Religions Stories

IMB missionaries strive to saturate South Asia with Scripture

In a South Asian area of more than 100 million people, a stark reality shapes the work of local believers: there’s no place to buy Bibles. For James Andretti, an International Mission Board missionary, that reality highlights both an enormous challenge and a remarkable opportunity. While God is bringing people to faith across the region, demand for Scripture is growing faster than traditional distribution methods can keep pace.

Pastors report growing attendance, but fewer unchurched newcomers, according to Lifeway Research

Slightly more than half of U.S. Protestant pastors (54%) report the average worship service attendance at their church has increased by at least 4% since 2023, according to a Lifeway Research study sponsored by the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center.

Truth heard behind closed doors in Southeast Asia

In one Southeast Asian country, missionaries are pursuing a unique group of people through digital engagement: Muslim women.

Resource charts least-evangelical states, counties, metro areas

Many church calendars tend to mirror the local school system’s. That means this time of year, there may be a new blend of faces in Sunday school, small groups and worship as people get back into a routine. But what about faces in the neighborhood that are missing? A resource that first appeared in March can be helpful for churches wanting more information on the evangelical makeup of their state or even county.

Rice announces formation of Commission on Women Serving in Pastoral Ministry

Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has announced the formation of a group whose goal is “to help Southern Baptists achieve greater clarity and consensus around historic Baptist convictions, grounded in Scripture, concerning the office of pastor and women serving in ministry.”

At least 176 Christians killed or imprisoned in Iran; watching Gospel TV criminalized

Dozens of Christians are among those killed and imprisoned amid rising persecution in Iran, Texas-based Iran Alive Ministries told Baptist Press, citing cases from among its underground church network in Iran.

The Jesus of Latter-day Saints

Ask your Mormon neighbors if they believe in Jesus, and they’ll respond with an enthusiastic yes – and add that they deeply love Jesus. Take them at their word; they’re telling the truth. But don’t stop there. Ask a key follow-up question: Who is Jesus? And then listen carefully. While our LDS friends sincerely love Jesus, he is not the Jesus of Scripture.

Six steps can help eliminate confusion for the unchurched in your worship services

People often have assumptions about what we believe in the church, but those outside our congregations often have no way to know the truth because they can’t understand us.

Adults Account for Most Baptisms in SBC Congregations

As baptisms in Southern Baptist congregations increase, a growing percentage of those entering the baptismal pools are adults.

Only a quarter of Americans attend church weekly, State of the Bible reports

Only a quarter of Americans attend church weekly, the same percentage as a year ago, the American Bible Society (ABS) said Aug. 13 in its latest release.

Why Mormonism matters to Missouri Baptists

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has broken ground on a new temple in Ozark. It’s the third LDS temple in Missouri, after St. Louis (dedicated in 1997) and Kansas City (2012), and it’s one of 380 temples announced, under construction, or in operation worldwide.

Cuba continues crackdown on religion five years after public protests, report says

In persistent religious persecution following public protests five years ago, Cuba is cracking down especially on church-sponsored humanitarian aid and prayer, a watchdog group said in a new report.

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