Shades Crest Baptist calls Ratcliff as new pastor

May 17, 2026

Shades Crest Baptist Church in Hoover called Dustin Ratcliff as its new pastor May 17. Ratcliff has been serving since 2016 as a staff pastor

First person: Finding grandeur of God’s love in rural ministry

May 17, 2026

Our sanctuary may not be large, but it carries the weight of a couple generations of worship.

First person: Aimlessly twirling in the outfield might leave us out of some cool God moments

May 16, 2026

Seven-year-old J dances to the beat of her own drum — and she proved it even more during her city baseball league’s opening game in early May.

Victory Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham burns

May 15, 2026

A major fire destroyed Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham today (May 15). The cause is currently unknown. The church has previously been through a blaze – in October 2025, it caught fire and suffered fire and water damage.

Court rejects document showing girl too young to marry

May 15, 2026

Christian Pakistani parents trying to prove that their abducted daughter is too young to marry saw her official birth record rejected by the country’s Federal Constitutional Court.

Letters to the Editor

May 15, 2026

See some of the latest letters we’ve received at The Alabama Baptist.

State Board of Missions to help with IMB learning center renovations; search team assessing ‘thoroughbreds’

May 15, 2026

Alabama Baptists are joining South Carolina Baptists in donating $1 million to the International Mission Board to be used for renovation of missionary housing at