By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

CHATTANOOGA — When Eric Stitts, pastor of Bayside Baptist Church, Harrison, heard of the domestic terrorism attack on two military facilities in the city on July 16, his first thought was disbelief.

Then he turned his thoughts and prayers to the many policemen in his church who he knew would be called to the scene.

As it turned out, one of those officers (Dennis Pedigo), was one of two people wounded during the incident which took the lives of four United States Marines and a Navy sailor. The shooter, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Kuwait, was later killed. [Read more…]

By Landon Dickerson
B&R Intern

BRENTWOOD — In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling to legalize homosexual marriage in all 50 states, Baptist Collegiate Ministries around Tennessee are responding.

Because homosexuality is such a large issue on college campuses now, BCMs in Tennessee are seeking out God’s desire for the next step, according to Bill Choate, BCM director for the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

“This is not a new challenge for those ministering on university campuses. Secular universities have long manifested the tension between university support of the rights of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) people and university support of the expression of religious liberty on campus,” he said.

“We have been fortunate in Tennessee that, while universities hold clear non-discrimination positions, the institutions generally continue to allow for general expressions of religious liberty, including the recognition of religious student organizations,” Choate added. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Eeditor, Baptist and Reflector

NASHVILLE — Following the decision of the United States Supreme Court on June 26, two state representatives in Tennessee announced plans to draft a “Tennessee Pastor Protection Act.”

“It comes as no surprise that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. I have had multiple constituents concerned with how the ruling may impact their church and their religious beliefs,” said Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) in a press release.

He noted, however, if the “issue is truly about equality of civil liberties and benefits, then this ruling should have minimal legal impact on churches.”

Terry added that if “the issue and the cause is about redefining marriage to require others to change their deeply held religious beliefs, then the concerns of many will be valid.” [Read more…]

By Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD — Current Tennessee Baptist Convention president Michael Ellis, along with 20 former TBC presidents, have signed onto a statement first adopted by current Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd and all 16 former living SBC presidents since 1980.

Soon after the marriage and religious liberty statement was released during the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, former presidents of the Florida Baptist Convention also signed on as supporters.

“We are excited to join with our counterparts in Florida in affirming the SBC presidents’ statement on marriage and religious liberty,” said Randy C. Davis, TBC executive director/treasurer, and a past TBC president.

“This kind of solidarity is very necessary and extremely encouraging,” he said. [Read more…]

By Jim Guenther
TBC Attorney

There needs to be some clarity about exactly what the Supreme Court’s decision did and did not do. The decision was about a civil right, the right of same sex couples to be licensed by the states to marry. It was an interpretation of the 14th Amendment, a citizen’s right to equal protection under the law when it comes to marriage.

It was not about religious liberty. It was not about the First Amendment and a citizen’s right to exercise his or her religious beliefs and it was not about the prohibition against government establishing religion. So the decision did nothing to diminish religious freedom. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Editor’s Note: The following story first appeared in the Feb. 11 issue of the Baptist and Reflector. In light of the June 26 ruling by the Supreme Court we felt that this article is more relevant today than even when it was first published.

JACKSON — Tennessee Baptist church leaders should pay attention to a situation that occurred last month in Colorado, says Southern Baptist ethicist C. Ben Mitchell.

A Denver-area congregation received national media attention for moving a funeral with people already seated to a funeral home across the street because a video was playing that showed the deceased kissing her lesbian partner.

The family of the deceased woman paid to have the funeral in the church and had even provided the church a copy of the video in advance but church ministers failed to preview the video and said later that it had been lost, according to news reports. [Read more…]

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Scenic Drive Baptist gives facility, belongings to Arabic congregation in Murfreesboro

MURFREESBORO — On what could have been the saddest day in its history, the final service of Scenic Drive Baptist Church was actually an answer to prayer.

“This was His (God’s) way of filling that parking lot that we have been praying for,” said Belvin Cox, pastor of the congregation which held its last regular worship service May 3.

The next Sunday, about 15 members of Scenic Drive Baptist worshiped with about 30 members of the Arabic Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, the new recipients of the facility.

Some words of Arabic were heard in conversation and prayers though most of the service was in English. Also in consideration of the great gift and the emotions of Scenic Drive members, a portion of the service was allocated for sharing of memories by them. Several people stood and shared. [Read more…]