May 19, 2024
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Hispanic pastors mobilize youth to pray on National Day of Prayer

Hispanic student leaders and youth gather to pray on the National Day of Prayer, May 2, in Gainesville, Ga.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — On Thursday, May 2, hamlets, towns, and cities across America observed the National Day of Prayer in churches, civic centers, community complexes and public venues. In Gaineseville, a group of Hispanic youth pastors mobilized scores of second-generation Hispanic youths to pray for the United States.
Trending stories
The Engle family, from left, Elaine, Ethan, Valerie, and Joel pose at First Baptist Church of Newnan.
Joel Engle called to be senior pastor at Newnan’s First Baptist Church
NEWNAN, Ga. — After almost three years of prayer, deliberation and a national quest, the Pastor Search Team of Newnan’s First Baptist Church recommended Joel Engle as their new senior pastor. The congregation’s response to the recommendation was overwhelmingly positive, and Engle’s first Sunday in the pulpit was May 5th. 
Pastor Paul Keffer leads the congregation at First Baptist Nashville in prayer in preparation for their revival event. Keffer describes the church as
Pastor Keffer at FBC Nashville sees revival as a church necessity
NASHVILLE. Ga. — Pastor Paul Keffer of First Baptist Church of Nashville says he believes revival is critical in the life of a church. “I realize that there are a lot of churches that no longer make revival part of their church schedule,” he explains, “but I believe there are times when we need renewal and refreshing.”
A new believer is baptized at Camp Hosanna in Hiawasee, Ga. (Photo/Macedonia Baptist Church)
River baptism marks continued revival at Macedonia Baptist Church
HIAWASEE, Ga. — Macedonia Baptist Church and pastor Wade Lott have an evangelistic spirit and a passion for seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ. This spirit is reflected in all the church says and does. In April, that spirit led to the church hosting a successful revival that saw many come to faith in Jesus. Though the event is over, the response continues.
Kevin Ezell, left, president of the North American Mission Board, hosts a panel discussion about the importance of partnership in planting churches. Ezell was joined by, left to right, Ryan McCammack, Send Network’s Send City Missionary for Atlanta, Jimmy Baughcum, executive director of the Atlanta Metro Baptist Association and Vance Pitman, president of Send Network. (NAMB/Agustin Orozco-Tello)
NAMB trustees celebrate increased baptisms, meet Atlanta-based church planters
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Meeting at the offices of the North American Mission Board in metro Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday, May 6-7, members of NAMB’s Board of Trustees gained a greater understanding for the diversity of the city and the challenges that come with reaching it with the gospel.
Pastor Bob Jolly and his wife Pam.
Dr. Bob Jolly retires from FBC Cumming after 30 years, leaving it a strong and influential church
CUMMING, Ga. — It has been said that a pastor’s compassion echoes in eternity, leaving imprints on every heart, and that his preaching pours drops of wisdom into the cup of our understanding. Those words could aptly describe the ministry of Dr. Robert Preston “Bob” Jolly.
Baptist Life

Beaverdam Baptist Church sees results from prayer and planning prior to revival

Josh Crawford prepares to baptize a new believer at Beaverdam Baptist Church in Commerce, Ga., on Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Photo/Beaverdam Baptist Church)
COMMERCE, Ga. — In another encouraging sign of revival spreading across Georgia, 24 individuals made professions of faith at a recent event at Beaverdam Baptist Church in Commerce. Jon Reed, a Georgia Baptist evangelist, reported that there is a spiritual awakening taking place at Beaverdam.

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Jimmy Kinnaird
The passage in John 14:1-3 immediately came to mind after I had accepted the news of my dad’s passing. It was an immediate comfort in a time of loss.
Guests attend the unveiling of a statue of the late evangelist Billy Graham in National Statuary Hall. (Baptist Press/Roy Burroughs)
WASHINGTON (BP) – Salvation in Christ Jesus was offered in National Statuary Hall on Thursday, May 16, at the unveiling of a statue of the iconic late global evangelist Billy Graham, which has John 3:16 and John 14:6 carved in its base.
(Photo/Send Network)
Zach Schemmer’s early home life is a collection of memories tainted by drug addiction – first of his father’s and later, his own. So even though, as he puts it, he “grew up in the church world,” God’s global mission felt like the furthest thing from his mind.
Members of the Spring 2024 graduating class of Southeastern Seminary's North Carolina Field Minister Program pray. (Photo/SEBTS)
Southeastern joyfully celebrated the Spring 2024 graduating class of its North Carolina Field Minister Program (NCFMP). Friends, family, and partners of this program joined together to honor and support the 17 men who crossed the stage Tuesday, May 14, and graduated as alumni of The College at Southeastern, equipped to go out as field ministers of the gospel.
Georgia

