George Floyd’s death has inspired positive dialogue in many Churches of Christ. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When I was in grade school, my mother said my best friend, Tyra, could come over and play. Mom was surprised, though, when I stepped off the school bus with a Black boy. I never had mentioned my friend’s race; his color didn’t matter to … Continue reading On topic of race, there’s so much that I don’t know
The Texas church elder was a pioneering reliever for the Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Yankees and Royals. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When Joe Chesser was 9 years old, his family attended church with Lindy McDaniel, a young pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. One Sunday, Chesser brought a baseball to worship at the West End Church of Christ in Wellston, Mo., just … Continue reading At 84, retired major-leaguer Lindy McDaniel still ‘Pitching for the Master’
By Bobby Ross Jr. I was honored to be named as a finalist this week for the Religion News Association’s 2020 Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence. My portfolio in the category for best reporting at non-daily newspapers and magazines included: • “A perpetrator in the pews” from Uniontown, Pa., with this related Q&A. • “Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly returning to Africa as medical missionary” … Continue reading Bobby Ross Jr. honored in national, state journalism contests
Thousands of church and faith-based higher ed jobs were retained through the federal Payroll Protection Program. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle At least 47 Churches of Christ across the nation received loans of $150,000 or more through the federal government’s coronavirus relief bill, a Christian Chronicle analysis found. In all, those Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act loans amounted to at least $9,450,000 — and as … Continue reading Uncle Sam helped congregations, Christian universities meet payroll
Some believers point to a radical, anti-Christian agenda. Others see racism at play in the slogan’s opposition. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle To Christians such as Taneise Perry, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” voices a simple truth about the importance of equal treatment and justice for Black Americans. To Perry, a Black mother of three sons, the viral hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has little to do … Continue reading Why the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement is so controversial to many Christians
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged In 19 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels, Rod Carew racked up numbers that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. From 1967 to 1985, Carew collected 3,053 hits, won seven American League batting titles and made 18 straight All-Star appearances. But his new memoir, “One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life’s Curveballs,” ventures beyond the … Continue reading Q&A: Hall Of Famer Rod Carew talks faith, COVID-19 and, yes, baseball
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling Monday barring workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender workers certainly seemed to catch some by surprise. Take USA Today, for example. The URL on the national … Continue reading Landmark LGBT ruling: What it means for exemptions, evangelicals and the election
Texas youth group member stands up for friend called the N-word. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle In 1957, the white mayor of Little Rock, Ark., showed courage by standing up for nine black students trying to integrate Central High School. Defying segregationist Gov. Orval Faubus and an angry white mob, Mayor Woodrow Wilson Mann urged President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send U.S. soldiers to quell the … Continue reading History repeats: Civil rights hero’s great-grandson shows courage
Christians respond to George Floyd’s death with outrage, rallies and calls for justice. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Warren G. Blakney Sr.’s long fight for racial equality stretches back to 1961. At age 9, Blakney met civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and passed out voter registration handbills door to door. “I saw a lot of things,” said the … Continue reading Protests and prayers
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 