At least 42 were killed by severe storms that swept through over two dozen states last weekend. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR), including volunteers from Illinois, have been responding to the needs of those impacted by the more than 970 severe storms reported by the National Weather Service from March 14-16. Volunteers have already wrapped […]
Baptist astronaut back on earth
NASA astronaut and test pilot Butch Wilmore is back home on earth after 286 days on the International Space Station. His mission, along with fellow crew member Suni Williams was extended from a planned 8 days to 9 months when trouble with their Boeing Starliner vehicle emerged. They shared the ISS with seven other astronauts. […]
All Illinois teaching team to lead Priority
Springfield | It wasn’t planned that way by the organizers of Priority, but Carmen Halsey-Menghini believes it was by God. “This year our keynote Bible teachers at Priority are all Illinois Baptists,” she said. “That wasn’t our plan when we began planning Priority but when we looked at the finished project, as we pursued various […]
Complicated picture of Southern Baptist churches emerges from ACP data
The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups. Lifeway Research analysis of the 2023 Annual Church Profile (ACP) reveals a more detailed […]
Baptisms rising: ACP shows positive trend in several areas
“IBSA has made a major impact on how we do ministry in the west side of Chicago,” said Maurice Gaiter, pastor of Empower Community Church of Chicago. Last year, Gaiter attended an IBSA-hosted event led by State Evangelism Director Scott Harris that he called “life-changing.” “It has given us the model to make Jesus known,” […]
Nate Adams announces retirement plans
Springfield | During the February 24-25 meetings of IBSA Board Committees, Executive Director Nate Adams shared with Board leadership his desire to begin working with the full Board on a timeline for retirement as Executive Director. Adams has served IBSA since March 2006. Adams said that during past discussions, Board leadership had asked for at […]
IMB missionaries make ministry a family affair
If you give seven-year-old Shawn a little of your attention, he’ll tell you a lot about his life in Korea. He’ll also tell you about Jesus and the work his family is doing. He can describe it in English or in Korean. One day, he came home and needed to tell his mom something. His […]
Increased biblical literacy comes through increased immersion in God’s Word
Alyssa Caudill was a college student studying the Bible with her dormmates when God impressed on her the real purpose of reading His Word. Caudill, now a pastor’s wife in Carmi, realized she was great at coming up with answers to her friends’ questions. But they—and she—needed more. “Alyssa, you are giving them your own […]
News Stories
National CP receipts 5% below budget for February
Nashville, Tenn. | National Cooperative Program giving was 5.05% below the budget goal in February, while designated giving was just over 7% below the same number from last year. Southern Baptists gave just over $18 million through CP during the fifth month of the fiscal year. The budget target was $19 million. Year-to-date CP receipts […]
WMU Missions Celebration to honor missionaries, proclaim joy to the nations
Birmingham, Ala. | Gather your friends and celebrate God’s work around the world through His people at the WMU Missions Celebration just prior to the SBC Annual Meeting. “We want this to be more than an event,” said Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director of national WMU. “We pray for those gathered to depart inspired and challenged to […]
DOJ ends SBC probe, no abuse database yet
(Updated 3/13 2:45 p.m.) Nashville | The federal probe of the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse claims has been closed, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told SBC attorneys March 12. In a separate case, a former employee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was found guilty of falsifying notes submitted to the DOJ […]
Church safety seminar offered
“There is no place that is safe,” said Jimmy Meeks. Last year in the U.S. alone, he said there were 114 violent deaths on church and faith-based properties. The retired police officer and Southern Baptist minister said, “Less than 10% of the violence was persecution related. Over 90% of the deaths are because they [the […]
BF&M 2000
BF&M Article II: An expansive, yet precise view of God
The Baptist Faith & Message has always expressed our belief that God is three-in-one. But the brief five lines found in Article II of the 1925 BF&M gave only the most basic explanation of the Three. Attributes and activities of each were sprinkled throughout the other 24 articles (now condensed to 18). But beginning with […]
1. The Scriptures: The same, but different
The fact that Article 1 expresses the belief that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is divinely inspired, true, trustworthy, and reveals God to humans is not uncommon. Many denominations’ statements of faith express this. There are two emphases that set Article 1 apart as a uniquely Southern Baptist expression of belief in the […]
Our new series on The Baptist Faith & Message
In 2025 Southern Baptists are celebrating an important anniversary. In addition to the creation of the SBC’s Cooperative Program, the Baptist Faith and Message was also adopted in 1925. At the time, many SBC churches held to the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, but the convention had not created or adopted its own statement. Concerned […]