Moldova, a small and impoverished nation bordering Ukraine, has received an estimated one refugee for every 25 Moldovans. Most refugees are being housed and cared for by churches in the Moldovan Baptist Union. The Moldovan Baptist Union has more than 400 churches. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldovan Baptists worked quickly to create a safe space […]
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of war violence that some readers may find disturbing. The descriptions are from one refugee’s account to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team volunteers. We do not have a way to contact him further. Overcome with emotion, Iaroslav covered his face and the torrent of tears with one of his […]
More people died by suicide in Japan in October of 2020 than died from COVID-19 in the previous months of 2020. In 2020, Japan reported 16.7 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Concrete walls enclose home-like prisons where Japanese men and women suffer in silence. Already small apartments became prison cells because of COVID’s sentence of solitary […]
What would happen if the more than 47,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention were directly connected to International Mission Board missionaries and actively engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission? IMB leadership estimates that almost 50 percent of Southern Baptist churches have no known connection to an IMB missionary. Church Connections was recently introduced to […]
“I’ll retire when the devil retires.” Gary Harthcock faithfully lived out his famous words on four continents and in multiple avenues of service. Friends recalled Harthcock’s watchword upon his death Jan. 5 at age 97 of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. “That quote was taped to his desk, and he told me he read it every […]
From the rubble, a nation is still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan’s devastating effects last November. Much of the press and publicity have moved on, but Baptist Global Response continues relief efforts. “Baptist Global Response is gearing up for long-term development as the short-term relief organizations pull out,” says IMB missionary Stan Smith. He and his wife, […]
In the West, the question, “How did you meet your spouse?” garners a variety of answers. Some husbands and wives meet in high school or college. Some are set up on blind dates or meet through dating websites. Other couples meet through mutual friends. Bal and Anila Rai met through the sounds of a leaf. […]