Student fatally shot, suspect detained at Georgia's Kennesaw State University

ATLANTA (AP) — Officials at Georgia's Kennesaw State  University say a student was killed in a weekend shooting outside a residence complex on campus, leading to a brief lockdown and the arrest of a man on a murder charge.

11 hurt after late-night gunfire breaks out in Savannah, Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Eleven people were treated for injuries after late night gunfire broke out downtown in the tourist-destination city of Savannah.

Atlanta officer charged with killing his Lyft driver

UNION CITY, Ga. (AP) — An Atlanta police officer who shot and killed a Lyft driver who was driving him home was arrested and charged with murder, authorities said. Koby Minor, 34, was being held without bond after his arrest early Wednesday in Union City, an Atlanta suburb, according to Fulton County Jail records.
A hiring sign is seen at a restaurant in Cartersville, Ga., March 21, 2023. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Georgia unemployment rate remains flat despite April job surge

ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.1% in April for the fourth month in a row, even as several jobs categories reached all-time highs, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.

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Nation
Parishioners endured no lights and no air conditioning to worship during Sunday morning 8:30 mass, May 19, 2024, at All Saints Catholic Church, in Houston, due to a lack of electric power following severe storms that passed through the area Thursday evening. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Power expected to be restored to most affected by deadly Houston storm

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston area residents affected by deadly storms last week that left at least seven dead were finally getting some good news as officials said they expected power to be restored by Sunday evening to a majority of the hundreds of thousands still in the dark and without air conditioning amid hot and humid weather.

Man suspected of shooting 6-month-old son in hostage standoff near Phoenix apparently killed himself

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — A man suspected of shooting his 6-month-old son multiple times after taking the boy and his mother hostage was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the rubble of a suburban Phoenix home that caught fire during a SWAT standoff, police said Saturday.
Jesse Fernandez, center, pets the family cat as he visits his former foster parents Jason and Joyce White Friday, May 17, 2024, in Independence, Mo. Fernandez was paid thousands of dollars of Social Security survivor's benefits because of the death of his mother, but by the time he turned 18, the money had all been used by the state of Missouri and Fernandez's relatives to pay for his foster care. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

For decades, states have taken foster children's federal benefits but that's starting to change

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — By the time Jesse Fernandez turned 18, the federal government had paid out thousands of dollars in Social Security survivor's benefits because of the death of his mother. But Jesse's bank account was empty.
FILE - Investigators stand outside a house where five immigrants from Senegal were found dead after a fire in suburban Denver on Aug. 5, 2020. Kevin Bui pleaded guilty Friday, May 17, 2024, to a house fire that killed five members of the Senegalese family in 2020 in a case of misplaced revenge caused by mistakenly tracking his stolen iPhone to the home. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert, File)

Man who sought revenge for a stolen phone pleads guilty to fire that killed a Senegalese family of 5

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado man pleaded guilty to murder charges on Friday for starting a 2020 house fire that killed five members of a Senegalese family out of misplaced revenge for a stolen iPhone that he mistakenly tracked to the house.

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World
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a

Helicopter carrying Iran's hard-line president apparently crashes in foggy, mountainous region

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray.

A Ukrainian police officer and war crime prosecutor inspect fragments of a glide bomb in front of damaged house, after a Russian airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

At least 11 killed as Russia presses forward with its offensive in northeastern Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least 11 people were reported killed in attacks in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast on Sunday as Russia pushed ahead with its renewed offensive.
FILE - Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather for a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 3, 2023. Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in Niamey, the nation's capital, a U.S. official said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

US troops will complete their withdrawal from Niger by mid-September, the Pentagon says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. troops ordered out of Niger by the West African country's ruling junta will complete their withdrawal by the middle of September, the Pentagon and Nigerien defense officials said Sunday.
Haitians cross the border into Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, May 17, 2024. As violence and political turmoil grip neighboring Haiti, the Dominican Republic will hold elections Sunday that have been defined by calls for more crackdowns on migrants and finishing a border wall dividing the countries. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Dominicans to vote in general elections with eyes on crisis in neighboring Haiti

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Voters in the Dominican Republic will take to the polls Sunday in general elections likely to reinforce the government's crackdown on its shared border with Haiti and the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the violence-stricken nation.

