Author: Bobby Ross Jr.

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

✝️ Preacher and ‘Pop’: Remembering Marshall Keeble’s faith and his humor 🔌

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 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — To Gwen Cummings, the late Marshall Keeble was more than a famous traveling evangelist. He was her “Pop.” Keeble was born in 1878, 13 years … Continue reading ✝️ Preacher and ‘Pop’: Remembering Marshall Keeble’s faith and his humor 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

The power of Marshall Keeble’s brown paper lunch sack

A new exhibit honors the renowned evangelist, who ‘touched tens of thousands of lives.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Marshall Keeble, traveling all over the South — and beyond — to preach during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation brought challenges. For one, the renowned evangelist needed to make sure he had food and water to sustain him at a time of Whites-only public … Continue reading The power of Marshall Keeble’s brown paper lunch sack

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Associated Press, Christian Chronicle, Religion Unplugged, The Ross News

2025 year in review: Bobby Ross Jr.’s most memorable stories and columns

By Bobby Ross Jr. OKLAHOMA CITY — In 2025, I celebrated my 35th anniversary in full-time journalism. The best part: I still love what I do. I serve as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle and write the Weekend Plug-in column for Religion Unplugged. Besides my regular work, I freelanced in 2025 for The Associated Press and the Washington Post. This fall I flew 5,000 miles to … Continue reading 2025 year in review: Bobby Ross Jr.’s most memorable stories and columns

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Religion Unplugged

🏆 Weekend Plug-in year in review: The best religion journalism of 2025 🔌

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 It’s time for my favorite Weekend Plug-in column of the year! For this special year-end edition, I asked some of the nation’s top religion journalists to share … Continue reading 🏆 Weekend Plug-in year in review: The best religion journalism of 2025 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

🍿 Question of ‘Eternity’: Which heaven is right for me? 🔌

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 You die and go to … well, it’s complicated. You wake up on a train. At the station, you follow the crowd. You connect with your afterlife … Continue reading 🍿 Question of ‘Eternity’: Which heaven is right for me? 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

A dream for Christian higher education in Europe

Jerry and Zoobi Jones have big plans for an old convent school in France. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle LA CHAPELLE AU RIBOUL, France — When nuns listed a vacant Catholic girls’ school for sale in this sleepy French village in 2017, American Jerry Jones saw an opportunity to expand Christian influence and higher education in Europe. But his British wife, Zoobi Jones, gave … Continue reading A dream for Christian higher education in Europe

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Christian Chronicle

Roadblocks and roller bags

Behind the scenes of a memorable reporting trip to France. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle CHARTRES, France — It’s 4:45 a.m. It’s still dark outside in this medieval French city, famous for its Gothic cathedral. In fact, I’m exploring the sidewalks around the cathedral right now. As I do so, I’m rolling a 50-pound suitcase and toting a lighter computer bag. Faith in France: Read all the … Continue reading Roadblocks and roller bags

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Religion Unplugged

🏀 ‘Full Court Faith’: Former NBA team owner George Shinn opens up 🔌

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 Like King David in the Bible, George Shinn declared his faith in God as he rose to prominence. A quarter-century ago, though, the millionaire businessman who brought the NBA’s original … Continue reading 🏀 ‘Full Court Faith’: Former NBA team owner George Shinn opens up 🔌

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Christian Chronicle

‘Shabby chic’ French castle welcomes missionaries for rest and restoration

Ministry started by a grandmother combats burnout on the mission field. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle PARIS — Sherry Pogue bought a castle to serve the Lord. It’s a small castle, the American Christian emphasizes. In 2016, Pogue and her late husband, Alan, acquired the 6,000-square-foot Château Claire Fontaine — with four levels and 12 bedrooms — to launch the Restored & Renewed Ministry. Château is the … Continue reading ‘Shabby chic’ French castle welcomes missionaries for rest and restoration

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