|
Courier Publishing
Filter by:
On Oct. 19, Southern Baptists are called to pray for and recognize the cooperative ministry relationships that predate the SBC itself by 138 years. Five churches from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association in... Continue Reading »
Convictional, Confessional, Cheerful Baptists (Courier Publishing, 2024) by Nate Akin In an age where we are tempted to either be angry, weak, or arrogant, Convictional, Confessional, Cheerful Baptists argues about the importance of holding to Baptist Confessions and distinctives... Continue Reading »
The Bible is not simply a guide to reaching heaven; it also reveals how God intends life to be lived along the way. Naturally, it speaks extensively about wealth and the accumulation of material riches. Foundational to understanding a... Continue Reading »
Where did Baptists come from? Is John the Baptist our founding forefather because he was the first clearly committed to baptism by immersion? After all, isn’t “Baptist” his nickname? Or did we arise from the Anabaptists of 16th century... Continue Reading »
Most pastors are confident their churches are helping people grow as Christians. Just don’t ask them how they know that. In the second part of the State of Discipleship study from Lifeway Research, U.S. Protestant pastors describe their congregations’... Continue Reading »
Some people feel the pull of history, and some do not. I have plenty of personal experience with this. My dad, for instance, loves museums. He will read every plaque on every display and will close out a museum... Continue Reading »
When Dallas and Martha Harvey packed up their life in New Jersey to move to Fort Worth so that Dallas could begin pursuing his Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, their goal was to be prepared for... Continue Reading »
A growing number of teenagers are turning to artificial intelligence for friendship, according to a new national survey and an Associated Press article that has stirred conversations among parents, educators, and faith leaders. A Common Sense Media survey released... Continue Reading »
We are shaped and formed by our loves and affections. They inform what we think is important and what we value. As Augustine reminds us, our loves drive us toward a trajectory of worship.1 We worship what we love,... Continue Reading »
It all began with a book. The author wasn’t a Baptist. And he didn’t live to see how God would use the book. That’s how God works sometimes. Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) was America’s first, and arguably our greatest, homegrown... Continue Reading »
I knew that my faithful pastor believed the Bible. He had never indicated any hesitation about any of it — its propositions, historical accounts, poetry, worldview, miracles, or its statements of the mighty acts of God from creation to... Continue Reading »
Abortion and the concerns of its ethical implications may seem like a recent development since the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, but individuals have been taking unborn life for nearly all of recorded human history.... Continue Reading »
I’m happy to be a Christian. In Luke 10:20, when Jesus’s disciples were excited about their power over demons, He told them to rejoice about something else instead. He said, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are... Continue Reading »
I recently returned from visiting family in New England. I absolutely love my family, both immediate and extended. We’ve been very blessed generationally to have stayed closely connected over the years. But one thing that is always a guaranteed... Continue Reading »
I’ll never forget those early days after bringing our oldest son, our first child, home from the hospital. I’d never really been comfortable holding an infant, but this was different; this was my flesh and blood. He had my... Continue Reading »
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, but why October, and why appreciate your pastor? Well, to start with, the concept of appreciating your pastor is biblical, and God directed the New Testament church to do so. In 1 Timothy, Paul... Continue Reading »
“The Great Commission is not just about the IMB,” said Eric Kuykendall, who leads an International Mission Board team in Paris working among Chinese people. So, when leaders from two local Chinese churches in Paris approached Kuykendall last October... Continue Reading »
An immigrant couple from a Slavic church in California will continue ministering in Spain, but they will return as International Mission Board missionaries. Another couple is going overseas after a long tenure of serving Southern Baptists through multiple entities.... Continue Reading »
Each summer, kids, students and leaders at Lifeway’s summer camps are invited to give to support Southern Baptist missionaries, and this year, campers gave the highest missions offering since 2017. Joe Walker, interim president and CEO of Lifeway Christian... Continue Reading »
Carolyn Rainey, who began her first tour of duty with The Baptist Courier in May 1971, retired in May 2025. Rainey did three tours of duty with The Baptist Courier. She started, at 21 years old, as the administrative... Continue Reading »
The 24-year-old foster care worker sat at the table eating lunch with her church friends. She spoke of the difficult night she’d had taking a 13-year-old foster child to the emergency room. She spoke of the need for more... Continue Reading »
The last few days have reminded us, once again, of the frailty of human life in the face of the human capacity to inflict sudden, deadly violence upon other people. The tragic death of Charlie Kirk yesterday came upon... Continue Reading »
A cross with a crown of thorns hangs on the white wall. A clear podium stands at the front of the room, directed at blue chairs lined in rows with hymnals resting on several of them. But it isn’t... Continue Reading »
“We need to see people as humans and not just vessels of opinions,” said a Furman college student. The day after Charlie Kirk’s death, I decided to do “man on the street” interviews with college students here in the... Continue Reading »
A new center devoted to preparing the next generation of servant-leaders for the mission field is coming to Carson-Newman University this January. The Tom Elliff Center for Global Missions will be a hub and resource for those pursuing service... Continue Reading »
