MAYSVILLE, Ga. — The 225th annual meeting of the Sarepta Baptist Association focused on reflection, celebration, and thanksgiving. In many ways the voices heard at the meeting, held Sunday, Oct. 6, at Maysville Baptist Church, must have reflected those who gathered at the Shoal Creek Meeting House in 1799.

Denali, also referred to as Mount McKinley, is the tallest mountain in North America. Its majestic peak reaches 20,310 feet above sea level. It is in south-central Alaska about 130 miles north-northwest of Anchorage. Many climbers have stated that reaching the peak of Denali is much more technical and difficult than climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers, supported by teams from other states, spread through the affected area. In some cases, they were joined by local college students from Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministries.

“Well, I didn’t have that on my bingo card,” has been Jeff Parmer’s reply when asked about his first week as associational missionary for Ogeechee River Baptist Association. After a lifetime of serving in pastoral positions in churches across Georgia, Parmer’s first day in his new role was Monday, Sept. 23. Three days later, Hurricane Helene roared across the South, leaving a trail of death and destruction that encompassed the counties comprising the ORBA – Bulloch, Bryan, and Candler.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Milton barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, where it knocked out power to more than 3 million customers and whipped up a barrage of tornadoes. The storm caused at least four deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.