May 7, 2024
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Kevin Vaughn has a compelling story of greed, grief, grace, and glory

Pastor Kevin Vaughn baptizes a new believer. (Photo/Rock Branch Baptist Church)
ELBERTON, Ga. — For Kevin Vaughn, pastor of the growing Rock Branch Baptist Church, the path to effective ministry has not been without formidable struggles. Vaughn remembers being “a normal kid growing up,” whose family did not attend church regularly. It was Vaughn’s grandparents who took him to church and the children’s programs offered.
Trending stories
(Photo/Connect Ministries via The Baptist Paper)
Connect Ministries helping churches across southeast with camps, coaching
WATKINSVILLE, Ga. — “We were just laymen helping to start a church in Franklin, Tenn., when Gabe Norris and I realized just how hard it is for the church in America to meet new people,” said Ken “KT” Thomas, president and co-founder of Connect Ministries. After having this realization, Thomas and Norris soon quit their jobs at Lifeway Christian Resources and started Connect Ministries, a nonprofit organization based in Watkinsville that helps church members meet new people in their surrounding communities and share the gospel with them.  
Thomas Hammond Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and his wife Kerri pray on a livestream on the National Day of Prayer. (Photo/GBMB livestream)
Georgia Baptists called to repentance, unity on National Day of Prayer
W. Thomas Hammond Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and his wife Kerri led Georgia Baptists in a time of corporate prayer via livestream Wednesday morning on the National Day of Prayer.
A man holds a cross inside a church in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Most pastors struggle with loneliness new study finds
In a troubling sign for many congregations, half of pastors say they are often or frequently lonely, according to a report of clergy health. Pastors may be healthy in many other areas, but most say they struggle with feeling lonely, according to a report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
An attendee of a National Day of Prayer gathering at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, holds a program Thursday, May 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
National and state Southern Baptist leaders call for believers to pray on National Day of Prayer
This Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer. It was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1952, and the date was set to the first Thursday in May by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
Beverly Skinner, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s college ministry catalyst, speaks to outgoing state BCM president Brooke Childs and incoming president Daniel Holland, at Equip on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Maynard Baptist Church in Forsyth. Ga. (Index/Henry Durand)
New state BCM president Daniel Holland has a passion to serve and encourage
Daniel Holland, a rising senior at Georgia Southern University, has been selected as state president of Baptist Collegiate Ministries for 2024-2025. Holland, a marketing major, says he plans to attend seminary after graduation, and his ultimate desire is to serve as a pastor.
Baptist Life

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.

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Ty Gilliland from Oak Grove Baptist Church in Paducah, Ky., speaks to a racegoer outside Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day. (Photo/Kentucky Today)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) — Derby weekend presented a prime opportunity for evangelizing thousands of people — and the combination of distributing gospel tracts, having gospel conversations, street preaching and displaying evangelistic signs resulted in many being made aware of the gospel.
Women from First Baptist Church, Honea Path, South Carolina, spent a week creating relationships with women in the Muslim world. (Photo/International Mission Board)
Rwanda? Kenya? No trip sounded right. So, Katie kept searching for the perfect short-term mission trip on the International Mission Board’s Go Experience website. Her women-only team from First Baptist Church, Honea Path, South Carolina, wanted a place where they could use their gifts and maybe look into a partnership. 
Professor Joshua Williams teaches at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. (SWBTS/Amanda Williams)
FORT WORTH, Texas — Joshua Williams wants his teaching to be real. “Something that’s significant, that’s going to change the way people either read their Bible, approach Christian ministry, look at the world, right? That’s what I’m going for,” said Williams.
Emanuel Roque, Hispanic church catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention, speaks during the 2023 SBC Hispanic Celebration in New Orleans. (Photo/Baptist Press, File)
INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – The much-anticipated Southern Baptist annual family gathering is inching closer, and Hispanic Baptists are excited and ready to celebrate all God is doing through Hispanic churches at home and abroad. Already 30 Hispanic missionaries have signed up for Crossover, an evangelistic event that takes place each year in the host city of the SBC annual meeting.
Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs the budget for the year beginning July 1, 2024 at the state capitol in Atlanta on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Gov. Kemp signs $36.1 billion state budget

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp signed what he called an “historic” $36.1 billion state budget Tuesday containing healthy raises for state employees and public school teachers. The fiscal 2025 budget, which takes effect July 1, represents an increase of $3.7 billion over the fiscal 2024 budget the General Assembly adopted last spring, including record spending on education and mental health and significant increases for public safety.

Georgia woman identified as person killed in fall at Ohio State graduation ceremony

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A woman who fell from the stands to her death during a graduation ceremony at Ohio State University last weekend has been identified as a Georgia resident, authorities announced Tuesday.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr speaks during a news conference, Sept. 5, 2023, at the Georgia Department of Public Safety in Atlanta. (Natrice Miller/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

Georgia's attorney general says Savannah overstepped in outlawing guns in unlocked cars

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's attorney general says city officials in Savannah overstepped their authority by making it illegal to leave firearms in unlocked cars. Savannah's mayor and city council in April enacted the new city ordinance aimed at making it harder for criminals to steal guns.

1 dead in Atlanta area apartment fire that forced residents to jump from balconies

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (AP) — An apartment fire Sunday in metro Atlanta's DeKalb County that forced people to jump from their balconies left at least one person dead and several others injured, news outlets reported.

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Nation
Clouds amass over power lines follow days of storms on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Humble, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Second tornado in 5 weeks damages Oklahoma town and causes 1 death as powerful storms hit central US

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that stretched into Tuesday. At least one death was reported.

