Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

‘UNDECIDED’ MOST PREFERRED BY PASTORS

By Bob Smietana
Lifeway News Office

160210prezNASHVILLE — Ted Cruz is the favorite presidential candidate of Protestant pastors who lean Republican. Hillary Clinton leads among Democratic pastors. And Donald Trump is near the back of the pack.

But “Undecided” is by far the most popular choice of America’s pastors according to a new telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The survey found nearly half of those planning to vote (48 percent) don’t know whom they would vote for if the presidential election were held today.

“One of the most surprising findings of our survey was the poor showing of Donald Trump,” said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. “When it comes to Mr. Trump, there seems to be a huge gap between the pulpit and the pew.” [Read more…]

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STATE WMU SUPPORTS SBC EFFORT

Compiled by B&R

Vickie Anderson

Vickie Anderson

BRENTWOOD — This Valentine’s Day, the Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation hopes to spread love and warmth to Syrian refugees living in Jordan. The Foundation is asking people to donate $25, which supplies a blanket to a refugee family. They are also encouraging people to donate blankets in their communities to help meet local needs.

“We want to do everything we can to meet the physical and spiritual needs of refugees in Jordan, but we also can’t forget about those in our backyard,” explains David George, president of the WMU Foundation, based in Birmingham, Ala.

“There have been many cold nights in Birmingham this winter and we want to make sure no family is without warmth.” [Read more…]

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SBC CP GIFTS CONTINUE UPWARD TREND

Baptist Press

cplogoNASHVILLE — Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 6.07 percent above the year-to-date budgeted projection and 1.91 percent above contributions received during the same time frame last year, according to a news release from Frank S. Page, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.

The total includes receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches, and individuals for distribution according to the 2015-16 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. [Read more…]

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PORN USE INCREASING AMONG TEENS

Tennessee Baptist youth ministers offer pointers on how to combat problem

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

160210infographicBRENTWOOD — The number of searches for Internet pornography exponentially increases every second. If the rapidly changing online “porn ticker” represented increasing stock value, there would be thousands — possibly millions — of overnight millionaires. Instead, the ticker reveals an insatiable appetite for sexually explicit content, and a high percentage of those searching are teenagers.

There have been nearly 2.5 billion searches for pornography since the beginning of 2015, according to CovenantEyes, a company that specializes in Internet accountability and filtering software. The real-time counter can be found at covenanteyes.com/pornstats. The counter is part of the organization’s report titled, “Pornography Statistics: 250+ Facts, Quotes and Statistics About Pornography Use (2015 Edition).” The full report is available for free download from the site. [Read more…]

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TRUSTEES: NEW LIFEWAY LOCATION AUTHORIZED

Baptist Press

Artist's rendering of LifeWay Christian Resources' proposed new building near Nashville's central business district.

Artist’s rendering of LifeWay Christian Resources’ proposed new building near Nashville’s central business district.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources authorized the purchase of land and construction of a new corporate headquarters in Nashville and elected new board officers.

In their semiannual meeting, trustees approved a resolution to authorize LifeWay’s administration to purchase property in downtown Nashville for its future headquarters.

“This property is not just a location — it’s a new community in which we can invest ourselves for the future,” President and CEO Thom S. Rainer told trustees during Feb. 1-2 meetings in Nashville. [Read more…]

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DOES GOD DECIDE, CARE WHO WINS THE SUPER BOWL?

Baptist Press

160203-super-bowlNASHVILLE, Tenn. – An old gospel hymn says God’s eye is on the sparrow, but what about panthers and broncos? Not the ones from Carolina and Denver matched up for the National Football League’s Super Bowl 50, according to a new survey from LifeWay Research.

The poll found most Americans are skeptical about divine intervention on the football field. They say God doesn’t determine who wins or loses. And most believe God has bigger things to be concerned about.

“The Bible says God sets up and takes down nations and rulers,” said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. “Either Americans do not agree, or they think God focuses on political leaders rather than cultural sports icons.” [Read more…]

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CHARLES COUEY, BLIND ADVOCATE, DIES

Baptist and Reflector

Charles Couey

Charles Couey

NASHVILLE — Charles Couey, who was a Tennessee Baptist evangelist and a founder of the Tennessee Baptist Fellowship of the Blind, died Jan. 31 after an accident at his Nashville home.

Couey, though blind, had studied at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Extension Center in Nashville and at the Louisville, Ky., campus. He also worked for the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville where he was a former student. [Read more…]

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FBC, NASHVILLE, SELLS 1.3 ACRES FOR $20 MILLION

Baptist and Reflector

First Baptist Church Nashville panoramaNASHVILLE – First Baptist Church, Nashville, has announced the sale of a portion of the church campus (1.3 acres of its downtown property) to a developer for $20 million. The church will continue to occupy the remaining 6.3 acre site which the church owns on Broadway and Seventh Avenue S.

According to The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, the sale price equates to about $353 a square foot and is believed to be the highest amount ever paid for development land in the city. [Read more…]

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FORMER TBCH PRESIDENT GERALD STOW DIES

Baptist and Reflector

Gerald Stow stands outside the main offices of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Brentwood in 2014. The retired president of TBCH celebrated 30 years of ministry with the institution in 2014. Stow died Jan. 29 at the age of 82.

Gerald Stow stands outside the main offices of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Brentwood in 2014. The retired president of TBCH celebrated 30 years of ministry with the institution in 2014. Stow died Jan. 29 at the age of 82.

BRENTWOOD – Gerald Stow, retired president of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, died Jan. 29 after a lengthy illness. He was 82.

Stow led the Brentwood-based TBCH from 1984-99. After his retirement he continued to serve as an “ambassador” for the Tennessee Baptist Convention institution. He was a member of Brentwood Baptist Church.

A native of Dresden County, Stow served two Tennessee Baptist churches as pastor before becoming president of TBCH – South Fulton Baptist Church, South Fulton, and First Baptist Church, Cookeville. [Read more…]

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HELP SOUGHT TO COMPLETE COMPENSATION STUDY

GuideStone News Office

160201Compensation-SurveyDALLAS — GuideStone Financial Resources, along with LifeWay Research and Baptist state conventions, including the Tennessee Baptist Convention, has opened the biennial SBC Church Compensation Survey in 2016.

Ministers and church employees are invited to participate in the survey, a resource used by churches of all sizes to determine fair wages and benefits. Survey participants will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win an iPad®. The survey and complete contest rules are available at GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey.

The survey’s results will be made available in the early fall, in time for many churches considering their 2017 budgets. The survey is the largest free church compensation study conducted in the United States. The most recent survey results, conducted in 2014, have been visited almost 55,000 times.

“GuideStone works tirelessly to be an advocate for pastors and church staff, ensuring that they are compensated fairly,” said O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources.

“The surveys can help churches benchmark their own salary and benefits packages against churches of like size within Southern Baptist life,” he added.

Gary Rickman, ministry coordinator for the TBC, observed that the study can be invaluable for churches as they consider compensation packages for pastors and other staff members.

For the survey to be most effective, however, churches of all sizes need to complete the survey, he urged.

“If churches will spend just a little time to complete this survey, they will have a valuable resource to use when it comes time to determine their own compensation packages,” Rickman said.

Contact GuideStone Financial Resources with any questions or issues. Call toll-free at 1-888-984-8433 Monday–Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST to speak with a customer relations specialist.

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