1+ day, 18+ hour ago (226+ words) Born in Northern Ireland, William Cathcart was raised in a devout Presbyterian family. While studying for the ministry, he came across Alexander Carson's book "Baptism in its Mode and Subjects."" Carson himself had also been an Irish Presbyterian, and he wrote to explain the reasons he became a Baptist. This book convinced Cathcart to join the Baptists." In 1844 he was scripturally baptized by R.H. Carson, Alexander's son, into the membership of Tubbermore Baptist Church. Cathcart received his education and pastored in England, but was not satisfied with the political climate there. He migrated to the United States in 1853 and was soon the pastor of Third Baptist Church of Groton, Conn. He then ably served Second Baptist Church of Philadelphia from 1857 until his retirement in 1884. On pages 4-5, Cathcart lists the individuals who helped him prepare this colossal work." Included in the list…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (344+ words) Carter Creek Missionary Baptist Church will host a Bible/Missions Conference Nov. 30-Dec. 3. GREENVILLE, Ky. (KT) " Carter Creek Missionary Baptist Church will host its annual Bible/Missions Conference starting Sunday, Nov. 30, and continuing through Wednesday, Dec. 3. Six preachers are scheduled to speak during the four-day conference. John "Butch" Day, pastor of Carter Creek, said the conference will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday with Matt Wilkins, an evangelist from Lynchburg, Va., preaching in that session. Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. (CST), the speaker will be Harrell Riley, executive director of HR Ministries headquartered in Princeton. On Monday, Mark Bishop will preach at the 6:30 p.m. Bishop is lead pastor of GracePointe Baptist Church and Beechland Baptist Church in Louisville. He also preached at this year's Kentucky Baptist Convention Pastors Conference. There will be two sessions on Tuesday. Luke Lesmiester will preach at the 9:30 a.m. session. He is a…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (496+ words) IRVING, Texas " It may not be the most populous at 255,000 people, but Irving, Texas, just may be the most diverse city in the nation. A 2012 study by a real estate website named 75038, the zip code in North Irving, the most diverse zip code in the United States. Local churches and ministry leaders recognize the mission field that is before them daily, and Thanksgiving provides an important opportunity for outreach. For the past 32 years, Oak View Baptist Church in South Irving has hosted "Serving Irving" each November. In preparation for this Thanksgiving Day outreach, teams of volunteers gathered to assemble and distribute 400 gift baskets to apartment complexes and mobile home parks throughout the city. The gift baskets consist of various food items designed to bless a family of four." Oak View Pastor Jim Gerlach recognizes the tremendous opportunity this outreach provides…...

3+ day, 7+ hour ago (477+ words) For the past few weeks, several email posts I have received focus on Thanksgiving. Most deal with how we look at life and to be thankful for our blessings rather than look at the not-so-pleasant aspects of our lives. One of those emails elaborated on something most of us know but may not put into practice as often as we should. I was reminded that being thankful will change our perspective. The secular world would put it this way: be a glass half-full person rather than half-empty. But there's sure more to it than that. When we are thankful to God for His manifold blessings, we acknowledge that He is truly a good God " and while times may get tough, we have the assurance that He works all things out for our good (Rom. 8:28). Thanking Him reminds us that He…...

4+ day, 19+ hour ago (972+ words) The line into one of the stadiums at Tokyo's Komazawa Olympic Park stretched out the door and down the street. The crowd waited patiently in the crisp fall air for a chance to watch the volleyball semifinals at Deaflympics, a worldwide event that brings Deaf athletes together to compete every four years. For Suncica, a Deaf believer from Serbia, the main event was not the volleyball competition taking place inside the stadium, but rather it was the gospel conversation she was having with the couple behind her in line. As they talked, she pulled a card from her bag with an illustration of Mt. Fuji against a sun and five rays of color. She handed the card to the couple. When they scanned the QR code, a site popped up with short gospel presentations in different sign languages from around…...

