WASHINGTON (BP) – Colossians 1:9, Ephesians 4:1, and Micah 6:8 were among the Scripture passages touched on in a prayer offered at the opening of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning, July 9, by SBC President Clint Pressley.

ATLANTA - South Georgia soon will become home to the largest illegal immigrant detention center in the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s former White House physician refused on Wednesday to answer questions as part of the House Republican investigation into Biden’s health in office. Dr. Kevin O’Connor invoked his rights under the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee, his attorney and lawmakers said.

KERRVILLE, Texas — Joey Tombrella’s cellphone has been in a constant buzz over the past few days. Tombrella, pastor of First Baptist Church Kerrville, has fielded calls, texts, and emails from countless people asking how they can help in the wake of historic flooding in the Texas Hill Country that, to date, has left more than 100 people dead, with many still missing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS says pastors who endorse political candidates from the pulpit should not have to risk losing their tax-exempt status. The move effectively calls for a carve out for religious organizations from the rarely used IRS rule called the Johnson Amendment, put in place in 1954 and named after then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Monsoon rains in southern New Mexico triggered flash flooding that killed three people and was so intense that an entire house was swept downstream in a mountain village that is a popular summer retreat.

ATLANTA - Two cold storage companies have broken ground on a $60 million cold storage facility being built in Darien, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday. PermaCold Logistics is being undertaken by cold storage builder and developer Ti Cold and Karis Cold, a private investment and development company with expertise in the cold storage industry. The first phase of the project is expected to create 50 jobs upon completion.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Every September, Georgia Baptist churches unite to pray and generously give to a missions offering dedicated to making a gospel difference across the state. This year’s theme for the Georgia Baptist State Missions Offering is Missions in Motion and highlights the gospel-centered impact taking place across Georgia as believers step into their communities to build relationships and meet tangible needs.

WAYCROSS, Ga. — Baptist Village is proud to celebrate an incredible milestone: 50 years of exceptional service from our dedicated Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Fannie Sullivan (hired July 28, 1975. Fannie’s unwavering commitment to compassionate care has significantly impacted countless lives throughout the Baptist Village community.

Words cannot express the gratitude that Georgia Baptists feel toward Suzanne Guy. Recently, she received the Pro-life Woman of the Year Award at the annual Celebrate Life Conference hosted by Abby Johnson in Washington, D.C., June 27-29.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — When it comes to collecting offerings, most churches pass a plate, but they may also have a basket waiting for you as you walk out the door.

HUNT, Texas (AP) — As the search in Texas continued Wednesday for more than 160 people believed to be missing days after a destructive wall of water killed over 100 people, the full extent of the catastrophe had yet to be revealed as officials warned that unaccounted victims could still be found amid the massive piles of debris that stretch for miles.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rescuers launched a search Wednesday for survivors of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship that came under attack from Yemen's Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea, authorities said. At least three mariners were killed and two were wounded.

Two people died when huge rocks fell on their vehicle in Guatemala, after dozens of earthquakes were recorded in a matter of hours, authorities said. The two men killed were traveling in a pickup truck on a local road in the department of Escuintla on Tuesday when the rocks fell from a hillside onto the vehicle, firefighters said.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 cruise and ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian air force said Wednesday, in the latest escalation after weeks of mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nick Kurtz hit a grand slam, Lawrence Butler homered twice and the Athletics beat the Atlanta Braves 10-1 on Tuesday night.

What if your church’s discipleship strategy isn’t broken—it’s just incomplete? Many churches today are seeing some progress in making disciples, but without a culture-wide framework, efforts often stall out or stay siloed.

CORDOVA, Tenn. — The pastor search committee at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova has unanimously recommended that Ben Mandrell, CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, become the church’s next senior pastor. Mandrell will preach in view of a call on July 13. The congregation will vote on the committee’s choice after a 10 a.m. service. 

ATLANTA — Dwan Maurice Hewlett must have thought he was about to make a lucrative deal when he drove to an Athens gas station. His car was filled with fentanyl and other drugs, in baggies ready to go. Instead, he wound up sprinting down the road, in a hapless attempt to evade police officers.

ATLANTA — During the 78-hour Independence Day holiday travel period, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Troopers investigated eight fatal traffic crashes, while local law enforcement agencies investigated an additional five, resulting in a total of 13 traffic-related deaths statewide.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — The year was 1986. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in what was then the Soviet Union, exploded, killing 31 people and sending radioactive contamination across Europe. The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. Barry Bonds made his Major League Baseball debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After a $50 million facelift, Carnegie Hall reopened. IBM released its first laptop computer.

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Hope of finding survivors of the catastrophic flooding in Texas dimmed Tuesday, a day after the death toll surpassed 100, and crews kept up the search for people missing in the aftermath.

For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republican Burt Jones made his long-telegraphed entry into the 2026 governor's race on Tuesday, touting his ties with President Donald Trump and pledging to eliminate Georgia's state income tax in a campaign video.

NASHVILLE (BP) – For distributing the Bible and sharing the gospel in the Soviet Union, Aleksei Kharlamov’s great-grandfather was sent to Siberia and never heard from again. His grandfather and father both were persecuted for being Baptist pastors. Growing up in post-Soviet Moscow, Kharlamov was called a cult member for being a Baptist.