RUTLEDGE, Ga. — There was a time when Steven Blanton said, “If I died in Vietnam, I know I would go straight to hell.”

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources announced this week that Kirk Kirkland will step into the role of director of Lifeway Worship on Dec. 1.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Send Network’s One Day event in Warner Robins brought more than a hundred pastors, planters, and lay leaders to Second Baptist Church on Tuesday, Oct. 28, for encouragement to multiply churches across middle and south Georgia.

TOCCOA, Ga. — Ebenezer Baptist Church of Toccoa has broken ground on a Community Impact Center that it hopes will help the community for years to come. “Ebenezer loves Toccoa, but more importantly, God loves Toccoa and loves the people of Toccoa. This is our gift to Toccoa,” said Ebenezer Missions Pastor Randy Williams.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Chris Renfro, lead pastor of Hope Church Union Hill in Alpharetta, will nominate GBC president Steve Browning for a second term at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 9-11 at First Baptist Atlanta. Renfro described Browning as a faithful pastor who leads First Baptist Church Alpharetta “with excellence.”

McDONOUGH, Ga. — Trea Brinson, lead pastor of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, will be nominated to serve as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 9-11 at First Baptist Atlanta.

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — Paul Ballard, pastor of Thomasville First Baptist Church, will be nominated for first vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the pastor nominating him says Ballard brings both a missionary heartbeat and a proven record of revitalization.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — James Oney, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in north Fayetteville, will be nominated for vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention when messengers gather next week in Atlanta, according to Griffin Gulledge, senior pastor of First Baptist Fayetteville.

ROME, Ga. — Shorter University’s Brady School of Nursing hosted the 2nd annual Alpha Gamma Eta – At Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing induction ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Brookes Chapel.

Discipleship is not just about what we believe; it is about what shapes us day after day. In most churches, when we think about discipleship, we picture Bible studies, sermons, small groups, and prayer gatherings. All of those are essential.

There were lots of scary things to see on Halloween. Vampires, Ghostface, scary clowns, Michael Myers, and zombies walked the streets as kids raced house to house for sugary stuff sure to cause cavities.

Have you ever thought about the phrase "by the way?" I think it is an often-used phrase, so I decided to do some research on it. I looked up the term, and one of the earliest meanings of it is “while going along, in the course of one’s walk or journey.” 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) – Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief responded quickly to the tragic UPS plane crash Tuesday at Louisville’s international airport. KYDR volunteers prepared 350 hot meals for first responders who came to the scene.

RUTLEDGE, Ga. — Located in western Morgan County is the city of Rutledge, population 871. Wayne Ghann, pastor of the Rutledge Baptist Church, says his church is in a “small rural town where our red light is a stop sign in a trash can sitting in the middle of the square.” He has served his church as a bi-vocational pastor for the past 32 years.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Following Hurricane Melissa’s destructive impact Oct. 28 on the western portion of Jamaica after the storm’s landfall, Send Relief disaster response leaders arrived to begin damage assessments and deploy resources this past weekend.

BRANSON, Mo. – During their 191st annual meeting, Missouri Baptist Convention messengers celebrated their Great Commission partnership and were challenged to reach and baptize 8,000 new believers across the state in 2026. They also urged churches to continue fighting for the life of the unborn, and they adopted a task force report regarding the "office of the pastor, specifically as it relates to a woman’s role in ministry.”

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Jesus told His disciples to make disciples, but for many churches, discipleship ranks toward the bottom of their priorities.

LUBBOCK, Texas (BP) – Three motions that were ruled out of order at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting Oct. 27-28 reflect a discussion that has been ongoing at the national level of the Southern Baptist Convention for several years. The motions were an attempt to disallow messengers from a church that allows women to serve in pastoral roles.

Rose waited anxiously through the night, checking for a text message from Sari, a new believer she had been discipling. The two met when Sari came to attend college on the island where Rose, an International Mission Board worker in Southeast Asia, lives.

VINE GROVE, Ky. (KT) – Meet Jack Simmons — a man whose 98 years have been marked by hard work, deep faith, and faithful service.

I remember asking a local teacher a few years ago how the school year was going. Teachers have always been my heroes, and I take every chance to support or encourage them whenever I can.

In Deuteronomy, Moses is preparing Israel for life in the promised land. Chapter 12 is especially important because it lays down regulations for worship. It contrasts Israel’s covenant worship with the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites, highlighting the holiness and exclusivity of Yahweh.

More than two hundred Georgians affiliated with Jubal Ministries recently traveled to Cuba in October to share the gospel through music and the spoken word in partnership with Global Missions Project. Though their goal was to help change Cuban lives through the power of the gospel, something unexpected happened along the way.

Yep had tried everything to quit drinking, but nothing had ever worked. He lived on the outskirts of his small Thai town with his niece.   

CLEARWATER, Fla. (BP) – Florida pastor Willy Rice announced his intentions to be nominated as a candidate for Southern Baptist Convention president at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando. In a video released Friday, Oct. 31, Rice said he is allowing the nomination based on his hope for renewal in the SBC.