Melissa Lilley

QUEENS, N.Y. (BP) -- Every time she went to work at the laundromat on 48th Avenue in Queens, N.Y., Trinidad couldn't help but notice Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida across the street. As often as she came and went to work, she finally decided to visit the church.

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (BP) -- More than 400 feature films and television shows have used the North Carolina coastal town of Wilmington as a backdrop, and with filming underway for anticipated blockbusters such as "Iron Man 3," the scenic port city does not seem to be in jeopardy of losing its "Hollywood East" nickname anytime soon.

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (BP) -- More than 400 feature films and television shows have used the North Carolina coastal town of Wilmington as a backdrop, and with filming underway for anticipated blockbusters such as "Iron Man 3," the scenic port city does not seem to be in jeopardy of losing its "Hollywood East" nickname anytime soon.

ASHEBORO, N.C. (BP) — The Holy Spirit’s presence so overwhelmed Hannah Davidson that she left the meeting and went to pray. On this night, she knew God was calling her to devote her life to full-time international missions. “I felt God was saying, ‘You are a missionary. You have to go. You have to do […]

ASHEBORO, N.C. (BP) — The Holy Spirit’s presence so overwhelmed Hannah Davidson that she left the meeting and went to pray. On this night, she knew God was calling her to devote her life to full-time international missions. “I felt God was saying, ‘You are a missionary. You have to go. You have to do […]

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (BP) -- Because Mark met Mike, the Gospel is moving toward the "T" people in Southeast Asia. Mark Harrison, missions pastor at Old Town Baptist Church in North Carolina, met Mike*, a missionary in Southeast Asia, during an International Mission Board regional training conference. Harrison was stirred by Mike's work so much so that he subsequently visited the country where Mike is stationed to learn more about ministry needs in that part of the world. Now, three years later, Old Town is working with Mike and his wife Beth* to engage a people group in Southeast Asia that the church identifies as the "T people." The T people have not been the focus of any known church-planting strategy and they have an evangelical presence less than 2 percent. About one year ago Old Town began their journey to engage the T people, and the church has affirmed God's leading in that direction. The missionary couple, who are stateside for several months, recently participated in a Sunday morning worship service at Old Town that focused on international missions -- and celebrated God calling the Winston-Salem church to Southeast Asia to share the Gospel with the T people. "There's a lot you can do. More than you can imagine," Mike said. He voiced appreciation for Old Town's commitment to "embrace" -- as the International Mission Board describes it -- an unengaged, unreached people group. "We [the IMB] can't get to all the people groups," Mike said. "We don't have the time or the resources." Volunteer teams are crucial because many missionaries serve in places where they can't risk too much public exposure that might cause the government to force them out of the country. "You can do things we can't do," Mike said. "You can help give our national workers an audience [among the T people]. Everyone wants to hear what the foreigner has come to say. "Volunteers are an essential part," he added. "We need you to come alongside us." Beth shared how God has allowed her to reach out and serve the women on their missionary team. Some of them spend many hours home alone, caring for children. She has helped them connect with one another and find ways to minister to those around them.

CARY, N.C. (BP) — North Carolina Baptists are stepping up their missions involvement with a challenge to take the Gospel to 250 unengaged, unreached people groups over the next 10 years. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) board of directors approved a recommendation that calls for the BSCNC to serve as a catalyst […]

NEW YORK (BP) — Amid soulful, toe-tapping tunes like “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” and all the laughter and smiles, one may not have guessed it was an event related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Nor would it seem obvious that the crowd represented 9/11 survivors. Yet the upbeat melodies from the […]

NEW YORK (BP) — Some school supplies were priced as low as a dime but, for some parents, paying any amount was a sacrifice. Tears streamed down the face of one young boy because his mom couldn’t afford a pack of markers. At Graffiti 2 Church’s school supply sale in the Bronx’s Mott Haven community, […]

NEW BERN, N.C. (BP) -- When Steve Wynn serves at a disaster relief food line, he is deeply moved by the hurting people he meets. What he finds truly overwhelming, however, is being out in the community, surveying damage to homes. That's when Wynn, a veteran volunteer, gets to sit down and talk at length with survivors of natural disasters. "People ask what I say to them. I really don't. I just listen," Wynn said. "I let them tell their story." Wynn already had plenty of opportunities to listen in three days of helping coordinate Hurricane Irene relief efforts in New Bern, N.C. One woman was so upset when she came to New Bern's First Baptist Church -- where North Carolina Baptist Men have set up a feeding/recovery operation -- that she couldn't even talk about what she needed. When volunteers followed up with her a few hours later, they learned her home had been condemned due to extensive water damage. Wynn, a member of First Baptist Church in New Bern, has been a disaster relief volunteer for 15 years, with most of his experience in mass feeding. More recently he has cross-trained in recovery and is coordinating those efforts in New Bern. Volunteers are focusing their immediate efforts on trying to save homes from further damage, removing trees that have fallen on top of homes so rooftops can be covered before a thunderstorm rolls in. Kim McIntyre was part of a recovery team from River of Leland Church in Wilmington, N.C., that arrived in New Bern Aug. 28. She spent a lot of her time talking with the homeowners and just listening to their stories.