WARTBURG — At first, it might sound like a strange melding of demographics: widows and young adults.

But at First Baptist Church, Wartburg, these two groups are forming friendships and kinships. 

“There’s a fantastic synergy between the two groups within our church,” said FBC senior pastor Matt Ward. 

The connections have emerged in prominent ways in recent weeks after a young adults Sunday School class at FBC started a ministry called “Wisdom from Widows.” The concept for the ministry came from FBC young adult leaders Marvin and Tammy Howard, who helped put the wheels in motion.  

“I did not shoehorn this ministry — nor was it my idea,” said Ward. “That’s what makes this ministry so encouraging to me. When discipleship is taking place, the natural outflow of that is people, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, looking for ways for the love of Christ to come out. This ministry, in my opinion, is the natural outworking of discipleship.” [Read more…]

Rusty Sumrall, right, and Michael Kelley have worked together for a smooth transition of leadership at Nashville Baptist Association.

NASHVILLE — Approximately five years ago, Rusty Sumrall knew his tenure as executive director of Nashville Baptist Association was nearing an end.

He had recently turned 65 years old so he went to his board and asked if they wanted him to retire. Sumrall noted they told him he could remain as long as he wanted.

“I asked them if we could put some money aside in our upcoming budget to do a strategy plan leading to my retirement when I turned 70,” he recalled.

The association’s leadership agreed and they formed a 2020 Vision Team which hired a consultant to work with the association, leading to the creation of a five-year plan which culminated with a new director of missions in September.

Michael Kelley, a former employee with Lifeway Christian Resources, was chosen to succeed Sumrall. He joined the staff as executive director-elect on May 1 of last year and served alongside Sumrall until their annual meeting in September when he took over the reins of the association. [Read more…]

The Daniel Doss Band leads worship music Sunday night during the opening session of the 2023 State Evangelism Conference at New Vision Church in Murfreesboro. — Photo by David Dawson

MURFREESBORO — The opening session of the 2023 State Evangelism Conference featured worship, encouragement and urgency on Sunday night at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. 

Operating with “Testify” as the theme, this year’s two-day conference opened with JJ Washington and Jamie Dew serving as the featured speakers during Sunday night’s session. Worship music included the Daniel Doss Band and the Old Path Quartet.  [Read more…]

Wes Jones, left, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, talks to volunteers Butch Porch, center, Woodland Baptist Church, Brownsville, and Richard Kuenzinger of Germantown Baptist Church, Germantown. — Photo by Garry Maddox

MEMPHIS — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers responded to an unusual request from the state this week to provide support for first responders preparing for possible rioting in Memphis in the aftermath of the beating and death of Tyre Nichols. 

While Disaster Relief teams are no strangers to helping people affected by natural disasters, this was the first time for Tennessee volunteers to activate for potential civil unrest, according to Wes Jones, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief specialist.

“It’s new for us, but it’s been done by other teams in different states,” Jones said. “This is actually pre-planning for a possible disaster. Hopefully nothing bad breaks out when the tapes come out, but they have to be pre-staged and ready to go. You can’t come in two days later. They want to be in the right place at the right time, so we want to be there to help them and support them as we can.”

Nichols, a 29-year-old Memphis resident, was savagely beaten by five Memphis police officers on Jan. 7 and died from his injuries a few days later. The officers have been charged with second-degree murder. Video footage of their encounter with Nichols was released the evening of Jan. 27, and local officials called in extra first responders to be prepared for protests. [Read more…]

East Tennessee State University BCM student Zack Barnett, left, speaks with a group of students during Beach Reach in Panama City Beach, Fla. — Photo by David Dawson

FRANKLIN — Even in the face of big challenges and big changes, Baptist Collegiate Ministries continues to be effective in reaching students for Christ and helping them grow in their faith. The BCM also continues to be successful in supporting the spread of the gospel through events, service projects and giving.  

Over the past six years, from 2016-2022, the BCMs in Tennessee  have helped more than 5,000 students get involved in leadership development, raised over a million dollars for missions and seen over 1,500 professions of faith.  

The BCM has also helped more than 800 students prepare for the ministry and seen more than 6,000 students become involved in evangelism training. 

These encouraging numbers have emerged despite difficult circumstances — ranging from the increase of everyday distractions (such as social media) to a worldwide pandemic — that have developed in recent years. [Read more…]

BCM volunteers Jessica Lang, left, of New Hope Baptist Church, Maryville, and Katie Randolph of Bethel Hill Baptist Church, Centertown, carry off trash from one of the homes where their team worked Jan. 9-12 in Carrie, Ky. — Photos by Lonnie Wilkey

CARRIE, Ky. — Generations joined together from Jan. 8-12 to bring help, hope and healing to people who have been displaced since the massive flooding that hit southeastern Kentucky last summer.

A team of 37 volunteers from Knox County Baptist Association and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville spent the week repairing damaged homes and working on six “tiny homes” that had been donated to residents.

For the Knox County volunteers, the week was a labor of love. Since 2016, the group has worked with BCM students on a project at least once a year, said Stanley Roach, DR director for Knox County Baptists.

The group arrived on Jan. 8 so the BCM students could be trained in disaster relief, Roach said. Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief pays for the training for the BCM students, he added. [Read more…]

Editor’s note: For more on the Amy Hood Adoption Endowment, see the Clarity column by Randy C. Davis HERE.

Amy Hood

FRANKLIN — An adoption endowment fund has been established with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board designed to provide funding for adoption expenses for Tennessee Baptist couples who desire to adopt children.

The fund was established with an initial gift by Randy C. and Jeanne Davis. Davis is president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“To be pro-life means more than to be anti-abortion,” Davis said. “One of the strongest ways to be pro-life is adoption and foster care,” he observed.

The endowment is named in honor and in memory of Amy Hood, the late wife of Pat Hood, pastor of LifePoint Baptist Church, Smyrna. Amy Hood died on Oct. 30 of last year at the age of 57. [Read more…]

Wreckage from a small place appears on a field off of CR 462 Tuesday afternoon outside Yoakum. — Victoria Advocate/screen shot from actionnews5.com

YOAKUM, Texas — A plane crash in Lavaca County, Texas, Jan. 17, killed four members of Harvest Church, Germantown, and left the pastor in critical condition. The crash occurred near the Yoakum Municipal Airport, between Houston and San Antonio.

Among those killed were Bill Garner, the church’s executive pastor, along with elders Steve Tucker Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer. Lead pastor Kennon Vaughn was reported in stable but critical condition in an undisclosed Texas hospital. 

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Harvest Church posted on its website: “We rejoice this morning in God’s goodness. Kennon is breathing on his own and has been able to communicate some through writing. The latest reports from the doctors are all positive. Kennon is currently at one of the top trauma centers in the country and we are so thankful for God’s provision. Kennon still needs to have some surgeries to repair injuries to his abdomen so please continue to pray for a full recovery. [Read more…]