While at first it may seem that holding a full-time job could distract from a ministry calling, for three Send Network church planters, the opposite is true. Oscar Coronado, Alex Dixon, and Ian Lee have each leveraged their careers to propel God’s calling on their lives to plant churches.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Hundreds gathered in the Riley Center on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary last weekend to receive free medical, dental, and vision care through a medical clinic hosted by Remote Area Medical and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The clinic serves to reach those who may not have the financial means to receive medical care throughout the year.

NASHVILLE — Lloyd Elder, seventh president of Lifeway Christian Resources (formerly the Baptist Sunday School Board), died Nov. 3 at age 90. He led the Board from 1984-1991. James Williams, executive vice president under Elder, described him as “one of God’s giants and, throughout the years of his ministry, he demonstrated the highest qualities of Christ-centered servant leadership.

SNELLVILLE, Ga. – Ministries from across the state and nation are coming to Snellville to be with Georgia Baptists during their annual meeting that runs from Sunday through Tuesday.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — When churchgoers find a new congregation, most say their reasons for change had a little to do with both their old and new churches. Lifeway Research studied 1,001 U.S. adults who identify as Protestant or non-denominational, attend church worship services at least twice a month and have attended more than one church as an adult. During the research screening process, it was determined 53% of U.S. regular churchgoers say they have attended more than one church as an adult.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Committed to training women to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission, Southeastern Seminary announces a new self-paced GO Certificate in Ministry to Women. As a part of Southeastern’s larger efforts to equip women, the GO Certificate in Ministry to Women is a seven-course, self-paced certificate designed to train women to make disciples.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary announced a significant update to its Master of Divinity Degree today, which is now available to current and prospective students. The new 84 credit hour M.Div. features a simplified core organized around 21 credit hours in biblical studies, 21 credit hours in theological studies, and 21 credit hours in practical studies. This core, combined with 21 credit hours of electives, allows students to combine comprehensive training in Bible, theology, and ministry with the flexibility to direct their study to the courses that will best prepare them for ministry and vocational objectives.

Few today recognize the impact “singing schools,” which used “shape-notes” to teach music, has had on American worship. This music, which is associated with the tradition of “Sacred Harp Singing,” enhanced worship across the nation. Singing schools began in New England in the late 18th century. Their purpose was to raise the quality of music in worship services by teaching people to sight read and lead music.

One of the more challenging aspects of pastoral ministry is comforting the bereaved. One commonality with all deaths is that each person will spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. Chances are you have not attended many funeral services where the minister tells you the deceased is not in heaven.

Jesus was a praying person. In his prayer life, Jesus taught us that prayer is more than asking God. Prayer involves submission to God. The first Adam lived in a garden paradise. During the last night of His life, Jesus communed with His Father through prayer in a garden.

The first two teams of Texas Baptist Men volunteers in Israel are returning home after providing more than 30,000 meals since the Israel-Hamas war began. However, it isn’t the war that dominates their conversation. They talk about the faith that motivated them and the people they encountered. “Being a witness was the main focus for us going there,” said Genia Macon of First Baptist Church in Lewisville.

ATLANTA, Ga. — Roy Oliver McClain didn’t talk much about his experiences in World War II, but, on occasion, he did divulge some poignant details of life as an Army chaplain. It was in a sermon that the longtime Georgia pastor described the intense moments aboard a ship filled with troops who were preparing to invade Okinawa before sunrise on Easter Sunday morning in 1945. “I asked hundreds of men to bow their heads in prayer before we hit the beaches,” he said in the 1954 sermon. “In the pale glow of that tensive moment with all heads bowed, they seemed to be as one

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College’s Fall Festival returned on Friday, Oct. 27, with new activities and events for the whole family. Hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and community members gathered on Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College’s campus for an evening of fellowship, food, and fun.

