MADHYA PRADESH, India — A pastor and his wife have been fined and sentenced to two years in prison in India for false accusations of trying to force or coerce some Hindus to convert to Christianity. The Christian couple — Ramesh Ahirwar and wife Sakshi Ahirwar — were convicted March 11 under the anticonversion law of Madhya Pradesh state. Morning Star News says each spouse must pay a fine of $300 (25,000 rupees) in addition to serving the two-year sentence. “If the conviction stands, it would be the first under Madhya Pradesh’s anticonversion law,” states Morning Star. One church leader said ..read more

Geraldine Ragan, a Christian ventriloquist, died April 23. Ragan, who lived in Sterrett, became a Christian as a teenager at youth camp. She and her companion, Ricky, traveled the world spreading Christ’s Word and ministering to people from all walks of life and at a variety of events. Ragan was well known, especially in southern gospel music circles, and appeared with the Gaithers as well as at the National Quartet Convention. She was a member of North Shelby Baptist Church in Birmingham and was preceded in death by her husband, David ..read more

The Alabama Legislature passed a new law today (April 25) making it illegal for clergy to engage in sexual behavior with anyone under 19 years old. Violations will be considered a Class B felony, which could result in two to 20 years of imprisonment. Representative Leigh Hulsey sponsored House Bill 125, which mirrors the protections of another Alabama bill that prohibits the same for public and private school teachers. Senator Roger Smitherman sponsored the Senate version of the bill, which now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey to sign. ‘Thankful … for the courage’ “We are very thankful to Rep. Leigh Hul ..read more

Charlie Wilson is celebrating 20 years as pastor of Aliceville First Baptist Church ..read more

LAHORE, Pakistan — Family members of a slain Pakistani Christian report receiving threats upon their lives if they do not drop charges against the suspect. Farhan Ul Qamar, 20, was fatally shot Nov. 9, 2023, in the presence of his family at their home in Talwandi Inayat Khan village in Punjab province. The news services Christian Daily International and Morning Star News report that Muhammad Zubair confessed to the slaying but then retracted his statement. Recently six armed invaders entered the Ul Qamar home and threatened family members at gunpoint. The alleged leader of the invaders was Zu ..read more

Shu Huang said when he moved to Alabama in 1978, he heard the gospel — and immediately rejected it. “Christians would talk to me, and I would say, ‘I don’t want this,’” he said. He and his wife, Lilly, were from Taiwan, and he hadn’t grown up thinking of himself as a sinner. He couldn’t get his head around the concept of being bound for hell because of his actions. “I thought, ‘No, I’m a good guy, I’m doing my best. I can’t accept that — it’s unreasonable,’” Shu Huang said. He even went to church and peppered the people there with questions, hoping to change their minds. But over time, God ch ..read more

God often has different plans than man. Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary and future president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, knows that all too well. Iorg had planned to retire this year, but instead he will be assuming leadership of the convention. Iorg led a ministry leadership training event on April 23 hosted by First Baptist Church of Sylacauga, where Rick Patrick is pastor. Stan Albright, director of missions of Coosa River Baptist Association, planned the event for his association as well as others who were interested. ‘Whac-A-Mole mentalit ..read more

A banana sandwich, maybe two, and a cold glass of milk tasted so good when I had played hard outside in the summertime. Many of the lazy days of summer weren’t so lazy for me as I grew up. By the time I spent two weeks in Vacation Bible School, that long in singing school, a week in revival (morning and evening services) and helped my parents do the gardening, I didn’t get to play all day every day. When my cousin Willard would come, we made up for the working days and zapped all the fun out of our time together. Because he was a couple of years older than me and male (I had all sisters), I l ..read more

It was a rainy Sunday morning, and Olalere Bolaji Funsho had made his way from Nigeria to the Atlanta airport and then by shuttle to Jacksonville State University. He had searched online for a church, but when he arrived on foot no one was there. “There he is on the corner by that church. It’s pouring down rain. A car pulled up and stopped, and a young man was in the car,” Carol Haynes recalled to The Alabama Baptist. “The man said, ‘Do you need a ride?’” Funsho told him he was trying to find a church, and the driver said he knew of one down the road, West Side Baptist in Jacksonville. He dro ..read more

It’s rare that Gene Mitchell drives anywhere in his truck listening to Christian music without getting teary-eyed, some 18 months after his wife died of cancer.  “Songs now have a different meaning, things I’ve never heard in a song before,” Mitchell told The Alabama Baptist.  The change is not just because of Donna’s death, but because of the renewed relationship with Christ he found through GriefShare at First Baptist Church Foley.  “I am now the man of God that my wife had prayed for me to be for 47 years,” Mitchell said.  Opening up A retired schoolteacher, Mitchell wa ..read more