I often feel guilty because I rarely feel like I am doing enough to impact my town for Jesus. I need to evangelize more. I need to disciple more. I need to serve more. I need to pray more.... Continue Reading »
“Things are gettin’ real, Jesus, take the wheel. Only way I’m gettin’ to the other side. Days are gettin’ dark, life’s a little hard. Blinded, but I’m tryin’ not to lose sight. I don’t got this, I know You... Continue Reading »
When the doors opened at 9:30 a.m., the crowd of international teachers hurried in. Madel Patal, who had been waiting since 5:30 a.m., went straight to the painting she had spotted through the glass doors hours before. Volunteers helped... Continue Reading »
As the calendar marched on through August, college students throughout North America are transitioning back to the grind of life on campus. Thanks to GenSend, dozens are going back with an eye toward living “on mission.” Just over 200... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from “Every Member Matters” by Matthew Capps and Josh Wredberg, releasing Sept. 2, 2025, from B&H Publishing Group. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body... Continue Reading »
Alena Pitts Franklin was three years past her cinematic debut as Priscilla Shirer’s daughter in “War Room” when Alena’s mother went to sleep one evening and entered heaven without awakening. A 14-year-old Alena was left with her father, Jonathan,... Continue Reading »
Health care missions provides access to millions of people who’ve never heard of the Great Physician, and health care professionals play a crucial role in prescribing treatment for both physical and spiritual needs. These were some of the messages... Continue Reading »
Mormonism is hard to shake loose from those who are long-time adherents. Allen McWhite, chairman of the Intercultural Studies Department at North Greenville University, says missions work in Utah is almost like being outside the United States. “It is... Continue Reading »
Are you worried finding your next meal will be a struggle? Know someone who is? If food insecurity doesn’t affect you, it probably affects someone you know. International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood says the global hunger crisis is... Continue Reading »
Two years ago, Josh Powell, pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church, spent the night in jail for sharing the gospel on a faraway island. Powell has been to five continents and undertaken an estimated 60 mission trips. He’s pastored... Continue Reading »
Joseph Hazen’s phone rang, and he answered to hear the voice of his North African friend. Hazen, an International Mission Board missionary, and his friend have served together for almost 20 years in a large European city, sharing the... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: With the passing of John MacArthur, for this month’s N&N Books I will recommend four of my favorite among his most important books. MacArthur wrote dozens of books on many biblical, theological, and ethical issues, a systematic... Continue Reading »
No fallen human being would’ve invented the Christian faith. Historic, orthodox Christianity runs deeply counterintuitive to the conventional thinking of the children of Adam. A crucified Savior who rose from the dead, a Savior who was born of a... Continue Reading »
I recently completed two objectives. First, I finished preaching through Ecclesiastes. Second, I finished driving from South Carolina to Montana and back. Now, these two accomplishments might seem disconnected, and for the most part they are. But for the... Continue Reading »
As students head back to the classroom, they’re likely to see the impact of local churches in their schools this year. According to a Lifeway Research study, 4 in 5 U.S. Protestant pastors identify at least one way their... Continue Reading »
Pastors trail other Christians in relational flourishing and many say their ministry challenges their marriages and families, Barna and Gloo said in the latest 2025 State of the Church release. Pastors average 67 compared to other Christians’ 85 on... Continue Reading »
The biblical view of wisdom has some things in common with secular ideas of wisdom, but the differences are also profound. A simple definition of wisdom is “the ability to use knowledge and experience to make good choices and... Continue Reading »
In a small home office in Greenville, S.C., Lydia Riley, who attends Pleasant View Baptist Church in Taylors, sits writing a story. Knit, stuffed mice sit on shelves smiling at visitors. Hand-painted illustrations of woodland scenes and families of... Continue Reading »
(Editors’ note: Content adapted from The Wisdom Pyramid by Brett McCracken. This article first appeared at Crossway.org; used with permission.) The church is the second-most foundational source of truth that can make us wise. Some might scratch their heads... Continue Reading »
Editor’s note: One of my (Jeff Robinson) ministry mentors once told me, “Theology and biblical truth does you no good if it doesn’t land on the ground.” This was a wise saying, one that a young seminary student and... Continue Reading »
In Charles Spurgeon’s day, ministry and merriment didn’t often mix. Evangelicals, particularly those of the Reformed variety, weren’t exactly known for their sense of humor. In his autobiography, Spurgeon quipped that the 12th commandment must have been, “Thou shalt... Continue Reading »
I first learned about the military chaplaincy 65 years ago during a Sunday service at my home church in Rome, Ga. Up to that point, I’d never met a chaplain. The only thing I had heard from others was... Continue Reading »
In 1962, the Supreme Court struck down government-mandated prayer in public schools. This ruling led many to believe that it was forbidden to pray in school. Not so. As one bumper sticker stated, “As long as there are students... Continue Reading »
An elementary-aged girl wears a pink bandana. It’s a piece of color hiding obvious signs of chemotherapy. She runs across a metal bridge surrounded by trees on either side. She moves from the wide entrance of the park to... Continue Reading »
I love math. I majored in math at Furman. I love that math problems are black and white — there is a right answer and a wrong answer. I never enjoyed writing school papers because of the subjective nature... Continue Reading »
Sign Up For Email Alerts
