The staff at the Baptist and Reflector wishes all of our readers a happy Easter as we join you in worshiping our risen Savior during these special days!
MAKING EASTER AN EVERYDAY EVENT
In terms of the calendar, Easter is coming early this year.
Last spring, we celebrated Easter on April 9, and the previous year, it was April 17.
For those who might be interested (perhaps there are a few other calender nerds like myself out there), it’s actually been eight years since we last celebrated the resurrection in March — as we are doing this year — and it’s only happened five times since the turn of the century.
But here’s the thing: Even though Easter might feel early, I would argue that it is arriving not a moment too soon. Given the current social climate in our nation, we need an emphasis on the empty tomb as soon as we can get it. [Read more…]
SNAPSHOTS IN TIME
The Aug. 2, 1900 issue of the B&R spotlighted the East Tennessee college. After initial discussions in the early 1840s, the East Tennessee Baptist Educational Society applied in 1850 for a charter to establish an institution of higher learning.
Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary offered its first classes in August 1851 under President William Rogers.
As noted in their founding documents, the founders possessed a twofold intent: “to promote education in general, and among the ministry in particular.” [Read more…]
EASTER REMAINS A HIGH ATTENDANCE DAY FOR MOST CHURCHES
BRENTWOOD — Most pastors are expecting one of their largest crowds on Easter, but those expectations have tempered some in the past decade.
The three highest-attendance Sundays for pastors—Easter, Christmas and Mother’s Day—have remained the same since 2011, but each is now less likely to be among the top days, according to a Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors.
“While many churches consider high attendance as something from their pre-pandemic past, seasonal changes have resumed,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Church attendance is predictable again with periods of consistency in the fall and early spring, as well as holiday crowds at Christmas and Easter.” [Read more…]
VAN NESTE NAMED UNION’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY MINISTRIES
JACKSON — Union University has named Ray Van Neste, dean of its School of Theology and Missions, as vice president for university ministries.
Van Neste will continue to serve as dean in addition to his new role, where he will oversee Union’s chapel program, church relations and pastoral care responsibilities for the university community.
“Ray Van Neste has a combination of theological depth, personal integrity, commitment to Union’s mission and leadership capacity that make him ideal for this role,” Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said. “His dedication to and service at Union over 25 years have demonstrated this and have helped prepare him for this important leadership position.” [Read more…]
SPIRITUAL FRUIT BLOOMING IN BLUEOVAL
STANTON — For Mike Young, the excitement surrounding BlueOval City can be divided into three parts: Past, present and future.
Young, senior pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Brownsville, has already seen some incredible evangelistic stories emerge during his involvement with BlueOval City — the massive Ford auto plant in Stanton — and said he can’t wait to see what God has in store for the days ahead.
“God has been at work here at ground zero of the BlueOval region since the groundbreaking,” said Young. “The churches of the Haywood Baptist Association have coalesced and worked together to seize this unique opportunity of reaching this great influx of workers that have descended on Haywood County,” he said.
The BlueOval City plant, which is expected to employ an estimated 10,000 workers when it is fully operational, is a point of evangelistic emphasis for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board as part of the Acts 2:17 Initiative. [Read more…]
EC MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY ELECT JEFF IORG
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information and quotes.
DALLAS — Sixty members of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention voted unanimously in executive session to elect Jeff Iorg as its new president/chief executive officer during a called meeting March 21 in Dallas.
The election of Iorg comes after a lengthy search and a failed attempt to elect a successor for an EC president and CEO following the October 2021 resignation of Ronnie Floyd.
Iorg transitions to the new role after 20 years at Gateway. He enters the position at a crucial moment in SBC life, as the EC copes with financial and legal challenges amid the denomination’s reckoning with sexual abuse and declining baptisms, among other concerns. [Read more…]
TBC PASTOR OFFERS INSIGHT ON IORG NOMINATION
SEYMOUR — It took more than two years, a change in committees and a lot of ups and downs, but the search for a new president/chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee appears to be over.
The Executive Committee will meet in a special called meeting March 21 to approve the nomination of Jeff Iorg.
When the vote is tallied and should Iorg be approved, Tennessee pastor Corey Cain and the other members of the EC search committee can breathe a sigh of relief.
Cain, pastor of First Baptist Church, Seymour, shared some insights on how Iorg, who is retiring as president of Gateway Seminary in Ontario, Calif., came to be the nominee. [Read more…]
TBC PASTORS TO SPEAK AT SBC CONFERENCE
FRANKLIN — Three Tennessee Baptist pastors are among the 11 speakers announced to address the 2024 Pastors’ Conference in Indianapolis June 9-10 preceding the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
Stephen Rummage, senior pastor of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and conference president, announced last August that the theme would be “Faithful: Pursuing Your Mission” and based on Revelation 17:14. Erik D. Cummings, lead pastor of New Life Church in Carol City, Fla., is serving as vice president while Ray Anderson, minister of missions and evangelism at Quail Springs, is the treasurer. [Read more…]
TBMB LEADERS: EASTER SUNDAY SHOULD BE ‘MAIN EVENT’ OF THE CALENDAR YEAR
FRANKLIN — Churches should consider “putting all their eggs into one basket” and making Easter Sunday morning worship “the main event of the year,” according to Wayne Causey.
“Since we believe Easter Sunday morning is the pinnacle event of the church year, our churches should make the day as special as possible,” said Causey, retired associate pastor of music and worship at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville and contract music and worship specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Roc Collins, director of strategic objectives for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, agreed that Easter Sunday is a prime time for sharing the gospel with unchurched people. [Read more…]