile lab is set up to test for Ebola virus in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

Congo's confirmed Ebola cases exceed 9,000 as containment efforts falter

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in Congo’s Ebola outbreak have surpassed 9,000 as efforts to contain transmission falter, according to health ministry data released Tuesday.

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Perspectives
(Index/Henry Durand)
Picture a church meeting that ends with hope. The need is clear. People agree that something must change. Heads nod, the motion passes, and the pastor goes home encouraged. Six weeks later, little has happened. The same questions return. A few hallway conversations grow louder. The people who said yes begin asking whether this is really the right time.
Dawn Reed
I keep picturing their faces. They sat on a mattress, fully focused, listening intently. I’ve told you countless times that we have a small team of ladies (a small army, really) who go to the jail every Sunday morning at 6:45.  We take it very seriously, cherishing every opportunity.
Wade Lott
When I was in high school in the mid-1980s, I took a class that taught me how to use a typewriter. One of the first things we learned was the importance of margins. Margins gave definition to the page, provided breathing room for the reader, and framed the words so the page looked balanced and organized. Without margins, the page would feel crowded and chaotic.
Jill Johnson
Several years ago, one of my granddaughters came home with a questionnaire she had filled out for something at school. One of the questions was “What are you afraid of?” Her answer was, “Well, basically I’m afraid of everything.”
Ricky Thrasher
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s Annual Meeting will be held November 9–10 at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins. We look forward to gathering for a meaningful time of business, worship, fellowship, and encouragement.

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Business
The Social Security Administration office is seen in Mount Prospect, Ill., Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Social Security recipients to get 3.6% cost of living boost, an average of $75 per month

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration projected Wednesday that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities will go up by 3.6% beginning in 2027, with some recipients complaining that is not enough to offset soaring prices.

(Photo/NOBTS)

New Orleans Seminary partners with The Worship Initiative and SBC Worship for night of worship celebrating Center for Worship Studies

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a worship night Oct. 6 in partnership with The Worship Initiative and SBC Worship. The event was held in celebration of the ribbon-cutting for the seminary's new Center for Worship Studies, which took place earlier in the day.  
The U.S. Department of Agriculture seal is seen on a podium during a news conference in Washington on July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

More than 160,000 pounds of meat bearing false USDA inspection labels recalled

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 83 tons of meat are being recalled across the U.S. because the products were not properly inspected by federal authorities and were shipped out with falsified inspection stickers, the Department of Agriculture said.
A hiring sign is displayed at a grocery store, in Schaumburg, Ill., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Claims for unemployment benefits drop to 197,000, the lowest since mid-July as layoffs remain rare

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, as U.S. jobless claims remain at historically low levels and most Americans enjoy job security.

Major tire company to expand in northwest Georgia

ATLANTA — A global leader in tire production will invest $1.2 billion to expand in Georgia, bringing 1,000 jobs by 2033, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.

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Sports
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throws a pass during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Penix expected to start at quarterback for Falcons against Bears after suffering rib injury in loss

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is on track to start for the Atlanta Falcons Sunday against the Chicago Bears after leaving last week's loss to Baltimore with a rib injury.

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson drives against Memphis Grizzlies center Isaiah Stewart (28) in the second half of a preseason game, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A revamped Hawks team chases a bigger leap after a first-round playoff exit

The Atlanta Hawks are gearing up for a promising season with a strong core lineup. Key returning players include Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, who helped secure a playoff spot last season. Johnson's growth is crucial, especially after leading the team in assists, rebounding, and scoring in the playoffs.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. walks off the field after losing to the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. sustains rib injury in 4th quarter in OT loss to Ravens

ATLANTA (AP) — Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. sustained a rib injury when he was sacked by Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson late in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 30-23 overtime loss to Baltimore on Sunday night and was unable to finish the game.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (5) runs from Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) during the first half Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Huntley leads late TD drive to force OT and then scores on 1-yard run as Ravens beat Falcons 30-23

TLANTA (AP) — With Tyler Huntley filling in at quarterback, the Baltimore Ravens were on Snoop patrol. When “Snoop” Huntley is leading the offense, the Ravens don't feel like a backup is on the field.

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