Author: Bobby Ross Jr.

Bobby Ross Jr. is an award-winning journalist who has reported from all 50 states and 20 countries.
Religion Unplugged

‘God, I need help’: 9/11 military heroes with PTSD still fighting a war at home

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged A Glock 19 handgun on his lap, the decorated combat veteran prepared to take his own life. “I’m telling you, I was going to become a statistic,” retired Air Force Lt. Col. Damon Friedman said. Every day, an estimated 22 U.S. veterans die by suicide. Friedman, a special warfare officer who served four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, intended … Continue reading ‘God, I need help’: 9/11 military heroes with PTSD still fighting a war at home

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Religion Unplugged

📽️ ‘Reagan’ movie: God’s purpose in president’s life emerges as a central theme 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged MANCHESTER, N.H. — I grew up in the 1980s, which helps explain the nostalgia I felt watching “Reagan,” a new feature-length film chronicling the life of President Ronald … Continue reading 📽️ ‘Reagan’ movie: God’s purpose in president’s life emerges as a central theme 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

‘O Why Not Tonight?’

For Churches of Christ, the invitation has a long history — but not all embrace the tradition. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. — Softly and tenderly, Jesus called this sinner home. On March 13, 1977, I made my way to the front of the church and asked to be baptized. I was 9 years old.   I don’t recall the exact invitation song … Continue reading ‘O Why Not Tonight?’

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Religion Unplugged

🍿 The real-life faith story behind the new baseball movie ‘You Gotta Believe’ 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged FORT WORTH, Texas — “You Gotta Believe,” opening in theaters on Friday, recounts a youth baseball team’s thrilling, improbable journey all the way to the 2002 Little … Continue reading 🍿 The real-life faith story behind the new baseball movie ‘You Gotta Believe’ 🔌

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Religion Unplugged

⚾️ Jesus in Birdland: Orioles become latest MLB team to host Faith Night 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged The best team in Major League Baseball? It just might be the Baltimore Orioles, who rank No. 1 in MLB.com’s latest power rankings. The most Christ-focused team … Continue reading ⚾️ Jesus in Birdland: Orioles become latest MLB team to host Faith Night 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

Reporting on controversies

We strive — with a lot of prayer — to cover real news in a manner that honors God. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Iknow a little about Churches of Christ. I was two weeks old when I first attended. Except for the crazy COVID-19 period, I’ve spent most every Lord’s Day in the pews. Related: Christian journalism means truth-seeking In two decades with The Christian Chronicle, I’ve reported … Continue reading Reporting on controversies

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Religion Unplugged

Culture wars turn classrooms into battlefields

To understand the wrangling over religion in public schools, consider these three questions. Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged OKLAHOMA CITY — Before I got my start in religion reporting 25 years ago, I … Continue reading Culture wars turn classrooms into battlefields

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Christian Chronicle

Why a Tennessee congregation sold its building and moved into a school

Numerical and financial struggles led a Nashville-area church ‘to be proactive.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HERMITAGE, TENN. — The New Garden Church is not a traditional Church of Christ. Then again, it’s not trying to be. The church plant — which grew out of the Hermitage Church of Christ, a half-century-old congregation that closed in 2018 — seeks to reach a new generation with the Gospel. … Continue reading Why a Tennessee congregation sold its building and moved into a school

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Christian Chronicle

Culture warrior, MAGA champion, Church of Christ member: Who is Ryan Walters?

Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction ignites a national furor with a mandate requiring a Bible in every classroom. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle OKLAHOMA CITY — Ryan Walters wasn’t always known as Oklahoma’s culture-warrior-in-chief. Neither was the 39-year-old Republican always a high-profile MAGA champion, denouncing liberal indoctrination; illegal immigration; LGBTQ-themed school library books; diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and the “Woke Olympics.” Decades before winning election as Oklahoma’s top education official in 2022 — and before igniting … Continue reading Culture warrior, MAGA champion, Church of Christ member: Who is Ryan Walters?

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