Author: Bobby Ross Jr.

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

What’s the difference between a ‘pool pit’ and a pulpit? Twitter has the answers

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. I read the preacher’s words once — and then again — and tried to make sense of them. In a Florida TV station’s report on a … Continue reading What’s the difference between a ‘pool pit’ and a pulpit? Twitter has the answers

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Religion Unplugged

Just when worship gatherings seemed safe again, delta variant raises renewed concerns

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. ORLANDO, Fla. — At the Equip Conference last weekend, most people saw no need to wear a mask. Fully vaccinated myself, I enjoyed the feeling of … Continue reading Just when worship gatherings seemed safe again, delta variant raises renewed concerns

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Christian Chronicle

The happiest place on earth?

In Disney World’s shadow, Equip Conference brings together pandemic-weary Churches of Christ. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ORLANDO, Fla. — Mickey Mouse may be the big draw for millions of tourists who flock to Central Florida each year. But for the roughly 1,000 Christians meeting at an Orlando hotel this weekend, the chance — at long last — to sing, pray and mingle with fellow believers beats … Continue reading The happiest place on earth?

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Religion Unplugged

Pastors and plagiarism: Why an old story is making timely new headlines

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. Two decades ago, while serving as religion editor for The Oklahoman, I investigated allegations of plagiarism and faked endorsements by a prominent Baptist pastor who had … Continue reading Pastors and plagiarism: Why an old story is making timely new headlines

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Religion Unplugged

‘As a rabbi, you deal with grief. But not like this’: Condo disaster rocks Jewish community

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 1995, I covered the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building for The Oklahoman. To many of us in Oklahoma, images of the partially … Continue reading ‘As a rabbi, you deal with grief. But not like this’: Condo disaster rocks Jewish community

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Christian Chronicle, The Ross News

A letter to my newborn granddaughter

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Dear Norah Esther Ross, Welcome to the world, my precious granddaughter. What an amazing, beautiful gift from God you are. Your Papa — that’s my name, Papa — loves you so much. Please forgive me for crying when I first met you. I couldn’t help it. Your Nana loves you like crazy, too. She has an entire sewing room filled … Continue reading A letter to my newborn granddaughter

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Christian Chronicle

In Canada, a reckoning after remains of 215 Indigenous children are found

Discovery at a former residential school offers a ‘painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter’ in the nation’s history. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle At age 6, Brenda Cyr was taken from her family and forced to live at a church-run residential school — part of a 120-year Canadian government effort to assimilate Indigenous children. In seven years at two such schools, Cyr, … Continue reading In Canada, a reckoning after remains of 215 Indigenous children are found

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Religion Unplugged

Leaks turn up the heat in advance of Southern Baptists’ Nashville meeting

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. Look for a little thunder today, but I don’t see any rain in the Nashville, Tennessee, forecast for next week. That’s probably a good thing because … Continue reading Leaks turn up the heat in advance of Southern Baptists’ Nashville meeting

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Washington Post

Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s July Fourth goal

I contributed to a Washington Post front-page story by national health reporter Dan Diamond on COVID-19 vaccine trends. My feed from Oklahoma City: Making the shots convenient Health providers in Oklahoma, where 54 percent of adults have gotten one shot, also have seen demand slow to a trickle. Greg Clyde, a bowtie-wearing independent pharmacist in Oklahoma City, said that when he began administering coronavirus vaccines … Continue reading Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s July Fourth goal

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