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. 

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ELBERTON, Ga. — For Kevin Vaughn, pastor of the growing Rock Branch Baptist Church, the path to effective ministry has not been without formidable struggles. Vaughn remembers being “a normal kid growing up,” whose family did not attend church regularly. It was Vaughn’s grandparents who took him to church and the children’s programs offered.

WATKINSVILLE, Ga. — “We were just laymen helping to start a church in Franklin, Tenn., when Gabe Norris and I realized just how hard it is for the church in America to meet new people,” said Ken “KT” Thomas, president and co-founder of Connect Ministries. After having this realization, Thomas and Norris soon quit their jobs at Lifeway Christian Resources and started Connect Ministries, a nonprofit organization based in Watkinsville that helps church members meet new people in their surrounding communities and share the gospel with them.  

W. Thomas Hammond Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and his wife Kerri led Georgia Baptists in a time of corporate prayer via livestream Wednesday morning on the National Day of Prayer.

In a troubling sign for many congregations, half of pastors say they are often or frequently lonely, according to a report of clergy health. Pastors may be healthy in many other areas, but most say they struggle with feeling lonely, according to a report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

This Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer. It was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1952, and the date was set to the first Thursday in May by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Daniel Holland, a rising senior at Georgia Southern University, has been selected as state president of Baptist Collegiate Ministries for 2024-2025. Holland, a marketing major, says he plans to attend seminary after graduation, and his ultimate desire is to serve as a pastor.

FORSYTH, Ga. — Last Saturday, April 20, some 250 Georgia college student leaders gathered at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth for Equip, a day of equipping leaders to be on mission on their campus, in their community and around the world.

FORSYTH, Ga. — Last Saturday, April 20, some 250 Georgia college student leaders gathered at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth for Equip, a day of equipping leaders to be on mission on their campus, in their community and around the world.

JONESBORO, Ga. — Hannah’s life was “broken.” She was raised in Ghana by her father, who was a pastor, and sister after her mother left the family when she was only 3 months old.

HIAWASSEE, Ga. — Macedonia Baptist Church in Hiawassee wrapped up a fruitful week-long Spring revival last week, seeing seven people profess faith in Christ and 14 come forward to be baptized since Easter Sunday.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 200 church planters represented 189 sending churches at Send Network’s most recent orientation for newly endorsed church planters last week. Five different languages were spoken among the planters, who hailed from 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.

For the past 70 years, the members of the Sons of Jubal chorus have been raising their voices in song to worship and glorify the Lord.  From the group's inception, they have used music to declare the truth of the gospel across Georgia, the United States, and the world.

SEYMOUR, Tenn. — Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, has become the sixth nominee for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis.

ONTARIO, Calif. – In a unanimous vote on Monday, April 15, Gateway trustees elected Adam Groza as Gateway Seminary’s eighth president during their spring 2024 meeting.

SYLVANIA, Ga. — Despite his planned retirement, pastor Charlie Cooper knew in his heart that he wanted to still have opportunities to preach. The night before his last Sunday preaching at First Baptist Sylvania in February 2021, Cooper prayed that the Lord would still be able to use him.

PRESTON, Ga. — Springtime in Preston means that it’s once again time for the Holy Smoke Christian Grilling Competition, sponsored by Macedonia Baptist Church. Other churches in the area also joined to support the barbeque competition, which raises funds for the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home in Meansville and the Methodist Girl’s Home in Americus.