June 4, 2023
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Big crowds gather at Fayetteville church in defiance of county officials' threat to levy fines

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — More than 100 vintage and classic automobiles were spread across the Flat Creek Baptist Church campus on Saturday in defiance of government officials who had threatened to levy a hefty fine if the congregation didn’t cancel a car show. “We’re not doing this in a spirit of rebellion,” said Pastor Josh Saefkow, standing amid hundreds of car enthusiasts and church members. “We’re doing this out of a commitment to Christ because there are people in this parking lot right now who are broken and in need of a Savior. That’s why we’re doing this event, to point men, women, boys, and girls to Jesus.”
Trending stories
 Flat Creek Baptist Church going ahead with evangelistic outreach despite government official's threat to levy $1,000 fine
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Flat Creek Baptist Church plans to have the car show Saturday despite threats by a local official to slap the congregation with a $1,000 fine. “If they have a car show, they will be fined,” said Fayette County Administrator Steve Rapson. Rapson’s actions have exponentially heightened interest in the annual car and organizers are planning for what’s expected to the largest crowd ever.
Georgia Baptists sharing the gospel one backpack at a time
CLARKSTON, Ga. — Georgia Baptists are taking the gospel to the state’s rapidly growing refugee population one backpack at a time. In fact, backpacks have become crucial evangelistic tools in Georgia, a state that’s home to more than 1 million people who were born in other countries — often in places that are hostile to the gospel.
Q&A: SBC presidential candidates Mike Stone, Bart Barber discuss Guidepost, Saddleback, other issues
SUWANEE, Ga. – Georgia Pastor Mike Stone is promising to stand up against what he describes as a “cancel culture” within the Southern Baptist Convention if he’s elected SBC president. Meanwhile, Texas Pastor Bart Barber says he wants to finish tasks he began after being elected to the post a year ago.
Rick Jenkins wrapping up 47 years of ministry, last 7 as campus missionary at Columbus State
COLUMBUS, Ga. — When Rick Jenkins first came to Columbus State in 2016 as director of campus ministry after a long career with the International Mission Board, he didn’t see a campus, he saw a mission field where he discipled young Christians and led others to Christ. “We loved what we did,” said the 70-year-old Jenkins who, with his wife, Cindy, is now moving into retirement. “It was never a job to us. It never seemed like work.”
Honoring fallen heroes: Americans pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice
HULL, Ga. — Sharon Reid is proud of her great uncle Harry Spratlin, a Georgia soldier killed in action in the waning days of World War I. Reid and her cousins gathered this Memorial Day weekend to lay a wreath at the base of his headstone in a rural cemetery just up the road from the farm where he was raised.
Baptist Life

Eagle's Landing students receive more than $50 million in scholarship offers this year

McDONOUGH, Ga. — An academically and athletically gifted senior class at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy has amassed more than $50 million in college scholarship offers this year, an astounding total for any school but especially one with only 81 students graduating. Class co-salutatorian Melanie Collier praised her classmates for being a “special class filled with special people.” “Something about our class is different,” Collier told her classmates in a speech during graduation exercises on Friday.

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DALLAS, Texas — In the Old Testament, we find these words: “They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare, ‘The Lord is just’” Psalm 92:14-15a. On June 25, we have the opportunity to honor righteous, unsung heroes of the faith. Namely, retirement-aged Southern Baptist pastors, workers and their widows who served and abundantly blessed those in their care during their years of ministry. Many of these heroes still serve in whatever capacity they can — by volunteering at church, preaching, leading Bible studies (in-person and online!), lifting up intercessory prayers and in many other ways.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources celebrated the grand opening of its new teaming space last month. The event included remarks from Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell, who said the move to Brentwood was about more than just a new building. “This space was designed to draw writers, designers, editors, artists and craftsmen together,” he said. “When you create a space that’s designed for relationships, communication and teamwork, everyone who enters the building benefits.”
For those with a passion for healthcare and a calling to missions, the International Mission Board has avenues of service ready to fill. The IMB is hosting MedAdvance, a conference for believers interested in using healthcare strategies to open doors to a hurting world and gain access to unreached peoples and places in unique ways. The conference will be at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, Aug. 3-5.
As the Hispanic population in the U.S. grows, new challenges are emerging. For example, more children and teenagers from Hispanic households are improving their English language skills but are not developing or even losing their native Spanish language skills. As a result, in many Hispanic households in the U.S., parents speak little English and their children speak little or no Spanish.
Georgia

Chemical plant operator repays Georgia fire departments $37K for gear, overtime costs fire

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The operator of a Georgia chemical plant where a raging fire erupted in April is reimbursing fire departments for damaged equipment and overtime pay accrued battling the blaze. Glynn County commissioners on Thursday accepted a check for around $37,000 from Pinova, which produces turpine resins used in glues and other adhesives in the port city of Brunswick.

