MACON, Ga.— Georgia Baptist leaders gathered Tuesday, Aug. 9, for an Executive Committee meeting marked by clear gospel focus, encouraging ministry reports, and steady financial news. Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, repeatedly pointed the room back to the Convention’s twin priorities: strengthening pastors and strengthening churches.

ATLANTA — Georgia Baptists will have an opportunity to be encouraged and educated in their evangelism efforts this year at the 2025 Evangelism Conference, set for Monday, Nov. 10, at First Baptist Atlanta. The one-day gathering will coincide with the Georgia Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, and will feature a day of keynote speakers and breakout sessions aimed at equipping pastors and church members to share the gospel effectively.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — Truett McConnell University’s (TMU) Felix Manz School of Music is preparing for an exciting and festive fall season, with a variety of musical events planned for the campus and local community.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Twelve state conventions have navigated executive director changes in the past 12 months, with leaders resigning, retiring, announcing retirement, or entering the role. In addition, two Southern Baptist Convention entities are searching for their next presidents.

One of the greatest — yet least discussed — sins a person may succumb to is discontentment. The idea that the grass is greener elsewhere can rob you of the joy you possess in Christ. What can begin with comparing your life to others can end with resentment, anger, and even hate. At the center of discontentment is a lack of trust in God to provide for your needs.

Have you ever noticed how the longer people have something, the more they begin to take it for granted? It applies to almost everything in our lives — relationships, income, material things, food, clothing and the list goes on.

UNION CITY , Tenn. — The July sun was scorching in Manchester, radiating up from the open road. But Brad Boucher was 200 miles into a race he was determined to finish.

What do your church members miss out on when they miss a Sunday at your church? Do they miss out on an event or a production, or do they miss out on a participatory experience that shapes their spiritual lives?

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Transitioning between pastors can be one of the most vulnerable seasons in the life of a church. For congregations and leaders alike, the absence of a shepherd often brings uncertainty, anxiety, and questions about the future. To help churches walk through those times with clarity and hope, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board has created the Right Start process.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Members of the Carson-Newman University campus community gathered on the banks of Mossy Creek on Aug. 20, after 18 Eagles football players made decisions to be baptized in the historic waters.

COVINGTON, Ky. (KT) – Jimmy Gilvin didn't set out to invest in college students in multiple pockets of Kentucky, but that's what happened when he advertised Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) activities on the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) internal social media.

ORLANDO (BP) – While there’s still a little more than a month to go before room nights for the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando go online for booking, attendees can begin viewing their options and making plans now. The list provided at sbcannualmeeting.net/hotels offers something for just about every itinerary and budget.

WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should not pay for abortions nor counsel expectant mothers to end their unborn babies’ lives, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) Acting President Miles Mullin said in a letter to the department on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

I could hear the intense voice through the phone. Someone from the Sheriff’s Office in Fayette County was telling our daughter she had been called for jury duty a few months ago, but had not shown up. They instructed her to turn herself in and face incarceration for 14-30 days.

My youngest granddaughter, Lottie, has been begging for someone to take her to the store. She has money from her birthday and was dying to spend it. On Saturday, we were going to Walmart and told her she could come along with us. She ran upstairs to retrieve her bank, where she keeps her money. Surprisingly, she had a good bit of money. She counted it and had over $100.

LITHIA SPRINGS, Ga. — Kenneth Hennesy, pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church, has faithfully served the Douglas County congregation for 36 years. Last November, his life and ministry took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with stage 3 bile duct cancer.

Although self-care isn’t new, the past five years have witnessed a notable increase in conversations related to self-care. According to Google Trends, April 2020 marked a peak in search popularity for the term self-care. Through ebbs and flows of the past five years, the term’s popularity has remained notably higher than in the previous decades.

NORTHWEST WASHINGTON – One Slavic church plant transitioned itself from speaking Russian to speaking American, then “hived” itself into two churches. A third plant grew organically.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — When the doors opened at 9:30 a.m., the crowd of international teachers hurried in. Madel Patal, who had been waiting since 5:30 a.m., went straight to the painting she had spotted through the glass doors hours before. Volunteers helped her claim it and later delivered it to her new apartment with her furniture. 

ONTARIO, Calif. — During the first chapel of the fall 2025 semester, Gateway Seminary President Adam Groza preached on the need for sound doctrine to fulfill the Great Commission.

NEWNAN, Ga. — Lee Chitwood, minister of music at First Baptist Church in Newnan, has served the same church in the same capacity for 25 years. On Sunday, Aug. 24, the church honored him for his excellence in ministry and his faithfulness as a man of God.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Pastors have a lot of thoughts about discipleship, but they aren’t sure it’s happening in their churches.

VALLE VISTA, Calif. – Scenic Valle Vista is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountain range, and Valle Vista Baptist Church has faced mountains of its own to climb as the church sought to fend off closure. Jason Mayo stepped up three years ago to lead the church through a replant process as their bivocational pastor.

Mr. Davis Aiken Yaun, age 83 of Soperton, Georgia passed away on Thursday, August 21, 2025 at his home, after an extended illness.

In the last few years, there has been a rise in the use of the acronym “GOAT” — greatest of all time. Widely used among sports enthusiasts, each will make a case for their GOAT. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams are all familiar names when these discussions arise.