CUMMING, Ga. — The United States has a long history of immigration. It is a country built on the backs of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty standing in the New York City harbor bears a quote from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, “New Colossus,” that says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board's Financial Services Committee announced a special allocation of $500,000 dollars on Tuesday, Oct. 1, specifically to support Mission Georgia's efforts to provide direct assistance to Georgia Baptist churches, impacted ministerial staff, and community support. In addition, the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation approved a matching grant of $500,000.

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s response to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene is comprehensive, according to chief operating officer David Melber. “We want to make sure we do not miss any church that needs our help,” he told staff in a call on Monday.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief coordinator Dwain Carter said Saturday that the response in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s rampage through Georgia would be an “all hands on deck effort.” Carter said a huge area of the state has been affected by the storm, with effects ranging from wind damage to flooding, and loss of power and communications.

McDONOUGH, Ga. — More than1,000 chicken sandwich lunches, 2,300 bottles of water, 350 pizzas, 800 juice pouches, 250 pounds of mandarins, and gallons and gallons of coffee. That’s just some of what it took to feed the more than 1000 students, program staff, and volunteers that converged on Eagle’s Landing Baptist Church in McDonough last weekend, Sept. 20-22, for Confluence, the Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministries conference.

The damage caused by Hurricane Helene when it tore through southern Georgia early Friday morning was widespread and indiscriminate. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said that the death toll in the state stands at 11, with one of those being a first responder. Dozens more are still trapped, he said, and millions are without power.

DACULA, Ga. — The Haven at Hebron, a 7,000-square-foot maternity home for homeless pregnant minors, is complete and will be able to receive residents as soon as licensing is finalized. Danette Fleming, who sits on the Board of Directors and is responsible for donor development, says that could take up to 90 days, and that she hopes to have residents in the home by the end of the year.

HARTWELL, Ga. — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, age 24, collapsed after making a hit in the first quarter of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023. The players on both teams, tens of thousands of fans in the stadium, and millions of people viewing the game on television watched in horror when Hamlin made the tackle, stood up and fell over on his back.

ROME, Ga. — Georgia Baptists responded enthusiastically to this years’ SPARK church-strengthening conferences, with more than 800 people attending the final event at West Rome Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 22.

CLAYTON, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Women hosted their Fall retreat at Pinnacle Retreat Center in Clayton on Sept. 13-14. Nearly 250 women gathered for the weekend, whose theme was Unleashed: Women on Mission.

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Beulah Church/Iglesia Beulah introduces new members at its quarterly church business meetings, and seven families came forward at the last one. Of the seven families that joined at that meeting, five were Hispanic.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Steve Browning, lead pastor of First Baptist Church Alpharetta, will be nominated to serve as president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in Statesboro.

WINDER, Ga. — As the residents of Barrow County, and especially the students at Apalachee High School, deal with the aftermath of last week’s school shooting, Georgia Baptist churches are working together to provide support. Mark Marshall, ​senior lead strategist of Church Strengthening for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, told a meeting of the state executive committee in Warner Robins on Tuesday that Georgia Baptists “were on the front lines” of the response effort.

CLAXTON, Ga. — Worship, praise and prayer rang out as usual on a recent Sunday at Eastside Baptist Church in Claxton, but with a big difference. The nearly 40 people in attendance in the church sanctuary lifted their voices in their native language – Creole.

BUFORD, Ga. — A very special ceremony took place on Friday, Aug. 16, at Phillips State Prison in Buford. Faculty from Truett McConnell University gathered with prison staff, family, and friends to celebrate 24 offenders who received their bachelor’s degrees in Christian studies.

The Georgia Baptist Mission Board kicked off its series of SPARK church-strengthening conferences earlier this month with gatherings in Cornelia and Columbus. Initial attendance numbers are very encouraging, says Scott Sullivan, the board’s discipleship catalyst.

A team of Georgia Baptists from First Baptist Church of Jonesboro and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board recently returned from a fact-finding and ministry trip to Poland and Ukraine. Lanny Loe, missions pastor at FBC Jonesboro, in consultation with the International Mission Board, organized the visit to the war-torn nation with GBMB staff Chris Reynolds and Marty Youngblood.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief will opening a second recovery site in the Savannah areas on Monday, Aug. 19. The site will be located at Chevis Oaks Baptist Church.

As summer comes to an end, late vacations wrap up and students prepare to go back to school, Georgia Baptist camps celebrate a fruitful season of ministry. Close to 1,000 students spent time this year at Camp Kaleo and Camp Pinnacle, with more than 30 placing their faith in Christ for salvation.

WAYNESBORO, Ga. — One of Georgia’s oldest churches, founded in 1773, was vandalized on Sunday morning, Aug. 4, several hours before the church’s regular Bible study hour and worship service. Broken beer bottles were found inside Botsford Baptist Church. Shards of glass were embedded in multiple cushioned chairs. Bullet holes were found in the windows, and .22 caliber cartridges were scattered around the church grounds.

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board will hold its annual SPARK church-strengthening in six locations across the state this year. At SPARK, attendees will gain insights into how churches can grow disciples and reach their communities for Christ.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Six hundred backpacks, filled with school supplies. That was the goal that Pastor Al Mead set for the congregation at New Hope’s North Campus in Fayetteville and South Campus in Senoia. 

ADEL, Ga. — Pastor Brian Gay and the congregation of Greggs Baptist Church in Adel take evangelism seriously. Gay believes that the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament is the best church growth manual available and that those who follow that model will generally find success.

GRAY, Ga. — When Pastor Adam Bray and his wife Megan came to Elam Baptist Church two years ago, they had a vision of a “church without walls.” They saw the various Mission Georgia initiatives as great ways to impact their community and be able to share the transforming truth of the gospel.

​The Friendship Baptist Association in rural southwest Georgia, like many other rural associations, is confronting a crisis. It is experiencing a shortage of pastors, youth and children's workers, and musicians. The association, spread over nine counties, has 47 churches and missions. Currently, eight of those churches are without a pastor, in an association where 65 percent of the churches are served by bi-vocational pastors.