ROIME, Ga. — On the evening of Monday, September 15, Shorter University's Brookes Chapel was filled with a powerful program of music exploring themes of love, loneliness, and faith. Presented by faculty members Dr. Yuman Lee, bass-baritone, and Dr. Jerico Vasquez, piano, the recital offered audiences a rich selection of works by Maurice Ravel, Franz Schubert, modern Korean composers, and sacred and spiritual traditions.

DACULA, Ga.  — More than 800 people, representing 91 churches, attended the latest SPARK conference, held at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula. Including the almost 750 from 94 churches that gathered at Sherwood Baptist in Albany the previous weekend, it brings the total number of people that have attended SPARK this year to more than 2,900 from 368 churches.

More than 1,500 Georgia Baptists gathered for SPARK conferences at Sherwood Baptist in Albany and Hebron Baptist in Dacula earlier this month, joining nearly 2,900 participants from 368 churches who have attended the church-strengthening conference in 2025.

Few pastors step away from the pulpit, but what compels those who quit? Lifeway Research found that only 1.1% of all U.S. Protestant pastors leave pastoral ministry before retirement age each year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Gary Hollingsworth has been elected to serve as the interim president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission by the organization’s trustees. 

One of the greatest joys of my life is writing these Sunday School helps each week for The Baptist Paper. I have been able to share my love of writing while encouraging people, digging deeper into God’s Word and hopefully helping others along the way.

The Israelites left Egypt and headed to the promised land. God spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting (Ex. 33:11) and instructed the Israelites to follow Moses. God told Moses to send out 12 spies — one from each tribe — into the land of Canaan to scout it out.

SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. — Danny Rumple was elected executive director-treasurer of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists by the WVCSB Executive Board at its meeting Saturday, Sept. 13, at the state office in Scott Depot.

LITHONIA, Ga. — Luther Rice College & Seminary is pleased to announce the launch of its newest program, the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree. This program, offered through the newly established Nall School of Business, is now

FARMINGTON, N.M. – Emmanuel Baptist Church here boils its evangelism down to the single digits: Who’s Your One?

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was recently gifted a facsimile replica of the Gutenberg Bible, one of the most significant artifacts in Christian history, to display in its Museum of the Bible and Archaeology.  

FORT WORTH, Texas  — Underscoring its Globally Engaged core value, the nations were the focus of the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during the annual Global Missions Week, Sept. 2-5, as a variety of events highlighted work being done around the world, encouraging all students to be involved in the Great Commission regardless of the academic degree they are pursuing.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders have released a statement to lament the assassination of Charlie Kirk and call for justice and peace. Kirk, 31, the president of Turning Point USA and a conservative advocate, was assassinated on Wednesday, Sept. 10, as he spoke at an event at Utah Valley University.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – The day after conservative mobilizer Charlie Kirk was killed by a gunman in Utah, leaders at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary jettisoned their previously scheduled chapel service and, instead, spent the hour talking about how to deal with tragedy as Christians.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) – SBC President Clint Pressley calls on pastors and churches to spend a dedicated time in prayer for the nation this Sunday, Sept. 14, in a video released Wednesday, Sept. 11.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Georgia Baptist pastors and church leaders now have access to a new retreat area at the Mission Board’s Old Milton Parkway facility. The area has been created to provide a place for personal renewal and team-building.

OREM, Utah (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders reacted to the assassination of conservative advocate Charlie Kirk, who was killed by a gunman at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10. 

FORT WORTH, Texas — The chapel service at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on Tuesday, Sept. 9, was a celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gave Christians a foundational statement summarizing biblical truth about the Trinity, and especially Jesus Christ.

NEW ORLEANS (BP) – The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a previous dismissal in favor of the North American Mission Board regarding a years-long case brought by former Maryland/Delaware state executive Will McRaney. 

There are certain King James phrases that are engrained in my brain. One of them is found in Acts 3. Peter and John went up to the temple at the time of prayer. A certain lame man was there.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just need a good cry? I feel like I have needed a good cry for a while.

WASHINGTON (BP) – Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler called on the audience at the National Conservatism Conference to embrace the restraints imposed by reality.

ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) – The 2026 SBC Pastors’ Conference aims to feature events for every member of a church leadership team. Conference President Aaron Burgner provided details in a video released Tuesday.

Daniel Ritchie has lived his entire life without arms, but he has never let that keep him from reaching others with the gospel. As a teenager, though, he couldn’t imagine that God could love him. At 15, he was confused, angry, and certain that his circumstances had placed him beyond God’s care. That changed one night at a youth group lock-in.

RALEIGH, N.C. — On a windy Monday morning, Sept. 8, 2025, Southeastern Seminary friends and family teed off for the annual Southeastern Classic golf tournament.