Baptist Press photo by Roy Burroughs

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 4 in United States v. Skrmetti, a case which will determine the constitutionality of a Tennessee law banning gender transition procedures or so-called “gender affirming care” for minors.

The case involves three transgender teenagers and the Biden administration suing Tennessee officials in order to bar the state from enforcing the ban. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is named as the defendant in the case.

The law in question, Senate Bill 1 (S.B. 1), prevents health care providers from prescribing medication or performing procedures on minors in order to “transition” them to an identity opposite of their biological sex.

The legislation, passed March 1, 2023, required doctors to cease all current gender treatments on minors by March 31, 2024. [Read more…]

PHILADELPHIA — The Bible protects against what the U.S. surgeon general has termed an “epidemic of loneliness” as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in releasing its latest chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible.

Bible engagement, forgiveness and church attendance all offer individual antidotes to loneliness, decreasing the malady by more than 50 percent, ABS said.

Scripture engagement offers interaction with a God who loves “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3) and a God whom the Psalmist in Psalm 139:3 said was familiar with all of his ways, the ABS said, and encourages church attendance that provides avenues for meaningful relationships. [Read more…]

Cameron Lowe, left, saved David Killian’s life after David suffered a heart attack while Cameron was working on his air conditioner. — Submitted photo to BP

CHATTANOOGA — As far as David and Marilyn Killian are concerned, God sent Cameron Lowe to save David’s life so David could help save Cameron’s.

An HVAC repair worker, Cameron is trained to get compressors and blowers back up and running – not human hearts. But that’s exactly what he had to do one Thursday last month.

David had made an appointment with North Georgia Heating and Air weeks earlier to get some work done on his central air conditioning unit. The appointment had been rescheduled once. Then that day, Sept. 5, David was mowing his neighbor’s yard, while his wife Marilyn was volunteering at church. Cameron was supposed to be there in the afternoon, but he called and said he was running early and would it be OK to go ahead and come. [Read more…]

IMB Kenya missionary Kristen Lowry works alongside national partners to run Naivasha Children’s Shelter. They work on the streets to rescue boys, restore their lives, and reunite them with their families.

Southern Baptists have set aside Sunday, Nov. 9, to focus on caring for widows and orphans.

Based on James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (CSB), the day gives churches an opportunity to pray for widows and orphans and evaluate their ministry to them.

In a Lifeway Research piece, Mirian Neff encourages fellow church members to care for widows by asking, “Can we go for a walk together? May I run errands for you? Can I meet you for coffee? Don’t say, ‘Call me if you need anything.’ ”

[Read more…]

North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries Noelson and Edna Chery spend lots of time walking the streets of their West Philadelphia neighborhood talking to people about the gospel and the new church they’ve started, First Haitian Metanoia Baptist Church. — NAMB photo by Ben Rollins

Generosity among Southern Baptists remains strong as evidenced by the most recent Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering totals. When the books closed on the SBC’s 2023-24 fiscal year Sept. 30, the Annie offering totaled $74.7 million, and the Lottie offering totaled $206.8 million — record highs for both.

The openhanded giving through both the Annie and Lottie offerings demonstrates Southern Baptists’ enduring commitment to North American and international missions, SBC missions leaders said.

“This extraordinary milestone reminds us of just how much Southern Baptists love their missionaries and how committed they are to seeing people in North America and around the world reached for Christ,” said Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board. “It also displays a willingness to look beyond their own needs and give generously and sacrificially to ministry that will reap an eternal harvest.”

International Mission Board president Paul Chitwood emphasized that the generosity of givers to the annual offerings shows an enduring commitment to the Great Commission. [Read more…]

IMB trustees Kalaishi Johnson, from Mississippi, and Nate Bishop, first vice chair from Kentucky, chat in the hallway during a break from meetings. — IMB photo

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 69 full-time, fully funded missionaries during their Sept. 25-26 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. Fifty-seven of the missionaries participated in a Sending Celebration hosted by First Baptist Church Park Street, Charlottesville — the historic church where the famous Southern Baptist missionary Lottie Moon was baptized.

Trustee chairman Keith Evans from the Northwest Baptist Convention presided over the meeting. Nate Bishop, first vice chair from Kentucky, called the meeting to order and opened the meeting in prayer. Bishop also introduced guests including Michael Cabell from the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley.

Cabell, who was joined by pastors from Kentucky, addressed trustees on behalf of the Cooperative Program, as Southern Baptists prepare to celebrate the giving plan’s 100th anniversary in 2025. “On behalf of Southern Baptists, we’re proud to partner with you toward this missionary task,” he said. [Read more…]

IMB trustees Kalaishi Johnson, from Mississippi, and Nate Bishop, first vice chair from Kentucky, chat in the hallway during a break from meetings. — IMB photo

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 69 full-time, fully funded missionaries during their Sept. 25-26 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. Fifty-seven of the missionaries participated in a Sending Celebration hosted by First Baptist Church Park Street, Charlottesville — the historic church where the famous Southern Baptist missionary Lottie Moon was baptized.

Trustee chairman Keith Evans from the Northwest Baptist Convention presided over the meeting. Nate Bishop, first vice chair from Kentucky, called the meeting to order and opened the meeting in prayer. Bishop also introduced guests including Michael Cabell from the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley.

Cabell, who was joined by pastors from Kentucky, addressed trustees on behalf of the Cooperative Program, as Southern Baptists prepare to celebrate the giving plan’s 100th anniversary in 2025. “On behalf of Southern Baptists, we’re proud to partner with you toward this missionary task,” he said. [Read more…]