Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — Messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention possibly will decide if churches with women pastors can have messengers seated.
The annual meeting will take place during Summit: The Annual Gathering of Tennessee Baptists scheduled for Nov. 12-16 at First Baptist Church, Hendersonville. [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Photo: Facebook / First Baptist Church, Morristown
MORRISTOWN – A Tennessee Baptist church that announced in January that it would escrow Cooperative Program funds in response to a decision by two Southern Baptist Convention entities last year to sign an amicus brief in support of a New Jersey mosque has developed a plan to continue financially supporting worldwide missions.
First Baptist Church, Morristown, held a called business meeting Sept. 17 to consider two motions, said Pastor Dean Haun, who resigned in January as a trustee of the SBC’s International Mission Board in protest of its decision to sign the amicus brief along with the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. [Read more…]
By Tim Ellsworth
Union University News Office
President George W. Bush and Union University President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver participate in a question-and-answer session during Union University’s 20th annual Scholarship Banquet.
JACKSON — President George W. Bush shared stories of his time in the White House, talked about his faith in Jesus Christ, and encouraged college students to be involved in public service at Union University’s 20th annual Scholarship Banquet Oct. 17.
The event, held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, drew 1,500 people who heard the former president discuss a variety of topics in a 50-minute question-and-answer session with Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver.
“Do it,” Bush replied to a question about what he would say to college students considering public service. “It’s ugly at times. But first of all, you live in a fabulous country, and therefore you have a duty to serve your country one way or another. You can serve your country by feeding the hungry or by teaching a child to read. [Read more…]
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently hosted a seminar at West Jackson Baptist.
-Photo by Bill Bangham
JACKSON — Addressing a group of more than 100 pastors and church leaders at West Jackson Baptist Church, former SBC president Johnny Hunt delivered some disturbing statistics in the opening few minutes of the “Moving Beyond” conference on Sept. 26.
“We’re losing 17 churches per week,” said Hunt, the senior pastor at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga. “That’s 900 churches per year.” [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Mike Sams
MARTIN — First Baptist Church in Martin did not have a large crusade or revival this past year. Nor did the church rely on the latest, greatest witnessing tool to come down the pike.
Yet, for the first time in its 141-year history, First Baptist baptized 50 people in a 12-month period. The church’s previous high in a single year had been 49, according to Pastor Mike Sams.
Carson-Newman News Office
JEFFERSON CITY — “A quality Christian education that is more affordable and obtainable in less time.” That is the plan Carson-Newman University officials are excited to share with students.
In concert with the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that summer Pell grants are now available, Carson-Newman staff and faculty began working on ways to help students take advantage of such an opportunity. [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,648,026 through the Cooperative Program in September.
For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,139,417 through the Cooperative Program which funds missions and ministries in Tennessee, the nation, and the world.
The amount is $828,320 or 2.6 percent below what was given during the same time frame last year. With one month to go in the 2016-17 fiscal year, gifts are $943,916 or 2.94 percent below budget needs. [Read more…]
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
Pastor Matt Ward of West Cleveland Baptist Church, Cleveland, stands with Bonnie Johnson, one of the Houston homeowners that his team helped following Hurricane Harvey.
CLEVELAND — Matt Ward, pastor of West Cleveland Baptist Church, was briefly out of sight. But he made sure he wasn’t out of mind.
Ward recently returned from a week-long stay in storm-ravaged Houston, where he served as the team leader for one of the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief units in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
During his stint in Texas, Ward diligently updated his congregation on the details of the relief efforts by posting videos, blogs, and photos on the church’s website.
“One of the most important parts about me going out to the missions field is being able to tell the stories to those who maybe haven’t gone out or are timid about it,” said Ward. “If you don’t really have a passion for missions, it’s probably because you haven’t really understood what missions is all about.” [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — A team of 20 disaster relief volunteers from East Tennessee left on Oct. 9 for Puerto Rico to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. The team will be there for two weeks, according to Wes Jones of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
In San Juan, 70 percent of the city is without cell service, and outside the city, cell service is even more scarce. Only around five percent of Puerto Rico has electricity. In these early stages, Southern Baptists who serve in Puerto Rico will be trained disaster relief volunteers. [Read more…]
By Sarah Knapp
The Pacer (UT-Martin Student Paper)
MARTIN — A record-breaking attendance of 101 freshmen at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry’s (BCM) “Survival 2017 sets high expectations for freshmen involvement on campus this year.
Survival is a four-day event held by the BCM that helps freshmen and transfer students adjust to college and allows them to interact with other Christians before the fall semester begins. [Read more…]
