BP’s Top 10 most-read stories of 2025

NASHVILLE (BP) – In January, who could have predicted that BP’s most-read first-person of 2025 would also be the overall most-read story? And that it would be about Ozzy Osbourne?

A moving piece from Missouri pastor Rich Bitterman used the July death of the “Prince of Darkness” to delve into our bodies’ mortality and our souls’ immortality. The autobiographical essay struck a nerve with a lot of people and became the year’s most-read story.

Below are the 10 most-read stories, First-Person pieces and Toolbox pieces on Baptist Press’ website this year:

Top 10 BP stories

1. FIRST-PERSON: The day the ‘Prince of Darkness’ died
2. U.S. missionary kidnapped in Niger, reports say
3. Faith on the field: 11 NC high school football players baptized after recent practice
4. First Baptist Opelika mourns unexpected death of pastor
5. Southern Baptist leaders release statement on Charlie Kirk’s death, call for justice
6. Well-known speaker, theologian Voddie Baucham dies at 56 after medical emergency
7. Historic Georgia church to become campus of First Baptist Woodstock
8. ‘Just not bearable’: 70 Christians beheaded in Democratic Republic of Congo
9. Federal judge drops all but one count in Johnny Hunt’s lawsuit against SBC, Guidepost Solutions
10. The First Hymn: Resurrected third-century praise song set for pre-Easter release 

Top 10 First-Persons: 

1. The day the Prince of Darkness died (Rich Bitterman)
2. Cooperation calls for working together (Jeff Iorg)
3. Separating fact from conspiracy in Kirk assassination (Adam Groza)
4. Winning against pornography (Todd Gray)
5. Do we still need the ERLC? (Richard Land)
6. A tribute to Dr. Keith Harper (Nathan Finn and Keith Whitfield)
7. Four things a pastor is not (Mark Dance)
8. Why am I a Southern Baptist? (Jason Duesing)
9. God’s gift to W.A. Criswell (Barry Creamer)
10. A foundational choice (Jeff Iorg)

Top 10 Toolbox entries: 

1. The silent exodus of senior adults (Thom Rainer)
2. Five ways to care for your pastor (Todd Gray)
3. How to recognize insecure spirituality (Jeremy Linneman)
4. Five reasons why 2025 will be a pivotal year for many churches (Thom Rainer)
5. 12 markers for pastoral bitterness (Chuck Lawless)
6. Seven reasons God leads leaders into tough situations (Chuck Lawless)
7. 30 ways to honor your pastor (Chuck Lawless)
8. Digital worship fatigue (Thom Rainer)
9. Things I’ve learned since leaving the pastorate (Marty Duren)
10. Five reasons Millennial pastors are not moving to larger churches (Thom Rainer)

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