JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptists prayed for state and national leaders during an annual prayer service at Concord Baptist Church here, Jan. 6. During the event, Concord Baptist Church Pastor Monte Shinkle welcomed Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, along with First Lady Teresa Parson, as well as other state officials. More than 100 people gathered for the prayer service. Shinkle told participants that the time of prayer would focus on the cultural issues that state leaders are faced with – for … [Read more...]

BOLIVAR – Inaugural events for Missouri Gov. Michael L. Parson will begin with a prayer service at 4 p.m., Jan. 9, on the campus of Southwest Baptist University. Parson and his wife, Teresa, are long-time members of First Baptist Church, Bolivar. The traditional inauguration ceremony, where Parson will take his oath of office, is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m., Jan. 11, on the south lawn of the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. To get updates from Missouri’s Bicentennial … [Read more...]

BOCA RATON, Fla. (BP) – An appeals court reversal of laws in Florida banning counseling for teenagers experiencing same-sex attraction has the potential to overturn such bans nationwide, the winning attorney told Baptist Press. In a 2-1 decision, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned separate bans in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, Fla., Friday (Nov. 20), deeming them unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which … [Read more...]

BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) – Louisiana’s new constitutional amendment restricting abortion is especially close to Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn’s heart. His adopted 10-year-old son Dru was born after the birth mother sought help at a pro-life pregnancy center. “It’s hard to get my head wrapped around what could have been,” Horn said Wednesday after the passage of Louisiana Amendment 1 declaring no state constitutional right to abortion nor abortion funding. The pro-life … [Read more...]

PELL CITY, Ala. (BP) – Like many churches across the U.S., Cropwell Baptist Church hosted thousands of voters on election day as a polling location. The church used the opportunity to be a blessing to its community. This was the church’s first year to be a polling place, said Jon Glass, Cropwell’s senior pastor. Just before Glass was called as pastor nearly two years ago, the church voted to become a polling location. There was a need for a larger voting site in their precinct, and … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (Breakpoint.org) – In the 2016 election, only about 61 percent of voting-age Americans cast a ballot. The percentage of self-identifying Christians who voted, both evangelical and non-evangelical, was pretty similar. In other words, though faith does seem to greatly influence the voting decisions of American Christians who vote, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference in whether or not American Christians vote. Of course, if our faith should make a difference in every … [Read more...]

SEDALIA – As anyone who’s absorbed even the smallest amount of media knows all too well, the upcoming presidential election is fast-approaching. Adding fuel to the tumultuous fire of an election cycle are this year’s unique catastrophes – a global pandemic, social unrest, forest fires, and economic insecurity. For those wrestling with political anxiety, find comfort in knowing Scripture speaks clearly to how Christians ought to view and engage politics. Those who struggle with worry over … [Read more...]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LifeWay Research) – Evangelicals seem ready to cast their ballots in the 2020 election. Nine in 10 evangelicals by belief are registered to vote, and few are undecided about their presidential choice. A new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research, conducted Sept. 9-23, finds President Donald Trump with a sizable lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden among likely voters with evangelical beliefs. Deep divides, however, persist among evangelicals across ethnic … [Read more...]

PITTSBURG – Pastor Larry E. Graves of the Pomme De Terre Southern Baptist Church here is urging Missouri Baptist churches to fast and pray ahead of the November elections. Graves is leading his church to fast and pray for 40 days, beginning Sept. 24-Nov. 2. “America is at a pivotal point in our nation’s history,” Graves told The Pathway. “... The nation’s problems can only be fixed by the people of God. If we want our nation healed and if we want a great awakening to occur in our land, … [Read more...]