Real-life ‘Fast and Furious’: Car sent flying over tow truck in Georgia, video shows

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — It looks like a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster. A sedan rockets into the air after driving up the ramp of a flatbed tow truck on a Georgia highway. And the whole crash is caught on video by an officer's body camera. Shocked motorists and law enforcement watched in horror as the Nissan Altima was launched 120 feet down the highway in Lowndes County, according to a police report on the May 24 crash.

Police in Atlanta arrest 3 behind bail fund supporting protests against police training complex

ATLANTA (AP) — Police on Wednesday arrested three key Atlanta organizers who have been aiding protesters against the city's proposed police and fire training center. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced its agents and Atlanta police had arrested three officers of the group that runs the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which has bailed out protesters and helped them find lawyers. Charged with money laundering and charity fraud are Marlon Scott Kautz, 39, of Atlanta; Savannah D. Patterson, 30, of Savannah; and Adele MacLean, 42, of Atlanta.

Finnish company Admares plans $750 million modular housing factory in US, hiring 1,400

WAYCROSS, Ga. (AP) — Finnish company Admares plans to invest $750 million to build a modular housing factory in the U.S. state of Georgia, hiring 1,400 people, officials announced Wednesday. The company plans to mass produce housing using heavily automated factories. Admares, which was founded in Turku, Finland, said it's in the process of relocating its headquarters to the United States.

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Nation

Buzzworthy: Honeybee health blooming at federal facilities across the country

While judges, lawyers and support staff at the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, keep the American justice system buzzing, thousands of humble honeybees on the building’s roof are …

Family's Alaska fishing trip becomes nightmare with 3 dead and search over for 2 more

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska fishing adventure became a nightmare for a family of eight when disaster struck one of the two boats they chartered over the Memorial Day weekend, leaving three people dead and two more missing despite a desperate search over hundreds of square miles of ocean. The tragedy tore the Tyau family apart: Two sisters and one of their husbands are dead, while the other’s partner and the boat captain remain missing off southeast Alaska four days after the boat was found partially submerged off an island.

7 injured in partial building collapse during concrete pouring mishap near Yale medical school

A building under construction near the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven partially collapsed Friday when a concrete pour went awry, injuring seven people including two critically, city officials said, adding there were no fatalities. City firefighters and other authorities were called to Lafayette Street shortly after 12:30 p.m.

Dev Shah wins National Spelling Bee, going out on top after up-and-down spelling career

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night. Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.

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World

Israeli military says gunman kills 2 soldiers along Egyptian border

Israel's military says a shootout in southern Israel along the Egyptian border has killed two Israeli soldiers. It was a rare instance of deadly violence along the frontier. The army said Saturday …

Passenger trains derail in India, killing at least 50, trapping many others

NEW DELHI (AP) — Two passenger trains derailed Friday in India, killing at least 50 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. About 400 people were taken to hospitals after the accident, which happened in eastern India, about 140 miles southwest of Kolkata, officials said. The cause was under investigation.

Jordan's crown prince weds scion of Saudi family in ceremony packed with stars and symbolism

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's crown prince married the scion of a prominent Saudi family on Thursday in a palace ceremony attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world, as massive crowds gathered across the kingdom to celebrate the region's newest power couple. The marriage of Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, drew a star-studded guest list including Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate, as well as U.S. First Lady Jill Biden.

From the mission field: At least 60 children died in orphanage, trapped by Sudan fighting

CAIRO (AP) — At least 60 infants, toddlers and older children perished over the past six weeks while trapped in harrowing conditions in an orphanage in Sudan’s capital as fighting raged outside. Most died from lack of food and from fever. Twenty-six died in two days over the weekend. The extent of the children’s suffering emerged from interviews with more than a dozen doctors, volunteers, health officials and workers at the Al-Mayqoma orphanage.

