October 30, 2026
50° F
Fog
The voice of Georgia Baptists since 1822
The Christian Index logo
Advanced search
Log in Subscribe
Top stories

Warrenton families discover the impact of serving on mission together

Lynn Brooks, center, and Chelsea Harrison, right, pray with a young lady during a missions trip. (Photo/courtesy Brandon Furr)
WARRENTON, Ga. — Brandon Furr, pastor of First Baptist Church in Warrenton, became convinced that one of the best ways to cultivate a Christian family is for parents and children to serve together on mission locally, nationally, and internationally.
Trending stories
A Pakistani Christian man reads his Bible during a Sunday morning worship service at church in a South Asian village. (Photo/IMB)
Translating the Bible is only the first step
Bible translation has made remarkable progress around the world, but a new report says the work of getting God’s Word to people does not end when the translation is finished.
(Photo/Everett Huffman)
At 21, Ryland Hughes leads Pleasant Hill Baptist through season of growth
CORNELIA, Ga. — Ryland Hughes is a busy man these days. He’s a construction worker, a university student, a husband to his wife, Kassidee, and, since January, pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Cornelia, where he is seeing substantial growth. He gives all the glory to God.
Ray Rhodes, left, and David Bunce are making the transition at Grace Community Church work well. (Photo/Grace Community Church)
Rhodes passes the baton to Bunce at Grace Community Church
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Grace Community Church is in the midst of a months-long pastoral transition in which founding pastor Ray Rhodes and his successor, David Bunce, are serving alongside one another before Rhodes steps away from the pastorate.
Wild and Free, a ministry of First Baptist Church Thomaston, gives people a place to learn practical skills alongside others who can teach them, with prayer, Scripture, and gospel conversations intentionally woven into the work. (Photo/FBC Thomaston)
Wild and Free ministry builds furniture and disciples in Thomaston
THOMASTON, Ga. — A small woodworking shop near the Thomaston square has become a place where people build tables, fishing rods, planter boxes, and relationships while First Baptist Church Thomaston seeks to make disciples.
Josh Clark preaches at North Henry Baptist Church. (Photo/North Henry Baptist Church)
Jordan, Clark share ministry during North Henry Baptist transition
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. — North Henry Baptist Church is nearing the completion of a gradual pastoral transition that has allowed longtime pastor Stan Jordan and his successor, Josh Clark, to serve alongside one another for nearly a year.
Baptist Life

Ahead of Student Baptism Sunday, leaders point to importance of relationships, Scripture

Students pray at the altar on the first day of Confluence, Oct. 11, 2026. (Index/Henry Durand)
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Mike Camire extended an invitation after a worship service during the mission camp his students attended this summer. A seventh-grade girl came to his wife, Julie, following the invitation and asked to talk. “So, my wife took her, and then a couple of her friends actually went with her,” said Camire, “and they went out into the hall, and my wife shared the gospel with her and led her to the Lord.”

Read more Baptist Life stories

The eastern face of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City in Rome, Italy, is famous for its central balcony from which popes give their papal addresses. (Photo/IMB)
ROME — In the city where Jason and Lizzy Davis serve, some steps have a lot of meaning. And the meaning is different for them than it is for the thousands who travel there to visit that site.
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, and his wife Mary pose with a graduate following commencement ceremonies Dec. 11, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Photo/SBTS, File)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will offer every concentration of its Doctor of Philosophy program in a modular format beginning in fall 2027, allowing pastors and scholars to pursue the seminary’s highest level of theological study through focused weeks on campus, while continuing in their current ministries.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College have announced the launch of the Elliff Center for Global Missions, an institution-wide hub that brings together missions training and opportunities from high school through doctoral study.
Southwestern Day of Prayer. (Photo/SWBTS)
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Day of Prayer held outside the Naylor Student Center at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on Oct. 20 drew upwards of 200 participants and signaled a fresh vitality as the campus community celebrated the Lord’s answers to prayer in recent years.  
Georgia
An ACT Assessment test. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Georgia ACT scores decrease

ATLANTA — Georgia’s class of 2026 scored lower on the ACT than the class of 2025, but they still beat the national average. Georgia’s 2026 graduates who took the college admissions test after their freshman year earned an average composite score of 20.9, down half a point from the score of the prior year’s graduates.

This photo combo shows President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington on April 30, 2011. (AP Photo/File)

Trump, Obama to campaign in Georgia

ATLANTA — Two high-profile partisans will visit Georgia over the next week to promote their parties’ candidates ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. On Saturday night, President Donald Trump will return to the Peach State for a rally in Perry. The visit, his third to promote statewide Republican candidates in Georgia this year, will come soon after his visit to Dalton last week and three months after his visit to Cobb County in July.
The seal on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen June 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FBI is investigating reports of an 'incendiary device' being thrown at an ICE building in Atlanta

ATLANTA (AP) — The FBI is investigating reports of an “incendiary device” being thrown at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday night.
A person waits in line to vote in Georgia's primary election on May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Georgia early voting tops 1 million ballots

ATLANTA — A record number of Georgia voters have cast early ballots in person for a midterm election, surpassing 1 million on Tuesday. “We continue to break records each day of early voting,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

More Georgia news

Nation
Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, listens to debate on the Senate floor, Feb. 17, 2026, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)

Powerful Democratic Virginia state Sen. Lucas is accused of leading a marijuana criminal conspiracy

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, was charged on Thursday in connection with what federal authorities alleged was a role leading a wide-ranging criminal enterprise that acquired and distributed large quantities of marijuana and laundered the proceeds.

