Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

WHY CHRISTIANS CAN STILL GIVE THANKS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

For anyone who lives in this world, last week was tough.

I don’t know what happens in every community in our state and our nation, but I daresay they are similar to Nashville and Memphis. I was in both places last week — metropolitan Memphis for the Summit in Millington and then back to Nashville.

When you turned to the news in either city, you were greeted with some sort of bad news and it usually involved someone being shot and/or killed in the greater viewing area.

And it happened again over the weekend in Scottsville, Ky., a small community about an hour or so from Nashville. A 7-year-old girl disappeared during the local high school football game and an hour later she was found dead in a nearby creek, the victim of a suspected homicide. [Read more…]

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A PAUSE TO CELEBRATE; THEN ON TO SEVIERVILLE

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

Randy C. Davis

I love family reunions. It’s a chance to gather with folks who share a bond and for whom (hopefully) you care a great deal about. That, to me, is what the annual gathering of Tennessee Baptists feels like.

This year’s Summit was held at First Baptist Church, Millington, and in his words of welcome, FBC Pastor David Leavell referred to the gathering as a family reunion. I couldn’t agree more. Tennessee Baptists share a bond in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are a people about whom I care a great deal.

Our theme this year was, “Reach NOW … Whatever It Takes.” It is based on the first of the Five Objectives adopted and affirmed at last year’s Summit. As I hope you are becoming more aware, that objective is to see at least 50,000 Tennesseans annually saved, baptized, and set on the road to discipleship by 2024. [Read more…]

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FIRST-PERSON: HOW TO LISTEN TO A SERMON

By Chuck Lawless
Baptist Press

Chuck Lawless

Chuck Lawless

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) — I admit it. I’m not a good listener. I’m so accustomed to preaching most Sundays that I struggle listening to others (and my wife will undoubtedly affirm that). So, I’m a bit hesitant to talk about how to listen to a sermon, except that I’m really talking to myself as much I am to you, the reader.

So, you’re welcome to eavesdrop on these suggestions:

1) Pray for the preacher and the sermon long before the service.

If I wait until the sermon starts to begin praying (or worse yet, never pray for the preacher and the sermon), I’ve not adequately prepared myself to listen. [Read more…]

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MISSIONS, DR BRING BAPTISTS TOGETHER

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

Baptists are known for many things – some good, some not so good. We tend to argue among ourselves over things that have no Kingdom significance. We get bent out of shape if someone sits in our pew on Sunday morning. We’re not happy if the pastor doesn’t visit our sick relative in the hospital (never mind that we probably forgot to let the pastor or church office know we have a sick relative in the hospital). The list goes on. Baptists can be petty. I can say that because I have been one all of my life. I’ve seen it. And if truth be told, I probably have acted in a petty manner at times.

Yet, Baptists can also be some of the most kind-hearted, caring people on this planet. And nothing brings out the best in Baptists than rallying around a need, whether it be locally, nationally, or globally.

I was in South Carolina recently witnessing the efforts of our Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers. We have an amazing group of people in our state who are ready to head out on a moment’s notice to provide help to people who desperately need it. [Read more…]

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WHY I LOVE THE SUMMIT

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

Randy C. Davis

I travel – a lot. I’ve made my way back and forth across Tennessee this year several times and then some. Most often those trips are made to preach in your churches or associational meetings, to stop and have lunch with a pastor or church member just to visit, or to attend a meeting where small groups of people are gathered to discuss Kingdom work. I enjoy all these opportunities to connect with brothers and sisters in Christ who share an identity as Tennessee Baptists. But as much as I enjoy connecting with you out across our state one-on-one or in small groups, I love when we all come together in one place for our annual Summit. That’s why I’m excited about next week and the 141st gathering of the Tennessee Baptist Convention taking place at First Baptist Church, Millington. [Read more…]

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KEEP HALLOWEEN IN PERSPECTIVE

Eli, aka Spider-Man, and Parker, a cuddly teddy bear.

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

As it has been for centuries, Halloween will be observed on Oct. 31.

According to a study by LifeWay Research, nearly a third of Americans avoid the celebration of Halloween or at least its pagan elements. I agree wholeheartedly with avoiding the pagan elements, but I’m not completely sold on the fact that it is necessary to avoid Halloween completely, especially for younger children.

When I was a kid (I actually was one, believe it or not), we celebrated Halloween. I didn’t know or care about the history of Halloween. All I cared about was that it provided an opportunity to dress up in a costume and get free candy. In those days, candy was a special treat, not the norm that it is today.

