FRANKLIN — Ten Acts 2:17 workgroups have been named (see full lists below) and have begun working on their assigned tasks.
Tennessee Baptist Convention messengers at last year’s annual meeting in Chattanooga overwhelmingly adopted vision and priority statements that will ultimately lead to every Tennessean hearing the gospel. For more on this, see article in Nov. 23, 2023 issue of the Baptist and Reflector.
The priority statements are grouped into categories: Fueling Church Collaboration, Catalyzing Spiritual Maturity, Transforming Family Impact and Confronting Mental Health.
Each workgroup includes a diversity of members coming from pastors, church staff, lay people, the Acts 2:17 vision team, convention institutions and TBMB staff, said William Maxwell, chief administrative officer for TBMB for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Maxwell — along with Randy C. Davis, TBMB president and executive director, and Steve Holt, TBMB church services director — are helping to coordinate the workgroup meetings.
Randy C. Davis
“The workgroups formulated around the opportunities and needs identified by grassroots Tennessee Baptists over the last year are competent men and women of deep character from all walks of life,” said Davis. “It is a solid representative gathering of TBC’s best.”
Jay Hardwick, president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and chairman of the Acts 2:17 Initiative Task Force, expessed his appreciation for the workgroups. “I’m grateful for the willingness of so many Tennessee Baptists to lend their gifts and wisdom to bring the Acts 2:17 vision to life through focused strategic objectives and metrics.
“I’m excited to see how God will use these teams to shape our collaborative work to reach Tennessee and beyond for Christ,” Hardwick said.
Holt noted his appreciation for those who accepted roles on each of the workgroups.
“I am grateful for these men and women and their willingness to be used by the Lord to help Tennessee Baptists set the course for our convention for the next several years,” Holt said.
“The years ahead are critical for our state and our world,” he said.
“We desperately need a movement of God among our churches that will empower us to boldly proclaim the gospel, disciple believers effectively, and mobilize those disciples to disciple others,” Holt said.
Steve Holt
“Acts 2:17 has the potential to sharpen the focus of the TBC on the priority of reaching our neighborhoods and the nations for Christ,” he added.
Each workgroup is charged with developing an objective statement and specific strategies to accomplish the objective and specific measurable goals for each strategy.
Each workgroup will also be preparing an estimated budget to accomplish the budget based on the goals.
Davis encouraged Tennessee Baptists to pray for the members of each workgroup in the days ahead as they began work on the initiative.
“I would ask all to persistently and by name intercede for your Acts 2:17 workgroups as they move through this important journey,” Davis added.
The final report from the workgroups will be compiled and presented to messengers at the annual meetingw of the Tennessee Baptist Convention to be held Nov. 10-13 in Murfreesboro. B&R
Collaboration Workgroup
Chair – Rick Stevens, AMS, Cumberland Association
Donny Crass, pastor, Niles Ferry, Greenback
Steve Holt, TBMB church service director
Joe Sorah, TBMB Harvest Field teams leader
Grace Johnson, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, Cleveland State CC
Jim Snyder, AMS, Chilhowee Association
Brian Smith, pastor-associate/executive, Stuart Heights, Chattanooga
Bill Henard, pastor, Athens First, Athens
Kim McGehee, pastor’s wife, church weekday director, Grace, Tullahoma
Bill Gruenewald, president, Tennessee Baptist Foundation
Fred Shackleford, pastor, Ellendale, Bartlett
John Rollins, pastor, Simeon, Antioch
Ministerial Pipeline Workgroup
Chair – Bruce Raley, senior associate pastor, Hendersonville First Baptist, Hendersonville
Joel Pigg, pastor, Salem, Trenton
Jeff Jones, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, University of Memphis
Josh Franks, TBMB Harvest Field Two team leader
Clay Gilbreath, AMS, Big Hatchie
Dennis Culbreath, AMS, Hamilton County
Bonita Wilson, International ministries catalyst, Knox County
Roger Severino, minister of leadership development, Brent-wood Baptist Church, Brentwood
Jeralyn Collins, preschool director, Judson, Nashville
Ray Van Neste, interim VP for university ministries and dean of the School of Theology and Missions, Union University
Jonathan Akin, VP for church relations and campus ministries, Carson-Newman University
