News Archives - Baptist & Reflector

IMB APPOINTS MISSIONARIES

October 14, 2019

Baptist Press

Sam Greer

RICHMOND — International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 24 new fulltime, fully funded personnel to take the gospel to unreached people and places during their Sept. 25-26 meeting near Richmond.

The meeting also included an update on an external report regarding IMB’s prevention and response to abuse and harassment; the approval of a balanced budget for 2019-20; and orientation for 23 new trustees, including Sam Greer, pastor of Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga.

The 24 new missionaries were appointed during a special Sending Celebration, which recognized both the new personnel and the churches sending them to take the gospel to the nations. [Read more…]

DOVER PASTOR NOT ‘PRONE TO WANDER’

October 11, 2019

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Melvin Dunaway delivers a message at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, where he served as pastor for 45 years. The church, which recently held a special service to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, called Dunaway as pastor when he was a young preacher who had only preached about a dozen sermons.

DOVER — Melvin Dunaway initially assumed he would only last about seven days at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Dover.

Turns out, his estimate was a little off — by about 16,500 days.

Dunaway recently announced his retirement after serving as Pleasant Grove’s pastor for 45 years — a tenure that spans nearly half of the church’s 100-year history.

“After I preached that first Sunday, I thought, well, they won’t want me back any more,” said Dunaway with a little laugh.

The church did indeed want him back the following Sunday … and the one after that … and ultimately, for the next half-century.

“Every member (at Pleasant Grove) has done nothing but love me,” said Dunaway. “And I loved them right back.” [Read more…]

JEFFERSON COUNTY BAPTISTS CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF MINISTRY

October 11, 2019

Baptist and Reflector

Jefferson County Baptist Association, based in Jefferson City, celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sept. 20 during a special service held at Dumplin Baptist Church in New Market, the third oldest church in the eastern half of Tennessee with continuous existence at the same place, under the same name.

The association was formed in 1919 by churches from Knox County Association of Baptists and Nolachucky Baptist Association.

The special service featured historical information from John Pinkston, pastor of Buffalo Grove Baptist Church, Jefferson City and chairman of the arrangements committee for the celebration, and greetings from Phil Young, director of missions, Knox County Association, and David Hawkins, DOM of Nolachucky Association. Other speakers included Eilene Fralix, Glenora Hall and Steve and Sharon Cate.

Phil Young, right, director of missions for Knox County Association of Baptists, presents a gift to Leroy Davis, DOM for Jefferson County Baptist Association. Churches from Knox County Association and Nolachucky Baptist Association, based in Morristown, left their respective associations to form the Jefferson County Baptist Association in 1919.
Leroy Davis, left, director of missions for Jefferson County Baptist Association, and moderator Don Bowery, pastor of Beaver Creek Baptist Church, Strawberry Plains, helped celebrate the association’s 100th anniversary.
A quartet, consisting of ministers from Jefferson County Baptist Association, sang during a celebration service commemorating the association’s 100th anniversary. From left are, Jerry DeZearn, retired DOM and member of First Baptist Church, Dandridge; James Tullock, pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Dandridge; Chris Headley, minister of music/worship, FBC, Dandridge; and Tom Sartain, pastor, East Ridge Baptist Church, Dandridge.

MAN BAPTIZED AT CHURCH HE VANDALIZED 6 MONTHS EARLIER

October 10, 2019

By Tobin Perry
Baptist Press

Don Chandler (right), who has been the senior pastor of Central Baptist Church in Conway, Ark., for 40 years, stands with Brenton Winn the night the 23-year-old was baptized at the church. In February, Winn was arrested for causing $100,000 in damage at the church.
-Photo courtesy of Central Baptist Church

CONWAY, Ark. (BP) — Feb. 28, 2019 was one of the worst days of 23-year-old Brenton Winn’s life. But it paved the way for one of the best.

