CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (BP)—SBC President Clint Pressley announced on Monday, May 4, that John Pendelton will chair the Registration Committee for the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando in June. Pendleton, pastor of Bardstown Baptist Church in Bardstown, Kentucky, was a member of the committee in 2025.

ROME, Ga.  — Brookes Chapel was filled with celebration as Shorter University's College of Business gathered to honor its most outstanding students, alumni, and emerging leaders at the annual Awards and Honors Ceremony. The event was a testament to the talent, dedication, and faith-driven excellence that defines the Shorter College of Business experience.

CLEVELAND, Ga. —  Dr. Brenda Hochmuth, Associate Professor of Neuropsychology, earned the Vulcan Materials Co. Teaching Excellence Award during Truett McConnell University’s Honors Chapel on April 21, 2026. In her days at TMU, Dr. Hochmuth has become a key member of the faculty and is deeply valued by those around her.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Longtime Southern Baptist educator Daniel L. Akin challenged 307 spring 2026 graduates of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College to continue running in God’s race with endurance, following Christ’s example, during his commencement address on Friday, May 1.

BOSTON – A barber’s chair became an avenue for life change when church-planting missionary Jacob Ambrose embraced an unexpected opportunity to obey the calling on his life.

WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Staff and volunteers with N.C. Baptists on Mission recently celebrated a major milestone in the ongoing recovery efforts across western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene by dedicating the first newly constructed home during a ceremony held on April 7.

“Fill the field, not the room.” Clint Culpepper said that was the vision when he and Kennedi Kruger became the Baptist campus minister and associate minister at Auburn University two years ago.

Baptist churches have a centuries-long history of supporting missionaries, but short-term mission trips have become popular among evangelical church members only since the 1960s. Reaching a peak in the 1980s and 1990s, some research shows that up to four million church members are involved in short-term trips each year, largely going in age-defined groups.

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (BP) – First Baptist Church of Enterprise, Ala., considers Betty Jane Hunt its “resident Lottie Moon.” Hunt shares much in common with the iconic Moon, senior pastor Ben Bowden told Baptist Press days after the church celebrated Hunt’s 100th birthday.

CORDELE, Ga. —  For eight days beginning on April 10, the Crisp County Courthouse in Cordele was the site of the first-ever Crisp County Bible Reading Marathon. Volunteers gathered there to read the Bible from cover to cover. 

Screen legend and American icon John Wayne is renowned for his bravado and toughness. His strength and courage in any situation set the standard for many actors who followed in his footsteps. Always the hero, he was a true American and the ideal for many young boys to aspire to as they grew up. Wayne was a champion of justice known for his rugged tone and tough-guy persona.

Matthew 22 begins with another parable shared by Jesus. He compares the Kingdom of God with a wedding feast. The king sends out his servants to invite the guests to come and dine and celebrate. Everything is ready. However, when the servants go out, they’re mistreated and killed.

Before becoming a director of missions, and even more so while serving in that role, Rick Standard saw a need that kept surfacing among pastors, especially those in small and mid-sized churches. They needed encouragement. They needed rest. They needed time away with their families and a chance to step back from the steady weight of ministry. In retirement, Standard found a way to help meet that need.

HARRODSBURG, Ky. (KT) – Pastor Stephen Brogli of Bethel Baptist Church recently led seven men through a Practical Preaching Workshop, and he offered reflections in an interview with Kentucky Baptist Convention North Central Regional Consultant Andy McDonald.

Daniel Bates couldn’t believe his eyes. But there it was, tucked between a pastel row of cafés and cobblestone alleys in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia—a friendly local game store. The International Mission Board missionary grabbed his wife, Heather, and derailed their shopping trip.

NAHUNTA, Ga. — As two major wildfires continued to threaten homes and communities in southeast Georgia over the weekend, Georgia Baptists were responding on multiple fronts, with Disaster Relief units supporting first responders on the scene and Mission Georgia working through local churches to help meet community needs.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary recognized Adam W. Greenway, ninth president of the institution, with a presidential portrait in an April 24 ceremony.

Idaho is among the least evangelized states in the nation, but that state’s Southern Baptists have a plan. It’s called Reach Idaho.

One moment, the Skopyches were tourists, vacationing in Europe to visit friends. The next, they were among an overwhelming swell of millions of Ukrainian evacuees, losing homes, careers, and stability during the Russian invasion of 2022. 

RIO DE JANEIRO (BP) – In the original “Flywheel,” a young Alex Kendrick portrays a dishonest used car salesman who encounters Rutha Mae Harris, an African American straight-talking customer who encourages honesty after his come-to-Jesus moment.

NASHVILLE (BP) — The SBC Committee on Nominations has released its 2026 report in advance of the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting to be held June 9-10. Per SBC bylaws, the report is to be released through Baptist Press no later than 45 days prior to the gathering.

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — University of North Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministries sent 82 students on mission during spring break this year, serving in six locations across the United States and overseas. Students on those trips said they saw God move in ways that left a lasting mark on those who heard the gospel and on the students who shared it.

MOBILE, Ala. — The Christian Index received three first-place awards last week in the Baptist Communicators Association’s Wilmer C. Fields Awards competition, which recognizes outstanding work by members of the organization.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Georgia Baptist children’s ministry leaders and volunteers gathered across the state in March for a series of Vacation Bible School training events designed to help churches prepare for one of their most important evangelistic opportunities of the year.

CLEVELAND, Ga. — On April 16, Truett McConnell University’s Walpot School of Education proudly held its annual Teacher Pinning Ceremony, a meaningful tradition that marks the beginning of a career and a commitment to a calling.