ethnic Archives - Baptist & Reflector

ALL NATIONS CAMP IMPACTS STUDENTS

June 16, 2017

By Michael Smith
Contributing Writer, B&R

A record number 278 students recently attended All Nations Camp held at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport. The camp attracted participants from 18 ethnic churches across the state.

NEWPORT — God’s favor was evident before and during the annual All Nations Camp at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center on May 29-June 2, and the spiritual impact from the week will be seen for years to come.

The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board sponsored camp, in its 24th year, saw a record turnout of 278 registered students. There were 158 recorded spiritual decisions, with 104 students professing their faith in Christ — the most in the camp’s history.

Students, ages 7 to 17 years old, spent the week enjoying games, nature activities, energetic worship, and insightful group Bible studies. [Read more…]

LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH HISPANIC CHURCH

May 4, 2017

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

William Burton, church planting strategist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and volunteer church planter at Esperanza Church@ Harpeth First Baptist, speaks during a recent worship service. — Photos by Lonnie Wilkey

FRANKLIN — Missions and helping new churches have been a way of life for Earl and Violet Newcomb since the mid-1950s when they helped start the first of six churches at what is now Cross Keys Baptist Church in College Grove.

Earl Newcomb served as song leader while operating a business in Franklin and Violet served as pianist and church treasurer.

Their mantra has always been, “Lord, open the door and we will go.” [Read more…]

CHURCH GIVES FACILITY FOR HISPANIC CHURCH

May 4, 2017

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

God’s Gathering Place, Chattanooga, recently became the East Ridge Campus and Community Center of Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga. Standing in front of the former sanctuary of God’s Gathering Place, are, from left, Dennis Culbreth, director of missions, Hamilton County Baptist Association; Dwight Millsaps, former pastor, God’s Gathering Place; and Micah Fries, pastor, Brainerd Baptist.

CHATTANOOGA — God has worked through what most people would call a failure, says Dwight Millsaps, former pastor of a small church, God’s Gathering Place, in Chattanooga.

Though the church disbanded several months ago, recently God’s Gathering Place gave its facilities worth about $1 million to Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, to meet a need of that church.

Brainerd Baptist needed more space for its Hispanic Congregation. Other positive factors are that the neighborhood has many Hispanic residents and the two churches are located only about a mile apart, though on different sides of Interstate 24.

[Read more…]

RCBA PROVIDES ELL FOR 18 YEARS

February 24, 2017

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Judy Hurst, center, who is director of the English for Language Learners ministry of Robertson County Baptist Association, stands with new students at a recent meeting. From left are Isidro Silva of Mexico, Samuel Nageeb of Egypt, Hurst, Naftali Piña of Mexico, Yaneth Morales of Mexico, and Karla Caballero of El Salvador.

SPRINGFIELD — Robertson County Baptist Association (RCBA), based here, has offered an English for Language Learners ministry for 18 years.

The ELL program of RCBA, draws about 100 people weekly from Spanish-speaking countries, Iran, Egypt, Brazil, and China to Springfield Baptist Church, said Judy Hurst, member of Springfield Baptist, who is ELL director.

Students attend Thursday evening classes which are offered simultaneously with the RCBA’s HiSET classes, or Thursday morning classes. Aspects of the program that make it popular are that childcare is provided and five levels of classes as well as a citizenship class are offered, Hurst added. [Read more…]

MINISTERING AMONG HISPANICS, ETHNICS

February 24, 2017

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Luis Lopez, right, coordinator for Hispanic work, Robertson County Baptist Association, based in Springfield, speaks to Bartolo Eduardo Perez Juarez, center, and Argenis Zarate Gutierrez at a HiSET class of RCBA held at Springfield Baptist Church, Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — With only two Hispanic Baptist congregations in this area and about 10,000 Hispanic residents, opportunities abound to reach Hispanics here with the gospel, said Luis Lopez of the Robertson County Baptist Association (RCBA).

Also the Hispanic population here is expected to grow 30 percent in the next five years — to 13,000, added Lopez, coordinator for Hispanic work of RCBA.

“The harvest is here. We just need to reap it,” he stated. [Read more…]

ETHNIC CHURCHES DOUBLE IN TENNESSEE

February 7, 2017

Learn about, consider fervent evangelism of ethnics: William Burton

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Editor’s note: You can hear William Burton discuss ethnic ministries during Episode 4 of Radio B&R, the official news podcast of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

Jana Guy of the Arabic Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, participates in an activity of a children’s Sunday School training conference on Jan. 21 in Murfreesboro. The conference was led by Vicki Hulsey, right, of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff. Looking on is Amira Abdul-Sayed of the Arabic Baptist Church of Tusculum Hills Baptist, Nashville.

BRENTWOOD — Ethnic Baptist churches associated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention have nearly doubled in number — to about 200 — in the last 18 months.

One of the most important groups being reached by the new churches are Arabic speakers, said William Burton, ethnic evangelism/church planting specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Currently there are five Arabic Baptist churches in Tennessee.

“For me, that’s one of the most exciting things that we’re doing because that’s a group that’s obviously in the news. There’s a lot of fear, concern.” [Read more…]

REACHING NEIGHBORHOODS: PASTORS

April 8, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Armida Garcia, left, Yasid Diaz, center, and Frumencio Diaz discuss an Easter activity with a new friend at Walker Memorial Baptist Church, Franklin. The activity was for Walker Memorial and Iglesia Bautista de las Americas, Franklin, which now shares a facility with Walker Memorial Baptist.

FRANKLIN — To reach its neighborhood, which is home to a lot of Hispanics, Walker Memorial Baptist Church here considered starting a Hispanic congregation. Then it learned from the Tennessee Baptist Convention staff of a Baptist Hispanic congregation meeting in its city and God began to work.

What Walker Memorial Baptist and Iglesia Bautista de las Americas (Baptist Church of the Americas) worked out led the Hispanic church to leave a bigger church building where they were meeting to move to Walker Memorial for one reason, the two pastors explained.

Josh Franks, pastor, Walker Memorial, and Nathan Velasquez, pastor, Las Americas, said both congregations will be better able to minister to the Hispanic neighbors of Walker Memorial if they work together.

Simply put, they needed each other. [Read more…]

Learn about, consider fervent evangelism of ethnics: William Burton

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