MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. — A series of late spring storms which spawned tornadoes, hail, high winds and flooding, swept across Tennessee on Wednesday and Thursday, May 8-9, leaving behind at least two known deaths, several injuries and thousands of people without electricity and extensive wind damage.

ROME, Ga. — Last week, Shorter University hosted its 2024 Commencement events. This included the nursing pinning ceremony, the Master's hooding ceremony, and two Commencement ceremonies.

Southern Baptists are transforming lives, healing communities, responding to disasters, caring for hurting people, and funding countless ministries – all at record levels.  This may be surprising news since Southern Baptists are often decried for their shortcomings. 

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — In the aftermath of the powerful tornado that devastated the town of Barnsdall, and also hit the city of Bartlesville, on Monday, May 6, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is actively serving in these areas.

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.

Thanks in part to the generosity of Send Relief donors, Indonesians aren’t just getting fresh water through the work of the local partners, they are finding new life in Jesus Christ. During the most recent project period, the clean water team—along with its various partners—provided 1,166 clean water filters that helped more than 4,600 people in Indonesia. While handing out the filters, they also shared the gospel.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The Lifeway camps team has been watching to see where God is working and is ready to join Him this summer through FUGE Camps and Student Life Camp by preparing a generation for revival.

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — Southeastern Seminary partnered with Fruitland Baptist Bible College and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina to offer the Leading Through Preaching Bible Conference on Fruitland’s campus on Monday, May 6.

NEW ORLEANS — Contend, an annual apologetics event for high school students at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, gathered nearly 300 students from 23 different churches for a one-day conference discussing apologetic issues impacting society today.  

RINGGOLD, Ga. — More than one in ten Catoosa County residents lives at or below the poverty level according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many more individuals under 65 have no health insurance or find challenges paying for routine health care. Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry grant recipient Tri-Med Family Care in Ringgold daily meets the needs of underinsured and non-insured people with either free or significantly reduced primary medical care services.

A verse in Genesis 41 gave me chills last week when I read it. It just hit different. In our youth Sunday School class, we have been unpacking, digging in, breaking down, or whatever you want to call it, the story of Joseph. We’ve studied it so much that the guys and girls could take an ACT about it.

We have a staff prayer meeting every Monday morning. The person leading the prayer meeting this week opened up by asking, “What is taking up your bandwidth today?” The room went silent but you could look around at the faces and know that every single person was probably dealing with something that was taking up all their mental and maybe physical bandwidth. Some probably more than others but everyone had something.

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Brewton-Parker College proudly celebrated the academic accomplishments of its graduating class at a historical commencement ceremony last month on April 17, 2024.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two hundred and sixty graduates from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College received their degrees on Friday, May 3, during the 75th commencement exercises. President Jason Allen led the ceremony, presenting diplomas to graduates and awarding recognitions to two faculty members.

FRISCO, Texas — There is no secret sauce to reaching the next generation — whether they’re people we want to minister to in the church or lead as employees in our organization, said Shane Pruitt, next-gen director with the North American Mission Board.

ONTARIO, Calif. — During Gateway Seminary's  2024 spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 3, President Jeff Iorg charged graduates to be flexible in their obedience to God’s calling in their lives. “You graduated from seminary … and God has given you a great opportunity in that,” Iorg said. “And now God expects you to be flexible as you follow him forward.”

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Before starting Port City Church in 2023, church planting missionary Jeremy Dager and his core team worked hard to engage their community leading up to their launch. Most people they met — if they had any church background at all — understood church from more “high church” denominations like Anglicanism or Catholicism, but at Port City Church, residents were encouraged by the fact that they could better understand the message.

Robert Smith Jr. said his mother was protective of him when he was growing up. People would tell him that they thought he was going to be a preacher, and she didn’t want them telling him that. “She said, ‘If Little Robert is to preach, the Lord will call him,’” Smith said.

JONESBORO, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Women held their annual Women’s Spring Event at First Baptist Jonesboro on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27. More than 650 women were encouraged by inspirational messages, met with missionaries, participated in mission projects, and gathered and interacted with like-minded sisters in Christ to grow in their faith and relationships with each other.

DULUTH, Ga. – Six incoming college freshmen from across Georgia have received Student Achievement Award scholarships that go to the state’s top scholars.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Baptisms, worship service attendance and small group participation all grew among congregations affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2023, while the recent slide in total memberships slowed.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) — Derby weekend presented a prime opportunity for evangelizing thousands of people — and the combination of distributing gospel tracts, having gospel conversations, street preaching and displaying evangelistic signs resulted in many being made aware of the gospel.

Rwanda? Kenya? No trip sounded right. So, Katie kept searching for the perfect short-term mission trip on the International Mission Board’s Go Experience website. Her women-only team from First Baptist Church, Honea Path, South Carolina, wanted a place where they could use their gifts and maybe look into a partnership. 

FORT WORTH, Texas — Joshua Williams wants his teaching to be real. “Something that’s significant, that’s going to change the way people either read their Bible, approach Christian ministry, look at the world, right? That’s what I’m going for,” said Williams.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – The much-anticipated Southern Baptist annual family gathering is inching closer, and Hispanic Baptists are excited and ready to celebrate all God is doing through Hispanic churches at home and abroad. Already 30 Hispanic missionaries have signed up for Crossover, an evangelistic event that takes place each year in the host city of the SBC annual meeting.