March 27, 2025
71° F
Clear
The voice of Georgia Baptists since 1822
Advanced search
Log in Subscribe
Top stories

Pro-life groups mount effort to strip Planned Parenthood funding ahead of Supreme Court hearing

Anti-abortion activists walk past the Supreme Court in the annual March for Life, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Major pro-life groups were gathering in the nation's capital on Thursday to begin a lobbying effort with Congress and President Donald Trump's administration aimed at eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood ahead of the Supreme Court hearing a case in April that could strip the abortion provider's funding in South Carolina.
Trending stories
Tim Dowdy, vice president for evangelism for the North American Mission Board, addresses attendees at an evangelism-themed "lunch and learn" at 1025 Church in Monroe, March 17. (Index/J. Gerald Harris)
Churches challenged to relentlessly impact their communities for Christ
MONROE, Ga. — Reaching the 7 million plus lost people in Georgia with the gospel of Jesus Christ is a priority for Georgia Baptists. W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, is meeting with pastors across the state to encourage and find ways to focus on evangelism. Also, this year’s annual meeting of the convention will include an evangelism conference.
Volunteers from Northway Church pray before heading out to serve their community. (Photo/Northway Church)
Northway Church strives to reach Macon with the gospel
MACON, Ga. — Northway Church in Macon has a vision that says “For the Gospel, For the City,” and they successfully carried out that vision on successive Saturdays in March when church members served in community outreach projects.
University of North Georgia students during a Baptist Collegiate Ministry mission trip to Lima. (Photo/Georgia BCM)
UNG BCM students answer the call to go on life-changing mission trip to Lima
While going to the beach and relaxing in the sun seems like the perfect Spring Break vacation for most college students, students from the University of North Georgia choose to spend their Spring Break on mission in Lima, Peru. UNG’s Baptist Collegiate Ministries sent over 30 students to serve all around Lima. 
Excursions on walking trails are ways some young adults and college students in Central Asia spend time with friends. A group from First Baptist Church Jonesboro, Georgia walked miles with new Central Asian friends in an effort to build intentional relationships. (Photo/IMB)
Georgia NextGen mission team learns intentional relationships lead to gospel shares
The pastor warned the mission team they might not verbally share the gospel with Central Asians during their partnership with the International Mission Board. The young adults from a church in Georgia, couldn’t believe their ears. Evangelism was something they worked hard at doing in their diverse community. They trained for it. They practiced. They shared.  
Rick Gage, founder of Duluth, Ga.-based GO TELL Ministries, urged the crowd to turn to Christ before it is too late. By the end of the four-day spiritual encounter, including all outside related events, 1,300 had made decisions for Christ, with more than 600 stepping forward to accept Christ. (Baptist Message/Brian Blackwell)
Georgia evangelist Rick Gage sees more than 1,300 spiritual decisions at Louisiana crusade
DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (LBM) – The Den­ham Springs High School football stadium became a house of God during the Livingston Parish GO TELL AMERICA Crusade, Saturday through Wednesday, March 16-19.
Baptist Life

Georgia religious freedom bill advances in state House

Representatives vote to advance Senate Bill 36, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. (Photo/Georgia House of Representatives video)
ATLANTA — Senate Bill 36, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed the House Judiciary Committee 9-6 on Wednesday after amendments washed away prior changes, restoring the bill to the version that the Senate approved in early March.

