Top stories

Georgia college students commissioned for summer service

Paul Gotthardt, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, addresses students at Equip on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth. Ga. (Index/Henry Durand)
FORSYTH, Ga. — Last Saturday, April 20, some 250 Georgia college student leaders gathered at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth for Equip, a day of equipping leaders to be on mission on their campus, in their community and around the world.
Crystabel Kwarteng of Georgia College & State University joins other students in worship at Equip on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth. Ga. (Index/Henry Durand)
Photo gallery: Scenes from the Georgia BCM Equip conference
FORSYTH, Ga. — Last Saturday, April 20, some 250 Georgia college student leaders gathered at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth for Equip, a day of equipping leaders to be on mission on their campus, in their community and around the world.
Hannah and her two children, Melissa and Daniel, stand beside Richie and Melissa Howard and their son, Jaxson. (Photo/Richie Howard via The Baptist Paper)
Pregnancy resource center, First Baptist Jonesboro help single mother find Christ
JONESBORO, Ga. — Hannah’s life was “broken.” She was raised in Ghana by her father, who was a pastor, and sister after her mother left the family when she was only 3 months old.
Macedonia Baptist Church pastor Wade Lott embraces a newly baptized believer. (Photo/Macedonia Baptist Church)
‘God truly showed up’ at Macedonia Baptist Church Spring revival
HIAWASSEE, Ga. — Macedonia Baptist Church in Hiawassee wrapped up a fruitful week-long Spring revival last week, seeing seven people profess faith in Christ and 14 come forward to be baptized since Easter Sunday.
More than 200 newly-endorsed church planters pose at the Send Network Orientation. (Photo/NAMB)
Send Network hosts orientation for 200+ new church planters
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 200 church planters represented 189 sending churches at Send Network’s most recent orientation for newly endorsed church planters last week. Five different languages were spoken among the planters, who hailed from 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
The Sons of Jubal perform at First Baptist Church of Dallas, Ga., on Aug. 24, 2023. Inset: Historical photo of the sons of Jubal. (Main photo: Index/Henry Durand, File; Inset: Photo courtesy Ken Drane)
Sons of Jubal celebrate 70 years of making joyful noise to the Lord
For the past 70 years, the members of the Sons of Jubal chorus have been raising their voices in song to worship and glorify the Lord.  From the group's inception, they have used music to declare the truth of the gospel across Georgia, the United States, and the world.
Baptist Life

Tennessee pastor Dan Spencer to be nominated for SBC president

Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, preaches at the church. (Photo/FBC Sevierville livestream)
SEYMOUR, Tenn. — Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, has become the sixth nominee for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis.
Longtime International Mission Board leader Clyde D. Meador died Friday, April 26. He was 79. Clyde Meador worked closely with four IMB presidents as a top advisor and executive vice president, and as the mission organization’s interim president from August 2010 to March 2011 and again briefly in 2018 before the election of current President Paul Chitwood.
Samnas Alemu thought he was saying goodbye to his family for one week. In 2013, persecution forced him to flee his home country of Ethiopia to seek asylum in the United States, and he was hoping to reunite with his family soon. But a week turned into months, and months into years, as Samnas waited for a hearing before a judge for his asylum case.
Every Sunday, 8-year-old Micah Singerman heard his parents, International Mission Board missionaries Kevin and Victoria Singerman, tell chronological Bible stories in Kampala, Uganda. He then watched the Ugandan believers go out and share the same story with people in their community.  
It’s rare that Gene Mitchell drives anywhere in his truck listening to Christian music without getting teary-eyed, some 18 months after his wife died of cancer.  “Songs now have a different meaning, things I’ve never heard in a song before,” Mitchell told The Alabama Baptist. 
Georgia
Lorna Bius, a Mission Georgia mobilizer, and Mike Griffin, Public Affairs representative of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, pose beside Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty, right, at a bill signing ceremony. (Index/Courtesy of Mike Griffin)

Georgia Gov. Kemp signs bills to combat human trafficking

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp signed three bills Wednesday aimed at human trafficking in Georgia. “We are taking three important steps forward to make sure Georgia is a safe haven for survivors … turning Georgia into a national leader for victims’ rights and putting criminals behind bars,” Kemp said during a bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol.

New evidence in Georgia couple's killing found by person dredging creek with a magnet, officials say

McRAE-HELENA, Ga. (AP) — Someone using a magnet to fish for metal objects in a Georgia creek pulled up a rifle as well as some lost belongings of a couple found slain in the same area more than nine years ago.

Kemp signs private-school vouchers bill

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp signed a private-school vouchers bill Tuesday, culminating a fight Republicans have waged for years to give students in low-performing schools another option.

Crew members injured in crash on Georgia set of Eddie Murphy Amazon MGM movie 'The Pickup'

Several crew members were injured and two were hospitalized when a car and truck collided during shooting of the Eddie Murphy film “The Pickup" from Amazon MGM Studios, the studio and a person close to the production said Tuesday.
Nation
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather at  the Columbia University campus in New York on Monday April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Columbia pro-Palestinian protest was carefully planned

NEW YORK (AP) — Months before they pitched their tents on Columbia University's main lawn, inspiring a wave of protest encampments at college campuses nationwide, a small group of pro-Palestinian student activists met privately to sketch out the logistical details of a round-the-clock occupation.

