Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

LIFEWAY HEARS MINISTRY LEADERS AND POSTPONES DECISION TO DISCONTINUE LIFEWAYWORSHIP.COM

By Carol Pipes
Lifeway Christian Resources

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — In response to expressed concern from ministry leaders, Lifeway Christian Resources is postponing the implementation of the decision made earlier this week to discontinue lifewayworship.com.

“We are delaying the implementation of this decision until we have time to listen, allow for dialogue, and find out how we can best support churches’ digital worship music needs,” said Ben Mandrell, CEO of Lifeway. “We are actively considering alternatives to ensure minimal disruption and keep this essential catalog alive. We have been exploring long-term solutions for keeping this catalog of resources alive and have reason to be optimistic. [Read more…]

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STANDING TOGETHER FOR THE GOTM

By Randy C. Davis
President & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

Tennessee Baptists, I don’t believe you fully know or understand what you’ve done. You’re part of a miracle. 

Over the last decade, your giving through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions has grown by more than 50 percent. That’s an astounding amount. 

As astounding is that you’ve set record highs in giving in three out of the last four years (and four out of the last six). The only year that was not a record total was 2020, the COVID year, but even then you were faithful, and your giving remained strong.  [Read more…]

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TENNESSEE BAPTIST DR NEEDED IN NEW YORK

Baptist and Reflector

MOUNT JULIET — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has been asked to send flood recovery teams to New Windsor, N.Y.

New Windsor is in the Hudson River region of New York which received major flooding as a result of heavy rainfall in early July.

“We need teams immediately to assist residents of New Windsor in cleaning out their homes which have been heavily damaged by the floodwaters,” said Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

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THEY’RE INVESTING IN THE NATIONS

By Ann Lovell
Baptist and Reflector correspondent

FRANKLIN — Landon had a dream. Literally. 

Landon, from Maryville, and a recent graduate of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, had been praying about a summer mission opportunity with the International Mission Board. 

During his time in the BCM at Tech, Landon heard stories from friends about their work overseas. He also learned the importance of the Great Commission, and he wanted to play a part in it.  [Read more…]

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THREE MORE STEPS TOWARD CREDIBILITY

By Chris Turner and Lonnie Wilkey
News Staff, Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing.

And  the right thing was done Monday, July 17, when Baptist Press reported on the actions of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s (EC) presidential search team.

The search committee’s update, the promise of a future update and Baptist Press’ story were three important steps taken in the direction of restoring the EC’s credibility.

The EC has been on a search for its next president for nearly 19 months, since the resignation of former EC President/CEO Ronnie Floyd, and the EC’s credibility and transparency was severely criticized in an editorial by the Baptist and Reflector in April when Texas Pastor Jarred Wellman was recommended to the full board to succeed Floyd by the then search committee. [Read more…]

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HAVING SOME ‘FUN IN THE SON’

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist & Reflector

The Fun in the Son leadership team includes, from left, Scott Greene, Craig Ponder, Tammy Ponder, Teri Graham and Dianne Woody.

NEWPORT — “Fun in the Son“ has been a tradition for children in Holston Baptist Association churches ever since 1993 when two church children’s workers wanted to begin a summer camp for kids. 

The camp was the brainchild of Judy Bennett (now deceased) of Calvary Baptist Church in Erwin, and Lori Tackett, then a volunteer children’s worker at Antioch Baptist Church in Johnson City. 

Dianne Woody joined forces with them two years later when she became the children’s director at First Baptist Church, Greeneville. 

“The camp kept growing,” said Woody who is now a member and volunteer at Arrowhead Baptist Church in Greeneville.  [Read more…]

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LIFEWAY WORSHIP TO DISCONTINUE WORSHIP WEBSITE ON SEPT. 30

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist & Reflector

Worship service at Brentwood Baptist. — Photo by David Dawson

NASHVILLE — Lifeway Worship, a component of Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, has announced plans to discontinue its lifewayworship.com website on Sept. 30.

A letter posted at lifewayworship.com on July 18 stated:

“At Lifeway, we exist to honor God and serve churches by designing trustworthy experiences that fuel ministry. That’s why taking anything out of print or discontinuing any service to the church is not something we take lightly, nor  is it a decision made without a great deal of prayer and due diligence.

“These decisions are made for a number of reasons, but always with the goal of best stewarding our resources to serve Christ’s church even as some needs of the church may change over time.

“Accordingly, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue lifewayworship.com, effective Sept. 30, 2023. [Read more…]

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GIFT MORE THAN TRIPLES PROPERTY AT CARSON SPRINGS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist & Reflector

Kerry Mock, center, manager and representative of the donor, Highlands at English Mountain LLC, signs papers donating 494.68 acres on English Mountain to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board as his wife, Kristin, and William Maxwell, left, chief administrative officer of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, look on. Behind them, from left, are Cindi Groomes, chair of the Conference Centers Committee and member of The First Family Baptist Church, Antioch; Kevin Perrigan, manager of Carson Springs; and Amarilis Nunn, chair of the Mission Support Committee and member of Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett. — Photo by James Wilson

FRANKLIN — Highlands at English Mountain LLC (HEM) has donated 494.68 acres on English Mountain which adjoins the current property owned by Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport  to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

The property currently making up Carson Springs was originally donated to Tennessee Baptists by the families of former Governor Ben Hooper and Charles Rhyne.

This donation more than triples the property at Carson Springs from 181.9 acres to 676.6 acres.

The property includes more than five miles of ridgeline on English Mountain with a number of prominent 360-degree views, including the Cherokee National Forest. [Read more…]

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DAVIS, OTHER LEADERS ADDRESS TRANSGENDER MOVEMENT

By Tom Strode
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — More state legislatures have enacted laws this year to protect minors and women, as well as to ensure competitive fairness in sports, in response to the transgender rights movement.

So far in 2023, the legislative effort to address issues regarding particularly children and young people who identity as a gender other than their biological sex include, according to the Movement Advancement Project (MAP):

  • 17 new states have passed laws that prohibit gender-reassignment surgery and hormonal treatment. In all, 20 states have enacted such laws since 2021.
  • Six states have enacted bans on the transgender use of restrooms and other sex-segregated facilities, bringing the total of states with such laws to nine the last three years.
  • Four new states have approved laws that bar young people from competing in sports according to their gender identity instead of their biological sex at birth. A total of 22 states have approved such laws since 2020.

[Read more…]

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COPOUTS DON’T HELP COLLEGE STUDENTS

By Rodney Norvell
Collegiate ministry specialist, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The world today seems to be increasingly messed up. When it comes to younger generations, it is easy sometimes to give up or just give in to apathy or complacency. As Baptists we are really not doing them any favors and actually may be doing great damage to both their future and our own students.

Here are four things that we tell ourselves that really are not helpful. We could do better.

“I am just glad that they go to church.” It is a great thing if college students go to church when they go away to school, but that doesn’t make them a Christian nor does it mean that they are really following Christ. They could just be going because of a habit you instilled in them as a child. Churches have plenty of cultural Christians. 

Ask your student about his or her involvement in the life of the church — Bible study and mission. Look for evidence of them seeking after God rather than attending a service. There are three areas that you can encourage them in. All believers need to be a part of a small group that studies the Word together, prays together and serves on mission together. Are they investing in the church? [Read more…]

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