Blessings from the Northwest Region. For many of us, summer is a time to reset. We are celebrating graduations, spending extra time with family, and taking vacations after a busy spring. As we reflect, there’s so much to be thankful for here in the Northwest Region.We are grateful to prayerfully and financially support four effective ministries that are making a real impact in the NW: WellSpring, ...  Read More

A group of 25 Ohio pastors, mostly African American, visited The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky recently. Reggie Hayes, SCBO senior staff, coordinated the trip with the assistance of Jeremy Pelton, SBTS admissions coordinator.As an outgoing member of The Southern Seminary Board of Trustees, I desired to help minority pastors from Ohio underst...  Read More

According to a June 4, 2025, LifeWay Research article, National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) report revealed 35% of all clergy in the U.S. serve bivocationally, holding an additional job outside of their congregational ministry.Among evangelical Protestants, bivocational ministry is even more common. The study found almost half (47%) report having a second job. Around a third of Black Protes...  Read More

Throughout 2025, SCBO is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Cooperative Program with “CP100,” a series of interviews highlighting the impact of the Cooperative Program on churches and individuals in each of Ohio’s six regions.This month, CP100 visits the Northeast Region of Ohio.The Cooperative Program isn’t like a club membership, according to Pastor Gary Frost, The Open Door Church, Youngs...  Read More

DALLAS — Southern Baptists united to celebrate 58 newly appointed International Mission Board missionaries, during the June 10 opening session of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. Church messengers watched as missionaries took the stage to share their calling and thank those who are supporting their Great Commission task.“It’s so good to be with you today as we gather, toge...  Read More

DALLAS (BP) – More than 18,000 people gathered at the Dallas convention center for the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting under the theme “Hold Fast” from Hebrews 10 and an urging from SBC President Clint Pressley to cling to what makes Southern Baptists unique.Messengers saw moments of celebration of Southern Baptist doctrine and cooperation as well as some moments of intense debate about how best to protec...  Read More

Young adults, ages 18-25, mark your calendars now for the 1825 Conference on October 17-18, at Lifepoint Church, Lewis Center. Sponsored by 1825, the college and young adult ministry at Lifepoint, the Friday night, all-day Saturday conference features the theme “Press” based on Philippians 3:13-14.“Philippians 3 hits three different times of our lives; past, present, and future. We will press rewi...  Read More

With over 18,000 individuals gathering together in Dallas, the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention is now in the books. There are many joys of being at the Annual Meeting, but for me, seeing so many Ohio Baptists and representing the SCBO is always a blessing.As great as it is to hear wonderful preaching, see friends from all over the country, and visit the exhibit halls, the annual highlight for me ...  Read More

LifeWay Research recently asked pastors, "Which of the following spiritual needs are important in your own life to invest in as a pastor?" 72% of pastors answered that consistency in personal prayer is their greatest spiritual need. Join a group from SCBO as we travel to New York for The 6:4 Fellowship Day of Renewal on July 29, in New York City at the Brooklyn Tabernacle.Day of Renewal will inspi...  Read More

NASHVILLE (BP) – It was a challenging time for the SBC’s Cooperative Program (CP). The U.S. economy slowed. Baptist leaders committed embarrassing and costly sins. As some alleged creeping liberalism in the Convention, doctrinal squabbles threatened cooperation.The SBC president put it this way: “Many of our people have become discouraged and disheartened, while others have lost their enthusiasm a...  Read More

In the past year and a half, I’ve tried to learn as much as I possibly can about how Southern Baptists are serving churches across the country in the area of worship.Through conferences, contacts, and some wonderful friendships, I’ve gotten to see what other states are doing in worship ministry. Georgia and South Carolina are utilizing a model that I would like to replicate in Ohio. It’s very simi...  Read More

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ga 5:22–24). (2016). Crossway Bibles.Great things are happening through our cooperation in the South...  Read More

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Dallas was a great time to share about the ministry of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) and get together with old friends. The SBDR display in the Exhibition Hall featured a new Quick Response Feeding unit from Arkansas DR that really drew a crowd.During the SBC, I received a call from the Fayette County Emergency Manager. Circleville, Ohio suffered ...  Read More

Ever watch a duck gliding across a pond? It looks so calm and graceful. But if you look under the water you would see the duck’s feet paddling like crazy. Keep the duck in mind as we look behind the scenes at Ohio Disaster Relief.It’s a Thursday morning and a strong storm swept across Ohio overnight bringing straight-line winds known as a derecho. The 70 mph winds have knocked out power and downed...  Read More

For over five years, Joshua Ashwill has been ministering to residents of inner city Columbus through Salt and Light Church, a Send Network Ohio church plant.Salt and Light meets at Stowe Mission, a community resource center on Parsons Avenue in Columbus.“Lots goes on from an outreach perspective here at Stowe, and we get to come alongside as a local church, to be involved in a lot of those things,...  Read More

At the Southern Baptist Conference for Associational Leaders (SBCAL) Dr. Jeff Iorg, president of the SBC Executive Committee, led a breakout session outlining six reasons the association matters in SBC life.The association coordinates churches in a local context to do missions together. It can be the catalyst for networking churches to make an impact in the community for the gospel. Smaller church...  Read More

What’s the ‘state of prayer’ for pastors and the church? The church in Acts determined to “devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.”A 2025 research survey of 2,178 pastors suggests we’re not doing so well in creating a culture of prayer. Two out of three pastors responding to the survey did not describe prayer as “important to the core of their ministry.”Fifty-four percent of churc...  Read More

And Hannah prayed and said,“My heart exults in the Lord;my horn is exalted in the Lord.My mouth derides my enemies,because I rejoice in your salvation.“There is none holy like the Lord:for there is none besides you;there is no rock like our God.The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Sa 2:1–2). (2016). Crossway Bibles.Life is difficult. Ministry is difficult.Hannah was just coming out of a rea...  Read More