Keith Mowery, pastor, Buffalo Trail, Morristown
Strategic Church Planting Workgroup
Chair – David Simmerman, senior pastor, Leoma Baptist, Leoma
Dwayne Lewis, pastor, New Season, associate church planting specialist,, Nashville
William Burton, TBMB church planting/language church specialist
Joe Lovell, TBMB chief financial officer
Jim Twilbeck, AMS, Western District Association
Mark Davis, AMS, Stone Association
Sam Greer, pastor, Red Bank, Chattanooga
Sam Nichols, executive pastor, Collierville First, Colliverville
Steve Tiebout, pastor, The River Church, Cookeville
Prayer Workgroup
Chair – Nancy Duggin, prayer ministry coordinator, Belle Aire, Murfreesboro
Steve Pearson, TBMB, Harvest Field Four team leader
Matt Tullos, TBMB stewardship development specialist
Kim Cruse, WMU missions discipleship specialist
Scott Brown, AMS, Wilson County Association
Don Pierson, pastor, Stewarts Chapel, Flintville
Ramona Hicks, president, Tennessee WMU
Discipleship Workgroup
Chair – Craig Mintz, grow and go pastor, Sevierville First
Drake Nosco, pastor, Grace, Nashville
Clay Hallmark, pastor, Lexington First, Lexington
Roc Collins, TBMB strategic objectives director
Ben Maddox, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, Tennessee Tech University
Tim Key, AMS, New Duck River Association
Mitch Martin, AMS, Mid-South Association
Joseph Brasher, discipleship pastor, New Vision, Murfreesboro
Jayne Simpson, preschool/children’s minister, Huntingdon First, Huntingdon
Chris Kendall, pastor, Oak City, Seymour
Adoption and Foster Care Workgroup
Chair – Larry Robertson, pastor, Hilldale, Clarksville
Martha Pitts, former president, Tennessee WMU
Samantha Hawes, TBMB Collegiate Ministry Specialist Associate, UT Knoxville
Beth Moore, TBMB compassion ministry specialist
Scott Parkison, pastor, Stevens Street, Cookeville
Pat Hood, pastor, LifePoint, Smyrna
Daryl Crouch, interim pastor, Shiloh, Mt. Juliet
Tanya Strother, foster care advocate, Brentwood, Brentwood
Glen Metts, pastor, Shiloh, Seymour
Laurie Gardner, chief program officer, TN Baptist Children’s Homes
Family Discipleship Workgroup
Chair – Jared Norris, pastor, Blude Springs, Rutledge
Matthew Daniel, pastor, Whitwell First, Whitwell
Danny Sinquefield, TBMB Harvest Field One team leader
Stacy Murphree, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, Austin Peay
Phil Mitchell, AMS, Weakley County Association
Troy Rust, AMS, Holston Association
Joseph Stegall, pastor, Providence, Nolensville
Andrea Key, family minister, Connection, Columbia
Debbie Stewart, children’s minister, Clinton Second, Clinton
Modern Culture Workgroup
Chair – Jeff Mims, pastor, Judson, Nashville
Ryan Keaton, TBMB emerging generations specialist
Jonathan Chapman, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, East Tennessee State University
Tiffany Hudson, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, Vanderbilt University
Marshall Key, AMS, Beulah Association
Russ Wilkins, AMS, Shiloh Association
Marty Shadoan, pastor, First Columbia, Columbia
Aaron Cox, young adults pastor, Antioch, Johnson City
Bedelia Russell, college administrator, Cookeville
Education Workgroup
Chair – Lyle Ailshie, retired education administrator, Kingsport First
Donna Blaydes, TBMB preschool and women’s ministry specialist
Mark Whitt, TBMB collegiate ministry specialist, MTSU
Sawyer Ray, AMS, Indian Creek Association
Justin Johnson, AMS, Sevier County Association
Wayne Phillips, pastor, Main Street, Rocky Top
Kylan Mann, pastor, Central, Martin
Michael Julian, pastor, Macedonia, Kenton
Sharon Murphy, Englewood, Jackson
Kelly Sullivan, elementary school principal, The King’s Academy
Jacob Bellissimo, school teacher, associate pastor, Swannsylvania, Dandridge
Donna Gaines, pastor’s wife, Bellevue, Cordova
Mental Health Workgroup
Chair – Stanley Wafler, Beech River, Lexington
Melody Cain, pastor’s wife, Seymour First
Ronny Raines, pastor, Clarksville First, Clarksville
Cliff Marion, pastor, Covington First, Covington
Bill Choate, TBMB collegiate ministries director
Vickie Anderson, Tenn. WMU executive director
Matt Ledbetter, AMS, Duck River Association
Keith Vaughan, pastor, Valley Grove, Knoxville
Tony Rankin, minister of pastoral care, Nashville First
Melissa Wilkes Donahue, director of CONCERN EAP Services
Mark Anderson, president, Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes
Victoria Tillman, attorney, pastor’s wife, Bells Campground, Powell
Joana Perez, therapist, pastor’s wife, Nolachucky Association
Bailey Grace Baker, mental health nurse practitioner, Sevierville First, Sevierville
