Baptist and Reflector
WASHINGTON — The United States Supreme Court declined hearing challenges to Tennessee’s abortion measure, Amendment 1. The action was taken Oct. 1. [Read more…]
SUPREME COURT DECISION UPHOLDS AMENDMENT 1
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT UP AT UNION
Union University News Office
JACKSON — Traditional undergraduate enrollment for the fall semester at Union University is up 2.2 percent, the first increase in fall-to-fall enrollment in this category since 2010.
The number of new students at Union increased from 401 in 2017 to 450 this year, a 12.2 percent increase. Non-traditional enrollment is up 1.1 percent in headcount, but the number of student credit hours is 1,409 more than last year, a 16.8 percent increase. [Read more…]
NO DEBT LEADS TO MORE MINISTRIES
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
UNION CITY — The math is very simple at Second Baptist Church in Union City: no debt = more resources for missions.
For the first time in 15 years, Second Baptist Church is learning to live debt free, said Pastor Justin Hiens.
In 2003, Second Baptist began a relocation process that would eventually cost the church over $12 million. Hiens joined the church that same year (fresh out of Union University) as youth minister and served for almost five years before moving on to become pastor of churches in Georgia and Mississippi. [Read more…]
SURVEY REVEALS MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF SBC MINISTERS DON’T HAVE A WILL
Tennessee Baptist Foundation will assist ministers, laity with estate plans
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — The results of a recent survey about estate planning, contracted by the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Foundation, are disappointing but not surprising, said Bill Gruenewald, president of the Tennessee Baptist Foundation.
The survey, conducted by LifeWay Research, revealed that more than half of Southern Baptist pastors do not have a will, trust, living will, electronic will, legacy story or durable power of attorney with health care directives.
The survey also indicated that pastors age 18-44 are least likely to have a will (31 percent) or a durable power of attorney with health care directives (14 percent). Even among pastors closest to retirement (ages 55-64 and 65-plus), the portion of those who have a will is just barely a majority (54 percent), according to the survey. [Read more…]
OFFICIALLY SPEAKING
Pastor of West End Baptist Church uses his hobby — officiating football — as an extension of his ministry
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
Rick Elsey, pastor of West End Baptist Church in Columbia, has been a football official with the TSSAA for more than a dozen years.
COLUMBIA — Like so many others in Tennessee, Rick Elsey spends his Friday nights in the fall going to high school football games.
But Elsey, pastor at West End Baptist Church in Columbia, doesn’t go to the games just to observe. He’s actually a part of the action.
One of Elsey’s favorite hobbies is being a football official, and he has worked with the TSSAA (Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association) for more than a dozen years.
“It’s something that I really enjoy doing,” he said, “and I look forward to it every week.”
Elsey has, somewhat literally, earned his stripes. He has worked his way up to the position of referee — a term designated for the “head official” on each crew — with his years of experience with the TSSAA. [Read more…]
VOLUNTEERS TRANSFORM BCM AT UT-CHATTANOOGA
Baptist and Reflector
Hu Morris, foreground, from Long Hollow Baptist, and David Allen of Parkway Baptist, put the finishing touches on the new floor in the BCM building at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
CHATTANOOGA — A group of Tennessee Baptist volunteers worked hard over the summer months to help transform the Baptist Collegiate Ministry building at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Mark LeMay, properties management specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and a five-member team from Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga tore out a 25-ton fireplace that was hindering the work of the BCM due to poor space allocation, LeMay said.
The Red Bank volunteers (Doyle Pittman, Chuck Young, Ricky Rector, John Klein and Paula Sanderson) worked three days in hot, muggy conditions to tear out the chimney and fireplace. Afterwards, four volunteers (Robbie McGriff, Ronny Sandlin, David Allen and Hu Morris) from Parkway Baptist Church, Goodlettsville, and Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, helped clean out the debris and pour a concrete floor which added about 500 square feet of usable ministry space, LeMay noted. [Read more…]
TENNESCENE: SEP. 26-OCT. 9
CHURCHES
Rocky Point Baptist Church, Russellville, recently celebrated 152 years of ministry and missions with a homecoming celebration. Maurice Quillen brought the message and David Hawkins, director of missions for Nolachucky Baptist Association, presented a plaque to Pastor Ross Woody recognizing the church for 150 years of cooperation with the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
The Helping Hands group of Lebanon Baptist Church, Talbott, recently made skirts and scarves for girls in an orphanage in India. They also provided shoes for children. [Read more…]
TBMB DIRECTORS ADOPT NO-INCREASE BUDGET AT ANNUAL MEETING
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Clay Hallmark, center, was elected as an officer of the TBMB directors. With him is current chair-elect Mike Kemper, left, and chair Cal Hampton. Kemper will become chair in November and Hallmark will serve as chair-elect.
FRANKLIN — The directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board voted without opposition Sept. 11 to recommend a Cooperative Program budget goal of $34,500,000 for 2018-19.
The amount is the same as the 2017-18 budget, observed Steve Marcum of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, chair of the Budget and Ministry Committee.
While the amount remains the same, the percentage that will be forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention for national causes will increase from 46.64 percent in the current budget to 47.12 percent for 2018-19, Marcum said. The amount remaining in Tennessee will decrease from 53.36 percent to 52.88 percent. [Read more…]
BLESSINGS IN BACKPACKS
Christmas backpack ministry brings gospel, toys to children
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — This Christmas, hundreds of underprivileged children in Tennessee will be receiving Barbie dolls and board games, matchbox cars and model planes.
More importantly, they will be receiving hope through the good news of Jesus.
All across the state, Tennessee Baptists are participating in “Christmas Backpacks for Children and Teens” — a ministry that originally started in 2001 with a group of GAs (Girls in Action) in Georgia. The ministry, which has grown dramatically since its inception, provides children with brand-new backpacks, filled with toys, card games, hygiene products and more. [Read more…]
LIFEWAY WORKERS ‘FINE’ AFTER BULLET DESTROYS WINDOW
By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press
No employees were injured when a bullet of unknown origin shattered a large fifth-floor window Sept. 20 at LifeWay Christian Resources new downtown Nashville complex. LifeWay photo
NASHVILLE — “Employees are fine” a day after a bullet destroyed a fifth-floor window at LifeWay Christian Resources’ downtown Nashville complex, company spokesperson Carol Pipes told Baptist Press. [Read more…]
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