Bobby Ross Jr. honored with 10 ACP ‘Best of the Church Press’ awards for 2019
By Bobby Ross Jr. I was blessed to receive 10 honors — including first place in four categories — in the Associated Church Press “Best of the Church Press” contest. The awards, presented in a virtual awards ceremony March 19, recognized content produced in 2019. In all, The Christian Chronicle received 16 awards — including the top prize as best newspaper. In case my mother … Continue reading Bobby Ross Jr. honored with 10 ACP ‘Best of the Church Press’ awards for 2019
Global coronavirus pandemic is BIG, but exactly how big?
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. In my 30-year journalism career, I’ve covered more major news than I can recall. In most cases, I’ve experienced an adrenaline rush as I set about to do my job, which I consider … Continue reading Global coronavirus pandemic is BIG, but exactly how big?
Coronavirus pandemic prompts numerous Churches of Christ to cancel Sunday assemblies
Other congregations meet but with modifications such as individual, prepackaged communion. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle COVID-19 has made one thing clear, if it was not already: The church is not a building. Amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Churches of Christ in the U.S. and abroad canceled regular worship assemblies this weekend. Some congregations did so for the … Continue reading Coronavirus pandemic prompts numerous Churches of Christ to cancel Sunday assemblies
Amid tornado wreckage, one man’s faith offers a huge measure of hope
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. COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Heartbreak and hope. It’s a combination I’ve witnessed repeatedly when covering catastrophes, from the Oklahoma City bombing to Hurricane Katrina to, most recently, the March 3 Tennessee tornadoes that killed … Continue reading Amid tornado wreckage, one man’s faith offers a huge measure of hope
After tornado, a teen grieves her 4-year-old friend
‘You don’t ever think that’s the last time you’re going to see somebody,’ Izzy Stevens says. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Just three nights before the unimaginable happened, Izzy Stevens, 17, laughed with her 4-year-old friend, Hattie Jo Collins, across a table at Pizza Hut. Hattie, known for her colorful headbands adorned with flowers, rainbows and unicorns, was the daughter of … Continue reading After tornado, a teen grieves her 4-year-old friend
Volunteer State: Christians rally to help
After Tennessee’s deadly tornadoes, Churches of Christ play a leading role in the disaster relief effort. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Mike Luke wore a bright orange “Disaster Assistance Church of Christ” T-shirt as he steered a four-wheel vehicle carrying food and supplies for tornado victims toward a ravaged neighborhood. Near a hill lined with 18 memorial crosses remembering victims of last … Continue reading Volunteer State: Christians rally to help
Democrats talk faith ahead of South Carolina and Super Tuesday voting
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. Americans don’t consider Democratic presidential candidates to be particularly religious, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But at the end of Tuesday night’s two-hour debate in Charleston, S.C., guess what? Faith … Continue reading Democrats talk faith ahead of South Carolina and Super Tuesday voting
The journey that led a church to appoint female elders
‘It needs to be the whole body,’ Sheila Bost says of men and women leading and preaching. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle LOS ANGELES — In the early 1960s, then-Abilene Christian College — a Texas higher education institution associated with Churches of Christ — had different rules for male and female dorm residents. Sheila Bost, now a grandmother of 12, remembers that she couldn’t study at … Continue reading The journey that led a church to appoint female elders
Should women preach in a mixed-gender assembly?
This graduate theology student — one of four sisters and the mother of five girls — doesn’t think so. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ARLINGTON, Texas — Christa Sanders Bryant has a passion for teaching the Bible. The mother of five believes God has called her — and all Christians — to lead souls to Jesus. But even though she is pursuing a master’s … Continue reading Should women preach in a mixed-gender assembly?
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 