The Christian Index

Pastors get inside look at work of Georgia Baptist Mission Board

MACON, Ga. – Pastors have the most important jobs and perhaps the toughest as they work to share Jesus in a culture that is growing increasingly resistant to the gospel, the leader of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board said Thursday.

Trending stories

Why would God send a bear to maul children?

Deadly tornado outbreak destroys Bethel Baptist Church in West Point, damages Northside in Milledgeville

Another 32 saved in single day at Bowdon ministry outreach

Atlanta's First Baptist Church celebrating 175 years of ministry

Pastors get inside look at work of Georgia Baptist Mission Board

After retiring from U.S. military, Georgia's Terry Ryan proves himself in Lord's army

CORDELE, Ga. – Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Terry Ryan spent 20 years serving in the U.S. military. Now, he’s in the Lord’s army. Ryan, pastor of Penia Baptist Church outside Cordele, spent much of his military service as a flight technician aboard a Lockheed P-3 Orion plane, searching the oceans for enemy submarines.

Georgia lawmakers wrap up legislative session, refuse to legalize gambling

ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers wrapped up this year's legislative session on Wednesday, steadfastly refusing to legalize sports betting or pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing.

Chainsaws buzzing in tornado zone as survivors talk about their frightening experiences

WEST POINT, Ga. – When Sherry Bennett heard hailstones pounding against her roof and walls early Sunday morning, she worried it would put dents in cars in her neighborhood. Turned out the hail was the least of her worries. An EF-3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph picked up her Jeep Cherokee and slammed into the side of her house. The twister also ripped the roof off her house, carried away her garage, and blew two neighboring homes away entirely.

Another 32 saved in single day at Bowdon ministry outreach

BOWDON, Ga. – The small town of Bowdon is the latest to experience a localized revival with more than 32 people making salvation decisions on Saturday at a ministry outreach that drew some 900 people. Several local churches worked together to organize the event – dubbed Love Loud Bowdon – that showered people with a variety of gifts ranging from appliances to groceries. “The whole purpose is to show the love of God,” said Mountain View Baptist Church Pastor Scott Estes.

Deadly tornado outbreak destroys Bethel Baptist Church in West Point, damages Northside in Milledgeville

LaGRANGE, Ga. – A tornado damaged an estimated 100 homes and other structures in Troup County on Sunday, destroying Bethel Baptist Church in the small community of West Point and heavily damaging 20 to 30 additional homes there, authorities said. Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief advance teams were on the ground assessing damage in Troup County on Sunday.

Baptist Life

Atlanta's First Baptist Church celebrating 175 years of ministry

ATLANTA — In 1846 the railroad town of Marthasville, Georgia, was booming. The town, formally called “Terminus,” was no longer a terminus. A rail bridge had been completed over the Chattahoochee River and the Western and Atlantic Railroad was pressing westward. The Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention decided to take an unprecedented move. For the first time in its 25-year history, a specific location would be targeted for planting a church.

Georgia lawmakers: Localities must apply homeless camp bans

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are telling cities and counties that they must enforce existing bans on public camping or sleeping by homeless people while saying local governments and hospitals can't dump homeless people in other counties without permission. The House voted 99-76 to pass Senate Bill 62 on Monday. The Senate later approved House amendments adding the ban on dumping, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.

Police investigate after drugs, alcohol put teen in hospital

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — Police in coastal Georgia are investigating what led up to a teenager being left at a hospital after becoming severely intoxicated with drugs and alcohol. Glynn County police said investigators interviewed the 19-year-old victim Sunday at a hospital in Brunswick, five days after he was admitted. Three juveniles brought the teenager to the emergency room late Tuesday, police said, and left before officers arrived.

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Nation

Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment

The federal government filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. The U.S. Department of Justice said it's seeking to hold the company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways and to ensure it pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup,” in the lawsuit filed Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump indicted by New York grand jury

NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump in the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president. The indictment, confirmed Thursday by Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, and other people familiar with the matter, is an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. It is likely to embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.

Japan unveils proposal to promote marriage, raise birthrate

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese Cabinet minister in charge of tackling the country's declining birthrate unveiled a draft proposal Friday aimed at reversing the downtrend, including increased subsidies for childrearing and education and a salary increase for younger workers to incentivize marrying and having kids.