USC cancels graduation ceremony and dozens are arrested on other campuses as pro-Palestinian demonstrations grow

The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony and dozens more college students were arrested at other campuses nationwide Thursday as pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued to spread.

Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down

WASHINGTON (AP) — Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

First cargo ship passes through newly opened channel in Baltimore since bridge collapse

BALTIMORE (AP) — The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago. The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag, passed through the new 35-foot channel headed for St. John, Canada.
World
German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1, fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation, in Chania, Greece, on Nov. 8, 2017. (Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense, via AP, File)

US expected to provide $6 billion to fund long-term weapons contracts for Ukraine, officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is expected to announce Friday that it will provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, adding that it will include much sought-after munitions for Patriot air defense systems.

Egypt sends delegation to Israel, its latest effort to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah — on the border with Egypt — could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability.

Antony Blinken meets with China's President Xi as US, China spar over bilateral and global issues

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials, stressing the importance of “responsibly managing” the differences between the United States and China as the two sides butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues.

Guatemalan prosecutors raid offices of Save the Children charity

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan prosecutors raided the offices of the charity Save the Children on Thursday, citing a complaint alleging the violation of migrant children’s rights. Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said in a video to media that the complaint filed by an unidentified foreigner had raised serious concerns because it involved allegations of abuse of children.
Perspectives
Most people who walk into Freedom Church in Neosho, Missouri, start with a worship service. It’s an on-ramp to the church’s discipleship pathway, a natural starting point on the journey from being a first-time visitor to a growing, serving follower of Christ.
I once read a story about a man who tore down an old building that stood on his property for many years. After clearing away the debris, he broke up and smoothed over the ground. Soon, spring rains fell and sunshine flooded the area.
Did you see the recent B. C. Sunday comic in which the character is working strenuously to climb the steep mountain? Each panel shows his progress. Then he finally reaches the summit, and asks, “Ever arrive at a place and forget why you’re there?”
In a recent breakfast meeting with Pastor Todd Wright of Midway Church in Villa Rica, our conversation turned to the importance of leaving a legacy for those who will come behind us. It was a meaningful discussion for many reasons, but I was reminded of the words of King Solomon in Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (NKJV).
Recently, my wife, Carolyn and I were eating a sandwich for lunch in one of our favorite restaurants. We were quietly talking about a lot of things when suddenly my wife pointed out a little bug which was sitting on the window ledge.
Business
A person pushes the doorbell on his Ring doorbell camera, July 16, 2019, at his home in Wolcott, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

FTC sends $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers as part of video privacy settlement

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access.

US growth slowed sharply last quarter to 1.6% pace, reflecting an economy pressured by high rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s economy slowed last quarter, growing at an annual rate of 1.6% in a sign that high interest rates may be taking a toll on borrowing and spending.

Norfolk Southern's earnings offer railroad chance to defend its strategy ahead of board vote

Norfolk Southern’s first-quarter earnings report Wednesday gave the railroad the opportunity to publicly defend CEO Alan Shaw’s strategy again before investors decide on May 9 whether to back him. Since the railroad already preannounced its disappointing results earlier this month when it disclosed a $600 million settlement over the disastrous February 2023 Ohio derailment there were few surprises in Wednesday’s numbers.

Boeing posts a $355 million loss as the plane maker tries to dig out from under its latest crisis

Boeing said Wednesday that it lost $355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.

Tesla 1Q profit falls 55%, but stock jumps as company moves to speed production of cheaper vehicles

Tesla’s first-quarter net income plummeted 55%, but its stock price surged in after-hours trading Tuesday as the company said it would move up production of new, more affordable vehicles.
Sports
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throws a pass during pro day, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)

Falcons provide an NFL draft surprise by taking Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with No. 8 pick

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons provided the first major surprise of the NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 overall pick on Thursday night.

QB Jaden Rashada transfers to Georgia after leaving Arizona State

Quarterback Jaden Rashada has committed to Georgia after leaving Arizona State in the transfer portal. Rashada's agent, Henry Danger of Disruptive Sports, told The Associated Press in an email on Thursday that the one-time Florida quarterback commit has transferred to the Gators’ Southeastern Conference rival in Georgia.

Las Vegas Raiders take Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick in the NFL draft

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Georgia's Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick Thursday, the second year in a row they have taken a tight end high in the NFL draft. Las Vegas traded up last year to take Notre Dame's Michael Mayer in the second round with the 35th overall pick. Mayer caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Quarterbacks Williams, Daniels, Maye, Penix Jr., McCarthy and Nix selected in top 12 of NFL draft

DETROIT (AP) — Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. Five other teams selected quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, setting a record with five in the top 10 and tying a record for the most in the first round.