✝ FAITH IN FOCUS

Weekly Christian Newsletter | Week of May 5–11, 2026

A Word From the Editor

What a week it has been for the body of Christ. From heartfelt grief at the loss of a beloved broadcaster, to righteous indignation at a gospel preacher being convicted for quoting John 3:16, to quiet encouragement at news that hundreds of thousands of people are being baptized across the country—this week’s headlines carry a full range of emotion. Each story, viewed through the lens of faith, points us back to the same unchanging truth: the gospel advances, often through trial, and always in the hands of a sovereign God.

We invite you to read carefully and prayerfully. Joni Lamb’s passing reminds us that the torch of Christian broadcasting must be carried by the next generation. The conviction of Pastor Clive Johnston in Northern Ireland is a clarion call for believers everywhere to guard religious liberty before it slips away. And the Southern Baptist report on surging baptisms—five consecutive years of growth—is a reason to bow our heads in gratitude and lift them in hope. We pray this edition strengthens your faith, informs your prayers, and deepens your love for the Church.

— The Faith in Focus Team

Christian News This Week

📺 Joni Lamb, Co-Founder of Daystar Television, Dies at 65

Joni Lamb, the co-founder and president of Daystar Television Network, passed away on May 7, 2026, at the age of 65. The Bedford, Texas-based ministry she and her late husband Marcus Lamb built from a single Dallas station in 1993 has grown into one of the largest Christian broadcast networks in the world, now reaching 2.3 billion homes through cable and satellite. Joni spent nearly four decades on-air and in leadership, hosting her signature program Joni Table Talk for over two decades and serving as a tireless ambassador for the gospel on screens across the globe.

The Daystar Board of Directors released a statement saying her love for the Lord and the people they serve had shaped the ministry from its very beginning. Prior to her passing, Lamb had been battling private health challenges, later complicated by a serious back injury that worsened rapidly in her final days. She had worked with the board in advance to ensure an executive leadership team was ready to continue the ministry uninterrupted. Her second husband, Dr. Doug Weiss, and her family are requesting prayers and privacy as they grieve.

Lamb’s legacy is one of profound impact. In a media landscape often dominated by noise and distraction, she helped build a platform that brought the gospel into millions of living rooms around the world. The tributes from colleagues and viewers have been extraordinary, reflecting a life genuinely poured out in service to the Kingdom. Her passing marks both a moment of mourning and a moment of reflection for the broader Christian broadcasting community about the future of faith on the airwaves.

Source: religionnews.com – May 7, 2026​

⚖️ UK Pastor Convicted for Preaching John 3:16 in ‘Safe Access Zone’

In a case that has alarmed religious liberty advocates on both sides of the Atlantic, 78-year-old retired Baptist pastor Clive Johnston was convicted on May 7, 2026, by a Northern Ireland district court for holding an open-air church service near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. His crime, according to the court, was preaching within a 150-meter “Safe Access Zone” established under Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services Act. Critically, Johnston made no mention of abortion during the service. He simply preached from John 3:16—the most widely known verse in Scripture—played the ukulele, and shared his personal faith journey.

Judge Peter King acknowledged Johnston as “a man of strong religious belief and good character” but still fined him £450 (approximately $610) on two charges. The ruling is being called a first-of-its-kind prosecution under the buffer zone legislation, setting a troubling precedent that gospel preaching in a public space can be criminalized not based on what is actually said, but on what a listener believes the speaker might hold as a view. The Christian Institute, which provided Johnston’s legal defense, has vowed to help him pursue an appeal and called the ruling “creeping censorship.”

The case has drawn the attention of the U.S. State Department, which issued a statement saying it is monitoring buffer zone cases across the UK and Europe. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which operates a legal defense fund for those charged with speech-related offenses in Britain, has also condemned the conviction. Pastor Johnston said after the verdict, “There shouldn’t be any public spaces in Northern Ireland where you can be prosecuted and convicted simply for preaching the gospel.” For Christians worldwide, the case is a sobering reminder that religious freedom, once taken for granted, must be actively defended.

Source: christian.org.uk – May 7, 2026​

⚓ SBC Reports Five Consecutive Years of Baptism Growth

In a season when headlines about the American church can feel discouraging, the Southern Baptist Convention released a report this week that is cause for genuine praise. According to the Annual Church Profile compiled by Lifeway Research, 263,075 people were baptized in Southern Baptist churches in 2025—a nearly 5 percent increase over the prior year and the fifth consecutive year of growth. Notably, this marks the first time in 75 years that the SBC has seen five straight years of rising baptisms, and the numbers now exceed pre-pandemic levels. Every single one of those baptisms represents a soul entering the kingdom of God.

The report also showed that weekly worship attendance climbed to approximately 4.5 million, a 3.6 percent increase over 2024 and the fourth consecutive year of attendance growth. Participation in small group Bible studies and Sunday School classes also rose to over 2.6 million. The growth in baptisms was not confined to the traditional Bible Belt: Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Iowa, and California all showed some of the highest percentage increases, suggesting that the gospel is advancing across the country in unexpected places. Kevin Ezell of the North American Mission Board called each baptism “a life transformed” and urged the denomination to deepen its commitment to evangelism and discipleship.

On the challenging side, overall SBC membership fell by over 3 percent to 12.3 million—a 19th consecutive year of decline, reaching levels last seen in 1973. Researchers note this reflects both church closures and congregations cleaning up outdated membership rolls. But the story the numbers tell together is nuanced and hopeful: while formal membership rolls shrink, actual participation, community engagement, and most importantly, new conversions are trending upward. The church is not retreating. In many places, it is pressing forward.

