It’s the end of an era for Bill Jones and the “Weekly Baptist Roundup” he has faithfully compiled over the past decade.
Jones announced last week that Dec. 18, 2021, would be the 500th, and final, edition of the Roundup in which he compiled links to resources relevant to people of faith in general, and to “moderate-to-progressive” Baptists in particular.
Save for a 10-month hiatus from August 2017 through May 2018, Jones has released his Roundup weekly since May 2011, with readership growing to more than 800 subscribers since its launch.
Good Faith Media articles, podcasts and other resources frequently appeared in the Roundup – as did EthicsDaily.com’s and Nurturing Faith’s content prior to GFM’s formation.
“Bill Jones is a faithful Christian and effective communicator,” said GFM’s executive leadership – Mitch Randall, Autumn Lockett and John Pierce. “His good work reminds Baptists of who we are historically, and of the value of religious liberty and a free press. We wish him well.”
Following two decades as a technical writer and editor, Jones served as the executive director of Texas Baptists Committed from January 2011 to July 2017, when he retired and TBC ended its 30-year ministry. A brief history of TBC is available here.
A desire for more time to research and write, and the need to care for family members, were among the reasons Jones cited for the decision to end the Roundup. Ongoing conversations with his late-wife Joanna before her death in February 2021 about the need to either reduce the amount of time spent on the Roundup or bring it to an end was another significant factor, he said.
Jones will continue to edit the curated article page for Baptist News Global, to write for publication at several online outlets, to post links and some personal writings on his blog and social media accounts, and to serve on several non-profit boards.
“Besides providing links to Baptist news and opinion, Weekly Baptist Roundup has been a vehicle for highlighting beneficial Baptist ministries, movements, personalities, meetings and opportunities for service, learning and dialogue,” Jones told GFM via email.
“Its reach became evident early on, as I traveled to Baptist meetings across Cooperative Baptist Fellowship life, as well as the more eclectic membership at Baptist History & Heritage Society meetings, and would invariably be approached by at least three or four people, thanking me for the Roundup,” he said. “Weekly Baptist Roundup has provided Baptist news and opinion from a wide variety of sources, many of which its readers would likely have never otherwise seen, and I believe it has helped to broaden the perspective of many Baptists. Personally, many wonderful friendships have come to me through the Roundup.”
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