A plume of smokes rises from MC Tank Transport Inc., where a chemical tank exploded overnight, prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate or shelter in place amid concerns about a potential toxic release, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in north Toledo, Ohio. (Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade via AP)

A chemical tank explodes in Ohio, forcing evacuations and prompting fears of another blast

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A chemical tank explosion in Toledo, Ohio, forced hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes and others to stay indoors Wednesday due to fears of a toxic release and the possibility of another explosion.
LifeWise Academy incorporates Bible study in its program. (Photo/LifeWise Academy)

LifeWise Academy secures Washington public school access to off-site Bible study

EVERETT, Wash. (BP) – LifeWise Academy has secured the right to operate its off-site Bible-based character development program in Everett, Wash., and garnered a public apology for being falsely accused of favoring white supremacy and a “fascist theocracy.”
Mourners visit a makeshift memorial to honor the victims and survivors of a human smuggling tragedy in which dozens of migrants were found dead or dying in a tractor-trailer a week prior, July 6, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Guatemalan man gets 30 years for role in smuggling tragedy that killed 53 people in Texas

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Guatemalan man extradited to the U.S. over his role in a 2022 human smuggling attempt that ended in the deaths of 53 migrants who had been transported in a sweltering tractor-trailer in Texas.

Read more national news

World
People watch and take photos of cleanup efforts after weekend protests turned into rioting and looting across France, in Paris, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Teresa Suarez)

French authorities ban some student protests after weekend looting and clashes

PARIS (AP) — Protests planned in several French cities for Thursday were banned, with more bans expected in the coming days after a weekend of clashes and widespread looting marked France’s most violent unrest in years. French President Emmanuel Macron said the measures aim to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.

A couple drives past a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iran says 7 oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said Thursday.
A woman looks at her damaged apartment after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Russia pounds Kyiv with missiles as Moscow says 808 drones downed in Russian cities

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missiles in an hours-long nighttime barrage, and the Russian military said Thursday that its air defenses intercepted 808 drones fired by Ukraine at Moscow and other cities, in attacks that dampened new hopes of progress in ending the war. At least two people were killed in Ukraine and dozens of others wounded, officials said.
A Yandex food delivery courier rides his scooter in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Ukraine's strikes on Russian data centers disrupt key services and derail AI research

Russia prides itself on its digital advances — from an extensive e-commerce services sector to ambitious plans for developing artificial intelligence. But now, some of the key data centers at the heart of its technical prowess have been knocked out by Ukrainian drone attacks in the 4 1/2-year-old full-scale invasion, suffering damage that could take a long time to repair.

Read more world news

Perspectives
Dawn Reed
We have been through the Jordan. When it was at flood stage. On dry ground. We have marched around Jericho. Seen the walls fall at the greatness of God’s Hand. We have seen the sun stand still because he asked God to do it.
Mary Margaret Flook
In the previous article, we defined what boldness is and said that prayer, God’s presence, God’s power, and our preparation help us become bold in evangelism. In this article, we’ll cover the last four P’s.
Mary Margaret Flook
We’ve heard the commandment—go and make disciples of all nations. We know the gospel, but we’re too scared to share it. We sense the Holy Spirit’s prompting but rationalize disobedience by promising ourselves that “we’ll share next time.” So what do we do about this fear? How do we grow in boldness?
Mike Griffin
I am so glad that Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice recently said on Fox News that he believed pastors needed to “step up” in the midterm political process.
Keely Mills
While the U.S. Constitution is well known, not everyone realizes that each state has its own constitution, which is the supreme governing law of that state. Since an ordinary law cannot override the state constitution, Georgians are often asked to vote on constitutional amendments when they enter the voting booth in November. 

Read more perspectives

Business
A tugboat pushes a container ship to a port in Yantai, eastern China's Shandong province on Oct. 14, 2026. (Chinatopix via AP)

China's economy accelerated in the July-September quarter on robust exports

HONG KONG (AP) — China said Monday its economy grew 4.5% in the July-September quarter from a year ago, fueled by robust exports, moving closer to meeting its official annual growth target for the year as trading partners seek to balance their trade deficits with the country.

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.

Read more business news

Sports
(Photo/TMU)

Truett McConnell women's soccer clinches 5th straight AAC regular season championship

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The tenth goal of the year for Isabella Hodson in the 32nd minute proved to be the game-winner as No. 8 Truett McConnell (13-1-1, 10-0 AAC) held onto a 2-1 score over Reinhardt (8-5-1, 5-3-1 AAC) Wednesday evening at the TMU Soccer Complex.

Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates their win iver the Cleveland Guardians to clinch the American League Championship Series in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Díaz, Caminero and Peralta lead Rays to 7-3 win over Guardians and a trip to the World Series

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz's bat backed up his boast, and the Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series again. Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit a two-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 gritty innings, and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night to win their third pennant in 29 seasons as a major league franchise.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels is taken off the field after being injured during the second half in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels carted off on stretcher after third-quarter tackle

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels was injured and left the field on a stretcher in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. The Falcons said that Daniels was alert and had movement in all his extremities and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation. He was seen after the game in the locker room walking under his own power.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Caleb Williams completes first 12 passes in return after missing 3 games as Bears top Falcons 31-23

ATLANTA (AP) — Caleb Williams had been “itching” on the sideline while missing three straight games. Finally cleared to play, Williams performed as if determined to make up for lost time. Williams completed his first 12 passes in his return from a hamstring injury, D'Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 on Sunday.

Read more sports news

© Copyright 2026 The Christian Index | Copyright/Terms of Use
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions