I moderated a recent “Christian Chronicle Live” panel discussion on best social media practices for Christians during an election year. Digital news editor Chellie Ison wrote about the “You are what you tweet” discussion for the Chronicle. Continue reading You are what you tweet
Worship center reopens at site of deadly Texas church shooting. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Visible scars were gone — the bullet holes, the bloodstained carpet — as the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, made an emotional return to its worship center Sunday. Eight months after a gunman opened fire during the Lord’s Supper, new blue-cushioned pews, reconfigured walls and a lowered ceiling … Continue reading An emotional return
God used the 2005 hurricane, the Marsalises believe, to prepare them for what came next. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW ORLEANS — Even a decade and a half after the storm, Angela Marsalis still prefers to avoid the subject of Hurricane Katrina. “I guess it feels like I’m still not ready to deal with it, even though I know all the … Continue reading Family who survived Katrina by escaping to church balcony marks storm’s 15th anniversary
Some ministers fear the attendance decline will outlive the COVID-19 outbreak. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A note on the Facebook page of the Glendale Road Church of Christ in Murray, Ky., caught my attention recently. It referred to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and voiced understanding for anyone staying away from in-person worship for health reasons. “However, if the reason for your absence is because you’ve become … Continue reading After the pandemic, will people return to church?
After 26 years in office, lawmaker faces the fight of his political life. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle As a teen, longtime Tennessee state Rep. John DeBerry Jr. integrated an all-White high school and witnessed civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech before his 1968 assassination. To supporters, DeBerry — a 69-year-old Black preacher from Memphis — is a man of … Continue reading Ousted by Democrats, anti-abortion preacher runs as independent in Tennessee
The Christian university’s president pledges to honor slain alumnus Botham Jean ‘in his own unique way on our campus.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Harding University will retain the name of its daily chapel venue — Benson Auditorium — despite an online petition signed by more than 18,000 that characterized the late George S. Benson as “a vocal racist and supporter of segregation.” Bruce McLarty, president … Continue reading Despite petition, Harding to keep George S. Benson’s name on its chapel venue
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
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 