Faith helped baseball coach Tony Beasley beat cancer
Texas Rangers’ ‘inspiration’ sings the national anthem on Opening Day. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service ARLINGTON, Texas (RNS) Tony Beasley never lost faith, even when he was diagnosed with cancer. “It’s been an opportunity for me to be who I said I am,” said Beasley, the third base coach for the Texas Rangers. “My favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 5:7: ‘For we … Continue reading Faith helped baseball coach Tony Beasley beat cancer
In Canada, refugees find love and hope
For these Syrians, church members have become ‘a second family.’ First Place, Feature Article, Associated Church Press Second Place, Best Reporter portfolio, Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ST. CATHARINES, Ontario — Ten-year-old Mohammed and his sister Miriam, 6, shriek with excitement when they hear knocking at the front door. The pint-sized Syrian refugees are expecting Jori Warren, … Continue reading In Canada, refugees find love and hope
From ‘van man’ to man of God: Quirky Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
My three favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. Christmas. Opening Day.
I’m on vacation from my regular job this week and headed — as soon as I can type this post and throw a few baseball shirts and jeans into a suitcase — to Arlington, Texas. My beloved Texas Rangers open the 2017 season at home tonight against the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians.
If you need me, I’ll be Section 115, Row 33, Seat 5.
Given the peanuts-and-Cracker Jacks nature of this Monday, it seems only appropriate that I critique a baseball story — and thanks to my friend Ron Hadfield, an avid Detroit Tigers fan, I’ve got a terrific one to highlight.
“Here’s one Detroit sportswriter unafraid to write about a player’s faith,” Hadfield said in sharing a link to this story.
If you’re a baseball fan and a GetReligion reader (by my rough count, there are three of you), I know what you’re thinking about this ghost-free Detroit Free Press profile of Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris.
And I agree: It’s about time someone in the mainstream press delved into Norris’ faith and took it seriously. We’ve been begging for this since Norris first burst onto the national scene with an in-depth ESPN the Magazine profile two years ago.
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More of my GetReligion columns (April 2017):
Continue reading “From ‘van man’ to man of God: Quirky Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris”
In rural Canada, churches that once shunned one another open their hearts to Syrian refugees
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service DAUPHIN, Manitoba (RNS) Ken Yakielashek, a Roman Catholic and semiretired farmer in the Canadian Prairies, says he remembers when Christians of varying denominations “wouldn’t talk to one another.” To Yakielashek, that makes what’s happened in Dauphin — a rural community 200 miles northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg — all the more remarkable. A year … Continue reading In rural Canada, churches that once shunned one another open their hearts to Syrian refugees
Let the buyer (and leaser) beware
Six tips to keep your church from getting financially burned by copier costs. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Church Finance Today “Buyer beware” doesn’t just apply to used-car sales. At some point, regardless of size, most churches will find themselves in the market for a copier — and the selection process can be downright complicated and stressful. Whether to lease or purchase? How to … Continue reading Let the buyer (and leaser) beware
‘Everyone Has a Story’: In a digital age, tips for sharing yours
Five questions for leaders of churches, Christian schools and parachurch ministries to consider. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FORT WORTH, Texas — For 30 years, an Idaho newspaper reporter wrote a weekly column with the simple premise that “Everyone Has a Story.” David Johnson, who retired in 2013, focused on the ordinary lives of people chosen randomly from a phone book. From … Continue reading ‘Everyone Has a Story’: In a digital age, tips for sharing yours
25 years ago, a young reporter (me) got a scoop on the president of the United States
Above: At a 1992 campaign rally, John Fletcher directs the Oklahoma Christian University band as the crowd welcomes President George H.W. Bush. (Photo provided by John Fletcher) By Bobby Ross Jr. | therossnews@gmail.com During the 1992 race for the White House, I was a young reporter — all of 24 years old — for the Edmond Evening Sun. In the caveman era before email, the Internet and … Continue reading 25 years ago, a young reporter (me) got a scoop on the president of the United States
For kings and queens with special needs, a Night to Shine
Arkansas church rolls out the red carpet at prom-like event. Second Place, Best Reporter portfolio, Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FORT SMITH, Ark. — Crowns on their heads, the kings and queens flash huge smiles as they emerge from a sleek black limousine. They wear fancy suits and formal dresses and seem to glide up the red … Continue reading For kings and queens with special needs, a Night to Shine
How to cover a tragedy: San Antonio paper offers sensitive, insightful reporting on church bus crash
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
Years ago, I helped cover the funerals in a small West Texas town after eight senior citizens were killed in a church bus crash.
I couldn’t help but recall that heart-wrenching tragedy as news broke Wednesday of another church bus crash — this one with an even higher death toll.
As a reporter, I always hate handling first-day stories on tragedies such as this. Pressing crash investigators for the basic details of what happened is no problem. But seeking comments from grieving loved ones is never easy. Never.
With my personal experience in my mind, I am impressed with the San Antonio Express-News’ main front-page story today.
The piece offers sensitive and insightful reporting on the tragedy, which occurred in the San Antonio paper’s coverage area.
The lede nicely sets the scene:
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More of my GetReligion columns (March 2017):
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 