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Georgia Baptists called to repentance, unity on National Day of Prayer

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)
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.
Trending stories
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.
Georgia State Patrol officers detain a demonstrator on the campus of Emory University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Survey reveals one-third of U.S. voters age 18 to 24 believe Israel does not have a right to exist
Protests on U.S. college campuses opposing Israel’s continuing military campaign against Gaza reflect the views of a significant minority of Gen Z voters, a recent online survey revealed.
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)
Georgia college students commissioned for summer service
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.
Baptist Life

Photo gallery: Scenes from the Georgia BCM Equip conference

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)
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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Pavel Urruchi has developed relationships with the workers on the backside of Churchill Downs. (Photo/Kentucky Today)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) – Racetrack workers on the backside of Churchill Downs number around 1,000. Pavel Urruchi, who has been the track chaplain since last November, sees it as his mission field. He wants to make sure each one of them has an opportunity to hear the gospel.
(Photo/Send Relief)
In the final months of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the region of Brazil faced an unprecedented crisis—the worst drought in recorded history. This catastrophe struck hardest in the river communities, where livelihoods depend on abundant water.
Joe Harrod, professor of spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. (Photo/SBTS)
Seminary training has always been more than taking classes. Formation for ministry has always been as important as the content of the curriculum. But the global pandemic in 2020 forged a new era in virtual education. Could the intangible qualities of seminary translate into an increasingly digital education space?
Wayne VanHorn, professor of Christian studies at Mississippi College, leads pastors through a study of the theology of 1 and 2 Samuel during the Preaching Conference. (Baptist Record/Bart Lambright)
“When you hear me preach or teach, more than 99% of the time, I’m relaying what the Lord is working on in me,” remarked Wayne VanHorn, professor of Christian studies at Mississippi College. This is the reality of pastorship; God’s word must reach a preacher’s own conviction before he can properly teach the truth from the pulpit.
Georgia

Small plane crashed into residential Georgia neighborhood, killing pilot

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A pilot has died after a small plane crashed into a residential neighborhood in a Georgia city. The plane crashed on Thursday a little more than a half mile from Daniel Field, a general aviation airport in Augusta.

The entrance to the Earth Lodge, where Native Americans held council meetings, is seen, Aug. 22, 2022, in Macon, Ga. (AP Photo/Sharon Johnson, File)

Ancestral lands of the Muscogee in Georgia would become a national park under bills in Congress

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's congressional delegation introduced legislation Wednesday to protect some of the ancestral lands of the Muscogee tribe as a national park and preserve.
The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, home of Georgia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)

Court case over fatal car crash raises issues of mental health and criminal liability

ATLANTA (AP) — No one disputes that Michelle Wierson crashed her SUV into a car stopped at a traffic light, causing the death of a young boy. But while prosecutors say she needs to be held accountable for her actions, her lawyers say her mental state at the time absolves her of liability.
The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, home of Georgia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)

Georgia Supreme Court throws out indictment charging an ex-police chief with misconduct

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's highest court on Tuesday threw out an indictment that charged a former police chief and a top aide with felonies for failing to investigate allegations of misconduct within their department.

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Nation
Police clash with pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

More than 2,100 people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police have arrested more than 2,100 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, clearing tent encampments and occupied buildings.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks about student protests over the war in Gaza at the White House, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden says 'order must prevail' during pro-Palestinian campus protests

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from pro-Palestinian student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear.
The Transportation Security Administration's new facial recognition technology is seen at a Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport security checkpoint, April 26, 2023, in Glen Burnie, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

Senators want limits on the government's use of facial recognition technology for airport screening

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration, saying they are concerned about travelers' privacy and civil liberties.
A tanker that caught fire on I-95 in Norwalk, Conn., Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Norwalk Police Department via AP)

A fiery crash involving tanker carrying gas closes I-95 in Connecticut in both directions

NORWALK, Conn. (AP) — Both sides of I-95, the East Coast's main north-south highway, were shut down in southwestern Connecticut — causing “horrendous” traffic jams — following an early morning crash Thursday involving a passenger car, a tractor-trailer and a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline.

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World
Workers remove debris from the roof of a damaged DTEK thermal power plant after a Russian attack in Ukraine, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ukraine's battered energy plants seek air defenses against Russian attacks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At a Ukrainian power plant repeatedly hit by Russian aerial attacks, equipment department chief Oleh has a one-word answer when asked what Ukraine’s battered energy industry needs most: “Patriot.”

Workers install anti-tank defenses known as “dragon teeth” during construction of new defensive positions close to the Russian border in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

No safety in retreat: Ukrainian soldiers say rear defensive lines barely exist amid Russian advance

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — During pitched battles with far better-armed Russian forces, Ukrainian soldier Batyar’s unit has few options. Devastating Russian aerial glide bombs that can drop up to 1.5 tons of explosives out of range of most of Ukraine's air defenses are gnawing away at his men’s positions in a new tactic.
A family nurse practitioner prepares a syringe with the Mpox vaccine for inoculating a patient at a vaccination site in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Aug. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

From the mission field: A new form of mpox that may spread more easily found in Congo's biggest outbreak

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo is struggling to contain its biggest mpox outbreak, and scientists say a new form of the disease detected in a mining town might more easily spread among people.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog meet in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Blinken presses Hamas to seal cease-fire with Israel, says 'the time is now' for a deal

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hiked up pressure on Hamas on Wednesday to accept the latest proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, saying the “time is now” for an agreement that would free hostages and pause the nearly seven months of war in Gaza.

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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
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.
A Norfolk Southern freight train rolls through Hiram, Ga., on May 9, 2024. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Investors trying to take control of Norfolk Southern railroad pick up key support

The activist investors trying to take control of Norfolk Southern's board are picking up key support, but the railroad's CEO promised Monday to fight the takeover attempt until a May 9 shareholder vote because he believes his strategy is the best in the long run for investors, customers and workers.

Nepal hosts an investment summit in hopes of attracting foreign money for hydropower projects

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal hosted an investment summit Sunday in hopes of attracting much-needed foreign investment, especially in developing hydropower projects to produce more electricity that it can sell to neighboring countries.

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Sports
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.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo throws against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Castillo throws 7 shutout innings and then Mariners bullpen hangs on for 3-2 win over Braves

SEATTLE (AP) — Luis Castillo threw seven shutout innings to continue Seattle’s run of starting pitching dominance and the Mariners' bullpen held on for a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
Seattle Mariners designated hitter Mitch Garver flips his bat after hitting a two-run walk-off home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning Monday, April 29, 2024, in Seattle. The Mariners won 2-1. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Mitch Garver's home run in the 9th inning gives Mariners a 2-1 win over Braves

SEATTLE (AP) — Mitch Garver hit a two-run game-ending homer in the ninth inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night in a game that was dominated by spectacular starting pitching.

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