Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

INTERNET CHANGE POSES RELIGIOUS LIBERTY THREAT

Baptist Press

http, www, web, site, computer, screen, InternetNASHVILLE — When the U.S. government relinquishes control of a nonprofit organization that oversees Internet domain names, a California Baptist University software engineering professor says, the potential for religious liberty violations could increase.

Since 1998, the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has coordinated and administered Internet domain names, with oversight from the U.S. Department of Commerce. But as of Oct. 1, when the government’s contract expires, ICANN will be governed entirely by an independent board — a move that has been decried by some commentators as dangerous and dismissed by others as innocuous. [Read more…]

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TENNESCENE OCT. 5-18

DEATHS

Jim Richards

Jim Richards

Jim Richards, 78, a longtime Southern Baptist minister, died recently in Memphis. He was a Southern Baptist missionary in the Dominican Republic and interim director of missions, Big Hatchie Baptist Association, based in Covington, in 2016 and 2007. Richards was former interim pastor, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Covington. He also worked for Southern Baptist organizations in Arizona and Florida. [Read more…]

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ABC DEBUTS TRANSGENDER CHILD ON TV

Baptist Press

161005modern-familyNASHVILLE — An 8-year-old girl who lives as a transgender boy appeared on the Sept. 28 episode of ABC’s “Modern Family,” portraying a transgender friend of Lily, the daughter of the show’s leading gay couple, the series’ director has announced.

Modern Family director Ryan Case identified the show’s first openly transgender actor on Twitter, saying, “He’s 8 years old, from Atlanta, and just happens to be transgender. He plays Lily’s friend Tom in this week’s Modern Family.”

Jeff Johnston, issues analyst for the marriage and parenting group Focus on the Family (FOTF), told Baptist Press the episode would likely confuse children. [Read more…]

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HURRICANE SLAMS HAITI, CUBA; HEADED TOWARD UNITED STATES

Baptist and Reflector

Image: NOAA.gov

Image: NOAA.gov

BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist disaster relief volunteers are on alert, awaiting word from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief as to where and when they will be needed in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.

Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti on Oct. 4, causing massive destruction before hitting Cuba later that night. The damage in Cuba was not as extensive as first expected, according to news reports.

Associated Press reported that at least 11 deaths have been blamed on Hurricane Matthew, which at one time was a Category 5 storm, making it the most powerful hurricane in the region in nearly a decade. [Read more…]

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TBC CP GIFTS STILL AHEAD OF GOAL

Baptist and Reflector

cplogoBRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,828,179 through the Cooperative Program in September.

For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,967,738 for missions and ministry causes in Tennessee and around the world. [Read more…]

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N.C. RESTROOM BILL DOESN’T DETER SBC ANNUAL MEETING

By David Roach
Baptist Press

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Convention Center

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Convention Center

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Amid controversy over North Carolina’s controversial transgender restroom law, Southern Baptist Convention leaders estimate they’re less than two weeks away from finalizing contracts to hold the 2023 SBC annual meeting in Charlotte.

And they say they’re glad to support the state for its moral stand on gender and sexuality. [Read more…]

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TBC MINISTERS’ SALARIES ABOVE AVERAGE

Baptist and Reflector

Office and Custodial Personnel: Compensation = Salary (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 18) Pay Package* = Salary + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church *The Employer portion of Social Security is not included in the figure for Pay Package. The study assumes that the church pays the Employer portion of Social Security for these employees. Ministerial Personnel (Non-Ordained Ministers): Compensation = Salary (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 10) Pay Package** = Salary + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church **The Employer portion of Social Security is not included in the figure for Pay Package. The study assumes that the church pays the Employer portion of Social Security for these employees. Ministerial Personnel (Ordained Ministers): Compensation = Salary + Housing Allowance + Fair Rental Value of Church-owned Housing + Utilities for Church-owned Housing (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 20) Pay Package*** = Salary + Housing Allowance + Fair Rental Value of Church-owned Housing + Utilities on Church-owned Housing + Social Security Equivalent + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church ***While the Social Security Equivalent could be included with compensation since it is taxable, the Compensation Study has chosen for a number of years to treat the Social Security Equivalent as a benefit so as to be consistent with the general treatment of Social Security for non-ministers. It is suggested the church pay the same percentage for Social Security for the minister that they would pay for a non-minister. Thus it should be budgeted and classified the same way as the regular FICA employer Social Security for non-ministers. The only difference for ministers is that it does become taxable. This study assumes all ministry-related expenses are paid by the church using an accountable reimbursement plan and are NOT INCLUDED in the “Pay Package.” These include travel expense; expenses for conventions and continuing education; expenses for ministry-related books and periodicals; and ministry-related hospitality expenses. Amounts paid to cover these ministry-related expenses are IN ADDITION TO the above amounts. Report Date: 9/26/2016

Office and Custodial Personnel:
Compensation = Salary (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 18)
Pay Package* = Salary + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church
*The Employer portion of Social Security is not included in the figure for Pay Package. The study assumes that the church pays the Employer portion of Social Security for these employees.Ministerial Personnel (Non-Ordained Ministers):
Compensation = Salary (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 10)
Pay Package** = Salary + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church
**The Employer portion of Social Security is not included in the figure for Pay Package. The study assumes that the church pays the Employer portion of Social Security for these employees.
Ministerial Personnel (Ordained Ministers):

Compensation = Salary + Housing Allowance + Fair Rental Value of Church-owned Housing + Utilities for Church-owned Housing (Part-time salary is calibrated to reflect 50 weeks per year at median number of hours: 20)
Pay Package*** = Salary + Housing Allowance + Fair Rental Value of Church-owned Housing + Utilities on Church-owned Housing + Social Security Equivalent + Retirement Benefits Paid by the Church + Insurance Paid by the Church
***While the Social Security Equivalent could be included with compensation since it is taxable, the Compensation Study has chosen for a number of years to treat the Social Security Equivalent as a benefit so as to be consistent with the general treatment of Social Security for non-ministers. It is suggested the church pay the same percentage for Social Security for the minister that they would pay for a non-minister. Thus it should be budgeted and classified the same way as the regular FICA employer Social Security for non-ministers. The only difference for ministers is that it does become taxable.

This study assumes all ministry-related expenses are paid by the church using an accountable reimbursement plan and are NOT INCLUDED in the “Pay Package.” These include travel expense; expenses for conventions and continuing education; expenses for ministry-related books and periodicals; and ministry-related hospitality expenses. Amounts paid to cover these ministry-related expenses are IN ADDITION TO the above amounts.

Report Date: 9/26/2016

BRENTWOOD — The average compensation (salary and housing) and pay packages for senior pastors and staff ministers in Tennessee Baptist Convention churches exceeds the national average in most categories.

The 2016 SBC Church Compensation Study, a joint project of state Baptist conventions, GuideStone Financial Resources, and LifeWay Christian Resources, was released in early September. The biannual study collects compensation and congregational data anonymously from ministers and office/custodial personnel of SBC churches and missions. [Read more…]

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ONE MILLION STUDENTS GATHER AT FLAGPOLES

Baptist Press

Students at Knoch High School in Saxonburg, Pa., posted this photo on Facebook of their Sept. 28 See You At the Pole prayer event. Facebook photo/Ignition

Students at Knoch High School in Saxonburg, Pa., posted this photo on Facebook of their Sept. 28 See You At the Pole prayer event.
Facebook photo/Ignition

NASHVILLE — An estimated million or more students in the U.S. and 63 foreign countries publicly gathered around school flagpoles Sept. 28 and prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The annual See You At the Pole (SYATP) interdenominational Christian outreach was augmented this year with the launch of the I Am Hope outreach leading up to the Oct. 21 release of the film “I’m Not Ashamed.” [Read more…]

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RESPONSE LEADS BEYOND CAMP

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Students attend Any One at South-Doyle High School, Knoxville. The rally, one of three held in East Tennessee, was a fifth quarter event held Sept. 23.

Students attend Any One at South-Doyle High School, Knoxville. The rally, one of three held in East Tennessee, was a fifth quarter event held Sept. 23.

KNOXVILLE — All they were trying to do is find a way to promote Impact youth camps of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, explained Jeff Williamson and Kevin Perrigan of the TBC staff.

So they came up with the idea of holding fifth quarter events on high school campuses to inform students about the camp. [Read more…]

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STUDENTS RESPOND WITH TEARS, SHOCK

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Leaders of Any One in Knoxville were, from left, Kevin Perrigan, director, Carson Springs Baptist Conference; Jeff Williamson, Impact camp director; Brent Beeler, minister of youth, New Hopewell Baptist Church, Knoxville; Robbie Robison, evangelist of Nashville; and Keith Jones, minister to students, City View Baptist Church, Knoxville, and volunteer with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Leaders of Any One in Knoxville were, from left, Kevin Perrigan, director, Carson Springs Baptist Conference; Jeff Williamson, Impact camp director; Brent Beeler, minister of youth, New Hopewell Baptist Church, Knoxville; Robbie Robison, evangelist of Nashville; and Keith Jones, minister to students, City View Baptist Church, Knoxville, and volunteer with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

KNOXVILLE — Brent Beeler, Knoxville minister of youth, knew God might be up to something when in August he along with some other youth ministers were asked by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at South-Doyle High School to meet with them.

Just a few weeks earlier he had been asked to help the Tennessee Baptist Convention hold a rally at the school. [Read more…]

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