By Bobby Ross Jr. The biggest — and best — news of the year was the birth of my granddaughter, Norah. But besides that banner headline, here are my top stories of 2021 (mostly in chronological order): 1. The pandemic: I started the year with coverage of many Christians welcoming the COVID-19 vaccines but others voicing skepticism. In a personal column, I reflected on the joy … Continue reading Year in review: My Top 10 stories of 2021
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
By Bobby Ross Jr. I was honored to receive six awards — including first place in three categories — in the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists’ annual contest. Winners were announced Saturday night at an awards banquet in Midwest City, recognizing content produced in 2018. (I was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.) The Christian Chronicle and Religion News Service compete in Division … Continue reading Oklahoma SPJ recognizes Bobby Ross Jr. with three first-place awards
While in a Tennessee prison for murder, Brown got a degree with the help of Lipscomb University. By Bobby Ross Jr. Each semester, the LIFE program at Nashville’s Lipscomb University, which is associated with the Churches of Christ, pairs students with inmates serving time in the Tennessee Prison for Women. This week, the most high-profile graduate of that academic program — offered behind the prison’s … Continue reading Cyntoia Brown, granted clemency, says Christian school’s program changed her life
Oklahoma residents grapple with faith, legalizing medical marijuana. @washingtonpost version of my @RNS story on State Question 788 https://t.co/hmmIRp7xzJ — Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) June 10, 2018 Clergy on both sides of State Question 788, which would permit the distribution of medical marijuana, call it a moral issue. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service OKLAHOMA CITY — As Presbyterian minister Bobby Griffith … Continue reading In red-state Oklahoma, marijuana ballot question splits people of faith
By Bobby Ross Jr., Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Michelle Boorstein| The Washington Post FORT WORTH — Prominent Southern Baptist leader Paige Patterson has been removed from his job as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary amid an evangelical #MeToo moment: a massive backlash from women upset over comments he made in the past that are newly perceived as sexist and demeaning. Seminary leaders were vague as … Continue reading Baptist seminary president removed over controversial remarks about abused women
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For The Washington Post DALLAS — Midway through his 15-minute testimony at the National Rifle Association’s annual prayer breakfast Sunday, retired major league first baseman Adam LaRoche took off his sweater. Underneath, LaRoche — who hit 255 home runs in a 12-year career — sported a black T-shirt with a message that drew cheers from the firearms-friendly crowd of about 1,300. “Jesus … Continue reading ‘Jesus loves me and my guns’: Faith and firearms touted at the NRA’s prayer breakfast
“Mike has enemies because of his faith who may try to paint him in a poor light and make it difficult for him to reach the Secretary of State position,” the pastor of nominee Mike Pompeo wrote to his congregation. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service WICHITA, Kan. — Under fire from Muslim, Jewish and human rights groups for a record of … Continue reading Pompeo’s Kansas church asks God to ‘give him strength’ in Senate confirmation process
Even some Republicans in GOP-run Oklahoma say that abortion and transgender bills are a distraction. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For The Washington Post OKLAHOMA CITY — Some public schools are starting summer vacation several days early. Others are contemplating a four-day week to cut costs. And more than 200 teachers in Oklahoma City were handed pink slips in March. But instead of addressing a burgeoning … Continue reading In this Bible Belt state, Democrats call hot-button issues a ‘smokescreen’
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 