BRENTWOOD – Despite potential barriers within the congregation, the community and the broader culture, new Hispanic churches in the U.S. are reaching new people and welcoming new faces.

Working with 16 denominations or similar groups, Lifeway Research surveyed leaders at almost 300 new Protestant Hispanic church works to gain an understanding of the current landscape. The study, sponsored by Exponential and the Church Planting Leadership Fellowship, follows up on a similar 2019 study.

“A large number of new church works today are Hispanic congregations,” said Jason Stewart, executive director of mobilization at Exponential. “It is important to have an accurate understanding of these congregations and the approaches they are using to allow denominations, church planting networks and sponsor churches to better support these ventures.” [Read more…]

District Court issues two decisions for Southwestern and Patterson in Roe case

TYLER, Texas (BP) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary remains dismissed from claims of defamation in a case involving the school and its former president, Paige Patterson, with the latter being allowed to file again for summary judgment, said a U.S District Court on Monday.

Judge Sean D. Jordan gave his decision Dec. 1, clarifying a remand from the Fifth Circuit that ordered supplemental briefing from Patterson and SWBTS. Southwestern attorneys argued that the Fifth Circuit vacated only Patterson’s portion of the judgment for dismissal. The District Court agreed, saying, “All claims against SWBTS have been, and remain, dismissed.” [Read more…]

Ty Simpson offers a prayer on the field Oct. 18. – Photo by Kent Gidley

MARTIN, Tenn. (BP) – Jason Simpson remembers the “aha” moment for his son, Ty.

It was three springs ago, in ’23. Jason had driven down from Martin, Tenn., where he is in his 20^th season coaching UT Martin, to Tuscaloosa, Ala. Ty had signed to play for Alabama after a 5-Star high school career and, with the Heisman winner Bryce Young now in the NFL, felt it had become his time to start under center for the Crimson Tide.

Ty was tested in this practice, though. He made a mistake. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made his displeasure loud and obvious for all. [Read more…]

Germantown Baptist Church members serve food at the Memphis Union Mission. – Photo courtesy of GBC

NASHVILLE (BP) – Benevolence ministry never slows down, but it picks up during the holidays.

For it to truly be successful, benevolence must also be ongoing. It may begin with a phone call, but it doesn’t stop there.

“’Tell me more,’” said Taylor Field, a Send Relief consultant who ministered in New York’s Lower East Side for over three decades while leading Graffiti Church. “Those three words are something you can ask, even if you’re not a counselor or social worker. You can sit down with someone, look them in the eye and ask that. Once you do, you’re going to find out a lot more about them.” [Read more…]

Note: The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board works to equip leaders, cultivate prayer warriors of all ages, and provide training, workshops, and retreats, with the goal to foster a statewide culture of prayer that fuels disciple-making and advances God’s Kingdom across Tennessee. Sign up to become an intercessor, or to discover more resources by visiting tnbaptist.org/prayer. 

File photos

As the spiritual leaders of the local church, pastors can adjust the prayer climate of their congregations. No pastor wants to be the thermometer when he is called to be the thermostat as it relates to the spiritual fervor and prayer culture of the church. Still, pastors need help in this area. With that in mind, here are five effective, practical ways pastors – of any size congregation – can adjust the prayer climate in their church.

• The pastor shapes the prayer climate by example

You can never lead anyone spiritually to a place you’ve never gone. Pastors lead more by example than they may realize. As Matthew Haste observed, “A brilliant sermon can be silenced by a lifestyle that contradicts it.”

Haven’t we all seen enough pastoral failure in recent years to agree that a good example, by contrast, is worth its weight in gold? Unfortunately, more than 70% of pastors struggle with consistent faithfulness in prayer.

The spiritual ceiling of the local church, therefore, is greatly determined by the pastor’s personal example – whether good or bad – in prayer. This was clear from the earliest days of the church when our apostolic role models devoted equal time to the priorities of “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Can we do less? Obviously not. If you want to lead a praying church, you have to be a praying pastor.

