The stench of floodwater filled the air, mingling with a hint of mold. Kim Rowland, a volunteer with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, remained undaunted. One by one, she pulled items from the lower cabinet – a crockpot filled with water the color of thin gumbo, fine china spattered with mud and glass baking dishes frosted with sediment.

A unique missions conference encouraged attendees to leverage the historically unprecedented migration of peoples around the world for the sake of sharing the gospel with every tribe, tongue and nationality. “[God] is the Divine Maestro, orchestrating the movements of the nations,” said J.D. Payne, pastor for church multiplication with The Church at Brook Hills.

Christians need to make certain what they are seeking to conserve in America is distinguished by the gospel of Jesus Christ, Russell Moore told attendees of a conference on cultural engagement. Moore’s keynote speech came in the final session of the two-day national conference titled, like his address, “Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel.”

A federal judge’s ruling suspending enforcement of North Carolina’s so-called bathroom bill for three individuals in the University of North Carolina (UNC) system has been classified by a pro-family organization in the state as of “little effect” practically. “H.B. 2 remains in effect for all others at UNC and across the state,” Tami Fitzgerald said.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s 2016 National Conference featured pastors, academics and authors providing guidance to the audience – which consisted of more than 900 registrants – regarding not only what biblically based cultural engagement is but how to avoid being a captive of cultural Christianity.

Atheists have blocked a $65,000 grant the Kansas City, Mo., government had allocated for use during the National Baptist Convention USA (NBC USA) annual meeting. John Modest Miles had counted on the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund grant to help cover transportation costs at the 31,000-church NBC USA meeting, saying the funds would support tourism.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s 2016 national conference attracted more than 900 attendees for the first of two days of considering how Christians can engage the culture while remaining faithful to the gospel. The conference continued Aug. 26 with a full schedule of plenary and breakout sessions.

Jerry Ritter’s Tuesday began at 4 a.m., but he was still brimming with enthusiasm at the closing of another day of flood relief in Baton Rouge, La. Ritter arrived in Louisiana with other members of a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief kitchen crew. Though he was tired, he considered the hard day’s work to be a blessing.

Josh Mueller wasn’t exactly sure what he was getting into when he drove to the annual Sturgis bike rally. His brother Jeff is his pastor at Restore Church in their hometown of Yankton, S.D. Jeff had recruited Josh to volunteer at the Dakota Baptist Convention’s Sturgis Bike Giveaway evangelism initiative. ...

The trustees of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission honored two fellow Southern Baptists with their annual awards for religious freedom advocacy and Christian service. The board unanimously approved GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins for the John Leland Religious Liberty Award and ERLC Vice President Barrett Duke for the Richard Land Distinguished Service Award.