Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
I recently received a note from a pastor friend who was distressed that his church was considering cutting his salary.
I was disturbed as well because I know this pastor and no one works harder and cares about his flock and the lost in his community than he does.
Budgets are tight everywhere, from our own personal budgets to businesses and in our denomination and churches. [Read more…]
By Larry Robertson
President, TBC, & Clarksville Pastor
The “famous theologian” Bob Dylan said it well: “The times they are a-changin’.” I know, change is not a welcome word for some folk. Yet change, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad. It is, however, sometimes necessary.
Did you know that lobsters have to shed their shells periodically in order to grow? If they didn’t go through that necessary process of molting, their inelastic shells would become their prisons and eventually their caskets. Shortly after vacating their shells, lobsters remain secluded for a number of days while their soft shells harden. [Read more…]
By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director
I refuse to be a rotten egg; and I don’t want you to be one either. Fortunately, there is still time not to become one.
Maybe I’d better explain.
Theologian C.S. Lewis writes in his seminal book, Mere Christianity, that, “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” [Read more…]
By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC
NASHVILLE — We are on a trajectory in the South that will see a current generation spiritually lost unless something drastic changes in the near future, said the Tennessee Baptists Convention’s top leader, and he said statistics bear that out.
“We are at the cusp in the South of [spiritually] losing our children and our grandchildren,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director-treasurer of the TBC’s Executive Board. “This generation of precious children will die and go to hell unless God breaks our hearts [for the lost].” [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
A denomination went on life support last week. Sadly, I don’t think some of its leaders even realize they signed their own death notice.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) became one of the largest Christian denominations in the country to endorse gay marriage last week when its General Assembly voted to allow pastors to conduct same-sex weddings and approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between “two people” rather than “a man and a woman.” [Read more…]
By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R
Two things bear on my mind at this moment: our positive God and our negative society. To say God is positive is totally true. To categorically judge our society to be negative is only partially true — but way too much.
I start each morning with a strong cup of hot, black coffee and the Bible. For me, that’s about as positive a way to start the day as I know. This morning I read Paul’s direction to Timothy: namely, to pray for everyone, give thanks, and live godly lives. Paul especially bore down on praying for “kings and all those who are in authority” (I Timothy 2:1-2). Along with my coffee, Bible, and God, I pray, meditate, and think. Then I move to the Internet and Facebook. That’s when things tend to get negative on the world scene and the U.S. leadership in particular. The inconsistency for Christians is to honor God but malign leaders. [Read more…]
Bobby Welch
Assoc. Executive-Director, TBC
The Pastors Task Force on Southern Baptist Convention Evangelistic Impact & Declining Baptisms recently reported their findings. This diverse group of 15 summarized their work into five recommendations:
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Every year at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention we hear the same pleas for increased giving through the Cooperative Program.
In fact, the Cooperative Program was a hot topic of conversation throughout the annual meeting, and it should have been. We do need to increase Cooperative Program giving. It’s the lifeline of missions in Tennessee, around our nation, and throughout the world. [Read more…]
By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director
The Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting did not have my full attention when I arrived in Baltimore last week. In fact, I’d say my enthusiasm for it was pretty low. My mind and my heart were on that which needed my attention here in Tennessee.
However, by the time Jeanne and I left Baltimore Thursday morning, I was encouraged and glad that we attended the annual meeting. The fellowship with friends from Tennessee and across the country refreshed us. There were also several highlights that proved to be special moments for me. [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
We Baptists are a unique group.
Most of the time, we don’t have the faith to move a mountain (which Scripture says is possible), but we have the uncanny ability of making a mountain out of a mole hill at any given time.
We do it in our individual lives as well as corporately. Many a congregation has argued over what color a carpet or pew pad should be and seen members leave because the “wrong” color was chosen. [Read more…]