5+ day, 13+ hour ago (299+ words) The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025 contains provisions that will affect churches and church members starting in January. Here are some provisions to be aware of " 1099 Reporting Threshold:Filing threshold for Forms 1099 (including 1099-NEC) moves from $600 to $2,000 starting in January 2026.This will mean that fewer individuals, vendors and contractors will require 1099s.(The threshold will be subject to inflation adjustment after 2026.) Starting in 2026, a 0.5% floor on adjusted gross income (AGI) will be imposed on itemized charitable contribution deductions. This means only donations exceeding the 0.5% threshold will be deductible. For illustration purposes, on $100,000 AGI, the first $500 in donations will not be deductible. Because of this new limitation in 2026, some itemizing givers might want to consider "bunching" their charitable contributions in 2025 to avoid the 0.5% limitation. Standard Deduction Adjustments:Standard deductions are permanently increased (with inflation indexing…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago (376+ words) Lights for Jesus were shining brightly at FBC Mt. Vernon during a powerful revival service. Congregations holds up tea lights to express the light of Jesus at FBC Mt. Vernon last month. MT. VERNON, Ky. (KT) " First Baptist Church Mount Vernon witnessed a historic revival in late October, drawing unprecedented participation from its congregation. On Oct. 21, about 75 volunteers were organized into teams and sent out to serve in a variety of ministries. FBC Mt. Vernon members were all in on making the gospel known in their community.. Some groups visited hospitals and nursing homes to deliver handwritten notes and cards, while others cleaned cemeteries, shared the gospel door-to-door, ministered in the city park, or assisted with construction projects at the church. The next morning brought more worship, beginning with each attendee receiving a battery-powered tea light as a reminder that…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago (442+ words) Once upon a time, a mother and her 4-year-old daughter were making their way through an outdoor market in the town where they lived. Spotting the little child staring at a large display of oranges, the generous vendor took one from the table and gave it to her. "What do you say to the nice man?" the mother asked. Looking at the orange, the child pointed it toward the man and said, "Peel it!" This is a "cute" little story, one which might trigger a chuckle. Yet, in all seriousness, it illustrates a prevailing attitude that permeates our culture, one of entitlement and lack of appreciation. Someone said, "never in history have people had more, yet appreciated it less." While that may be true, a lack of thankfulness is certainly nothing new. Luke's Gospel records the account of Jesus healing…...

6+ day, 20+ hour ago (878+ words) Rob Patterson, who has served as the Kentucky Baptist Convention Evangelism Team Leader since 2020, has accepted the call to be senior pastor at Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green. He assumes the role in January. (Kentucky Today/Robin Cornetet) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) " Rob Patterson is returning home. Patterson, who has served as the Kentucky Baptist Convention's Evangelism Team Leader since 2020, is transitioning to become senior pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green. The church affirmed Patterson as its new leader on Sunday. Patterson served on Eastwood's pastoral staff for five years before he and his wife Jenny left to serve on the mission field in 2008. They returned to Kentucky in 2017 when Patterson become a regional consultant for the KBC. FILE - Rob Patterson, evangelism team leader at Kentucky Baptist Convention, kicks off a statewide simulcast at Beechland Baptist Church in…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (556+ words) BOULDER, Colo. (BP) " Weekly Bible reading resurged 12 points this year in the U.S. after a 15-year low, with Millennial and Gen Z men leading the way, State of the Church researchers said in their November release. Millennials and Gen Z outpace the 12-point increase, with reading jumping 16 points among Millennials, half of whom now read Scripture weekly. Among Gen Z, the 49 percent who read Scripture at least weekly represents a 19-point climb, researchers said of the study from Texas-based Barna Group and Boulder-based Gloo. Millennials read the Bible on par with Christians, matching the 50 percent of Christians who do so. The findings show "a major rebound of Bible reading, along with a surge in usage among younger generations," Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman said. "This aligns with other signs of spiritual interest and reinforces the finding that Christian faith and practice…...