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Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

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PASTOR KEEPS CHURCH INFORMED VIA WEBSITE

October 12, 2017

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Pastor Matt Ward of West Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland, stands with Bonnie Johnson, one of the Houston homeowners that his team helped following Hurricane Harvey.

CLEVELAND — Matt Ward, pastor of West Cleveland Baptist Church, was briefly out of sight. But he made sure he wasn’t out of mind.

Ward recently returned from a week-long stay in storm-ravaged Houston, where he served as the team leader for one of the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief units in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

During his stint in Texas, Ward diligently updated his congregation on the details of the relief efforts by posting videos, blogs, and photos on the church’s website.

“One of the most important parts about me going out to the missions field is being able to tell the stories to those who maybe haven’t gone out or are timid about it,” said Ward.  “If you don’t really have a passion for missions, it’s probably because you haven’t really understood what missions is all about.” [Read more…]

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Filed Under: News, Tennessee Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, Internet, missions, national

DR TEAM MEMBERS HAVE UNBREAKABLE BOND

September 14, 2017

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Nancy McClanahan, left, of Vonore Baptist Church, Vonore, and Joyce Curington of Roseberry Baptist Church, Mascot, share a connection as being disaster relief volunteers and widows.

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — Providing comfort to others in their time of need is the primary mission of the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams.

In the process, the team members often provide comfort to each other, too.

Following the death of their husbands, longtime DR volunteers Joyce Curington and Nancy McClanahan relied on the compassion of their team members to get them through the difficult periods. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: News, Tennessee Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, missions

DR VOLUNTEERS: THE REAL HEROES

September 14, 2017

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Last week while I was in Houston with David Dawson of our staff providing coverage of our Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers (see stories and photos throughout this issue) Willie Nelson’s song “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” came to mind.

With due respect to Willie, I would have to change “cowboys” to DR volunteers. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Opinion Column Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, missions

HOW YOUR MONEY IS USED

September 12, 2017

Baptist and Reflector

The ministry effort done by Tennessee Baptist churches through the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board would not be possible without the generous financial giving of Tennessee Baptists. That’s especially true as Tennessee Baptists respond to disaster relief needs such as we’ve seen this year with the Gatlinburg fires and Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: News, Tennessee Tagged With: Cooperative Program, Disaster Relief, Golden Offering, Hurricane Harvey

VOLUNTEERS MINISTER IN TEXAS

September 12, 2017

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Texas Baptist volunteer Alicia Rodriguez translated for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers as they assessed damages in Wharton, Texas. From left are Rodriguez; Brenda Boring, Bob Presnell, Sevier Heights Baptist Church, Knoxville; and David Helton, Rutledge Baptist Church, Rutledge.

SUGAR LAND — With Hurricane Irma and possible other major storms looming in the future, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers kept their focus on victims of Hurricane Harvey last week.

Dozens of Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers served in the Houston area, many of them at  Sugar Land Baptist Church in Sugar Land, a suburb southwest of Houston. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Featured, News, Tennessee Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, missions, volunteers

TRUMP MEETS WITH SBC’S EZELL, OTHER RELIEF LEADERS

September 5, 2017

Baptist Press

Kevin Ezell (second from left) president of the North American Mission Board represented Southern Baptist Disaster Relief in a meeting Friday (Sept. 1), with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump in the oval office at the White House to discuss disaster relief efforts in Texas.
-Screen capture from Fox News

WASHINGTON (BP) — President Donald Trump met with leaders of the three largest disaster relief organizations in the United States at the White House today (Sept. 1) to discuss relief efforts in south Texas in the wake of historic flooding and other damage left by Hurricane Harvey.

Included at the meeting were Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR), represented by North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell; American Red Cross, represented by the group’s president, Gail McGovern; and the Salvation Army, represented by Col. David Hudson, the group’s USA national chief secretary. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: News, SBC Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, NAMB

JONES: HOW YOU CAN HELP

September 1, 2017

From staff reports
Baptist and Reflector

As the updates and images continue to emerge from the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey, many Baptists in Tennessee are looking for ways to help aid the relief effort.

Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, wrote a letter to Tennessee Baptist Churches that outlines ways in which churches can get involved. The letter, which can be viewed below, was sent to pastors and church secretaries across the state. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: News, Tennessee Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, volunteers

TENNESSEE DR TEAMS REASSIGNED TO SUGARLAND

August 31, 2017

Story updated at 6:00 p.m., Sept. 4

By Baptist and Reflector

MOUNT JULIET — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams have arrived in Sugarland, Texas, and have  set up operations at Sugarland Baptist Church, according to Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

The feeding unit is set to begin providing meals on Tuesday, Sept. 5, while flood recovery teams and other volunteers will begin working upon arrival throughout this week.

The initial Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey was assigned to North Houston, Texas, on Sept. 1, but were reassigned while on route to the site, Jone said. Tennessee DR teams originally had been assigned to Sugarland.

“When I teach introduction to disaster relief I talk about the need to be fluid,” Jones said. “Our great volunteers have had to demonstrate this over and over again during this call out. Pray for safety, quick organization, and strength for the work,” Jones said.

Jones also cautioned that another hurricane (Irma) has reached Category 4 status in the Atlantic Ocean and another response may be needed on the East Coast by the weekend. “We will need all the volunteers we can get to minister to those affected by these hurricanes,” he said.

 

“My prayer is that God will use these responses to build relationships and reach people for Christ,” Jones said.

Jones said the Tennessee DR team has received a high volume of calls from those seeking training in order to be equipped to aid the relief process when the call comes.

Randy Davis, executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is calling for Baptists to respond to the relief efforts with prayer, mobility and giving.

“This disaster is a disaster that eclipses so much of what we have known in our lifetime,” said Davis. “It’s going to take all of us, not just in Tennessee but across our nation, to respond as only believers in Christ can respond — with care, compassion and excellence.”

Earlier this week, during a conference call on Aug. 28, DR leaders were informed that many roads in Texas were not yet passable.

Jones said other Tennessee Baptist units will remain on alert and be assigned as in the coming days.

Across Texas, families are searching tirelessly for missing relatives on the sixth day since the catastrophic storm made its first landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, CNN reported.

At least 37 deaths related to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath have been reported in Texas.

Emergency workers and throngs of volunteers went door to door in Houston on Wednesday, trying to rescue victims of the flood. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said authorities have received 60,000 to 70,000 calls for help.

The unrelenting storm, now classified as Tropical Depression Harvey, continues to devour cities in Texas, CNN reported on Thursday. It has unleashed its wrath on a wide swath east of Houston, leaving thousands stranded in flooded homes and forcing the evacuation of a nursing facility and even an emergency shelter where residents had sought refuge.

For updates on the storm and relief efforts, visit the Baptist and Reflector site. If you would like to donate to the response effort, visit http://tndisasterrelief.org/contributions/ or mail a check to TBMB DR, PO Box 682789, Franklin, Tenn., 37068. Write “Harvey Relief” in the memo line.

 

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Filed Under: Featured, News, Tennessee Tagged With: Disaster Relief, Hurricane Harvey, missions

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Recent Posts

  • SBC DALLAS: GAINES URGES ‘GENUINE UNITY OF SPIRIT’
  • CITY REACH OFFERS ‘NUTS & BOLTS’ MINISTRY
  • Waffle House killer arrested following ‘scary’ Sunday
  • APRIL 29: ENJOYING GOD’S COMFORT
  • APRIL 29: STAND WITH CONVICTION
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baptisms Baptist Collegiate Ministries Bible: Acts Bible: Matthew Bible: Psalms Carson-Newman University childhood Christmas church revitalization collegiate Cooperative Program Disaster Relief education election evangelism Five Objectives Gatlinburg fires Golden Offering homosexuality IMB international LifeWay LMCO Lonnie Wilkey Lottie Moon missions money NAMB national new churches pastors prayer racial reconciliation Randy C. Davis SBC annual meeting sports Steve Gaines Summit TenneScene transgender Union University volunteers WMU Woman's Missionary Union youth

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