Read more Baptist Life stories

Ana and Danny Nieves, left, parents of a Journeyman, chat with Kat Tinsley, right. During their conversation, they discovered that their daughters are serving together in Panama. (Photo/IMB)
The National Parent Retreat, hosted by the International Mission Board last week on March 20-23, brought 148 parents of IMB missionaries together for a time of encouragement and connection. 
Pastor Shane Newton baptizes Guoybing Tang on Feb. 9. Tang arrived in the United States seven months after he accepted Christ on April 16, 2023, during a Bible study with an underground church in China. (Photo/via The Baptist Message)
LAPLACE, La. (LBM) – Guoybing Tang first came to faith as a member of a Chinese underground church in 2023, but only recently did he publicly celebrate his new life in Christ, having been bap­tized by the First Baptist Church, LaPlace.
A Muslim walks down a road in Afghanistan. (Photo/IMB)
WASHINGTON (BP) — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom continues to call for Nigeria, Afghanistan, India, and Vietnam to be added to the U.S. list of Countries of Particular Concern for religious liberty violations.
Baseball players enjoy a meal and devotional during a weekly luncheon at the USM BSU. (Baptist Record/Tanner Cade)
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — How can ministry effectively breach the eventful schedule of a college athlete without forcibly dragging him from the practice field to the pew? Will an ultimatum of “Sunday morning church or else” really win the heart of a non-believing teammate for Christ?
Georgia
The Georgia State Capitol building in Atlanta. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Lawmakers decide to ban cellphones in public elementary and middle schools

ATLANTA – Children and adolescents won’t be able to use personal cellphones in public schools starting next fall after the General Assembly overwhelmingly supported banning the devices in elementary and middle schools.

(Photo/Joni and Friends)

Joni and Friends in need of volunteers to serve at annual Family Retreat

BUFORD, Ga. — Did you know there is an urgent need in your area for Christian volunteers to serve families living with disability this summer?   Joni and Friends, an international disability ministry with an office in Buford, Georgia, is actively recruiting volunteers for its annual Family Retreat, which will be held in May. 
The Georgia Capitol dome in Atlanta. (Index/Henry Durand. File)

Georgia legislature passes two tax relief bills

ATLANTA – Georgia taxpayers will pay a little less after Gov. Brian Kemp signs two tax relief measures following their approval Thursday by the state Senate.  “The final passage of these two measures today brings us one step closer to eliminating the state income tax, while providing tax relief for Georgia families and businesses,” said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who thanked Kemp for leading the effort.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Brothers and roommate of Laken Riley's killer to be deported after fake green card convictions

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Two brothers of the Venezuelan man who killed Georgia nursing student Laken Riley will be deported along with their former roommate after they pleaded guilty to possessing fake green cards, federal authorities say.

More Georgia news

Nation
Lava fountains shoot up in the latest episode of an ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (United States Geological Survey via AP)

Kilauea volcano's sporadic eruption resumes in Hawaii as lava pours out of a summit vent

HONOLULU (AP) — Lava began bubbling out of Hawaii’s most active volcano once again on Tuesday as Kilauea's sporadic eruption resumed.

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover executes a fire suppression mission in support of the South Carolina Forestry Commission at Persimmon Ridge Fire near Greenville, S.C., on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

Wildfires in North and South Carolina fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene

Dry conditions, wind, and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday.
A sign for new voter registration is seen outside a polling location at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha, File)

Trump signs order seeking to overhaul US elections, including requiring proof of citizenship

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive action to overhaul elections in the U.S., including requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and demanding that all ballots be received by Election Day.
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a ceremony to raise the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag at the State Department, March 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Senate will question US intelligence officials on national security threats after war plans exposed

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's top intelligence officials are facing Congress this week to offer their first testimony in office about the threats confronting the United States and tackle urgent questions about the security breach that unfolded when war plans were mistakenly leaked to a journalist.

Read more national news

World
Residents look at houses destroyed by wildfires in Cheongsong, South Korea, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea struggles to contain wildfires that have killed 27

CHEONGSONG, South Korea (AP) — Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea on Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 27 people, forced at least 37,000 others to flee their homes, and destroyed more than 300 structures.

