Erin Roach/Southern Baptist TEXAN

MALAKOFF, Texas (BP) – First Baptist Church in Malakoff is navigating a challenge common to many Southern Baptist congregations today – maintaining the strength of a faithful congregation despite the inevitable deaths of its oldest members. 

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (BP) -- A chocolate factory owned by a couple of Southern Baptists is among the factories that have converted to make medical face shields to supply hospitals with personal protective equipment needed in the COVID-19 fight. Michael and Angie Moss own Sweet Shop USA, the largest handmade chocolate manufacturer in the country, in Mount Pleasant, Texas. The company was founded in Fort Worth nearly 50 years ago before relocating to northeast Texas, and they supply thousands of retailers nationwide, including Nordstrom.

HOUSTON (BP) -- A church planter in Houston has seen God implement what he calls a "ministry of suffering" in his local church after his 4-year-old son was born with a heart defect that has required three open heart surgeries. Cameron Whitley and his wife Hannah had two sons and were expecting a third when they learned from a routine sonogram that the baby was missing a right ventricle, or essentially had half a heart.

LONGVIEW, Texas (BP) -- A church is closing the day care center it has operated for more than 30 years in response to requirements imposed by the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare"). Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, said in a statement on its website, Feb. 12, that closing the day care "comes with much sorrow" and follows months of Mobberly staff "praying, researching and discussing the issue."