Baptist and Reflector 

Charlene and Joe Carter have been volunteering at Tennessee Baptist Conference Centers for 20 years.

FRANKLIN — Charlene and Joe Carter have been volunteering at Tennessee Baptist Conference Centers for 20 years. Through Campers on Mission and personal trips they’ve worked on landscaping, electrical work, construction, food service, and beyond. When asked about why they give their time, they say the more work serving the Lord, the better. Charlene and Joe recognize the eternal value their investment holds. 

Each summer, they enjoy driving their camper to Linden Valley and showing up to help wherever they can with whatever is needed. The beautiful flower beds around the gate at Carson Springs are one example of work done by the Carters.  [Read more…]

By Janice Backer
Contributing writer, B&R

Philip and Betsy Barr, former IMB missionaries, are still ministering to internationals, but instead of overseas, they are at the Knoxville International Church. With them are their sons, Nate, left, and John-Alan.

KNOXVILLE — For 6-year-old Betsy Duncan, moving to Africa seemed perfectly normal.

“My parents told me we would tell people about Jesus. It made complete sense to me that we would move,” she said. Her parents, Alan and Andrea Duncan, were appointed as International Mission Board missionaries to South Africa. The elder Duncans have since returned to Tennessee and he is a staff minister at Manley Baptist Church in Morristown.

She remembers the happy times during the 15 years they served in Port Elizabeth (officially later renamed Gqeberha and colloquially known as PE). “In working with my parents, I knew God wanted me to spend my life showing others how Jesus could make their lives different,” she said. Her parents encouraged and involved their children in every day ministry.

“I loved being a missionary kid,” Betsy said. [Read more…]

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Members of Connection Church, Columbia, gather in front of a food truck for OneGenAway — one of the ministries that the church supported during its ‘I love my community’ campaign.

COLUMBIA — In most instances, a “love offering” is a one-time gift. 

At Connection Church in Columbia, however, it turned into much more than that. It was the gift that kept on giving. 

Over the past several months, the church has used the combination of sacrificial giving and acts of service to make a major impact for Christ in Maury County. The movement was fueled by the church’s “I love my community” campaign, which raised over $77,000 — more than four times the amount that was set as the original goal — and included more than 300 church members taking part in various volunteer duties throughout the area. 

“It wasn’t just an offering; it was so much more than that,” said Eric Nichols, lead pastor at Connection. “It was a mobilization of God’s people into our community.” [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

After almost quitting on his first Off the Grid hike two years ago, Pastor Russell Vickers of New Vision Baptist Church in Alexandria, has now led two groups for backpacking hikes on the Appalachian Trail. From left are Mark Morton, Hunter Vickers, Russell Vickers and Brad Vickers.

NEWPORT — Russell Vickers will never forget his first “Off the Grid” hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). He almost quit and went home on the first night.

Off the Grid is a ministry of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board that provides pastors, staff members and lay leaders an opportunity to be refreshed and enjoy a time of fellowship and outdoor adventure through a variety of different activities.

Vickers, bivocational pastor of New Vision Baptist Church in Alexandria, had wanted to hike the trail, “but I was never brave enough to do it on my own,” he acknowledged. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey and Chris Turner
Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — In response to a tweet by Guidepost Solutions supporting the LGBTQ+ community, Southern Baptists should “immediately break ties with Guidepost Solutions,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

Guidepost Solutions posted the following statement to its Twitter account on June 6.

“Guidepost is committed to strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion and strives to be an organization where our team can bring their authentic selves to work.

“We celebrate our collective progress toward equality for all and are proud to be an ally to our LGBTQ+ community.” [Read more…]