The older I grew the less I cared about Halloween. And, as a Christian, I certainly do not like the pagan elements associated with Halloween and the evil that some have associated it with. [Read more…]

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DR VOLUNTEERS A SPECIAL BREED

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

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Earl Burnett, right, and Sam Justus, volunteers from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, remove furniture from a home in Kingstree, S.C., that received major damage from record flooding that occurred in the state in early October.

Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are a special breed of people.

They love the Lord with all their hearts and souls, and they love people enough to do “the dirty work” that most people would run from.

I spent time this week with Tennessee volunteers who were serving out of First Baptist Church in Manning, S.C. Teams did flood recovery or, “mudouts,” for people whose homes were devastated by historic flooding in the Palmetto State earlier this month.

In the area around Manning, located about 60 miles from the state capitol in Columbia, residents received about 24 inches of rain in a three-day period. Needless to say, numerous people experienced unprecedented flooding, especially those who lived closer to a river, pond, or swamp. [Read more…]

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COOPERATIVE PROGRAM — WHERE IS THE MONEY?

By Ronnie Floyd
President, SBC

Ronnie Floyd

Ronnie Floyd

The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches that partner together to reach the world for Christ. As we aspire to this biblical vision of presenting the gospel to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations, we must find a way to increase financial resources to this serious and grand vision.

I am often asked, “Where is the money to accomplish this vision?” In this month of emphasis on the Cooperative Program, I think we must answer this question openly and honestly. As one Southern Baptist, I want to attempt to answer the question, “Where is the money?”

The money is in the pockets of God’s people. The most recent research by empty tomb, inc., reveals the following:

  • Less than 3 percent of all Christians tithe, meaning give at least 10 percent of their income to their church.
  • The median annual gift to a church is $200.
  • In 1968, Americans gave 3.1 percent of their disposable income; now Americans give 2.2 percent, which is less than they gave during the Great Depression.
  • At the current rate of decline, by the year 2050, Americans will give only 1 percent of their disposable income to the church; if this occurs, a vast number of churches and missions will be forced to close. I find this data somewhat disgusting. It shows the selfishness and narcissistic reality of millions of professing Christians today.

The money to reach our towns, cities, regions, states, nation, and the world is in the pockets of God’s people. We need to repent now and call people back to God with boldness and compassion.

Pastors, Christian leaders, and church leaders must lead the way in giving at least 10 percent of their income through their local churches. The professing Christians and members of our churches must also do the same.

Money is in the pockets of our churches. Each of our churches must evaluate continually what we are doing to partner with our Southern Baptist Convention in reaching the world for Christ. We do this through our gifts through the Cooperative Program. How much a church gives through the Cooperative Program is a church’s decision. Each church is autonomous and we honor their decision. [Read more…]

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SHOULD PASTORS SHARE THEIR VIEWS WITH THE MEDIA?

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

Chris Turner

Chris Turner

You know the adage, “Whenever you get two Baptists together you always have three (or more) opinions.” And I know this is hard to fathom, but preachers can sometimes be, well, opinionated. Almost all of them see the world through the lens of a biblical worldview so it is difficult to look at the culture around them and not express their view as it relates to God’s Word. However, the question is: Should they?

The answer is no — and yes. It’s complicated. First, let’s recognize that not every opinion a pastor expresses flows forth from the fount of Scripture. Pastors, opinions and the media can have all the makings of a chemistry experiment gone bad. There is more than one example of pastors saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. And let’s face it. It only takes seconds for something possibly taken out of context to go viral in this age of social media saturation.

However, more and more pastors and church members are being asked by media to comment on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. Am I advocating suppressing a prophetic word to a culture that needs salt and light? Of course not. As Christians we are called to proclaim the gospel to a decaying world. However, what I am saying is that pastors — and all Christians for that matter — must exercise biblical instruction when it comes to communicating, especially when the media is involved. Remember, “Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.”

Here are four tips all Christians would do well to consider if asked by the media to participate in an interview or if simply engaging in a public conversation. [Read more…]

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NEW WEBSITE GARNERS MIXED REVIEWS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

Two things are certain in this world: death and taxes. And not even death is certain should Jesus choose to return to earth sooner than later.

We can add one more thing to that list that is certain for sure. You can’t please everybody.

We launched the new Baptist and Reflector website on Oct. 7 and we had mixed reactions.

Some readers wrote us and told us how much they loved the site and were looking forward to using it.

One reader wrote, “I hate it.” The reader didn’t give any specific reasons but mentioned he did want us to return to the virtual paper. [Read more…]

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