Recovery efforts continue for four missing U.S. soldiers near the spot where their Hercules armored vehicle was found submerged at a training range in Pabrade, north of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

NATO clarifies comments that four missing US soldiers had died during training in Lithuania

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — NATO on Wednesday clarified comments that Secretary-General Mark Rutte made earlier in the day, when he suggested that four U.S. soldiers who went missing while training in Lithuania had died, even though the U.S. Army said their fate was not yet confirmed.
Tourists walk on the Giftun Island beach as the sun sets over the Red Sea in Hurghada, Egypt, Aug. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

Tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's coast, leaving 6 dead and 9 injured, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — Six people died and nine others were injured after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, two municipal officials said Thursday. They were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
French President Emmanuel Macron greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, for a summit on Ukraine at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A 'coalition of the willing' mulls more aid for Ukraine and a possible European armed force

PARIS (AP) — Ukraine’s allies from across Europe gathered for talks in Paris on Thursday about how to strengthen Kyiv’s hand and its military as it pushes for a ceasefire with Russia, and to consider proposals to deploy European troops in the country in tandem with any peace deal.

Read more world news

Perspectives
Adam Dooley
The year was 1949. CIA operative Douglas Mackiernan fled for the border of Tibet as Mao Tse-Sung’s communist army swept through China. Though the national boundary was a treacherous 1200 miles away, getting there was the only hope for survival. For seven months, he endured the elements.
Todd Gray
Pastors and ministry leaders pay close attention to several numbers in their ministry leadership context. Two of those — worship attendance and financial giving — can serve as early warning signs of the health of a church or Christian ministry.
The United States Capitol. (Photo/Baptist Press, File)
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has initiated a strategic effort to leverage the current Republican majorities in Congress and the executive branch to defund Planned Parenthood by eliminating the organization’s federal funding.
Todd Gaddis
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roy Orbison burst on the scene in the early 1960s with his hit “Only the Lonely,” which he wrote along with Joe Melson.
Ralph Fudge
“Once saved, always saved.” This statement is a basic tenet of Southern Baptist faith. It is true and well supported by Scripture. But it is also one of the most controversial of all our traditions.

Read more perspectives

Business
Vehicles move on the line during a media tour at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Hyundai shows off its new $7.6B electric vehicle plant in Georgia

ELLABELL, Ga. (AP) — Hyundai celebrated the opening of its new $7.6 billion electric vehicle factory in Georgia on Wednesday by announcing plans to expand its production capacity by two-thirds to a total of 500,000 vehicles per year.

Opel cars are parked at the Opel factory in Ruesselsheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Europe lashes out over U.S. auto tariffs and the economic threat to both continents

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European automakers, already struggling with tepid economic growth at home and rising competition from China, on Thursday decried the U.S. import tax on cars as a heavy burden that will punish consumers and companies alike on both sides of the Atlantic.
Containers of Roundup are displayed on a store shelf in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

Georgia jury orders Monsanto parent to pay nearly $2.1 billion in Roundup weedkiller lawsuit

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the Federal Reserve in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Federal Reserve keeps key rate unchanged

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled that it still expects to cut rates twice this year even as it sees inflation staying stubbornly elevated.
A shopper checks eggs at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

US inflation cooled last month for first time since September

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September, and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low.

Read more business news

Sports
Boyce College’s Daniel Smith. (Photo/SBTS)

Boyce College’s Daniel Smith named 2025 Pete Maravich Award recipient

The National Christian College Athletic Association announced Daniel Smith of Boyce College as the recipient of the 2025 Pete Maravich Award for Men’s Basketball. Named after legendary basketball player “Pistol Pete” Maravich, the award reflects Maravich’s legacy both on the court and in his later years as a devoted follower of Christ.

Houston Rockets' Jalen Green shoots over Atlanta Hawks' Georges Niang (20) during the first half Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jalen Green scores 32 points and has 11 rebounds as Rockets beat Hawks 121-114

HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green scored 32 points and had 11 rebounds and the Houston Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 on Tuesday night.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots against Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) during the first half Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Trae Young, Zaccharie Risacher lead Hawks to 132-119 win over 76ers

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 28 points with 12 assists, Zaccharie Risacher scored 22 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 132-119 on Sunday night.
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel delivers during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox, Sept. 3, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

Braves sign 9-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to minor league deal

ATLANTA (AP) — Nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is attempting to revive his career with the Atlanta Braves, his original team.

Read more sports news

© Copyright 2025 The Christian Index | Copyright/Terms of Use
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions