Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,870,821 through the Cooperative Program in January.
For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $9,029,537. The amount is $69,675 or 0.8 percent over the amount given during the same time frame last year.
After the first quarter of the fiscal year, Cooperative Program gifts are $279,537 or 3.19 percent over current budget needs. [Read more…]
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE — Ongoing discussion of a federal court case concerning religious liberty for Muslims has prompted the resignation of an International Mission Board trustee and a revision of the IMB’s process for submitting friend of the court briefs.
Dean Haun, pastor of First Baptist Church in Morristown, resigned from the IMB trustee board in November based on his conviction the IMB should not have joined a friend of the court brief last May supporting the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, N.J., (ISBR) in its religious discrimination lawsuit against a local planning board. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission also joined the brief. [Read more…]
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Editor’s note: You can hear William Burton discuss ethnic ministries during Episode 4 of Radio B&R, the official news podcast of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
Jana Guy of the Arabic Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, participates in an activity of a children’s Sunday School training conference on Jan. 21 in Murfreesboro. The conference was led by Vicki Hulsey, right, of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff. Looking on is Amira Abdul-Sayed of the Arabic Baptist Church of Tusculum Hills Baptist, Nashville.
BRENTWOOD — Ethnic Baptist churches associated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention have nearly doubled in number — to about 200 — in the last 18 months.
One of the most important groups being reached by the new churches are Arabic speakers, said William Burton, ethnic evangelism/church planting specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Currently there are five Arabic Baptist churches in Tennessee.
“For me, that’s one of the most exciting things that we’re doing because that’s a group that’s obviously in the news. There’s a lot of fear, concern.” [Read more…]
By Jeff Brumley
Baptist News Global
Conservative evangelicals have lost their cultural and political clout as their numbers and vitality wane, author Robert Jones argues in his book The End of White Christian America.
The book was published in the summer of 2016 — just a few months before Donald Trump rode the support of fearful Caucasian Christians all the way to the White House.
As a result, Jones said he received a slew of post-election social media messages, many of them tongue-in-cheek suggestions that he re-title his book. [Read more…]
Baptist Press
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief leaders celebrated the ministry’s 50th anniversary during their annual conference, Jan. 23-27. -Photo by Jane Rodgers/Southern Baptist TEXAN
DENTON, Texas (BP) — Southern Baptist Disaster Relief leaders throughout North America met for their annual “Round Table” meeting and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of SBDR.
Representatives from nearly all the state Baptist conventions participated in the Jan. 23-27 event at Camp Copass in Denton, Texas. Portions of the week focused on celebrating five decades of ministry efforts, looking at the present state of the ministry and preparing for the future.
“Fifty years represents a significant event for us,” said Mickey Caison, the executive director of SBDR at the North American Mission Board. [Read more…]
By Jeff Brumley
Baptist News Global
Fake news is big news these days, and many want to know how not to be duped by it.
On one level, the solutions are a matter of common sense.
“First, you look for verification,” said James Black, assistant director of the Center for Collaborative Journalism and professor of writing in the media at Mercer University.
Christianity Today published more tips, including not posting items whose authenticity is disproven or that cannot be verified. [Read more…]
Baptist Press
-Screen shot from www.thegiantcow.com
PHOENIX (BP) — Registration opens Feb. 1 for preschool child care, Giant Cow Children’s Ministries and Youth on Mission in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2017 annual meeting June 13-14 in Phoenix.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) child care volunteers will care for preschoolers; while Giant Cow Children’s Ministries will lead the 5- to 12-year-olds, and Woman’s Missionary Union will guide the Youth on Mission curricula and activities.
All activities for children and youth will be housed at the Phoenix Convention Center, the annual meeting site. Youth who have completed grades 7-12 will begin their days at the convention center with worship before going into the community for hands-on mission projects. [Read more…]
Pastor leads church members to lose 1,200 lbs. in 2016
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
These members of Mary’s Chapel Baptist Church, Ripley, lost at least 30 lbs. and kept it off during 2016. They were challenged to do so by their pastor, Ryan Culpepper, who lost about 222 lbs. in two years, nearly half of his original weight. Culpepper was motivated to begin a health program by the “Chubby Challenge” of Randy C. Davis, president and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. A total of about 100 people participated in the church’s 2016 health challenge. The church draws about 150 to Sunday morning activities. — Photo by Mackenzie O’Kelley
RIPLEY — “I’m not half the man I used to be,” sang the Beatles, in the song, “Yesterday.”
Pastor Ryan Culpepper can claim the statement literally and with joy. Culpepper lost nearly half of his body weight, or 222 lbs., in two years!
In addition, about half way through his odyssey he challenged members of his church, Mary’s Chapel Baptist Church, Ripley, to become fit and lose 1,000 lbs. in 2016. Members lost about 1,200 lbs., he proudly reported.
All of these accomplishments can be traced back to the “Chubby Challenge” issued by Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, in January of 2015. Davis challenged people to become fit by losing at least 10 percent of their body weight so “we’ll be living healthier lives and be better witnesses for Christ.” [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Participating in a joint worship service of Rialto Baptist Church, Covington, and Forerunner Baptist Church, Ripley, were, from left, Thomas Bester, pastor, Forerunner Baptist; Carl Funderburk, pastor, Rialto Baptist; and Clay Gilbreath, director of missions, Big Hatchie Baptist Association.
COVINGTON — The handwriting has been on the wall for years at Rialto Baptist Church in Covington.
The almost 100-year-old church once was a vibrant congregation with more than 200 members. But as the community transitioned, many members moved away. Many of those who stayed have since died.
As of Jan. 15, Rialto Baptist had about five members plus pastor Carl Funderburk and his wife Jane. Funderburk, 79, has been pastor of Rialto for 14 years. In 2005 Funderburk led his then congregation of 13 members to make plans should the church eventually have to close its doors. [Read more…]
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn.— For churches that have Sunday night activities, most pastors say it’s still “game on” despite the big game next weekend.
According to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research, 68 percent of Protestant pastors say their church typically has some activity on Sunday night. And among those pastors, almost 6 in 10 (59 percent) say they will continue as normal on the night of the Super Bowl.
“It is easy to think everyone is watching the game,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, “but even during the Super Bowl, millions of Americans are doing other things that are important to them. For many, that includes attending church.” [Read more…]
