Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Applications are now being received for grants from the Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee Medical Missions Fund.
The Baptist Healthcare System of East Tennessee was begun by Tennessee Baptists soon after the end of World War II. More than $2 million was contributed by 800 churches in 32 counties of East Tennessee. The hospital began service on Nov. 30, 1949. [Read more…]
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
A woman receives dental care from a dentist and dental hygiene students of Walters State Community College, Morristown, at First Love on Main in Morristown.
MORRISTOWN — The man who visited the church’s clinic shocked those present. The growth on his neck was as large as a melon.
He also had some trouble walking because he had multiple sclerosis but the concern that day was his struggle to breath.
A physical therapist who had been laid off, he couldn’t afford medical insurance, he told Boni Frazee, director of First Love on Main, the clinic of First Baptist Church, Morristown. His wife couldn’t work because she needed to stay at home with their children. [Read more…]
By Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — A Tennessee Baptist pastor and a layman will write Sunday School commentaries for the March – May quarter.
Gene Price, pastor of Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason, will write the Bible Studies for Life series. [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Since the 1-5-1 Harvest Plants strategy was introduced about three years ago, Tennessee Baptists have seen an increase in both church starts and baptisms.
1-5-1 was the brainchild of Bobby Welch, former associate executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Convention who retired last summer. 1-5-1 Harvest Plants are off-campus efforts (outside the four walls of the church) geared toward people who don’t know Christ as their Savior for the purpose of sharing the gospel, discipling people, and starting churches. [Read more…]
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
MOUNT JULIET — Nineteen Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers will be serving in Flint, Mich., Feb. 21-28, responding to the city’s water crisis, reported Wes Jones, Tennessee Baptist DR specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
The volunteers will be installing water filters in homes and providing encouragement and prayer, he added. The project is being coordinated by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board and the Flint-area emergency management office. [Read more…]
By Nathan Handley
Union University News Office
JACKSON — Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, encouraged Union University students to be obedient in their mission as Christians at a chapel service Feb. 10 in the G. M. Savage Memorial Chapel.
“The Bible tells us very clearly that, as believers we’re to be on mission,” Ezell said. “That means as a teacher, as an engineer, whatever it is — you can be on mission.”
Ezell, a 1985 graduate of Union, said North America needs more people on mission. He said the Southeast is full of churches, but there is great need in other regions. He said Americans tend to take things for granted and assume that the way things are where they live is the way things are everywhere. [Read more…]
Baptist Press
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Since 2001, Appalachian Regional Ministries, a ministry of the North American Mission Board, has collected and distributed more than 140,000 Christmas backpacks and boxes filled with toys, clothing, school supplies, food, and hygiene items and a Bible.
As the ministry has expanded over the years, backpacks were distributed in the 2015 outreach to more than 46,000 children affected by poverty in Appalachia as well as the Mississippi Delta and beyond.
NAMB’s Appalachian ministry has seen more than 4,000 decisions for Christ over the years as a result of the yearly initiative. [Read more…]
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Quilters of West Hills Baptist Church, Lebanon, pause in front of the quilt they made to be auctioned for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. From left are, first row, Kaitlyn Rodriguez, April Everett, Olivia Kelly, and Kyra Guess; middle row, Linda Nixon, Carol Pharris, Donna Lowery, and Cindy Gibbs; and back row, Deanna Rogers and Jenifer Goode.
BRENTWOOD — Giving by Tennessee Baptists to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions is up from last year about 5 percent — from $6 million to about $6.3 million as of Jan. 31.
Early reports are that giving has been both sacrificial and creative.
Some Tennessee Baptists intentionally sought to increase LMCO gifts this year due to the financial situation of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention that receives the offering.
In August 2015, the IMB announced the need to reduce personnel and offered a voluntary retirement incentive to missionary and stateside workers. [Read more…]
By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Jimmie Simpson
COOKEVILLE — Jimmie Simpson can relate to folks who have addictions or life controlling issues. For about 15 years, he struggled with alcoholism.
People might understand his drinking and taking drugs. When he was 2 years old his father would give him alcohol to drink. When he was 15 years old, he began drinking steadily.
After high school Simpson enlisted in the U.S. Navy and he quickly found that drinking and taking drugs were accepted. [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,809,717 through the Cooperative Program in January.
After three months of the 2015-16 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists have given $8,959,862.
The total is $312,199 or 3.6 percent more than what was given after the first quarter of the last fiscal year.
The amount also is 397,362 or 4.64 percent ahead of budget needs. [Read more…]