A New York City police officer walks past seating that was to be used for a large graduation ceremony at Columbia University in New York, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Pro-Palestinian protesters break through barricades to retake MIT encampment

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University canceled its large university-wide commencement ceremony Monday following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled its campus and others across the U.S., but said students will still be able to celebrate at a series of smaller, school-based ceremonies this week and next.
WWII veteran Charles Shay, pays tribute to soldiers during a D-Day commemoration ceremony on the 78th anniversary in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/ Jeremias Gonzalez, File)

On D-Day, 19-year-old medic Charles Shay was ready to give his life, and save as many as he could

BRETTEVILLE-L'ORGUEILLEUSE, France (AP) — On D-Day, Charles Shay was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic who was ready to give his life — and save as many as he could. Now 99, he’s spreading a message of peace with tireless dedication as he’s about to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations of the landings in Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe from Nazi German occupation.
Alvaro Trevino pulls a canoe with Jennifer Tellez and Ailyn, 8, after they checked on their home on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Spendora, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Heavy rains ease around Houston but flooding remains after hundreds of rescues and evacuations

HOUSTON (AP) — Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummeled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were stranded on rooftops.

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World
Police officers carry a person away during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Berlin University in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Police break up a pro-Palestinian student protest in Berlin as demonstrations spread across Europe

AMSTERDAM (AP) — German police on Tuesday broke up a protest by several hundred pro-Palestinian activists who had occupied a courtyard at Berlin’s Free University earlier in the day, the latest such action by authorities as protests that have roiled campuses in the United States spread across Europe.

Vladimir Putin walks to take his oath as Russian president during an inauguration ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever

President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term at a glittering Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, embarking on another six years as leader of Russia after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
An Israeli Defense Forces tank drives away from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israel says it will continue cease-fire talks but launches strikes in Rafah

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Monday an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, which was accepted by Hamas, did not meet its “core demands” and that it was pushing ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Still, Israel said it would continue negotiations.
A view of the bridge connecting the Russky Island and Vladivostok, in Russia's far east, on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov, File)

An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, US officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to two U.S. officials. U.S. officials said the soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos in Texas. Instead, officials said he traveled to Russia.

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Perspectives
Todd Gray
Jesus was known for asking questions. According to Bob Tiede of Biblical Leadership, the four gospels record 339 questions that Jesus asked. Others say the number is a little lower, but all agree that Jesus asked lots of questions. Tiede mentions, “He sometimes answered questions with questions of his own.” Jesus was the master of well-placed questions.
David Chancey
The other day, I briefly misplaced my cell phone. I didn’t see the phone in my car door’s side pocket where I sometimes place it when driving, and I thought I left it at home. But where at home did I leave it? And what if it’s not there?
Jay Hardwick
I remember hearing the late Michael Catt, long-time pastor of Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Ga., say many times, “Whoever wants the next generation the most will get them.” That quote has resonated with me for years and especially now.
J. Gerald Harris
The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2, will be “Lift Up the Word –Light Up the World.” The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988 the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.
Meredith Flynn
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.

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Business
FILE - The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Boeing has locked out its private force of firefighters who protect its aircraft-manufacturing plants in the Seattle area, Saturday, May 4, 2024, and brought in replacements after the latest round of negotiations with the firefighters' union failed to deliver an agreement on wages. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

Boeing locks out its private firefighters around Seattle over pay dispute

Boeing has locked out its private force of firefighters who protect its aircraft-manufacturing plants in the Seattle area and brought in replacements after the latest round of negotiations with the firefighters' union failed to deliver an agreement on wages.

A salesperson shows an unsold 2024 Cooper SE electric hardtop to a prospective buyer at a Mini dealership Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

US employers scaled back hiring in April but still added 175,000 jobs in the face of higher rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers pulled back on their hiring in April but still added a decent 175,000 jobs in a sign that persistently high interest rates may be starting to slow …
A Bally Sports sign hangs in a dugout before the start of a spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Comcast blackout of 15 regional sports networks includes Braves games

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Comcast has blacked out 15 regional sports networks offered by Bally Sports, escalating a contract dispute with their distributor. The cutoff affects games played by a dozen Major League Baseball teams based in nine states, including the Atlanta Braves.
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Federal Reserve says interest rates will stay at two-decade high until inflation further cools

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday emphasized that inflation has remained stubbornly high in recent months and said it doesn’t plan to cut interest rates until it has “greater confidence” that price increases are slowing sustainably to its 2% target.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan announces final standards to reduce pollution from power plants during an event at Howard University on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

EPA rule bans toxic chemical that's commonly used as paint stripper but known to cause liver cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it has finalized a ban on consumer uses of methylene chloride, a chemical that is widely used as a paint stripper but is known to cause liver cancer and other health problems.

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Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Los Angeles, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Mookie Betts also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Shohei Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers sweep Braves with 5-1 win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 4 for 4 with two home runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon to sweep the three-game series.

Sierra Leone, with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, (2), Forever Young, with jockey Ryusei Sakai, and Mystik, with jockey Dan Brian Hernandez Jr., cross finish line at Churchill Downs before the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby by a nose in a 3-horse photo finish at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a three-horse photo finish, edging out Sierra Leone by a nose with Forever Young third in the tightest finish since 1996 on Saturday.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks on during a spring game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Georgia's Kirby Smart becomes the nation's highest-paid college football coach at $13m annually

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's Kirby Smart agreed to a contract extension Thursday that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million. Smart got a bump in salary of $1.75 million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs through 2033.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws to a Seattle Mariners' batter during the second inning Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Chris Sale tosses 5 strong innings, Braves avoid sweep with 5-2 win over Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) — Chris Sale allowed one run over five innings and struck out nine, Austin Riley had the big blow at the plate with a two-run triple, and the Atlanta Braves salvaged the final game of a three-game series with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

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