“The story of Southern Baptists in Ohio cannot be told apart from the life and ministry of Ray E. Roberts, transplanted North Carolinian whom God brought to Ohio by the way of Kentucky,” former Ohio Baptist Messenger Editor L.H. Moore in his 1979 book, The History of Southern Baptists in Ohio.The Ray Roberts State Missions Offering is a fund supported by Ohio Southern Baptists and managed by the S...  Read More

Vacation Bible School, Hillside Church, PolkPastor Mike Feliciano, Hillside ChurchGod blessed our second VBS since we launched Hillside. We averaged 24 with a high of 25. It was nice to see families walking to VBS in our town. One 12-year-old girl was saved and then baptized the next Sunday at our church pool party. We had two visitors that Sunday and four the next Sunday. Our volunteers worked ha...  Read More

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the ...  Read More

Hey Northeast family. I pray that you are enjoying the warm weather because in northeast Ohio, we only get a few months of it. I hope you have been able to take a break and refresh for a little bit.This is also the time when many churches ramp up their outreach efforts with sports camps, back-to-school bashes, and car washes. I'm praying the Lord is blessing your effort as you share the love and g...  Read More

As I shared with you last month, I’m thrilled that we are rolling out regional worship consultants in four of our six regions! These are high-capacity leaders who serve in our SCBO churches and have been helping our churches as volunteers behind the scenes. These leaders will be driving new regional worship gatherings, and pastors, I urge you to require your worship leader to attend. It will encou...  Read More

This month, I want to simply make you aware of upcoming opportunities, free resources available, and encourage you to seek a deeper relationship with Jesus.This Saturday, August 2, the West Central Association’s Hillcrest Baptist Church in Bellefontaine will host a Pastor’s Conference for a time of preaching, praying, and praising. Centered around the theme of 2 Corinthians 4:1, highlights will in...  Read More

Partnerships are key to the work of Ohio Disaster Relief.In December 2023, Rumford, Maine, experienced terrible flooding. Much of the town, including the fire station, was damaged by floodwaters. A 12-person Ohio DR team led by Josh Wright, Urbancrest Baptist Church, deployed to Rumford. The team was supposed to do both flood and chainsaw recovery, but little did they know that God had other plans...  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 is visiting Ohio’s Southwest Region.The nations are moving into the Cincinnati area, and Travis Smalley and Amer Safadi are on a mission to reach them...  Read More

Another record Super Summer is in the books!Held at Cedarville University during the last week of June, Super Summer had record involvement with 475 students and staff in attendance. To accommodate the large number, two worship services were held each night – one for older students and one for younger students. This also allowed this year’s speaker, Dean Inserra, lead pastor, City Church, Tallahas...  Read More

The Cincinnati Area Baptist Association (CABA) is having a fruitful season with multiple outreach opportunities for sharing the gospel.Soccer camps: Three international soccer camps kicked off this summer, involving many children who have had no exposure to Bible characters or terms, let alone the gospel message. During soccer camp, students rotated through three stations, including an indoor Bibl...  Read More

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the ag...  Read More

Bethany Baptist Church, Liberty Township, VBS Follow UpPastor Wayne Yeager, Bethany Baptist Church Family Celebration - At our VBS Family Celebration, we rented inflatables, had cotton candy and snow cones, and served families who came. It was a lot of fun with many conversations throughout the event as we connected with new families. Some of the best stuff was watching our volunteers connect with...  Read More

According to a recent national study, one in seven Americans relies on food pantries for resources to feed themselves and their families. That number seems to be growing every year.That’s why Send Relief, a collaboration between NAMB and IMB, established Global Hunger Relief and the Global Hunger Fund. The money for this fund comes from local Southern Baptist churches through the Cooperative Progr...  Read More

Prayer at the Statehouse is an opportunity for pastors and other Christians to gather for prayer and praise, as well as to connect with state lawmakers.On Thursday, August 14, 10 am-11:30 am, Christians from all over Ohio will gather at the Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, to pray. The 90-minute experience will include singing worship music in the heart of our Ohio government, a keynote mes...  Read More

Super Summer is not just another event; it’s a powerful opportunity for churches to significantly impact their youth.As pastors and ministry leaders, we know the importance of cultivating effective leadership pipelines. We often consider crucial questions about the right age to start leadership training and the best environments for it. The process of identifying and nurturing potential leaders du...  Read More

BRENTWOOD, Tenn — Culture claims to know about Jesus, but many people are in the dark about who He really is. Lifeway Christian Resources’ 2026 Vacation Bible School (VBS) theme—“Illumination Station: Shining a Light on Who Jesus Really Is”—prepares churches to help kids discover Jesus is the Light of the world.“I’m so excited that VBS 2026 is all about Jesus,” said Melita Thomas, VBS specialist f...  Read More

One of the blessings of living here in the great state of Ohio is the changing of the seasons.Everyone has their favorite, and I am aware of the many opinions regarding the winters here, but even the winter months have a purpose...hopefully a few deep freezes to kill those mosquitoes! I know the normal harvest season is not here yet, but the summer months have been a harvest of blessings for the S...  Read More

A familiar face is returning to Ohio, bringing his ministry experience to benefit SCBO and Ohio Baptists.On August 1, Dr. Ryan Strother will join the SCBO team as Director of Convention Support. He previously served as the Executive Director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana.As the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Marion, Ohio, for 12 years, Strother also served SCBO from 2016-2020 i...  Read More