LOUISVILLE, Ky. — “This is by God’s grace. It is to God’s glory,” President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. said as he welcomed guests to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s commencement service on Friday, Dec. 12. This year marked the Seminary’s 236th commencement exercise.

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Great things are happening at Brewton-Parker Christian University. The university is experiencing a historic season of growth and blessings. Most importantly, there has been an outpouring of the Holy Spirit seen among the students.

MADISON, Ga. — Intentionally training future ministers in a grace-rich environment is the goal of a residency program Fusion Church in Madison will be launching in 2026.

ATLANTA  — Among the events at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting, held last month at First Baptist Atlanta, is the Ministry Wives' Luncheon. The event provides ministry wives an opportunity to connect, fellowship, and learn from each other.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – To reach North America with the gospel, churches need to raise up and send missionaries into cities, towns, and communities who will engage their neighbors with the gospel, make disciples, and start new churches. In 2025, dozens of Send Network One Day events sought to foster a movement of churches to zero in on that task.

DALLAS (BP) – The federal government violated the First Amendment rights of First Baptist Church and its members with an investigation following complaints about its annual “Celebrate Freedom” patriotic service in 2020, Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress testified Wednesday, Dec. 10.

DALLAS — On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Clergy Act, H.R. 227, in a bipartisan, unanimous vote. The Clergy Act would provide ministers who opted out of Social Security a one-time window to opt back in.

NEVILS, Ga. — Joe Eason and his ministry at Trinity Baptist Church in Nevils, Ga., can be described in three words: consistency, steadfastness, and faithfulness. Eason is the church’s founding pastor, and on Nov. 2, the church celebrated its golden jubilee (one-half century) of ministry as well as its pastor’s 50-year anniversary. 

O.S. Hawkins, chancellor of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwesterner Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, were awarded the White Rose legacy prize on Dec. 2 at the President’s Home in Jerusalem in a ceremony attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other dignitaries.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Southeastern Seminary and Judson College celebrated the graduation of 253 students on Friday, Dec. 5, at the fall commencement ceremony. These new alumni, graduating with a shared heart for the nations and for God’s Church, represent a total of 28 states and 12 countries.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Scott Foshie was elected to serve as the 12th executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association by the IBSA Board of Directors meeting in Springfield on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director-treasurer of Woman's Missionary Union, Southern Baptist Convention, announced Wednesday, Dec. 11, that she will retire in January of 2027, which will mark 36 years of devoted ministry service. Wisdom-Martin has led WMU, SBC, since October 2016.

Many times in the Bible, God showed up on ordinary days. Moses was a shepherd when he saw the burning bush. David was also tending sheep the day the prophet Samuel came to his house. Gideon was secretly threshing wheat, and Elisha was plowing a field when their lives changed forever.

I will be the first to admit that I have very soft feelings. I get my feelings hurt very easily. In my head, I am always thinking and analyzing everything from what was said to how I respond. I am sure I am my own worst enemy when it comes to "feelings."

For 49 years, South Carolina Baptists have provided a Christmas gift to every inmate in the state, bringing hope to nearly 1 million people over the life of the ministry.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board has named Steven Wright as its new Southwest and Southeast Regional Evangelism Consultant, expanding the team that helps churches equip members to share the gospel in their communities.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — Former Truett McConnell University vice president Dr. Brad Reynolds has been indicted by a White County grand jury on three felony counts of making false statements to law enforcement, according to court records and officials.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The church revitalization program of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board has seen a tremendous response, according to Mark Marshall, Senior Lead Strategist for Church Strengthening. “We have been getting many inquiries about the program from churches that have a need and want to partner with us in walking through the process,” he said.

EDMOND, Okla. (BP) – For the fourth time in the last six years, Isaiah 41:10 was the most downloaded Scripture of the year on the YouVersion family of Bible apps, which, according to its founder, has been installed on 1 billion devices nationwide.

LUTHERVILLE, Md. — It has long been a strategy, a goal, and a prayer of BCM/D collegiate leaders to see Christian students mentored, encouraged, and equipped to make disciples who lead in Maryland/Delaware churches and beyond. God is answering that prayer — and Valley Baptist Church is a powerful example.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Grief can harden hearts. Chet Stewart saw that many times through 60 years in the mortuary business. But he also saw hard hearts soften.

One of the realities of the Christian life is that we aren’t guaranteed an easy life just because we follow Christ faithfully. Sometimes our difficulties come from being godly in a lost world. But God is with us.

In our passage for today, Jesus is beginning His three-year public ministry following His temptation in the wilderness.

McINTYRE, Ga. — In 25 years as pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in McIntyre, Bill Harpe has not witnessed anything like what is happening right now at the 29-year-old church. 

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — For many churchgoers, Christmastime means giving time. Most say they regularly donate money and items to their churches as well as to local and national ministries and non-profits.