Category: Christian Chronicle

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Christian Chronicle, Religion Unplugged

Oklahoma SPJ honors Bobby Ross Jr. with four awards

By Bobby Ross Jr. OKLAHOMA CITY — I was pleased to win first place for outstanding column/commentary in the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists’ 2026 annual contest. The SPJ honored my April 19, 1995, column for Religion Unplugged on the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. In the Best of the Best competition, I earned second place for Reporter of the Year for a … Continue reading Oklahoma SPJ honors Bobby Ross Jr. with four awards

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Christian Chronicle

Millions for ministry

For 70 years, the Bell Trust has provided funds to make an eternal difference. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle DALLAS — In 1941, businessman Robert S. Bell became a partner with Earle Wyatt, an entrepreneur who founded Wyatt Food Stores Inc., which emerged as the largest grocery chain in Dallas. By 1956, Wyatt Cafeterias Inc. was spun off as a separate company, eventually … Continue reading Millions for ministry

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Christian Chronicle

Shout to the Lord — and splash on the water slides

Lodging? Meals? Entertainment? A grant foots the bill for Spanish-speaking ministers and their families to recharge at a Texas resort. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle GRAPEVINE, Texas — For a family with children, a vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort can cost thousands of dollars. That’s a luxury the Rojos — father Alonzo, mother Megan, 9-year-old Alex, 7-year-old Ana … Continue reading Shout to the Lord — and splash on the water slides

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

‘Oh no, that’s never happening’

Years ago, a South Dakota church broke into two. A reunion seemed highly unlikely. But then leaders started talking — and praying. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Two brothers-in-law. Two ministers of the Gospel. Two split congregations. The story behind the Sioux Falls Church of Christ — a thriving body of believers in southeastern South Dakota, near the Iowa and … Continue reading ‘Oh no, that’s never happening’

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Christian Chronicle

We traveled to three states to report on church mergers: Here’s what we learned

Five takeaways from The Christian Chronicle’s ‘Reunited’ series. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Pennsylvania. Oklahoma. And now, South Dakota. In the “Reunited” series, The Christian Chronicle traveled to three locations — a 3,400-mile triangle on a U.S. map — to report on Churches of Christ that split apart but later came back together. Christians like to talk about unity, the kind … Continue reading We traveled to three states to report on church mergers: Here’s what we learned

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

How a Michigan church embraces its Muslim neighbors

As an anti-Islam rally ignites controversy, a Detroit-area congregation works to share the love of Jesus. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle DEARBORN, Mich. — An anti-Islam rally promoted as a “Christian Crusader March” drew hundreds of demonstrators and counterdemonstrators to this majority Arab American city of 110,000. A few participants carried assault rifles as police in riot gear patrolled. The Sunday after the … Continue reading How a Michigan church embraces its Muslim neighbors

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Christian Chronicle

📽️ ‘American Martyr’: Slain priest’s canonization cause hits the big screen 🔌

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 — María Ruiz Scaperlanda is looking for a miracle. More specifically, she’s seeking a miracle that can be attributed — and authenticated — to the … Continue reading 📽️ ‘American Martyr’: Slain priest’s canonization cause hits the big screen 🔌

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
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Christian Chronicle

225 years ago, a revival gave birth to a movement

At Cane Ridge, Barton W. Stone and other ministers put aside confessions and creeds. Instead, they simply preached Christ. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. — By the thousands, the believers came — Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians among them. In covered wagons and carriages, pioneer settlers traveled to the backwoods of Kentucky for a weeklong camp meeting orchestrated by a 28-year-old Presbyterian clergyman … Continue reading 225 years ago, a revival gave birth to a movement

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Christian Chronicle

In rural Idaho, BFFs transform a greenhouse into a thriving Christian school

K-12 educational institution ‘committed to showing Christ to children and planting seeds of hope.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NAPLES, Idaho — An eye-catching sign featuring a Christian school’s Rams mascot greets logging trucks along heavily traveled U.S. 95, about 40 miles south of the Canadian border. Just off the highway, tamarack and ponderosa pine trees dot the landscape as K-12 students gather outside … Continue reading In rural Idaho, BFFs transform a greenhouse into a thriving Christian school

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