Reverend Cecil Gray Clegg, II, passed away on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. He was born on September 25th, 1943 in Jackson, Mississippi, to the late Cecil Gray Clegg, Sr. and Winnie Estelle Gardner Clegg. He was the youngest of four siblings born to this union. He was reared in Ellisville, Mississippi.

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board has expanded its staff by adding three experienced church leaders with some 75 years of combined experience to minister specifically to the needs of the state’s pastors. Jason Jones, with 21 years of experience as a pastor, is serving in southwest Georgia. Craig Ward, who has been in ministry more than three decades, is serving in northwest Georgia. And Marty Youngblood, who has served as a church conflict consultant, college professor and former pastor over the past 25 years, is serving in southeast Georgia. They began in the new roles on Wednesday.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Representatives from Southeastern Seminary, the International Mission Board, and more than 10 churches in the region gathered last Thursday, Oct. 26, for an all-day missions pipeline workshop aimed at facilitating sending partnerships among local churches in the area. In the cooperative spirit of Southern Baptists, participating churches and entities gathered with a shared desire to see churches in the region partnering toward a common vision of training and sending their congregants to reach the nations.

For Send Relief’s Laredo Ministry Coordinator Vanessa Lerma, the journey to full-time ministry began when she was just a toddler. While Vanessa’s father served as an altar boy at a Catholic church growing up, faith had not been a part of his adulthood until, after being married for several years, he and his wife decided that they wanted to raise their family in a grounded, faith-filled environment. Soon after they made this decision, Vanessa’s parents attended what they thought was a normal free family fun night at a local church, but God had other plans.

Stories abound in the land of the Hatfields and McCoys.  Some are true. Some are not. One such tale told in the mountains of eastern Kentucky is of The Ball Fork Monster.  There are many versions.  This is the one I know. A fellow known as Blue Eyes was likeable with a good personality.  He was well known in the community.  A well-known fact about Blue Eyes was that he loved to drink. And when he was under the influence of alcohol, he made terrible decisions.

The 2023 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering received a big boost Nov. 1 toward meeting a hefty goal of $200 million for international missions. Paul Chitwood, IMB president, received a check for $4.84 million from the Joy Ledbetter Trust. It was the second largest individual gift in the history of the International Mission Board. 

I don’t know if you are a contact wearer, but I am.  My grandchildren think it’s odd that I wear my glasses on rainy days instead of my contacts.  I try to tell them for some reason I just see better with my glasses when it’s raining.  The glare from the car lights doesn’t bother me as much and I just seem to focus better. 

The great evangelist D. L. Moody loved to study his Bible, and he realized one day that he had never tackled the topic of grace. He took a day and did a Bible study on God’s grace. A second day was required, and then a third. By the afternoon of the third day, Moody was so filled with the idea of God’s grace that he had to go out on the street and talk to someone about it.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Southern Baptist churches across the nation recognized Student Baptism Sunday this past Sunday, Oct. 29, by baptizing teenagers and college students during morning services. “We keep seeing evidence that the overwhelming majority of born-again Christians surrendered their lives to Jesus before the age of 18,” said Shane Pruitt, national next gen director for the North American Mission Board.

DUBLIN, Ga. — Just how many tunes Helen Hobbs has played over nearly 75 years is anyone’s guess. The soon-to-be 90-year-old has been providing musical accompaniment for the singing at Marie Baptist Church since she was a teenager, showing her congregation and her community a picture of true faithfulness.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary has announced its recent acquisition of the Heritage Collection from Spurgeon’s College UK. The collection consists of thousands of books, manuscripts, letters, artifacts, newspaper cuttings, and more from Charles Spurgeon.

William Lionel Owens of Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Center, Lauren’s, S.C., a retired Baptist pastor/teacher entered his Lord's rest on October 31, 2023.  He was born May 21, 1935, in Ware County Georgia. He grew up in Brunswick, Ga., and graduated from Glynn Academy class of 1954. He continued his education at Southern Technical Institute and Luther Rice College and Seminary.