SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Not many people have had even one front-row seat to watch history unfolding before their eyes. Retired Col. Jerry Whiteside, U.S. Army, 87, has had two notable ones.

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — People seeking counseling in Cobb and Paulding counties now have an option that provides Biblically-based help for those dealing with trauma and crises. Burnt Hickory Baptist Church last week officially opened its new counseling center, which is open to the public and provides pastoral and clinical counseling services for individuals, couples, and families.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief efforts throughout south Georgia continue in the wake of Hurricane Helene. According to Dwain Carter,  GBDR director, Sunday, Nov. 3, marked the 38th day of the relief response.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Garrett Grubbs, senior pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church, will be nominated to serve as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in Statesboro. Stephen Dervan, the lead pastor at Oak Hill Church in Williamson, said he intends to nominate Grubbs.

McDONOUGH, Ga. — Brady Howard, pastor at Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough, will be nominated to serve as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in Statesboro. Stephen Fountain, lead pastor at First Baptist Buford, said he intends to nominate Howard.

ATLANTA —The Atlanta Metro Baptist Association made history on Sunday, Oct. 20, at its annual meeting by electing Hang Do Lian, pastor of First Zo Baptist Georgia, as moderator. Lian is a native of Burma, also known as Myanmar, who arrived in the U.S. 11 years ago. Due to the current political situation of Burma, like other Burmese who support and advocate femocracy in Burma, It is unsafe for Lian to go back.

ATLANTA — Some 150 pastors and church leaders attended last week’s Kingdom Advance conference for pastors at Christ Covenant Church in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. Senior Pastor Jason Dees and his staff were all heavily invested in ensuring that the conference succeeded in meeting the needs of the pastors in attendance.

SUWANEE, Ga. – Steve Browning, lead pastor of First Baptist Church Alpharetta, the only announced nominee for president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, said he would use the position to champion evangelism, church planting, and cooperation.

DALTON, Ga. — Benjamin Moore, pastor at Salem Bilingual Church and youth pastor at Salem Baptist Church in Dalton, will be nominated to serve as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 11-12 in Statesboro.

SUWANEE, Ga. — In the more than three weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers have been working hard to help those affected by the storm.

AMERICUS, Ga. –  Bethel Baptist Church in Americus, Ga., highlighted the beauty of marriage as 26 couples simultaneously renewed their wedding vows.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers, supported by teams from other states, spread through the affected area. In some cases, they were joined by local college students from Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministries.

“Well, I didn’t have that on my bingo card,” has been Jeff Parmer’s reply when asked about his first week as associational missionary for Ogeechee River Baptist Association. After a lifetime of serving in pastoral positions in churches across Georgia, Parmer’s first day in his new role was Monday, Sept. 23. Three days later, Hurricane Helene roared across the South, leaving a trail of death and destruction that encompassed the counties comprising the ORBA – Bulloch, Bryan, and Candler.

This year, Georgia Baptists will celebrate the 202nd anniversary of the Georgia Baptist Convention. The theme of the annual meeting will be “Answering the Call.” It will be held at First Baptist Church, Statesboro, on Sunday, Nov. 10 through Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief continues to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people impacted by Hurricane Helene’s destructive path across Georgia. As of Friday morning, GBDR director Dwain Carter reported that more than 134,000 meals had been prepared by volunteers, including those from other states supporting the response.

ROME, Ga. — Valdosta State University, ranked third in the nation among Div. II schools, dominated Shorter University on Saturday to go to 5-0 as the Blazers won 59-6. VSU scored two touchdowns in each quarter plus a late field goal, as Shorter, which lost for the first time this season, managed only a pair of field goals in the second quarter.

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.