Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

GIVING FLIGHT TO THE GOSPEL

Slip Disc Ministries using frisbees to spread Good News worldwide 

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Children and adults in Honduras play catch with frisbees provided through Slip Disc Ministries. Each frisbee includes a gospel message.

JACKSON — Over the past year, Mark and Dottie McSwain have literally been putting a new spin on the concept of spreading the gospel. 

The McSwains own and operate a ministry called “Slip Disc Ministries.” The company produces and distributes flying discs (aka frisbees) that feature a gospel message. The ministry — which is operated out of the garage of the McSwains’ home — has made an impact for Christ on a worldwide scale, with the discs being used in more than 80 countries across the globe.  

“Using this frisbee breaks down barriers and makes it easy for most anyone to present the good news of Jesus,” said Mark McSwain. “It is just a fun way to engage people. Using the frisbee really does remove many of the obstacles the enemy seeks to create in our lives to rob us of sharing our faith.” 

McSwain is the pastor of Ararat Baptist Church in the Huntersville community just outside of Jackson. He and his wife have been in the ministry since the early 1990s, having served at four churches in West Tennessee (Mansfield Baptist, Maple Springs Baptist, First Baptist Bemis and Ararat). [Read more…]

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B&R ‘AMBASSADOR’ HUGH X. LEWIS DIES

Baptist and Reflector

Hugh X. Lewis

NASHVILLE — Hugh X. Lewis, who wrote poems under the headings “Ain’t It the Truth” and “A Way with Words” for the Baptist and Reflector since 2006, died Dec. 29 at the age of 90.

In 2006, the Tennessee Senate and House of Representatives passed a resolution designating Lewis as the state’s poet laureate of Christian country music. He was the first person to hold that designation.

A native of Kentucky, Lewis wrote more than 250 country songs recorded by legends such as Charley Pride, Lynn Anderson, Jim Ed Brown, Del Reeves, Kitty Wells and more. He penned the words to Stonewall Jackson’s “B.J. the D.J” which soared to number one on country charts in 1963. [Read more…]

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NEW YEAR, SAME QUESTIONS

Church leaders continue to grapple with tough decisions regarding worship, other ministries

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

FRANKLIN — A new year has begun, but church leaders must continue to address a question that has been present since the onset of COVID-19 nearly a year ago: Do we have live-person or virtual services?

As COVID-19 cases continued to rise dramatically in Tennessee last month, Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order Dec. 20 declaring “a continuing state of emergency and major disaster in order to facilitate the response to COVID-19.”

During a statewide address on Dec. 20, Lee exhorted Tennesseans to “make some hard decisions.” He noted 10,000 Tennesseans are getting sick every day and 100 people are dying daily from COVID. “We are in a war. With the arrival of the first vaccine, we have launched an offensive that will end this war, but the next few weeks will be critical,” Lee stressed.  [Read more…]

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‘BIGGEST MOVEMENT OF GOD I’VE SEEN’

Tragedies lead to salvations, baptisms in Hendersonville

By Scott Barkley
National Correspondent, Baptist Press

Andrei Iacob was baptized by Long Hollow Baptist Church pastor Robby Gallaty on Dec. 20, just days after Iacob’s wife and son were murdered.

HENDERSONVILLE — Noah Iacob lived for only a week two years ago. But his story is interwoven with other stories as part of a revival taking place at Long Hollow Baptist Church.

Noah’s underdeveloped lungs became too much for his body to overcome. But after his death, his mother Jessie realized she needed the healing power of Christ in her life and, after becoming a Christian, was baptized at Long Hollow. Jessie, her son Zeke and husband Andrei began attending the church.

But Jessie’s earthly life ended Dec. 11 when she and her son were murdered by an intruder when Andrei wasn’t home. The suspect, identified as a former employee of the excavating business the couple founded, took his own life Dec. 13 after police had determined his location. [Read more…]

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TENNESCENE: JAN. 13

LEADERS

Jimmy Tucker

Jimmy Tucker is the new manager of Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center in Linden. Tucker grew up in Lakeland, Fla., and recently worked at Camp Whispering Pines in Citronelle, Ala., as director and prior to that served as director at Pu’u Kahea Conference Center/Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children.

