
BP file photo
By Diana Chandler, posted May 23, 2025 in National News, Religious Liberty WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court could not find five votes for either side in an appeal that would have established the first state-supported religious charter school in the nation, the court has announced.

Messengers vote at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Pages play a crucial role in helping messengers use the SBC's microphone system to make motions and turn in the precise text of those motions to the Committee on Order of Business. BP file photo
By Nathan A. Finn, posted May 23, 2025 in First Person Every June, messengers from thousands of cooperating churches attend the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. There are many people who help that gathering, as well as adjacent meetings, go as smoothly as possible. A few are elected officers of the SBC. Far more are elected members of various committees. Some of the most helpful include the Executive Committee’s professional staff, or various contracted experts like our parliamentarians. Southern Baptists are always grateful for the assistance of the many staff members who work for the venues, hotels, and restaurants in each host city.

Pastor Jack Graham preaches at Prestonwood Baptist Church May 18. Screen capture
By Brandon Porter, posted May 23, 2025 in ERLC PLANO, Texas (BP) – Texas pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham says he believes the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission should be defunded. He made the comments on X the day after a 10 former SBC presidents released a letter expressing their support for the commission.

“While we have not yet arrived at the destination we envision, I believe we are clearly headed in the right direction,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood to trustees in the May 22 plenary session. IMB Photo
By Leslie Peacock Caldwell, posted May 23, 2025 in International Mission Board RICHMOND, Va. – International Mission Board trustees approved 65 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their May 21-22 meeting near Richmond. The missionaries approved for appointment will be recognized during a Sending Celebration on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:08 a.m. CDT in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas. The event will be livestreamed on sbcannualmeeting.net.

Participants in last year’s Mobile Memorial Day Flag Relay pray on board the USS Alabama at the end of the race. Photo from Facebook
By Marilyn Stewart, posted May 23, 2025 in Evangelism, National News, North American Mission Board MOBILE, Ala. (BP) – First in Fallujah, Iraq, then in Djibouti, Africa, and finally Mobile, Alabama, the Memorial Day Flag Relay (MDFR) has been bringing encouragement and healing to active-duty servicemen, veterans and their families for 20 years.