Angry at God after he relapsed from an addiction to methamphetamines despite spending time at a faith-based recovery program, Winn knew nothing about Central Baptist Church of Conway, Ark., when he broke in that February evening. High on drugs, Winn went on a rampage and destroyed $100,000 of church property, including laptops, cameras, and other electronics. He remembers little of that night, except that he felt desperate.

Six months later Winn stood in a baptismal pool at Central Baptist as Mike Lefler, the church’s associate pastor of ministries, celebrated the young man’s decision to follow Christ through baptism. [Read more…]

THE ABCs OF GEN Z

October 10, 2019

TBMB leads seminars on how to reach this easily-distracted demographic

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

SHELBYVILLE — “Does anyone know what a slo-fie is?” asked Donna Blaydes as she glanced around the classroom filled with adults.

After a few moments of mostly blank stares and silence, Blaydes explained that the term, which is only about three weeks old, refers to slow-motion “selfies” that can be recorded with the latest version of iPhones.

The response to Blaydes’ question perfectly illustrated the point that she was making: Technology is moving so rapidly that it can be challenging for parents and grandparents to keep up. [Read more…]

TBC CP GIFTS NEAR BUDGET

October 10, 2019

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,429,074 through the Cooperative Program in September.
For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,496,630 through the Cooperative Program.

The total is $15,166 over the amount given during the same time frame last year, basically no percentage increase. [Read more…]

LMCO RECEIVES 3RD HIGHEST TOTAL EVER

October 10, 2019

Baptist Press

RICHMOND — Southern Baptist church members gave $156.6 million to support international missionaries in 2018-2019, the third-highest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions ever received. Tennessee Baptists gave $10,389,109 to the 2018-19 offering, according to the TBMB accounting office.

“Because you and your church gave through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, you are a part of reaching the unreached in every nation,” said IMB president Paul Chitwood. [Read more…]

EVANGELISTIC ENERGY

October 9, 2019

Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis and immediate past president of the SBC, concluded the Sept. 30 training time during the Who’s Your One Tour? stop at Christ Place Church in Flowery Branch, Ga. Gaines shared a message about how Bellevue has used a multi-faceted approach to share the gospel in their community.
— NAMB photo

NAMB tour helps believers learn to share gospel

By Brandon Elrod
Baptist Press

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Mark Hoover, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hayti, Mo., is looking for a new “one.”

After witnessing long distance to his brother, Dusty, who lives in their home state of Mississippi, Hoover saw him come to Christ. Inspired by what God had done in his life, Dusty drove several hours to Hayti where Hoover baptized him on Baptism Sunday (Sept. 8).

All across the United States, the evangelism team at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) has heard similar stories during the Who’s Your One? tour of how the movement has led to life change.

Those stories can serve as a hopeful sign for Southern Baptist churches that are working to reverse a decades-long decline. [Read more…]

10 CHARACTERISTICS OF GEN Z

October 9, 2019

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

SHELBYVILLE — While leading a breakout session called “Parenting and Grandparenting Gen Z Kids” at the TBMB’s conference, Debbie Doane revealed 10 common characteristics among Gen Z-ers. Doane then discussed ways in which these characteristics shape relationships with this demographic. By learning more about their world, it becomes easier to open the lines of communication, she said.

1 They’ve always been ‘wired’

Gen Z kids have been surrounded by screens their whole lives. With the commercialization of the internet in 1995 — the year that many consider to be the start of Gen Z — and the influx of cell phones, Gen Z is seemingly always connected to something. [Read more…]

TENNESCENE: WEEKS OF OCT. 9-22

October 8, 2019

CHURCHES

Shelby Forest Baptist Church, Millington, will hold fall revival services Oct. 21-23 at 6:30 p.m. Speakers include Kirk Kilpatrick (Oct. 21), Tim Seal (Oct. 22) and John Mahoney (Oct. 23). The church is located at 1207 Locke Cuba Road in Millington.

Riverview Baptist Church, Elizabethton, celebrated its 60th anniversary on Oct. 6. [Read more…]

TBMB leads seminars on how to reach this easily-distracted demographic

NAMB tour helps believers learn to share gospel

1 They’ve always been ‘wired’

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