Opinion Column Archives - Page 2 of 72

SMALL OR LARGE — EVERY CHURCH IS IMPORTANT

October 22, 2019

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Lonnie Wilkey

In September, I had the privilege of “preaching” at my home church (Lima Baptist) in Travelers Rest, S.C. I grew up in that church and was saved and baptized at Lima Baptist. That’s where my spiritual roots are.

Lima is similar to many churches in Tennessee. It’s small in size. Right now, the church is in a downward trend — maybe 30-40 people on a good week. But, in years past the church has had as many as 70-80, maybe more. It’s in a small community with many churches nearby.

The church is around 150 years old and among its pastors over the years was a college student named R.G. Lee. Lee would move on to become one of the most recognized pastors in Southern Baptist Convention life. [Read more…]

IT’S A FACT: EVERY GREAT TEAM WORKS TOGETHER

October 16, 2019

By Matt Tullos
Stewardship Development Specialist, TBMB

The Evangels were a football team with a legendary record of wins. They had a storied history of some of the best players in the country who went on to win championships and drape banners and retired jerseys all over their stadium. It was the golden age of football for the Evangels.

Everything was going great until they had an idea to recruit the best quarterbacks available — ALL OF THEM. We’ll trade our best cornerbacks, linemen, running backs and kickers. We just want the best quarterbacks period. [Read more…]

VARIED BIBLE TRANSLATIONS CAN ILLUMINE TRUTHS

October 15, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part series on “When the Bible Comes Alive.”

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, Baptist and Reflector

Until my college years, the King James Version was the only Bible I had and read. Yet, even in those early years, the Bible had begun coming alive for me in my own personal study of the King James Version. And I still use that version.

Yet, no one Bible translation can meet all the needs a Bible translation requires in coming from Hebrew and Greek into modern word meanings and scholarship today. Tyndale, Wycliffe, and the Geneva Bible all preceded the King James Version from original Hebrew and Greek into English. And no language remains unchanging — not even English. That’s why we keep on having new English dictionaries. Though God’s Word is unchanging, English keeps changing. And to be true to God’s Word, translators need to accurately translate the faith of our fathers into the language of our children. [Read more…]

REMEMBERING YOUR LEADERS: A BIBLICAL MANDATE

October 14, 2019

By Steve Holt
Church Services Director, TBMB

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7, CSB)

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Since the early 1990s, church members have been encouraged to recognize the sacrificial service of their pastors in some tangible way during the month. While we should always seek to encourage and pray for our pastors, Pastor Appreciation Month is a great reminder to let our leaders know how much we love them. [Read more…]

A STORY WORTH READING

October 10, 2019

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

For those who have five minutes (or less if you’re a fast reader), I would encourage you to read the Baptist Press story about Brenton Winn. It’s incredible.

In February of this year, Brenton Winn broke into First Baptist Church of Conway, Ark., and destroyed $100,000 of church property, including laptops, cameras and other electronics. According to the story, he was addicted to methamphetamines. He doesn’t remember much about that night because he “was high on drugs,” according to the article. [Read more…]

LISTENING SESSIONS — TWENTY TOWNS, TWO EARS

October 8, 2019

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Step off the elevator on the second floor of your Church Support Center in Franklin, turn right and you’ll be looking straight at this large reminder: “Tennessee Baptist Mission Board is a Christ-centered, field-focused, Great Commission organization created by Tennessee Baptists to serve Tennessee Baptist Churches. We value relationships, innovation, stewardship and excellence.”

Our mission statement for many years has been, “Making Christ Known by Serving Churches.”

What does the TBMB do? Simply put, we serve churches. [Read more…]

OUTSIDE THE BOX

October 5, 2019

By Jerry Jeter
Pastor, Pleasant View Baptist Church, Clarksville

About a year ago, our church started a chapter of F.A.I.T.H. Riders. This is a Southern Baptist ministry to motorcycle enthusiasts.

This past year, our small chapter participated in witnessing at Daytona’s Bike Week, sharing testimonies with thousands and seeing hundreds come to faith in Christ. We also participated in serving at the Southern Baptist Convention in Birmingham, Ala., and we helped raise money for the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home. Our chapter has grown from about five or six riders to nearly a dozen. Locally, some riders have come to faith in Christ, followed in baptism and some are already serving in various ways in our church. [Read more…]

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: A MISSIONARY’S GRATITUDE

October 2, 2019

By Paul Chitwood
International Mission Board President

EDITOR’S NOTE FROM BAPTIST PRESS: Paul Chitwood is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. Learn more about CP here.

RICHMOND, Va. — As I near the first anniversary of being elected president of the International Mission Board, I am incredibly encouraged about so many aspects of the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.

At the top of the list are our missionaries. Over these months, my wife Michelle and I have met with more than half of our 3,700 Southern Baptist missionaries and their 2,880 children. [Read more…]

GENDER NEUTRAL DOLLS: MATTEL MUDDIES THE WATERS

October 2, 2019

By Todd E. Brady
Assistant Professor of Ministry and Vice President for University Ministries, Union University

In 1949, George Lemer invented the Mr. Potato Head doll — a plastic body of a spud that could be decorated with various interchangeable parts like ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. As a kid, I had a Mr. Potato Head. My kids have a Mr. Potato Head. It’s funny to design silly faces with different pieces. Lemer, who died in 1995 probably never imagined that people would be picking and choosing preferential parts and specially-designing their own human being dolls. If he were alive, he’d probably laugh that there are actually people who are serious about this.

With Mattel’s latest line of dolls called Creatable World, that seems to be exactly what is happening. Mattel once divided the doll world into Kens and Barbies, but now they are putting forth gender-neutral dolls for “boys, girls and children in between.” These dolls are “designed specifically to have a youthful gender neutral appearance.” [Read more…]

WHEN A TOY IS NOT A TOY

September 30, 2019

The world is getting crazier by the day.

When I was a kid, toys were a luxury. You usually received them on Christmas and birthdays. Now, kids get toys year-round, mainly from grandparents who spoil their grandkids (and I confess that I am among that number). Shame on us.

But one toy my grandkids won’t be receiving is the new gender-fluid Creatable World doll from Mattel (see BP story). Barbie, Hot Wheels and countless other toys have worked well for Mattel for years. The long-time toy company certainly didn’t need to join the gender debate. [Read more…]

EDITOR’S NOTE FROM BAPTIST PRESS: Paul Chitwood is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. Learn more about CP here.

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