MOULTRIE, Ga. – The pastor emeritus at one of the fastest growing churches in America pointed Georgia Baptists back to the basics of prayer and personal devotions, telling them that’s what’s necessary to remain spiritually energized for the demands of ministry.

DALLAS, Texas (BP) — It was broad daylight, but Sarah Taylor knew if the stranger managed to pull her into the car, she would likely die. She fought. “He had his hand locked in my …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In the current fast-paced, high-pressure American culture, pastors are stressed, and they know that needs to change. According to the latest release in Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, of all the mental challenges U.S. Protestant pastors face, stress stands out above the rest. Distractions and discouragement are also significant factors for pastors when it comes to mental challenges in ministry.

RICHMOND, HILL, Ga. – Pastors have a responsibility not only to preach biblical truth but also to call on people to respond to that truth, a respected Southern Baptist writer and seminary professor told Georgia Baptists on Monday.

BETHLEHEM, Ga. – Georgia churches continued to see growing numbers of people turning to Christ over the past week, fueling hopes of spiritual revival in the Bible Belt state. One congregation, Cascade Hills Baptist Church in Columbus, recorded 187 salvation decisions over the Easter weekend. Peavine Baptist Church in Rock Spring reported 111 new believers; First Baptist Church of Villa Rica, 60, Brent David Baptist Church in Columbus, 32, and Midway Church of Villa Rica, 20.

PEMBROKE, Ga. — Georgians whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed by tornadoes earlier this month could qualify for financial help through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation.

DULUTH, Ga. – The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is launching an initiative to help congregations during those stressful first weeks after pastors resign or retire. “The first six weeks can be difficult,” said Mark Marshall, assistant executive director at the state Mission Board. “The first few weeks without a pastor can be difficult for a church. There are a number of questions of what to do next.”

LEXINGTON, Ga. – Easter brought the largest crowds in at least two years to Georgia Baptist churches, a clear indication that people have put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them and have returned to in-person worship. “The hand of God was on our churches this year for Easter in a special way,” said Scott Smith, director of communications for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.

ROCK SPRING, Ga. – With signs of revival sweeping across a post-COVID Georgia, Peavine Baptist Church in the northern region of the state recorded 111 professions of faith over the Easter weekend. The Rock Springs congregation, with 3,771 people in attendance, also baptized 29 people.

MILLEN, Ga. – More than 40 people made professions of faith in the small Georgia town of Millen last week as spiritual revival continued to sweep across the state. “I’ve never seen a move of the Lord like this,” said Millen Baptist Church Pastor Brad Asbury, one of the preachers who led revival services in the town’s Pal Theater. “What we’re seeing is a real hunger for God’s word.”

THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The number of new Christians in Georgia grew by another 19 in revival services over the past four days at Pineland Baptist Church in Thomasville in the state’s southwest region. The new converts join hundreds of other Georgians who have made professions of faith in recent weeks in what denominational leaders hope is the beginning of a widespread spiritual awakening.

DULUTH, Ga. – The complexity of the sale of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s office building is delaying closing on a deal that would provide millions of dollars for a new endowment fund to strengthen ministry in the state.

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves will be helping to bring attention to the work Georgia Baptists are doing to provide medical and dentalcare to the working poor, to rescue victims of human trafficking, to get refugees from war-torn countries into homes and jobs in the Peach State, and more.

PEMBROKE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief crews have completed a deployment in the eastern part of the state where tornadoes did widespread damage last week. And the Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation has provided a grant to help storm victims who are having temporarily relocate.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – For the first time, viewers may stream the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting and pastors’ conference on smart TVs and other app-based platforms. The new app, provided through a partnership of the SBC Executive Committee and the Acts 2 Network, makes the programs more accessible for those not attending in person.

DAWSON, Ga. – At Calvary Baptist Church, vacation Bible school isn’t just a summertime initiative. The Terrell County congregation, with the help of a mission team from First Baptist Church of Moultrie, pulled off a three-day VBS over spring break. It was Calvary’s first VBS since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Georgia two years ago.

PEMBROKE, Ga. — With parents busy making home repairs after an outbreak of tornadoes last week, Georgia Baptists Disaster Relief is deploying a childcare unit to the hard-hit town of Pembroke.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (BP) – Florida pastor Willy Rice has announced he will not seek the nomination for SBC president at the upcoming 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim. The announcement followed a release from him on April 1 containing what he called “sensitive information” concerning a deacon at Calvary Church where he is senior pastor.

MOULTRIE, Ga. – Pastor Trey Eakins felt great and thought he was perfectly healthy, but, at the urging of his wife, he went to a Georgia Baptist Mission Board health screening at Jeckyll Island for a quick checkup.

KYIV, Ukraine (BP) – The dean of a small evangelical seminary in Kyiv is among more than 400 civilians found dead on the streets in and around the capital city, the seminary confirmed.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Six months into the 2022 fiscal year, giving through the Cooperative Program totaled more than $105.9 million, almost $11 million above the mid-year budget of $95 million.

Paul Chitwood hadn’t planned on returning to Poland and Romania so soon. Just a few weeks ago, the president of the IMB walked the borders of Ukraine surveying needs and seeing how Southern Baptists could help during the first weeks of the Ukraine-Russia war. At the time, he asked Southern Baptists for two things — prayer and financial support for relief efforts.

Anna Leigh Breedlove spent the fall engaged in what she calls “one of the best and most challenging experiences of my life.” The physician’s assistant student spent eight weeks in Nalerigu, Ghana, working at the Baptist Medical Centre through the International Mission Board’s Global Health Rotation program.

DULUTH, Ga. – One of the nation’s leading experts on sexual abuse will lead a webinar in Georgia on April 21 to train ministers to children and youth.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Javier Chavez, pastor of Amistad Cristiana Church in Gainesville, Ga., will be a candidate for the recording secretary position at this summer’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.