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

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

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

For thousands of Nicaragua’s poor, mission ‘a gift from God’

Outreach that started with a small medical clinic has grown to meet needs ranging from education to water systems. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle JINOTEGA, Nicaragua — In a nation where many live on just a few dollars a day, things most U.S. residents take for granted make a world of difference. An aspirin to relieve a headache. A filter to provide clean water. … Continue reading For thousands of Nicaragua’s poor, mission ‘a gift from God’

Holocaust Remembrance Day reading: Two survivors find each other, and answers

‘I am still moved and astonished at our special and rare connection.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | AP Religion Writer SOUTHLAKE, Texas (AP) — In George Lucius Salton’s view, it’s nothing short of a miracle. His daughter, Anna Eisen, called him at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., with a question that sent his mind racing back 60 years to the hell he survived as a … Continue reading Holocaust Remembrance Day reading: Two survivors find each other, and answers

MLK Day reading: Black, white and Gray

Civil rights attorney who once challenged Lipscomb University in court receives the Christian university’s highest honor. First Place (part of three-story portfolio), Magazine News Religion Reporting, Religion News Association Second Place, News Story, Associated Church Press By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Forty-five years ago, civil rights attorney and preacher Fred Gray filed a lawsuit that exposed deep divides between … Continue reading MLK Day reading: Black, white and Gray

Ten stories that inspired me — and hopefully you — during 2016

These Christians demonstrated faith, hope and love. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle I am blessed. As chief correspondent for The Christian Chronicle, I am privileged to tell the stories of Christians living out their faith — often under difficult circumstances. Over the last decade, my travels with the Chronicle have taken me to all 50 states (I finally made it to the … Continue reading Ten stories that inspired me — and hopefully you — during 2016

Reporting news that informs and inspires — in all 50 states

The Christian Chronicle’s Bobby Ross Jr. celebrates faith-filled milestone. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FAITH, S.D. — After chasing stories all over the United States, I found Faith — a town in South Dakota with a population of 421. With my recent trip to the Dakotas, I reached a personal goal: reporting for The Christian Chronicle from all 50 states and the … Continue reading Reporting news that informs and inspires — in all 50 states