Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

BUILT ON FAITHFULNESS, MIRACLES

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Thriving now, Rolling Hills Community Church started as small church plant

Before moving to its new building, Rolling Hills Community Church met at the Marriott in Cool Springs — and pastor Jeff Simmons baptized new believers in the indoor swimming pool.

FRANKLIN — Jeff Simmons wasn’t so sure he wanted to start a church. He wasn’t convinced that people would come, and he wasn’t certain the church would ever get off the ground.

Then God brought something to his heart that completely changed his perspective.

“God reminded me that he hasn’t called us to be successful,” said Simmons. “He has called us to be faithful.” [Read more…]

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BEAR CREEK BAPTIST SUFFERS ‘TOTAL LOSS’

Fire destroys building; congregation stays strong

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Bear Creek Baptist Church caught fire on the night of Jan. 31.
— Photo submitted by Adam Wood.

PARSONS — On the night of Jan. 21, Adam Wood, the pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church in Parsons, was making his normal drive home after a normal Sunday night service and business meeting.

Then things took a very abnormal turn.

Around the midway mark of his roughly 20-minute commute home, Wood received a phone call from one of the members, who told him that the church was on fire. The member had heard the call go out while listening to the police scanner. [Read more…]

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SENIOR ADULT CONVERSIONS ON THE RISE?

By David Roach
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — When evangelist Phil Waldrep agreed to preach a revival at a nursing home, he didn’t expect a huge response. After all, he reasoned, aren’t most older people already Christians?

But of the 40-60 nursing home residents who attended the services, 21 made a profession of faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior, and about 10 were later baptized at a local church. [Read more…]

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AFTER ’08 TORNADO, UNION WAS ‘UNITED AS NEVER BEFORE’

Nathan Handley & Tim Ellsworth
Baptist Press

Union students join in worship during a Feb. 2 chapel service — part of a day-long celebration of the university’s recovery from a 2008 tornado. Photo by Kristi Woody/Union University

JACKSON, Tenn. — At the 10-year point since a tornado devastated the campus, Union University marked the anniversary with a day of activities Feb. 2 featuring former administrators, students and others closely involved with the event.

Former Union President David S. Dockery, in a Founders’ Day chapel address, spoke on providence, hope and unity the university experienced from the Feb. 5, 2008, tornado. [Read more…]

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TWIN CITIES CHURCHES MOBILIZE AROUND SUPER BOWL

by Tim Ellsworth
Baptist Press

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (BP) — The hometown Vikings may have fallen just short of playing in this year’s Super Bowl, but that hasn’t diminished the enthusiasm of Twin Cities churches and Christians in their evangelism efforts surrounding the event. [Read more…]

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J.D. GREEAR TO BE SBC PRESIDENT NOMINEE AGAIN

By David Roach
Baptist Press

DALLAS — Two years after withdrawing from a closely contested election for Southern Baptist Convention president, North Carolina pastor J.D. Greear once again will be nominated for SBC president, Florida pastor Ken Whitten announced today (Jan. 29). [Read more…]

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HAMMERING OUT THE GOSPEL IN TEXAS

BCM students spend part of Christmas break repairing homes, sharing love of Jesus

By David Dawson
Baptist & Reflector

Ellie Davenport, left, Taylor Elgouhary, middle, both students at MTSU, work with MTSU associate campus minister Haley Cowley on a project during the BCM’s trip to Orange, Texas, over the Christmas holidays.

ORANGE, Texas — The recent holiday season was more about spiritual gifts than Christmas gifts for a group of roughly 100 Baptist Collegiate Ministry students.  [Read more…]

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COORDINATOR DESCRIBES NEEDS IN DOMINICA

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Editor’s Note: You can listen to Phillip Hardee discuss the rebuilding efforts of Tennessee Baptists on the island of Dominica during Episode 14 of Radio B&R, the official news podcast of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

 

Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica last September, leaving many homes destroyed or heavily damaged.

FRANKLIN — The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria on the island of Dominica was “eye-opening and jaw-dropping,” said Phillip Hardee, a disaster relief volunteer from Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova.

Hardee was part of an assessment team (along with Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and Don Owen of First Baptist Church, Morristown) who visited the island in late November to assess the damage done by the Category 5 hurricane last September.

Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief  accepted the challenge to coordinate relief efforts on the island, specifically the village of La Plaine, and will provide relief materials and supplies throughout 2018. [Read more…]

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LOTTIE MOON OFFERING 4.1% ABOVE LAST YEAR’S PACE

by Julie McGowan
Baptist Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Southern Baptists’ support of international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is 4.1 percent ahead of the same time frame as last year, according to a report by Rodney Freeman, IMB treasurer and vice president of support services. [Read more…]

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DEPEND ON GOD, NOT GPS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, B&R

Before it Hits the PressI was driving home last week from West Tennessee on a rainy, foggy night. I wasn’t entirely familiar with the area so I trusted my phone’s GPS system — not a good idea. [Read more…]

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