Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

Archives for June 2017

BUSINESS CASUAL, NO TIES RECOMMENDED FOR PHOENIX

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

Those attending the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Phoenix are encouraged to dress appropriately for the heat. Highs between 102 and 105 are expected that week, according to weather.com.

PHOENIX (BP) — Messengers and speakers attending the Southern Baptist Convention 2017 Annual Meeting in Phoenix are encouraged to dress appropriately for daily temperatures surpassing 100 degrees.

“Because of the severe heat in Phoenix during the summer months, I encourage all messengers to the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting to dress casually,” SBC President Steve Gaines told Baptist Press. “Men should feel free not to wear a necktie. Speakers on the platform are encouraged to dress in business casual attire without a necktie.

“I hope this will make our annual meeting more enjoyable for all,” said Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis, Tenn. [Read more…]

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UNUSUAL DR MINISTRY: GOD’S WAREHOUSE

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Don Owen, third from right, director of disaster relief, Nolachucky Baptist Association, based in Morristown, presents the keys to a newly purchased truck for the association DR ministries which include God’s Warehouse. From left are Larry Burnett; Nonnie Owen; Dean Haun, pastor, First Baptist Church, Morristown, which leads the Harvest of Israel project supported by the association DR; Doug Derreberry, God’s Warehouse director; Don Owen; and Cindy and Tom Jenkins. Not pictured is David Hawkins, director of missions, Nolachucky Association.

MORRISTOWN — Most people would assume that Don Owen experiences few surprises in ministry. Owen, a semi-retired businessman, has served for 13 years as a Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer and in other ministries.

But during the past several years Owen has seen God do some things that are hard to explain and unusual, he said. In fact he resisted them, he admitted.

In about 2011, 18 families in this area lost their homes to fire. During that time a friend called Owen, who is disaster relief director for Nolachucky Baptist Association based here, and asked if he wanted some furniture no longer needed by a Gatlinburg hotel.

Owen hesitated. He didn’t really want to become involved in the used furniture business. But he was aware of an empty auto repair garage and its owner through his many contacts here. Owen has lived here all of his life. The owner agreed to let the Nolachucky Association use it for storage. The space had about 1,500 square feet. [Read more…]

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ADOPTING THE PARENTAL FAITH

By David Evans
TBMB Evangelism Specialist

adult, holding, hand, child, parent, adoption, man,A problem exists within cultural Christianity that pertains to the steps of the Christian faith. If a child is raised in a Christian home, sometimes that child is raised as a “Christian.” The child acts, thinks, and talks like a Christian without having to make any type of surrender in their life. The reflection of Christianity goes as far as to make sure the child makes a verbal profession of Christ and is baptized. Parents are gratified by such actions. It is good to note at this point that it is a good thing to train a child in a way that the child should go (Proverbs 22:6), but we most often overlook the reasons why the child has followed through with such decisions. 

The problem of self-identifying with Christianity without total surrender to the faith is that you move in a Christian-like manner without being a Christian. A time exists in a child’s life that full surrender to the faith, that parents have modeled and taught, must occur. The time to live, adopt, and surrender to personal faith occurs in everyone’s life. I was in college when I came to this realization.  [Read more…]

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JUN. 11: FORGE TRUE FRIENDSHIP

By Nathan Washburn
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greenbrier

Sunday School Lesson Bible Studies For LifeFocal Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:10-13

From the beginning of creation, we know that God made us to be in relationship with others. After God had created everything else, He created man, but Adam was alone, and it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). This was the first thing that was not good. Light — good. Creatures — good. Man — good. Man alone — not good. So God created Eve, and brought her to the man. Marriage was established, and the only two people on the planet found themselves in relationship together. This shows us the profound need we have to be in relationship with others. [Read more…]

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’10 QUESTIONS’: PAGE’S GUIDE FOR PASTOR SEARCHES

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE (BP) — “Pastor Searches for Dummies” would have been a fitting title for the latest book from Frank S. Page, he wrote in the book’s introduction.

