VALLEY FORGE, PA (08/08/2025)—On K Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, a sacred gathering is held on Saturdays. In an act of discipleship, volunteers from First Baptist Church of Lincoln and other churches in town come together to help fulfill their neighbors’ need for sustenance and human belonging. Thanks to the K Street Lunch initiative, those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Lincoln can partake in God’s bounty that involves a nutritious meal and community connection.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (08/08/2025)—Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds in Yamhill, Oregon, are American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) longtime ministry partners. They grow food, welcome students, host tours, and teach earth-honoring ways of living. Indigenous spiritual frameworks define Eloheh’s mission, focusing on right relationship with the land, animals, water, and people; non-extractive, regenerative practices in farming and teaching; decolonization of theology; and healing and restoration through community and earth-centered justice.

VALLEY FORCE, PA (07/17/2025)—Union Baptist Church in Mystic, Conn., one of American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) many longtime supporters, looks like many small-town churches in New England. It is a beautiful, historic, white-steepled building; it also houses a congregation charting a bold course. Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Lonnie Brown, Union Baptist has embraced a public theology of welcome and justice, becoming a spiritual home for those often pushed to the margins. The church is doing more than proclaiming openness: it’s practicing it. At a time when many churches are shrinking or disagreeing over social justice issues, Union Baptist is finding growth not in numbers, but in courage and clarity.

OMAHA, NE (ABNS 07/02/2025)—What follows is a pastoral response from the senior leadership of American Baptist Home Mission Societies on behalf of its Board of Directors to recent actions by federal authorities directed at immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and those facing deportation.Dear American Baptist Family,Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.For generations, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has responded to Christ's call to welcome the stranger and walk with those on the margins.

A visitor to the corner of 79th and Cottage Grove in Chicago will see a derelict, half-vacant strip mall. Framed by cracked pavement and shuttered storefronts, the building is a silent testament to decades of disinvestment. This once-lively commercial hub now feels abandoned. There are no grocery stores or pharmacies nearby, just a payday lender and a liquor store. For longtime residents of the neighborhood, this landscape is not just inconvenient. It is demoralizing. Without access to grocery stores selling healthy food or necessary services, areas like this one are caught in a cycle of neglect. This reinforces inequality and stifles opportunity, as run-down shopping centers attract crime and drag down neighborhoods.

Valley Forge, PA (06/20/2025)—Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries is one of ABHMS’ partners that supports refugees and immigrants in their journey of resettlement, integration, and healing. It serves newcomers from Afghanistan, Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Iraq, Central America, and Haiti, among others. Every year, it celebrates the resilience and dignity of people it serves on World Refugee Day, in the spirit of its mission: “to advocate, celebrate, and empower (A.C.E.) ethnic churches, pastors, and new Americans from different parts of the world. We promote and speak the language of love. Our work is weaving God’s love across cultures.”