Source: research.lifeway.com – May 5, 2026​

Weekly Devotion: Faithful in the Fire

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16 (NKJV)

There is something extraordinary about the verse that got a pastor convicted this week. John 3:16 is arguably the most famous line in all of human literature. Children memorize it. Athletes write it on eye black. It is displayed in stadium crowd signs and tattooed on arms. And yet, in Northern Ireland in the year 2026, an elderly grandfather with a ukulele was fined by a court of law for speaking it aloud on a public street. If that does not stir something in you, pause and let it sink in.

The gospel has never been welcomed by every earthly power. Jesus warned us it would not be. What is striking about the Johnston case is not the fine—it is the principle. The state did not object to what he said. The court did not argue that John 3:16 is false or harmful. The conviction rested entirely on the possibility that someone within earshot might be influenced. The gospel’s crime, apparently, is that it is persuasive. Friends, this has always been the accusation. The message of a crucified and risen Savior has always threatened those who prefer a world without the inconvenient call to repentance and new life.

And yet the Word persists. This same week, we received news that over 263,000 people were baptized in Southern Baptist churches alone last year. Five consecutive years of growth. Hearts are being changed. Lives are being transformed. The very message that a court tried to silence in Coleraine is the same message that is quietly, powerfully, unstoppably bearing fruit across America and around the world. Joni Lamb gave nearly forty years to broadcasting that message into 2.3 billion homes. She is gone now, but the mission is not. The gospel she loved and preached does not retire.

Perhaps this is the devotional thread that holds all three stories together: the gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It is powerful enough to fill baptismal waters across five continents. It is worth proclaiming even at personal legal risk. It is worth giving a lifetime of broadcasting to carry. When we feel discouraged by the cultural headwinds, let us look at the numbers from Nashville and the testimony from Coleraine and the legacy from Bedford, Texas, and remember: the gates of hell shall not prevail.

As you go into your week, consider where God is calling you to be a witness. It may not be in a courtroom or on television. It may be a conversation at a coffee shop, a note slipped to a grieving neighbor, a prayer offered over a friend in crisis. The gospel is not confined to stages or broadcast towers. It travels on lips, and in lives. Be faithful with yours.

A Prayer for This Week:

Heavenly Father, we thank You that Your Word cannot be chained. We grieve the loss of Joni Lamb and pray comfort over her family. We stand with Pastor Johnston and ask for wisdom and courage as he appeals. We rejoice over every soul baptized this year and ask You to keep those new believers rooted and fruitful. And Lord, we pray for ourselves—that we would never be ashamed of the gospel, that we would hold its truth with gentle boldness, and that the generation rising up would carry it further and brighter than those who came before. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Recommended Reading from AnsweredFaith.com

This week’s news raises vital questions about Christian resilience, religious liberty, and the power of the gospel. The following articles from AnsweredFaith.com are especially relevant to what we’ve covered:

​Christians Suffered Persecution in the Modern World​

The conviction of Pastor Johnston in Northern Ireland is one chapter in an ongoing global story of Christians facing pressure and prosecution for their faith. This article provides biblical and historical context for understanding Christian persecution in the modern era, equipping readers to pray intelligently and respond wisely.

​Examples of Persecution in the Bible​

From the apostles imprisoned for preaching to the martyrs of the early church, the Bible is filled with examples of faithful men and women who suffered for proclaiming the name of Jesus. This piece connects this week’s story of Pastor Johnston to that great cloud of witnesses, reminding us that standing firm under pressure has always been part of what it means to follow Christ.

​Examples of Revival in the Bible​

The SBC baptism report is an encouraging sign of spiritual renewal—and revival always has roots in Scripture. This article traces powerful moments of awakening throughout the biblical narrative, from the reforms of Josiah to Pentecost, providing a framework for understanding and praying into the movements of God we are witnessing today.

This Week’s Resources

📥 Digital Bible Study | AnsweredFaith.com

​13 Bible Study Lessons on Faith — by Pastor Duke Taber​

This week’s stories are, at their heart, stories about faith under pressure. Pastor Johnston’s willingness to stand in a buffer zone and preach John 3:16 was an act of faith. The families celebrating baptisms across America are responding to faith. And Joni Lamb’s four-decade ministry was sustained by faith. This 13-lesson downloadable Bible study series, authored by Pastor Duke Taber, is designed to take individuals and small groups deep into the scriptural foundations of genuine, active faith—what it looks like, what it costs, and what it produces.

Whether you’re leading a women’s group, a Sunday school class, or doing personal devotional study, these lessons are thorough, pastoral, and practical. With the news cycle reminding us this week that faith is not merely theoretical, there is no better time to anchor yourself in what Scripture actually says about believing God in the face of real opposition and real opportunity.

​→ Download the Study​

📚 Book Recommendation | Available on Amazon

​Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times — by John Eldredge​

John Eldredge is one of the most trusted voices in Christian life and discipleship, and Resilient arrives at exactly the right moment. The book directly addresses what it means to keep your soul intact when the world is hostile, the news is overwhelming, and the church itself sometimes feels battered. Eldredge draws deeply from Scripture and from his decades of counseling and ministry to offer a guide to spiritual renewal that is honest about the darkness while uncompromising about the hope. This week’s stories—a broadcaster’s death, a pastor’s conviction, and a denomination’s quiet persistence—are all stories about resilience, and Eldredge equips you to live it.

Highly rated and broadly endorsed across evangelical circles, Resilient is a book that pastors are handing to their congregations and small group leaders are choosing for their fall curriculum. If you are feeling worn down by the battles of this cultural moment, or if you want to be ready before you do, this book is an essential companion for the road ahead.

​→ Find on Amazon​

Faith in Focus | Week of May 5–11, 2026 | Serving the Body of Christ