Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE HELP, HOPE

Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers continue to help South Carolina flood victims

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

MANNING, S.C. — Driving past homes in the low country region of South Carolina between Columbia and the coast, one might not suspect that less than a month ago many roads were impassable.

And, unless there was the obvious sign of water-logged furniture piled across the front yard awaiting trash pickup, one might not suspect that as much as 24 inches of rain fell upon the area in a three-day period between Oct. 3-5.

Yet, looks can be deceiving. Just ask the owners of those homes whose furniture and belongings have not been removed and the stench of mold and mildew fill the air.

Unfortunately, a month following the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Joaquin, there are many homes still untouched. And, numerous others that have been cleaned out still face massive rebuilding efforts. Some residents have insurance to handle the cost of remodeling/rebuilding. The majority of them do not. [Read more…]

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THREAT OF DIVORCE HARD TO SPOT AMONG CHURCHGOING COUPLES

By Lisa Cannon Green
LifeWay News

church divorce survey 3NASHVILLE – Before a divorce, churchgoers in troubled marriages look a lot like their happily married counterparts at church—participating, serving, and leading at similar rates.

After a divorce, the differences can be stark. Twenty percent have dropped out of church entirely. In many cases, their children have stopped attending too. A third give less to the church than they did before. Their churches report leadership voids and fractured relationships.

Yet pastors may have difficulty helping couples save their marriages, because churchgoers on the brink of separation often keep quiet at church about their marital woes.

Those are among the findings of new research by Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by Focus on the Family, surveyed Protestant pastors, churchgoing Americans in healthy marriages, and churchgoing Americans who divorced in the past five years. [Read more…]

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MOST AMERICANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN: LIFEWAY RESEARCH

By Carol Pipes
LifeWay News Office

151028Avoiding-HalloweenNASHVILLE — When it comes to Halloween, most Americans don¹t have a problem celebrating the spooky holiday. Yet, one-third say they avoid Halloween or its pagan elements.

Although three in five Americans told LifeWay Research Halloween is “all in good fun,” 21 percent avoid the holiday completely and another 14 percent avoid the pagan elements.

Halloween has been known in North America since colonial days. But it wasn’t until Irish immigrants brought their Halloween customs to America in the 1840s the festival grew in popularity. Since then, it has been woven into the fabric of American culture. By the 1950s, Halloween was mostly considered a children’s holiday celebrated with costumes and candy. [Read more…]

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EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION CLOSES ON NEW PROPERTY

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

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Randy C. Davis, left, executive director/treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, signs the closing documents on the new property that will house the convention’s Church Support Center. Looking on is Wes Turner, real estate attorney and former Executive Board member from First Baptist Church, Nashville.

BRENTWOOD — The Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention signed the closing documents on property in Franklin Oct. 26, preparing the way for construction to begin on a permanent location for the convention’s Church Support Center.

“We are thankful to have this step behind us and can now turn our attention to the construction,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director of the Executive Board. “This is a momentous day in the life of Tennessee Baptists and the future of our ministry to those in our state and around the world.”

The 2.3-acre mixed-use property is located in the Berry Farms business development located adjacent to I-65 and near the Goose Creek Bypass (State Route 248), just north of State Route 840. Construction on the 32,000-square-foot building is scheduled to begin March 1, 2016 with a completion date slated by March 1, 2017. The Executive Board Ministries will move into the location as soon as construction is completed. [Read more…]

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CHURCH MINISTERS DURING COMMUNITY CRISIS

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Pastor James Julian and his daughter, Natalie, 8, stand with children of the Crawford family by the new home which Spring Creek Road Baptist Church helped them obtain. From left are Taya, 2; Abby, 11; Brandon, 13; Destiny, 4; and first row, Natalie Julian, 8; and Kyla, 9. The parents and a new baby which is hospitalized were away from home.
Pastor James Julian and his daughter, Natalie, 8, stand with children of the Crawford family by the new home which Spring Creek Road Baptist Church helped them obtain. From left are Taya, 2; Abby, 11; Brandon, 13; Destiny, 4; and first row, Natalie Julian, 8; and Kyla, 9. The parents and a new baby which is hospitalized were away from home.

CHATTANOOGA — It seemed like another busy Wednesday night at Spring Creek Road Baptist Church here on Sept. 10. The church bus and van picked up about 40 people, mainly students, from several neighborhoods near the church. Everyone ate supper at the church and then students went to Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, Acteens, and tutoring while adults went to prayer meeting.

Just before everyone left to go home, Shari Stone, volunteer children’s ministry coordinator, received a call from the parent of a bus rider.

Fire trucks were in front of the Superior Creek Lodge so they should wait to bring home the folks who live there, said the parent.

The group returned to the church’s gym.

It wasn’t long, maybe 30 minutes later, when Stone received another phone call telling her that the reason the fire trucks were there was that the city was inspecting the lodge and officials had just condemned part of the lodge. The residents were being evicted but the kids could come home, reported James Julian, pastor.

The next morning, Julian and church member Blake Daffron arrived at the lodge to help in this crisis for the families. Superior Creek Lodge had about 1,000 residents, the pastor noted.

The two men talked to the residents they knew, trying to offer the little comfort they could. Everyone soon learned the entire lodge had been condemned. [Read more…]

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REVIVAL, COMMUNITY EVENTS YIELD RESULTS

Baptist and Reflector

Pastor Jamie Work (with hand raised) of Candies Creek Baptist Church, Charleston, prepares to baptize the Ensley family in the Hiwassee River. The church has seen more than 100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ and recommitments this summer as a result of community outreach and a harvest revival.

