MESQUITE, Texas (BP) -- Josiah Presley, one of the abortion survivors featured in a 30-second ad that Fox Sports chose not to run during the Super Bowl, is a Criswell College graduate and a youth pastor at Galloway Avenue Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that I shouldn't be alive?" Presley asks in the ad made by Faces of Choice. The group's founder said she repeatedly met additional terms set forth by Fox and in the end was not given a suitable reason why the ad was rejected.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Four of the five newly-elected Southern Baptist entity presidents delivered their first reports to SBC Executive Committee members, noting some of the challenges they face and thanking churches for supporting their work through the Cooperative Program. Among the new leaders speaking Tuesday (Sept. 17) in Nashville –- in addition to EC President Ronnie Floyd, who gave his first report as president to the committee in June -- were Ben Mandrell of LifeWay Christian Resources, Jamie Dew of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Adam Greenway of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Paul Chitwood of the International Mission Board.

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf (SBCD) gathered for their 71st annual meeting and elected a woman president for the third time in their history as they rallied around the theme "Good News 24/7" from Mark 16:15. More than 130 people from 20 states, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico attended the meeting July 15-19 at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, N.C., and others followed special coverage on Facebook Live.

HUNTLEY, Mont. (BP) -- Judy Seiwert had been visiting her grandchildren and was flying home to Montana, eager to pass the time with a book on her new Kindle. Seated next to Hector Esquivel, however, she was stirred to begin a conversation. Esquivel was returning from his mother's funeral that week in 2011, and he had been annoyed by a group of Christians praying over him at her wake, he told Baptist Press. In obligatory small talk with Seiwert on the plane, he mentioned his mother's death and said she was in a better place.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Southern Baptists acted in support of sexual abuse survivors, embraced ethnic and gender diversity and rallied around the Great Commission at their annual meeting June 11-12 in Birmingham, Ala. Messengers strengthened their stance against sexual abuse and racism by overwhelmingly approving two amendments to the SBC Constitution specifically stating that sexual abuse and discrimination based on ethnicity are grounds for a church to be deemed "not in friendly cooperation" with the convention.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Many teens in the church today tend to view their faith as "a little Jesus in my pocket," ready to solve their problems, youth ministry expert Richard Ross said. In response, Ross has developed a new study, "Reign: Awakening a Young Generation to King Jesus."

Prayer leaders across Southern Baptist life have a new opportunity to connect through the “Pray SBC” Facebook group.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (BP) -- Ethnic churches nationwide have realized they need to utilize English-language worship services to reach their second and third generations. For some, that has meant starting independent English-speaking churches or, for others, welcoming English speakers as a subgroup of the larger congregation.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Prayer leaders across Southern Baptist life have a new opportunity to connect through "Pray SBC." Launched March 18, Pray SBC is a Facebook group for members to share expertise, ask questions and offer ideas to "foster a culture of Kingdom-focused prayer toward revival and spiritual awakening," according to the group's description. The "C" represents a Southern Baptist Community of churches praying in concert with one another.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Imagine a person was just released from prison and wanted to get his life on the right track, and he knew going to church needed to be part of that plan. But because of his criminal record, he was required to stay away from churches. Such a person in Fort Worth, Texas, is able to find help and hope through Freedom Church, a ministry of First Baptist Church in nearby Colleyville. Freedom Church reaches men and women re-entering society from prison by offering weekly worship services, small groups and life skills classes.