The Baptist Messenger

The Baptist Messenger is distributed to around 45,000 homes, making it the third biggest newspaper in Oklahoma based on paid subscriptions.

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Articles

Pastors Remain Committed to the Pulpit

4 weeks ago | baptistmessenger.com | Aaron Earls

This article was originally written by Aaron Earls and published to Lifeway Research. BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Pastors face unique challenges in their role and often feel overwhelmed, but few decide to step away from the pulpit and pursue another career. Only around 1 in 100 pastors leave the ministry each year, according to a Lifeway Research study of evangelical and Black Protestant pastors.
‘A Unity of Purpose’ book celebrates CP’s past, present and future

1 month ago | baptistmessenger.com | Laura Erlanson

This article was originally written by Laura Erlanson and published to BaptistPress.com. DALLAS (BP) – As Southern Baptists prepare to observe the Cooperative Program’s 100th anniversary next month, a new book aims to help the celebration mean even more.
Church Toolbox - Christianity No Longer Shrinking in the U.S.

1 month ago | baptistmessenger.com | Aaron Earls

This article was originally written by Aaron Earls and published to Lifeway Research. After decades of decline, U.S. Christianity has leveled off. Additionally, the religiously unaffiliated has reached a plateau, according to Pew Research. In the new Religious Landscape Study (RLS) from Pew Research, the largest study of religious identification and practice in America, Christianity demonstrated stability, remaining slightly above 60% in recent years.
Sword and Trowel - Dear Class of 2025...

1 month ago | baptistmessenger.com | Brian P. Hobbs

It’s the month of May, and that means graduation ceremonies will be happening soon across the state. The Class of 2025—from high school to college to post-graduate students— will share in this important moment of achievement and celebration. As part of this rite of passage, many will take part in commencement events that will include speeches with advice to live by. Throughout history, there have been a few commencement addresses that seem to have made a lasting impact.
Oklahoma town sees another tornado as storms pass through the region | Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma

2 months ago | baptistmessenger.com

This article was originally written by Scott Barkley and published to the Baptist Press. ADA, Okla. (BP) — A second tornado to strike this town in as many months has residents thankful the destruction wasn’t worse, but nevertheless on edge. The combination of tornadoes and straight-line winds,
Sword and Trowel: Remembering Our Heroes

2 months ago | baptistmessenger.com | Brian P. Hobbs

Those of us who were living in Oklahoma at the time could never forget that fateful day. April 19, 1995, like the Pearl Harbor and the September 11th attacks, marks a date that will live in infamy. Yet, rising from the ashes, the people of this state, led by pastors and people of faith, discovered some hidden strength that God had given us that we did not even know was there. The photos and stories of heroism from the time following the Oklahoma City bombing are known throughout the world.
Astronaut and elder: Wilmore returns home

2 months ago | baptistmessenger.com | Scott Barkley

This article was originally written by Scott Barkley and published to BaptistPress.com. Feature image courtesy of NASA/Robert MarkowitzPASADENA, Texas (BP) – Barry Wilmore attended his first elders meeting in nearly a year at Providence Baptist Church on April 10. His absence was understandable.
Lifeway: Student Ministry Leaders and Parents Share Goals, Desire to Work Together

Mar 29, 2025 | baptistmessenger.com | Aaron Earls

This article was originally written by Aaron Earls and published to Lifeway Research. Anecdotes often portray parents and student ministry leaders at odds, but both groups share a desire to see the next generation grow spiritually. Each also believes they have a positive, healthy relationship with the other. A study from Lifeway Students and Lifeway Research explores the perspective of churchgoing parents of teenagers and those who lead student ministries in local churches.
Half of churches experiencing post-pandemic attendance growth

Mar 21, 2025 | baptistmessenger.com | Aaron Earls

This article was originally written by Aaron Earls and published to Lifeway Research. BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Half of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches are growing, but some warning signs remain about their congregational future. U.S. Protestant churches are almost evenly split between those that have grown within the past two years and those that are plateaued or declining, according to an Exponential study by Lifeway Research.
Sword and Trowel - Reaching the Lost... Losing the 'Reached'?

Mar 21, 2025 | baptistmessenger.com | Brian P. Hobbs

Did you know that Southern Baptists, together through our Cooperative Program giving and our International Mission Board (IMB) work, currently have some 3,600 missionaries now serving in 155 countries? These missionaries are working overtime to reach the lost and spread the Good News of Jesus to people who have never heard the Gospel.