A baseball blessing in Cuba
Not praying for Texas Rangers’ wins, but thanking God for them anyway. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MATANZAS, Cuba — I crouched in anticipation as I stared at the TV. In a dark room with no air conditioning, I ignored the sweat dripping down my face and focused on the screen. The drama unfolding before me was … a postseason baseball game. With … Continue reading A baseball blessing in Cuba
Road to the World Series: My Top 10 Texas Rangers games of 2023
By Bobby Ross Jr. ARLINGTON, Texas — Magical. That’s the best way to describe the Texas Rangers’ 2023 season. An exhilarating and sometimes excruciating journey has taken my beloved favorite team since 1982 all the way to the World Series. Update: Keeping the faith: Rangers win the World Series For the first time, my sons Brady and Keaton and I will get to experience the Fall Classic … Continue reading Road to the World Series: My Top 10 Texas Rangers games of 2023
🇮🇱 Israel-Hamas war: The crucial role of religion in the deadly conflict 🔌
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers! Did you miss me? I traveled to Cuba on a reporting trip. Given my limited internet access while away, Plug-in took last week off. That means this is our first edition since the Israel-Hamas war started. What an overwhelming story with countless religious angles. But I’ll do my best to catch you — and me — up. The … Continue reading 🇮🇱 Israel-Hamas war: The crucial role of religion in the deadly conflict 🔌
Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists honors Bobby Ross Jr. with eight awards
By Bobby Ross Jr. OKLAHOMA CITY — I’ve been blessed to receive a number of awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists over the last 30 years. In 2021, I was surprised to win the first-place prize for best reporter. This week, I earned eight awards in the 2023 contest, for content published last year: • First place for outstanding profile: “Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ president” … Continue reading Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists honors Bobby Ross Jr. with eight awards
A blessed visit to a Ghanaian immigrant church
For Christians, love transcends any language barrier. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW YORK — I didn’t understand the words as the North Bronx Church of Christ sang in Twi, the native dialect of the Ghanaian immigrant congregation. But the tune was the same as “At the Cross,” making the lyrics easy to translate in my mind. “At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the … Continue reading A blessed visit to a Ghanaian immigrant church
A diverse church full of conversion stories
Far from the Bible Belt, a New York congregation led by first-generation Christians works to reach the lost. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle LINDENHURST, N.Y. — Prayer kneelers and organ pipes aren’t typical in a Church of Christ. Then again, the Long Island Church of Christ — a diverse body with members representing roughly two dozen nationalities — isn’t an ordinary congregation. Far from the Bible … Continue reading A diverse church full of conversion stories
The journey: Reporting the news of our fellowship
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle About 2,800 miles separate Manhattan, N.Y., from Malibu, Calif. By car that trip would take roughly 41 hours, according to Google Maps. The good news for Christian Chronicle readers: We did the traveling for you. To be totally transparent, we didn’t drive. We relied on commercial flights to carry us to the scene of important news featured in this month’s Chronicle. But the … Continue reading The journey: Reporting the news of our fellowship
Upper West Side Story
Diverse congregation in Manhattan counts members from five continents — but no Jets or Sharks. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW YORK — A rap song by Eminem played in the lobby of a hostel where guests from around the world stay while visiting this city of 8.5 million. In a nearby hallway, the hip-hop beat gave way to the four-part harmony of Christians singing … Continue reading Upper West Side Story
🏈 Time to kneel again: Football coach who won Supreme Court prayer case returns 🔌
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged NEW YORK — Live from New York, it’s … Friday morning. I’m filing this edition of Weekend Plug-in from my temporary, 38th-floor apartment in Midtown Manhattan. I’ve spent the week enjoying a mix of work and fun in Metropolis. As I type this, Pope Francis has arrived in Mongolia, “becoming the first pope to visit the vast country with … Continue reading 🏈 Time to kneel again: Football coach who won Supreme Court prayer case returns 🔌
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 