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FACILITATING HEALTHY CHURCH PLANTING

April 8, 2025

By Lewis McMullen
Team Leader: Multiplying Healthy Churches

McMullen

As the multiplying healthy churches team leader, I work with churches to help facilitate the starting of healthy multiplying church plants and replants.

One of the key things that I do for churches and associations is identify areas/people groups that are underserved and under-reached with the gospel. This information is gathered through community analysis, demographic research and what I like to call “boots on the ground” investigation. This last approach is particularly critical.

Church planters must immerse themselves in the community, listening deeply to understand its unique needs and culture. Once these areas are identified, they are shared with our churches where they can begin to pray and see the need of our state for new churches.

My job entails working closely with churches interested in church planting through an integrated approach of active recruitment, partnership development, and church planting coalition building. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Featured, Opinion Column

INVITING EVERY CHURCH INTO A FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

April 7, 2025

By Daryl Crouch
Team Leader: Church Strengthening

Crouch

The church at Ephesus was birthed out of movement of God’s Spirit that threatened to put idol makers out of business. The silversmith union rioted because the church became a powerful disrupter of evil as it proclaimed Jesus as Lord.

And yet, not too many years later, Jesus said, “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4-5).

In the original language, the word for “repent” is “metanoia.” Jesus called the church at Ephesus to its “metanoia moment,” and now He calls us to ours. [Read more…]

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UNION HOSTS SIX-DAY SCRIPTURE READING MARATHON

April 4, 2025

By Bright Burns
Union University student

Bible read aloud from start to finish on campus lawn

Two Union University students find a comfortable place on the “Great Lawn” to listen to the Bible being read aloud during a six-day Scripture reading marathon. — Photos by Lauren Steed / Union University student

JACKSON — Anyone walking past Union University’s Great Lawn in recent days could hear Scripture being read aloud, played through speakers outside of a small white tent beneath Miller Tower.

As part of the 2025 Spring Bible Conference hosted by Union’s Ryan Center for Biblical Studies on March 21-22, Union held a Scripture-reading marathon in which hundreds of faculty, staff, students and community volunteers read for more than 400 slots of 10 minutes each. Over the course of six days — March 11-13 and 18-20 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — the entire Bible was read, from Genesis to Revelation.

Ray Van Neste, dean for Union’s School of Theology and Missions, said the sounds of the public reading Scripture have already become familiar background noise to some Union students. [Read more…]

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SALUTING ‘CAPTAIN’ NIMMO

April 3, 2025

By David Dawson
Managing editor, Baptist and Reflector

Nimmo

For nearly 40 years, Mary Nimmo has been the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s secret weapon.

Operating mostly behind the scenes — which is exactly where she prefers to be — Mary has quietly and effectively been the “glue” of the Baptist and Reflector. From handling advertising to organizing subscriptions to proof reading, Mary has worn many hats. And she’s worn all of them with excellence.

Although she would never say this, she has been our team captain in many ways. She has been our ambassador, our encourager, our catalyst … and above all else, our friend.

Next month, Mary will be leaving us for the greener (or at least more relaxing) pastures of retirement. She will take with her a legacy of service and graciousness. [Read more…]

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RISING ABOVE THE FLOOD

April 2, 2025

By Zoë Watkins
Communications specialist

Brentwood Baptist volunteers rebuild home

ERWIN — The rain had been relentless for days as Hurricane Helene swept through in late September last year.

Bryan Nicholas and his girlfriend watched as water levels rose, transforming their familiar yard into a treacherous landscape.

By 10:30 the next morning, the Nolichucky River had swollen to waist depth.


article continues after video


“It was starting to go over the driveway in the fields,” Bryan recalled. “The neighbors had already lost their camper, and everything was beginning to float away.”

Inside Nicholas’ house, water was already a foot high and rising quickly. They barely escaped, being some of the last people to cross the bridge on Highway 107 before it was washed out. [Read more…]

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WMU SET TO GATHER AT FBC DICKSON

April 1, 2025

By Zoë Watkins
Communications specialist, TBMB

DICKSON — The Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) will host its annual Missions Get-Together on Friday and Saturday, April 4-5, at First Baptist Dickson, according to event coordinator Vickie Anderson, who has been involved with the event for almost 30 years.