Pastor Jamie Work (with hand raised) of Candies Creek Baptist Church, Charleston, prepares to baptize the Ensley family in the Hiwassee River. The church has seen more than 100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ and recommitments this summer as a result of community outreach and a harvest revival.

CHARLESTON — In the fall of 2014 the Lord began to compel Candies Creek Baptist Church here to give themselves to a renewed emphasis on disciple-making for 2015, said Pastor Jamie Work.

He noted that ministry leaders and pastoral staff prayerfully planned the coming year around the theme of “Disciples Making Disciples: Reach, Teach, Equip, and Release.”

A team of the church’s pastors from both of Candies Creek’s campuses put together a “Disciple-Making Blueprint” designed to guide mature believers through a year-long process of discipling new, or soon-to-be, followers of Christ, Work said.

In the early part of this year, church members were asked to write the names of family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, neighbors, and relatives for whom the church could pray that they would experience spiritual transformation.

The names were written on a large, double-sided white board in the Worship Center during worship gatherings, Work said. [Read more…]

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TENNESSEE BAPTIST DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS MINISTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA

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Approximately 40 Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers served in South Carolina last week. Teams provided mud-out or flood recovery to residents who experienced damage to their homes from the massive flooding caused recently by Hurricane Joaquin. DR teams are based out of First Baptist Church, Manning. Additional teams will arrive this week and more will be needed. People interested in helping the relief efforts can give to the South Carolina Flooding Disaster Relief Fund at www.tndisasterrelief.org or to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, P.O. Box 728, Brentwood, TN 37027, designated for the fund. Prospective volunteers can contact Wes Jones, TBC disaster relief specialist at wjones@tnbaptist.org. B&R Editor Lonnie Wilkey is scheduled to travel to Manning this week for more extensive coverage. In top photo, Scott McGill of Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville, does clean up work while volunteers in bottom photo remove debris from a home. [Read more…]

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101-year-old’s salvation caps wife’s 24-year prayer

By Baptist Press

David Boothe (left) and David Brooks jointly baptized George Warshaw, who accepted Christ after his wife Lou and others prayed for him and showed Christian love for 24 years. Boothe is the teacher of his Bible study group at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, La., and Brooks is his pastor. - Photo courtesy of Calvary Baptist Church

David Boothe (left) and David Brooks jointly baptized George Warshaw, who accepted Christ after his wife Lou and others prayed for him and showed Christian love for 24 years. Boothe is the teacher of his Bible study group at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, La., and Brooks is his pastor.
– Photo courtesy of Calvary Baptist Church

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) — Lou Warshaw prayed for 24 years that her husband George would accept Christ as his Lord and Savior.

After years of refusing to give up on the hope that he would become a Christian, God answered her prayers when, at the age of 101, George made that decision and followed through with believer’s baptism.

“The devil kept telling me it wouldn’t happen,” Lou said, admitting to times when her faith was tested. “But I kept believing God would let it happen. I think I’m still on cloud nine.”

George’s conversion story began on July 24, 1991, when he and Lou became husband and wife. The two were of different faiths; George was a Jewish non-believer; Lou was a Christian.

Even so, George attended Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, La., most Sundays with Lou, where she was a member. They sat in the same pew every Sunday for worship and then attended a Bible study class.

Lou and other friends never pushed their faith on George through the years but showed him Christian love and prayed that he would come to know Christ. [Read more…]

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Church’s decision to call woman pastor leads to action by Lawrence County Baptists

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

151016lawrenceLEOMA – The Lawrence County Association of Baptists voted during its annual meeting Oct. 12 to withdraw fellowship from Greater Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg.

The African-American congregation, which was a church plant of Faith Baptist Church in Loretto in 1992, recently called a non-Baptist woman as pastor (Shonda Reynolds-Christian).

The association voted 73-4 to remove Greater Tabernacle Baptist Church immediately from its list of cooperating Baptist churches, according to Mike Kemper, director of missions of the association. [Read more…]

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Counseling homosexuals involves ‘speaking truth in love,’ leaders say

By Andrew J.W. Smith
SBTS News Office

A record 2,300 attendees gathered on Southern Seminary's campus for the annual ACBC conference Oct. 5-7. - SBTS photo by Emil Handke

A record 2,300 attendees gathered on Southern Seminary’s campus for the annual ACBC conference Oct. 5-7.
– SBTS photo by Emil Handke

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Christian counselors should be able to speak lovingly and winsomely to people struggling with homosexual attraction, said evangelical leaders at the Oct. 5-7 homosexuality conference at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The conference, titled “Homosexuality: Compassion, Care, and Counseling for Struggling People,” was sponsored by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

“The integrity of our message is at stake in this, brothers and sisters. If we believe that the Bible teaches homosexuality to be a sin, and if we believe that Jesus Christ changes people, but we don’t know how to help them, then … we will make a mockery of the Word of God,” said Heath Lambert, executive director of ACBC and associate professor of biblical counseling at Southern Seminary and Boyce College. “If we don’t know how to lay hold of the grace of Jesus, we will slander the Word of God and the grace of Jesus.”

Using Ephesians 4:15 as his text, Lambert argued believers should pay close attention to the way Christ himself modeled “speaking the truth in love,” because without him they will speak truth without love. Any help Christians want to give should be motivated by genuine love for homosexuals, Lambert said, which does not apologize for biblical standards. The Bible has not changed, and neither should the convictions of believers, he said. [Read more…]

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