Author: Bobby Ross Jr.

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

Touch, prayer and the role of clergy at executions

U.S. Supreme Court weighs religious freedom. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear religious freedom arguments Tuesday in the case of a Texas death-row inmate named John … Continue reading Touch, prayer and the role of clergy at executions

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Religion Unplugged

Boo! Just in time for Halloween, five frightening headlines about evangelicals

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Here’s a scary thought: Who wants to dress up as an evangelical for Halloween? Except, exactly what would that look like? Would it involve wearing a … Continue reading Boo! Just in time for Halloween, five frightening headlines about evangelicals

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Associated Press

A moving ‘reunion’ for descendants of Holocaust survivors

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Associated Press WESTLAKE, Texas — Anna Salton Eisen found the old pictures — wallet-size, black-and-white images of Jewish prisoners who survived the Holocaust — in a folder her late father, George Lucius Salton, kept most of his life. The Texas woman recognized the names of some of the teens and young men from stories her father told. For three years, … Continue reading A moving ‘reunion’ for descendants of Holocaust survivors

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Religion Unplugged

Ransom demands and prayers: The kidnapping of a mission group in Haiti

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. As a journalist who covers religion, I’ve been blessed to report firsthand from countries such as Israel, Mexico, Nicaragua and South Africa. As a result, when … Continue reading Ransom demands and prayers: The kidnapping of a mission group in Haiti

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Christian Chronicle

Picket signs, honking horns and sidewalk sermons: Inside an anti-abortion ministry

Michigan church members say the Gospel, not politics, motivates them to gather at clinics and urge women not to end pregnancies. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A bullhorn amplified Conner Westerby’s words as he stood on a public sidewalk and tried to gain the attention of a woman entering a clinic about 75 feet away. Westerby, a 24-year-old Christian … Continue reading Picket signs, honking horns and sidewalk sermons: Inside an anti-abortion ministry

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Christian Chronicle

All in the family: baseball and Jesus

For Faulkner coach and his wife, love for ‘adoption’ extends from their home to the team’s players. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Patrick and Katie Beth McCarthy’s oldest son, Miller, once told a reporter his family lived at the ballpark. “We just go spend the night at our house sometimes,” he quipped. Baseball is extremely important to the McCarthys. Patrick is the head coach … Continue reading All in the family: baseball and Jesus

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Christian Chronicle

Bobby Ross Jr. wins RNA Award for Religion Reporting Excellence

For the second year in a row, the Religion News Association’s national awards were presented in virtual fashion Thursday night because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was honored to receive third place for reporting at magazines and non-daily newspapers. Emma Green of The Atlantic won first place, while John Beck of Moment Magazine earned second place. “The judges praise Ross for writing with both authority and compassion,” RNA … Continue reading Bobby Ross Jr. wins RNA Award for Religion Reporting Excellence

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Christian Chronicle

#BeLikeBo: Harding University unveils memorial honoring slain graduate

Dedication ceremony pays tribute to Botham Shem Jean, a faithful Christian who died tragically in 2018. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SEARCY, Ark. — Future generations of Harding University students will learn to “Be Like Bo.” The university, which is associated with Churches of Christ, made sure of that with this week’s dedication of a memorial honoring the late Botham Shem Jean. On Wednesday — the day … Continue reading #BeLikeBo: Harding University unveils memorial honoring slain graduate

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Religion Unplugged

As COVID-19 vaccine war rages, focus on religious exemptions grows

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Back in March, I wrote a column about the joy and hope the COVID-19 vaccines had brought my family after more than a year of pandemic … Continue reading As COVID-19 vaccine war rages, focus on religious exemptions grows

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