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Perspectives
As we recognized our graduates in a worship service recently, I made the comment that, “It’s been a loooong time since many of us graduated from high school.” A light chuckle rippled through the congregation as people briefly recalled their own graduation. I reflected, also, with a sense of disbelief at how fast the past 40-plus years since high school have flown.
The only beef I have with my fellow Kentucky native and 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln is that he never joined a church. I’m quite sure he was a Christian, not to mention a great leader and honest man. Yet, history tells us he never officially connected with a local congregation. So what’s the big deal, many would say, especially in an age of cascading commitment and denominational decline?
As the Crisis Response Director for Send Relief, my objective is to help local churches in the United States understand the importance of training their volunteer teams in disaster relief and partnering with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief network. Preparation is a crucial part of ministry because it empowers us to be more effective as we seek to be used by God to reach and minister to others.
Every election cycle someone says, “This is the most important election in the history of our nation,” or some variation of this statement. There is no doubt that elections have consequences and this is a significant time in our nation’s history. I also believe it is not too soon to begin considering some of the issues of the day. With the 2024 presidential race underway, it is incumbent upon us as Georgia Baptists to engage responsibly and thoughtfully in the political process. We are citizens of heaven, certainly, but also stewards of the earthly realm, and it is in this dual citizenship that our challenge lies.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — While preaching at Salem Baptist Church in Dalton recently, I met a dear woman who asked me to pray for her brother, Bobby Jones, who has been missing in action since November 28, 1972. He was fighting in Vietnam when he was either killed in action or captured by the North Vietnamese.

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Business

Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industry

Charter fishing industry experts in southeast Alaska say they're eager to learn the cause of a tragedy that left five people dead or lost at sea. A boat called the Awakin was found partially …

US jobs report for May could point to slower hiring as Fed rate hikes cool demand for workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's surprisingly resilient job market may have delivered yet another month of solid hiring and pay gains in May, if economists' forecasts prove to be correct. Still, some signs of cooling could emerge in the government report being released Friday. Analysts have estimated that hiring slowed to a still-healthy pace of 190,000 added jobs last month, according to a survey by the data provider FactSet.

Money stored in Venmo, other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns

NEW YORK (AP) — Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money for the long term with these apps because their funds might not be safe during a crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday. The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse.

Know any airplane mechanics? A wave of retirements is leaving some US industries desperate to hire

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kwasi Bandoh, a senior recruiter for an airline, stood before a group of aviation mechanic students at their graduation ceremony last month and congratulated them for all having jobs. As some of the students began nudging each other, Bandoh realized that perhaps not every one of them had already been hired.

Amazon charged with privacy violations over Alexa and Ring cameras

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon will pay more than $30 million to settle alleged privacy violations involving its voice assistant Alexa and its doorbell camera Ring. The Federal Trade Commission voted to file charges in two separate cases Wednesday that could also force the company to delete certain data collected by its popular internet-connected devices.

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Sports

Kelly throws 7 strong innings, Diamondbacks beat Braves 3-2 for 6th straight win

Merrill Kelly threw seven strong innings, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped a two-run double and the Arizona Diamondbacks won their season-high sixth game in a row by beating the Atlanta Braves 3-2. It was …

Coach confirms Lionel Messi's last match for PSG this weekend

Lionel Messi arrived two years ago wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with ”Ici C’est Paris” (This Is Paris) — a favorite cry among Paris Saint-Germain fans — and to chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!" The soccer superstar will leave the team on Saturday not quite so revered.

Florida beats Georgia Tech 3-1 to win 5th NCAA men's golf championship

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Florida put itself in difficult positions all season, none more dire than its deep hole against Florida State in the national semifinals. The experienced Gators consistently found ways to dig their way out and it helped them when things got tight Wednesday in the championship match. Individual NCAA champion Fred Biondi beat Hiroshi Tai 1 up with a par on the 18th hole and Florida won its fifth men's national golf title with a 3-1 victory over Georgia Tech at Grayhawk Golf Club.

Braves 9th-inning fielding error costly in 2-1 loss to A's

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — During a season that has been one of the most tumultuous in franchise history, second-year Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay has worked overtime to keep his players positive. It’s starting to pay off. After losing their first nine series at home — one shy of the Oakland record — the A’s are finally stringing together victories.

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