Scott Manns Sr. began serving Jan. 3 as senior pastor of Dotsonville Baptist Church,Woodlawn, in Cumberland Baptist Association. He formerly served in Alabama.

Parks Chastain is the new pastor of Maple Grove Baptist Church in Dickson. [Read more…]

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PASTORS MORE HESITANT TO PREACH ON RACE

By Aaron Earls
Writer, LifeWay Christian Resources.

NASHVILLE — Pastors seem more reluctant to address issues of race in their congregations today than four years ago. 

According to a LifeWay Research study, 74 percent of pastors agree their congregation would welcome a sermon on racial reconciliation, with 32 percent strongly agreeing. In 2016, however, 90 percent of pastors believed their congregation would be open to a sermon on the topic, with 57 percent strongly agreeing.

Today, 17 percent of pastors say their church would not want to hear about racial reconciliation, up from 7 percent in 2016.

“While most pastors’ teaching is not limited to things their congregation wants to hear, it is helpful to know the reaction pastors anticipate from their congregation,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. “Instead of a majority strongly agreeing, now only a third of pastors have no hesitation that their congregation would welcome a sermon on racial reconciliation.” [Read more…]

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TBC CP GIFTS AHEAD FOR YEAR

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches ended 2020 by giving $2,977,864 through the Cooperative Program in December.

After two months of the 2020-21 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists have given $5,523,036. The amount is $106,938 or 2.0 percent above the amount given at the same time last year. The amount, however, is $310,298 or 5.32 percent below budget needs. [Read more…]

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SBC LEADER WOLFE DIES AT 83

Baptist Press

Fred Wolfe
-Photo from the Baptist College of Florida

MOBILE, Ala. — Longtime pastor and Southern Baptist Convention leader Fred Wolfe died Jan. 3 due to complications caused by COVID-19. He was 83.

At 70 years old in 2007, Wolfe heard God’s call for him to do something new. So, he planted a church.

Wolfe’s ministry up to that time had included serving as pastor in North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.

In addition to his pastoral roles, his influence in the reemergence of conservative leadership in the SBC had been felt in several roles he held, including chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, trustee of the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) and president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference, at which he preached four times. [Read more…]

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MINISTERING AMID THE ASHES

Church assists recovery efforts after Christmas Day bombing

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

Ginger “Mama” Passarelli (left), a graduate of the FBI National Citizens Academy, was among volunteers who prepared meals in the kitchen of Nashville First Baptist Church for first responders after the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville. At right is Nashville First Baptist Facilities Manager Israel Garcia.
— Submitted photo

NASHVILLE — Security cameras at Nashville’s First Baptist Church captured the moment a bomb exploded four blocks away on Christmas morning, damaging 40 buildings downtown and injuring at least three people.

The church’s proximity afforded a unique outreach opportunity.

The FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association eyed Nashville First’s kitchen facilities for volunteers with special security clearance to prepare meals for the many first responders investigating the scene, including Nashville police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“This was a very elite group. They were trained by the FBI,” Nashville First Senior Pastor Frank Lewis told the congregation during a virtual worship service on Jan. 3. “They go into cities after there is a crisis such as the one that we experienced, and they specialize in having food prepared for the first responders and others, but they needed a place. And our church was ideally located. [Read more…]

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CARSON-NEWMAN CELEBRATES EFFORTS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Carson-Newman News Office

-Photo: Carson-Newman

JEFFERSON CITY — There have been moments this year when it has felt like no news has been the only good news.

Carson-Newman University’s admissions team saw how the pressures and uncertainty of the pandemic and resulting economic turmoil have weighed on young adults and wanted to find a way to bring a little joy to at least one family.

The university requested nominations for high school seniors who persevered despite this year’s difficulties. The winning senior received a weekend getaway in the Smokies. C-N received testimonials about dozens of high school seniors across the region. [Read more…]

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Contact Information

Mail: Baptist & Reflector, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068
Physical Address: 4017 Rural Plains Circle, Franklin, TN 37064
Email: bandr@tnbaptist.org
Phone: 615-371-2003

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