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Perspectives
Terry Braswell
Growing up, my family went to a lot of revival meetings. Not only did we attend the revivals at our home church, but we would also attend revivals at neighboring churches and camp meetings. At the time, those revivals typically lasted a week, and rarely would we miss any service.
David Chancey
When Jack Brown’s son Adam graduated from high school, the father decided to write down the most important things his son needed to know as he started college and stepped into life’s next chapter. ​This going away present contained 511 reminders about how to live a happy and rewarding life.
Adam Dooley
One of the distinctive characteristics of my home church was the clear invitations offered by my pastor each Sunday. Added to his encouragements for people to repent of their sins in order to follow Christ were the consistent appeals for baptism and church membership. Nearly every weekend, he also proposed the possibility that God was likely calling some to ministry as he admonished us to discern the Lord’s leading.
Mike Griffin
As many of you know, we are approaching the Georgia primary election on May 21. It is a time for Georgians to make their voices heard for those they support for the General Election coming up on Nov. 5, 2024. 
Todd Gaddis
The renowned preacher R. G. Lee, pastor of Bellevue Baptist in Memphis for over 30 years, stood at the site in Jerusalem where it is believed Jesus was crucified. When it came time for his tour group to move on, Lee told his guide he wanted to walk to the top of the hill. The man tried to discourage him, yet could see that the preacher was determined to go.

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Business
A sign trumpets discounts available in a clothing store in a mall Monday, April 29, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

US inflation eased last month in the first slowdown of 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Led by lower food and auto prices, inflation in the United States cooled slightly last month after three elevated readings.

A Walmart store in Acworth, Ga. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Walmart lays off hundreds of employees and requires others to relocate

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Walmart on Tuesday announced layoffs affecting several hundred jobs at the retail giant’s campus offices.
A shopper looks at plants at a Home Depot store in Hiram, Ga., July 15, 2022. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Home Depot's sales continue to soften in 2024 as inflation, delayed start to spring weigh on sales

Home Depot's sales continued to soften in the first quarter as the nation's largest home improvement retailer was not only constrained by high mortgage rates and higher inflation for its customers, but it also had to deal with a delayed start to spring.
A Seagull electric vehicle from Chinese automaker BYD for test driving is parked outside a showroom in Beijing, Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry

LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull has American automakers and politicians trembling. The car, launched last year by Chinese automaker BYD, sells for around $12,000 in China, but drives well and is put together with craftsmanship that rivals U.S.-made electric vehicles that cost three times as much. A shorter-range version costs under $10,000.
A beam is measured and marked at a housing site in Madison County, Miss., Tuesday, March 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Spending on home renovations slows, but high remodeling costs mean little relief in sight for buyers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homeowners have been spending more on home renovations in recent years, as high interest rates and stubbornly high inflation drove up costs for everything from flooring to refrigerators.

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Sports
Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

NASCAR planning in-season tournament in 2025, with opening race in Atlanta

ATLANTA (AP) — Following the lead of the NBA, the NASCAR Cup Series is planning a five-race, bracket-style tournament in the midst of the 2025 season, beginning with a night event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad reacts after getting the final out in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Javier Assad shuts down Braves as Cubs roll to 7-1 win in series finale

ATLANTA (AP) — Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings and the Chicago Cubs avoided their first sweep of the season by beating the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Singers Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the music group

New minor league hockey team Athens Rock Lobsters honors B-52s

It's not a rock. It's the Athens Rock Lobsters. The minor league hockey team that will begin play next season in the home of the University of Georgia paid homage to the city's rich musical heritage by choosing a nickname made famous by one of its most famous bands.
Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson watches his three-run home run in the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Matt Olson hits 3-run homer to support Chris Sale's dominant start in Braves' 7-0 rout of Cubs

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson hit a three-run homer and drove in four, Chris Sale pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 7-0 Tuesday night for their second straight shutout in the series.

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