• The pastor strengthens the prayer climate through preaching

The 19th century Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryles taught that preaching is God’s “principal instrument” of “the edifying of saints.” No wonder Stephen Olford said, “Only one thing will ever take the place of great preaching and that’s greater preaching!”

For most pastors, the pulpit is ground zero of his leadership. He influences more people from the pulpit than from any other platform. For this reason, the pastor must preach on prayer if he hopes to lead a house of prayer.

There are hundreds of passages in Scripture where the word “prayer” appears. In fact, one pastor could preach on prayer every Sunday for a decade and never use the same passage twice.

For this reason, a faithful pastor’s preaching schedule should include numerous Sundays devoted to thundering the truth about prayer.

• The pastor supports the prayer climate with resources

We live in the information age. The average American consumes 74GB of information every day – about 850% more information consumed than only 30 years ago. That’s the equivalent of reading four or more books daily.

Americans crave information, and pastors must intentionally enter the arena of providing quality information if we want to make a difference in this culture. Our teaching role demands that we resource what we believe in. Tell people which books on prayer you recommend. Write or otherwise provide free prayer material for your church website. Guide people to sermons and teaching online. Remember, the appetite grows on what feeds it; so, provide excellent resources which feed a growing hunger for more prayer.

• The pastor sustains the prayer climate by equipping

God has placed “watchmen on the walls” who are “never silent” in prayer, and they give God “no rest” (Isaiah 62:6-7). There are prayer warriors and intercessors, the watchmen on the walls, already in your church who will help the pastor change the prayer climate.

In addition to these few “watchmen,” the pastor should organize prayer conferences and training events to equip as many prayer warriors as possible. Equip men to pray. Equip teenagers in prayer. Host prayer training for women. Equip the staff in prayer. Of course, the pastor should be on the lookout for those men and women who are most inclined to intercede but train the entire church!

In this way, the church becomes saturated with a passion for prayer. Never stop equipping prayer warriors and intercessors.

• The pastor stewards the prayer climate in prayer meetings

In order to ignite a climate of prayer, we must break out of the anonymity of the prayer closet alone and let the church see prayer in action (Acts 1:14).  The church was born in a prayer meeting, but today an astonishing number of believers know nothing of the power of praying together. In fact, 98% of believers never join with their church in a gathering for prayer.

It seems like an outrageous claim, but it is true that no church will ever develop a dynamic culture of prayer apart from regularly scheduled, organized, powerful prayer meetings. The pastor, therefore, must do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to host life-giving prayer meetings for the entire church.

The New Testament is clear about the need for praying churches, and the pastor’s leadership is essential in creating a climate for prayer. It will take time, but every minute invested is time well spent.  The time is now, therefore, to turn the prayer temperature up!

Kie Bowman is senior pastor emeritus of Hyde Park Baptist Church and The Quarries Church in Austin, Texas and the SBC National Director of Prayer.

First Baptist Church in Lenoir City has provided food and other supplies for approximately 900 families since the government shutdown affected SNAP benefits. – FBC Lenoir City photo

LENOIR CITY (BP) – The idea came up during a men’s Bible study on Oct. 29 at First Baptist Church. The government was shut down. The news said that, come Saturday, a lot of people were going to lose SNAP benefits that put food on the table.

Something needed to be done.

First Baptist Church doesn’t have a stocked food pantry, instead partnering with ministries like Operation Christmas Child or Mission of Hope, through which they “adopted” a school in Kentucky and provided food and other items for students. They work with Loudon County and Lenoir City resource centers throughout the year. [Read more…]

Mark Walker (speaking) appeared on a panel hosted by the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission in conjunction with the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas. – BP file photo by Adin Parks

WASHINGTON (BP) – Faith leaders, including those from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, are urging the confirmation of Congressman Mark Walker as International Religious Freedom (IRF) ambassador-at-large.

A letter to President Trump signed and delivered last week, commends his “steadfast commitment to religious liberty” and his nomination of Walker, a former Southern Baptist minister. However, the nomination came seven months ago and “urgent action is now critical,” the letter says. [Read more…]