Philippine ferry fire kills 31 people; at least 7 missing

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A fire broke out on a ferry in the southern Philippines and raged overnight for eight hours, killing at least 31 of the approximately 250 passengers and crew, officials said Thursday. Many of the more than 200 people who survived the blaze jumped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 and were rescued from the dark sea by the coast guard, navy, a nearby ferry and local fishermen, said Gov. Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan. Rescuers were still searching Thursday for at least seven missing people, he said.

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Perspectives

Commentary: A busy legislative session at the Capitol comes to an end

This year's legislative session began slow but ended very busy because it was the first year of a two-year legislative cycle. This was the first year of the Governor’s second term and it was also the first year of a new Lieutenant Governor and a new Speaker of the House. Georgia Baptists monitored around 12 legislative subjects with 27 bills. Once again, we were able to support more legislation than we opposed. Of the 12 legislative subjects that we dealt with, we were in favor of moving legislation in 10 of those areas.

Commentary: 9 lessons transition has taught me

Although I’ve settled into somewhat of a routine at this stage in life, it wasn’t that long ago that, after nearly 18 years, I made a monumental move from small-town Georgia to the fringes of Metro Atlanta. It was a move I prayed about and anticipated for quite a while. Nevertheless, the transition was much harder than I thought it would be. Here are nine things I learned.

Commentary: Like an old car, we're still going, dents and all

My first car was a green Ford Maverick with the shift on the column and a broken gas gauge. I had to keep up with my miles between gas purchases so that I would not run out. I think it was a 1971 model. I bought this baby for $500 with my grass-cutting earnings. When I was 10 or 11 years old, I decided it was time to make some money. I hung a poster in the nearby convenience store on Highway 49 in my hometown of Milledgeville that read “Will mow lawns in Allenwood. Call David Chancey at . . .”

Commentary: Annie Armstrong offering allows us to be part of missionaries' stories

Challenging. Exciting. Humbling. I’ve met numerous SBC missionaries during my years of service at NAMB, and these three words surface in many of their stories. From planting churches to meeting needs through compassion ministries, the calling these missionaries have given their lives to is not easy, but it’s worth it as they get to share the hope of the gospel and see lives forever changed by Jesus.

Commentary: Senate committee tries ‘sneak attack’ to pass sports betting bill

Last week, the Georgia Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism replaced House Bill 237, sponsored by Rep. Leesa Hagan, which would establish the Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby as the official soap box derby of the State of Georgia with language that now makes it a Sports Betting bill. See my Public Affairs Ministry FB video: https://fb.watch/jj4m-2bDrL/

A key inflation gauge tracked by the Fed slowed in February

The Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge slowed sharply last month, an encouraging sign in the Fed’s yearlong effort to cool price pressures through steadily higher interest rates. …

MASTERS '23: Trivia quiz covering nearly 90 years at Augusta

No other major has such cool trivia as the Masters. That's because it's played at Augusta National every year. There are great champions. And there's a lot of heartache. See how you fare on this …

Pastors get inside look at work of Georgia Baptist Mission Board

Atlanta's First Baptist Church celebrating 175 years of ministry

Georgia lawmakers: Localities must apply homeless camp bans

Georgia deputies shoot, wound motorcyclist after chase

Police investigate after drugs, alcohol put teen in hospital

Georgia activist killed by troopers shot first, officers say

Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment

Former President Donald Trump indicted by New York grand jury

US Army investigating crash of 2 Black hawk helicopters that killed 9 soldiers

Fiery train derailment in Minnesota prompts evacuations

Japan unveils proposal to promote marriage, raise birthrate

Sudan state media says 10 workers dead in gold mine collapse

Philippine ferry fire kills 31 people; at least 7 missing

Russia charges US journalist with spying in first such case since Cold War

A key inflation gauge tracked by the Fed slowed in February

Used-car prices, after finally easing, are back up again

Honda recalls more than 330,000 vehicles due to mirror issue

First Citizens to acquire troubled Silicon Valley Bank

Fed raises key rate by quarter-point despite bank turmoil

MASTERS '23: Trivia quiz covering nearly 90 years at Augusta

MASTERS '23: Tiger draws big roars with a touch of nostalgia

MASTERS '23: A capsule look at top contenders for Augusta

Braves lose Max Fried on opening day, beat Nationals 7-2