Our editor marks two decades of reporting real news that honors God.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
ROANOKE, Texas — Somehow, 20 years have passed since I left The Associated Press for The Christian Chronicle.
After accepting the job in 2005, I actually worked on my first Chronicle story while finishing my commitment with AP’s Dallas bureau.
On a day off from the wire service, I went to interview an older Christian at his ranch home northeast of Fort Worth.
“I was really surprised when I heard The Christian Chronicle wanted to do a story about me,” the 93-year-old Church of Christ member told me.
Related: ‘Lord Byron’ still faithful to God, church at 93
I couldn’t help but smile.
I took the statement as a sign of Byron Nelson’s true humility.
I mean, why wouldn’t the Chronicle want to write about Nelson, a dedicated Christian known as much for his gentlemanly conduct as his 52 PGA Tour victories?
Three years later, my son Keaton, then 11, traveled with me to New York City. We mixed my work with a bit of fun, riding the subway, eating at a pizzeria and cheering at a New York Mets game. I wrote about our experience but had no way of knowing that trip might influence Keaton’s future career choice. He’s now 28 and an award-winning investigative reporter.
Jack Zorn, the influential minister and founder of Lads to Leaders, showed my 2008 column to his daughter Rhonda Zorn Fernandez. She reached out to me and reminisced about the trips she and her father took to the Big Apple when she was a girl.
In 2015, I flew to Alabama to catch up with Fernandez and explore her role as a caretaker for her parents, Jack and Frances, both of whom had entered hospice care.
“My daddy was blind and almost deaf, but y’all bonded over Blue Bell ice cream and your inquisitive spirit!” Fernandez — who now serves on the Chronicle’s national board of trustees — remembered in a recent text message. “He felt drawn to your sincerity and talked about how fascinating it must be to travel the world meeting brethren.”
It’s fascinating indeed — and an amazing blessing.
This story appears in the July print edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Pool photo by David Woo, Dallas Morning News
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 