The 165 students earning bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies at Darrington Prison Unit in South Texas no longer can attend classes, with the prison on lockdown since the presence of COVID-19 was confirmed in the facility.

Baptist News Global announced April 15 its board of directors named Mark Wingfield, associate pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church and a former managing editor of the Baptist Standard, as executive director and publisher of the news service.

Already heavy-laden with the turmoil of a global COVID-19 pandemic, residents in several Southern states suffered the added burden of a string of tornadoes Easter Sunday.

The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees approved structural changes and postponed adoption of the 2021 budget, acknowledging the seminary has instituted budget cuts of about 25 percent, including faculty and staff layoffs.

Pieces of papyrus sold as rare fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary a decade ago are “likely fraudulent” and the seminary might seek financial restitution, the school announced in a statement April 6.

With many churches reporting strained budgets due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, GuideStone is offering a one-time opportunity for both group plans and personal plans to step down to a lower-cost health care plan for the remainder of 2020.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health concerns, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s annual general assembly will be a virtual event rather than in-person gathering this summer, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley announced.

Molly T. Marshall has stepped down as president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary due to an unspecified “ethical lapse,” according to a statement from the seminary.

International Mission Board senior leaders have directed missionary personnel around the world to postpone hosting any ministry volunteer groups through June 30. The IMB also urged all long-term and mid-term personnel to follow U.S. Department of State advice to shelter in place.

The North American Mission Board is implementing a series of budgetary freezes and cutbacks designed to keep missionaries on the field during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Transitioning to an online format for church services has brought challenges for many congregations, as they grapple with technology limits and handling a new era of needs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting has been canceled for the first time in 75 years.