David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists since 2013, announced his intention to retire at the Convention Council meeting on Tuesday, March 4, in Phoenix. He said he intends to continue in his present position until the election of his successor.

WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Some 375 Hispanic believers gathered Saturday, March 1, to be encouraged in their call to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ at three evangelism conferences organized by the Hispanic ministry of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board in various parts of the state.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Filling a need turned into eternal change for one man at Flowery Branch's Northstar Family Church on Feb. 9. At an annual Valentine's Date Night, the evening plans changed last minute due to unforeseen circumstances.

Leaders of the Baptist World Alliance and the All Africa Baptist Fellowship sent messages last week to Baptists in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, expressing “deep sorrow and continued solidarity with you during this time of crisis and suffering.”

DALLAS (BP) — Texas pastor Juan Sanchez is urging Southern Baptists to re-visit an amendment at the Annual Meeting this June that addresses the definition of pastor/elder/overseer in the SBC Constitution. Virginia pastor Mike Law originally presented an amendment to Article III of the Constitution – which came to be known as the Law Amendment – at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Anaheim.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – For almost a decade, authors J.T. English, Jen Wilkin and Kyle Worley have made it their mission to make theological education accessible to laypeople in the church.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – In Los Angeles, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers recently began helping homeowners sort through the remaining ashes of their houses in an attempt to salvage any belongings that may have survived the wildfires that swept through the area in January.

In Provo, appearances can be deceiving. “This is a beautiful community,” says David Gaskins. “Our nickname is Happy Valley. Every lawn is perfect. Every home is immaculate. But that’s the wild thing — Happy Valley is a sarcastic nickname because almost nobody is happy here.”

Occasionally, a young person will ask me to serve as a reference for them. It may be for a job opportunity, a scholarship, or a ministry assignment. I take each request seriously and consider it an honor to be asked.

The resurrected Jesus gave a mandate to His disciples that we refer to as the Great Commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (or ethnic groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).

Bonnie Jean Rushing Simoneaux, 83, of Watkinsville, Georgia, passed away on Feb. 27, 2025, surrounded by four generations of her family.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (BP) – The picture brought Belinda Jenkins to tears and reminded her of the inherent worth that comes with long-term investment in students.

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Pastor Joe Salvatore and the members of Cassville Baptist Church have taken an intentional and deliberate step to make disciples who will in turn make disciples. There is nothing new about this objective, but that may be the best part about this rebranding strategy. It is a thoroughly and positively New Testament approach to doing church.

EUBANKS, Ky. (KT) – In late February, a combined men’s study group from Pilot Baptist and Liberty Baptist decided they needed to go to eastern Kentucky and serve. They had no idea what God had in store for them.

The bathroom smells like shrimp, the office is packed with preschoolers, and up on stage, all the Neverland props from the previous night’s very-off-Broadway performance of Peter Pan have been shoved to one side. But it’s not the environmental idiosyncrasies of the Sneads Ferry Community Center that make Pillar Church of Topsail a truly unique Sunday morning experience. It’s the people.

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Brewton-Parker College announces two new master's degree programs for Temple Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in Biblical Proclamation and a Master of Arts in Worship Ministry. These new degree programs will provide quality training and preparation for ministry, focusing on biblical preaching, teaching, and worship ministry.

Conditions continue to worsen dramatically in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where 25.5 million people face the danger of hunger, a Baptist leader there said.

LITHIA SPRINGS, Ga. — A little blue sign on the corner of Lucille Ave and Veterans Memorial Parkway reads “Free English Classes.” The sign, in front of First Baptist Church Lithia Springs, shows that the 77-year-old church is serious about reaching its community for Jesus Christ.

The word “gospel” means “good news.” And it is indeed good news! In fact, it is the greatest news the world has ever heard. It is the best of all possible news. It excels every message ever heard or delivered to anyone.

JACKSON, MISS. — Throughout early February’s roller-coaster temperatures, the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Evangelism tent invited Dixie National Rodeo attendees and vendors to stand in the shade and hear a three-minute Gospel presentation. A total of 79 volunteers from 20 Mississippi Baptist churches traveled to the fairgrounds in Jackson, uplifting hearts, planting spiritual seeds, and witnessing 22 decisions for Christ.

MEADVILLE, Miss. (BP) – It’s not uncommon for Rick Strawbridge to get alerts for bad weather. Typically, he and his wife, Dianne, stay home and pray through it. On Dec. 28, though, he felt they should leave their home and seek shelter at their church, O’Zion Baptist, about a quarter-mile away.

The SCBaptist Creative Team is making a short film series about a South Carolina Baptist missionary using AI-assisted animation. The woman is a missionary on a journey to share the gospel with lost people. She was sent out as a missionary explorer to research and engage unreached people groups.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 300 gathered at the North American Mission Board for a conference for Associational Missions Strategists on replanting and renewing struggling churches, and NAMB’s Replant team announced a new resource designed to equip a local AMS in replanting.

Authorities in Angola have formally charged the wife of 44-year-old missionary Beau Shroyer, who was fatally stabbed Oct. 25, 2024, in Lubango, near where the couple and their five children lived.

Springfield, Ill. — During the meetings on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 24-25, of IBSA Board Committees, executive director Nate Adams shared with Board leadership his desire to begin working with the full Board on a timeline for retirement as executive director. Adams has served IBSA since March 2006.