The gathering features general sessions, breakout sessions, a missions fair, and — new this year — a missions-focused family game night.

“Through our breakout sessions, we try to cover various aspects of mission work,” Anderson explained. “Attendees can hear directly from missionaries and ministries, while also focusing on personal development, spiritual growth, and mental health care, which is one of our critical issues today.” [Read more…]

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HOW TO HAVE CHRIST-CENTERED ETHICS WITH AI

March 31, 2025

Baptist and Reflector

Scott Rae

Editor’s note: Baptist and Reflector editor Chris Turner sat down with Scott Rae, professor of Philosophy and Christian Ethics at Biola University in La Miranda, Calif., last month. They discussed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how Christians can ethically approach this fast-changing technology.

Baptist and Reflector: As a Christian educator seasoned in apologetics and ethics, how do you see AI aligning with and/or challenging Biblical worldviews and values?

Rae: I’d put it in this kind of framework theologically that any technology in a fallen world is likely to be a mix of beneficial and harmful effects, which should keep us from summarily dismissing it or uncritically accepting it. Television, movies, the internet, and then social media — there’s the capacity for using it for building up community and informing. As we unfortunately have seen a lot with social media, the capacity use it to fragment and separate. The difference is, I think particularly with AI, it’s pretty clear that they’re dulling our critical thinking skills and making our brains slow down. The more extreme claims for what’s called strong AI, which is that AI basically is going to have things like consciousness, and you can have a real relationship with an AI bot. But if you’re reducing a human person to ones and zeros, the problem’s even more acute.

[Read more…]

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OSWALT UNPACKS GOD’S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

March 31, 2025

By Grace White
Union University news room

Photo by Lyla Dietz

JACKSON–John Oswalt, visiting distinguished professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, spoke at Union University about God’s covenant with the Israelites and how it helped them learn about God’s character.

“If you remember nothing else from these four hours, remember this: obedience to the covenant is not the way to God, but it defines the walk with God,” Oswalt said.

Oswalt was the plenary speaker at Union’s 13th annual Bible Conference presented by the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, which took place March 21-22. The theme of Oswalt’s teachings was “The Bible and Holiness: How Scripture Works Transformation in Our Lives.” He spoke in four sessions expounding on this idea with the second session exploring “How the Israelites Learned about God’s Character.” [Read more…]

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FOUR GENERATIONS FROM ONE FAMILY BAPTIZED AT HICKORY VALLEY

March 28, 2025

By Baptist and Reflector

Baptist and Reflector

SPARTA — Hickory Valley Baptist Church in Sparta has been the site of four generations of baptisms from one family.

The sequence of baptisms, which has taken place over many years, started when Tommy and Nancy Lynn were baptized. Next was their daughter, Sherry McDonald, followed by Sherry’s daughter, Shayna Rowland, and then, recently, Shayna’s daughter Lyla Rowland.

In the top photo, pastor Doug Benningfield stands with Tommy and Nancy Lynn, Sherry McDonald, Shayna Rowland and Lyla Rowland.

In the photo to the left, the five who’ve been baptized at the church join with other family members who have been baptized. 

 

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Filed Under: Featured, News, Tennessee

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP

March 27, 2025

By Jay Hardwick
President • Tennessee Baptist Convention

Hardwick

You know the jingle: “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.”

Folgers built its brand by depicting its coffee, or at least its aroma, as essential to any memorable morning routine. To this day, there are both Folgers drinkers and coffee drinkers in general who couldn’t imagine a morning routine without coffee.

What’s your morning routine? How do you start your day?

I was taken aback recently by a Bible passage that many of us have read or taught. In Mark 1:35, we see a glimpse of Jesus’ morning routine. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place; and there, He was praying.”

After a long day of ministry in Capernaum that stretched well into the night at Peter’s house, what was the best part of waking up for Jesus? What mattered most? Time with God the Father. Jesus got up early and prayed, seeking the Father and hearing from Him through prayer. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Featured, Opinion Column, Tennessee

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