Instead, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President and CEO chose “Looking for a New Pastor” as the title of his new guidebook. The book released today (June 1) from B&H Publishing shares biblical instruction and practical insights gleaned from Page’s 34 years in the pastorate and additional, ongoing denominational service.

“I was inspired to write this book out of a deep sense of need. Having been a pastor a long time and now helping churches across our convention, I found that many churches, if not most, struggle when it comes to finding a new pastor,” Page told Baptist Press. “In almost every situation, laypersons are charged with seeking a new pastor and many of them are unprepared to ask the right questions. Thus the subtitle of the book, ’10 Questions Every Church Should Ask.'” [Read more…]

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GALLUP RECORDS ‘HUMBLING’ MORAL DECLINE

By David Roach
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — A Gallup poll indicating Americans are more “left-leaning” than ever on 10 of 19 moral issues has been called “humbling” and “chastening” by a Southern Baptist Convention seminary president. A Fordham University ethicist critiqued the poll as “deeply misleading” for suggesting moral permissiveness is limited to liberals.

In its annual Values and Beliefs survey, the Gallup polling organization found that record percentages of U.S. adults believe it is morally acceptable to use birth control (91 percent), get divorced (73 percent), engage in opposite-sex sexual acts outside of marriage (69 percent), engage in same-sex sexual acts (63 percent), have a baby outside of marriage (62 percent), commit physician-assisted suicide (57 percent), view pornography (36 percent), and practice polygamy (17 percent). [Read more…]

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

No one knows you better than your spouse. You can put on a “front” when you leave home, but at the house, not so much.

God has blessed me with a wonderful wife for almost 36 years. Joyce always has been a wonderful support and encouragement to me over the years. But she also knows the meaning of  “tough love.”

I recently had some heart-related health issues that were serious enough to send me to the emergency room. As a result, I have been making some lifestyle changes, particularly as it relates to what I eat. [Read more…]

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NAMB RESPONDS TO LAWSUIT

Baptist and Reflector

ABERDEEN, Miss. — The North American Mission Board has filed an official response to a lawsuit by former Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware executive director Will McRaney, who alleges NAMB wrongly interfered with his separation from the BCMD in 2015, engaged in “slander and/or libel” and attempted to interfere with his speaking engagements.

NAMB’s May 18 filing with a U.S. district court in Aberdeen, Miss., acknowledged notifying the BCMD in late 2014 of its intent to terminate an evangelism and church planting partnership with the convention, alleging the BCMD “became a dysfunctional and difficult ministry partner” during McRaney’s tenure. However, NAMB denied interfering with McRaney’s employment situation or any of his other business dealings and asked for dismissal of the suit. [Read more…]

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CHURCH HOLDS UNUSUAL MOTHER’S DAY EVENT

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Recording artist Nicole C. Mullen of Nashville sings and dances with children of inmates during the Mother’s Day Celebration of New Vision Baptist Church, Murfreesboro.

MURFREESBORO — The day finally arrived.

About 30 of the women inmates had waited for this occasion, some years. They were being allowed to leave their center for the first time since their incarceration.

One woman inmate had waited for six years for the event so she could be baptized.

Another 30 of the women had waited for about a year for the occasion. They looked forward to it so they could spend time with their families in addition to the regular visitation times at their center. [Read more…]

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HOW TO LIVE LIFE DESPITE BEING MARGINALIZED

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

A margin is a boundary, a border, or an edge. To be in the margin in printing or in life means to be close to the limit of value or usefulness — to be of minor effect or importance. In society — since 1970 — to be marginalized refers to a person, group, or thing treated as unimportant, powerless, less desirable, insignificant, or peripheral. To marginalize people may mean to exclude or ignore them by isolating them or leaving them on the fringes of society.  [Read more…]

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