News & Mission Stories
News / Mission Story
ABHMS seeks nominations for Edwin T. Dahlberg Award, recognizing leadership in justice and peace
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 07/15/2026)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) seeks nominations for the Edwin T. Dahlberg Peace Award to be announced at the 2027 American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) Biennial Mission Summit to be held June 10-13, 2027, in Rochester, New York.
A church helps refugees build new lives as they help build a new church
VALLEY FORGE, PA (07/13/2026)—When Pastor Joshua arrived in the United States in 2013, he was overwhelmed. His immigration process was stressful. He was worried that his limited English vocabulary would make work difficult. “I remember my first time when I started to work in the kitchen when they asked me, spoon... I couldn’t understand,” he reminisced in a meeting with the American Baptist Home Mission Societies staff in June 2026.
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.

