News & Mission Stories
News / Mission Story
Connecticut Baptists and ABHMS work together to strengthen churches
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (06/24/2026) — Church leaders from across Connecticut gathered on May 16 for a summit to help congregations move from working in isolation to serving together in mission. The vision for the event took shape when Rev. Dr. Harry Riggs, executive director of American Baptist Churches of Connecticut, …
ABHMS publications, Rev. Dr. Anna Piela honored with 2026 DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 06/19/2026)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) and its publication, The Christian Citizen, received two DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC). Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, editor of The Christian Citizen, received a third award. The 2026 honors, for works published in 2025, were awarded in April at a banquet during the council’s three-day annual convention in Cincinnati.
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom must be actively protected to survive
VALLEY FORGE, PA (06/16/2026)—Juneteenth is an important day on the American calendar because it reminds us that legal freedom does not always translate into lived reality. The holiday commemorates the moment when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—reminding us that rights promised on paper are not always realized in practice.
Walking with immigrant families in times of fear: ABHMS’ partnership supports compassion in action
VALLEY FORGE, PA (06/16/2026)—Recent immigration policy changes have made life much more stressful for immigrant families and communities in the United States. Often, amid uncertainty about their rights, parents are worried about deportation, and children fear that their families could be separated. The asylum application process is increasingly costly and complicated. While many communities rely on immigrant-owned small businesses, for many newcomers it is hard to get by.
National Treasure Awards bestowed on three distinguished American Baptist leaders at Space for Grace 2026
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 06/01/2026)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) honored three widely admired leaders of the American Baptist family with National Treasure Awards during the Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference, held April 21-23 in Cleveland, Ohio.
ABHMS supports production of resources documenting Burmese American Christians’ lives
VALLEY FORGE, PA (05/29/2026)—Burmese American Christians are a growing yet often overlooked segment of American Christianity. For many, their story of faith in the United States is tinged with displacement and trauma, but the community is extraordinarily resilient. The project “Amplifying the Stories of Burmese American Christians” draws from this strength as it collect and share the histories of Burmese American Christians.

