Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
With impending storms headed into the state, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are now on alert, as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is asking volunteers to “please be on guard as the chance of storms is growing.”
Jones said volunteers and DR team leaders should stayed tuned to their local weather sources and should “take care of (their) family first.” [Read more…]
NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers have approved an “abortion trafficking” ban making it a Class A misdemeanor to transport minors out of state for abortions without parental consent, or to procure abortion pills for minors.
Parents and legal guardians retain the right to get their children abortions outside Tennessee, and other adults may do so with the written, notarized consent of the pregnant mother’s parent. The bill does not impact the travel of adult expectant mothers seeking abortions elsewhere.
Downgraded from a Class C felony in previous language, the bill awaiting Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s signature stipulates a mandatory 11 months and 29 days prison term, and allows parents to file civil lawsuits for the wrongful death of the aborted child. [Read more…]
FRANKLIN — The Off the Grid Institute, a ministry of the Tennessee Baptist Conference Centers, will sponsor a one-day seminar on May 14 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport.
The seminar, “Introduction to Biblical Prophecy: Rightly Handling Revelation,” will be led by Mark Proctor of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff.
The seminar provides a theological framework to interpret prophecy found in Revelation.
Attendees will hear various belief systems that students of Scripture sometimes adopt as well as tools to rightly evaluate and understand the true purpose of end time prophecies. [Read more…]
Scott and Jennifer Andrews, center, are flanked by their daughters, Lauren Kendall and Caitlin Neal, left, and Lindsey Barnett, right. Andrews, worship pastor, recently celebrated his 35th anniversary at First Baptist Church, Sevierville.
SEVIERVILLE — Scott Andrews recently celebrated his 35th anniversary as worship pastor at First Baptist Church, Sevierville. His ministry, however, goes beyond just music.
Andrews also serves as senior adult/pastoral care pastor and he’s been known to lead quite a few mission trips as well.
In addition to the four pastors he has served with at First Baptist (Joe Wren, Rich Liner, Randy Davis and Dan Spencer), Andrews also served with Ray Newcomb at First Baptist Church, Millington; Bill Delaney at South Seminole Baptist Church, Chattanooga; and John Shepherd at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Oneida. “God has used every pastor I have worked with to pour into me and make me a better pastor,” he said.
Andrews also credits Billy Appling who was the music minister at Whitehaven Baptist Church in Memphis when he surrendered to the ministry in 1974 as an important mentor in his life. Appling later became minister of music at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga where he served for 25 years. [Read more…]
Tennessee WMU elected officers for 2024-2025 during Get-Together. Pictured here, from left, are president Ramona Hicks; secretary Linda Rader; vice presidents Anna Huggins, Kim Griffin and Sandy Louden; and executive board members Cathy Huggins and Heather McAfee.
The Tennessee WMU 136th annual meeting was held on April 12, 2024 during the Missions Get-Together Friday morning general session at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood. (Coverage: HERE)
The meeting included highlights of the work of Tennessee WMU (written report can be found at tnbaptist.org) and the following state leaders were elected: [Read more…]
Matt Tullos, resource objectives specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, holds a copy of Lordship Generosity, which he coauthored. The book is the first to be published under the TBMB’s “We Serve Publishing” imprint. — Photo by Samantha Bligh
FRANKLIN — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board recently has released a new stewardship resource entitled Lordship Generosity: Giving All to the One Who Gave All.
The book, co-written by Matt Tullos of the TBMB staff along with G.B. Howell Jr. and Tod Tanner, is the first published under the TBMB’s “We Serve Publishing” imprint.
“I am extremely excited about Lordship Generosity being the flagship and first book for We Serve Publishing,” said Chris Turner, director of communications for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]
FRANKLIN — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board has teamed up with GuideStone Financial Resources, Lifeway Research and other Baptist state conventions for the SBC Church Compensation Survey.
Results of the survey, which is conducted every two years, will be available in early fall, in time for many churches considering their 2025 budgets.
Churches of all sizes can utilize the survey’s results to determine comparable wages and benefits. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete at GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey. The survey started on April 1 and goes through the end of June. [Read more…]
Attendees at the 2024 WMU Missions Get-Together worship together at the annual conference, which was held this year at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood. — Photos by Tiffany Roy and Stephanie Evans
BRENTWOOD — Kasondra Pillow loved everything about the Tennessee WMU’s Missions Get-Together.
“I loved all of it!” she declared. “I’ve learned so much about Jesus!”
This was Pillow’s first time to attend the Missions Get-Together, which met April 11-13 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood. She came with a group of seven from Immanuel Baptist Church in Trenton.
“I loved interacting with the people, and the breakout sessions are the best,” Pillow said. “I learned about knowing God and trusting God. I love all of it!” [Read more…]
Jay Hardwick, president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and senior pastor at Forest Hills Baptist Church, delivers the president’s report at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s quarterly board of directors meeting. — Photo by David Dawson
FRANKLIN — The directors of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board unanimously approved the purchase of 14 acres with two buildings with a combined 15,100 square feet of space to be used for church planting in the area near BlueOval City during their first meeting of the year April 23 in Franklin.
Included with the purchase was 25 acres contiguous to the property given as a charitable donation. The property is located in Gallaway in Fayette County near the site of BlueOval City, the massive Ford auto plant currently under construction in Stanton. The BlueOval City plant is expected to employ an estimated 10,000 workers when it is fully operational.
The recommendation called for the purchase of 5.1 acres with the two buildings (home to Bellamia Manor, a wedding venue) for $2,400,000; the purchase of 8.9 acres of cleared land with approximately 1,200 frontage feet on Highway 70 for $945,000 and the donated 25 acres. [Read more…]
Standing together and representing three generations of missions are back row, from left: Diane Hooper, Brooke Evans, Oaklee Evans; front row from left: Wiley Evans, and Tanner Evans
BROWNSVILLE — It isn’t unusual for a Baptist church to plan and go on a short-term mission trip but when three generations from the same family go together—they set an example for others.
Woodland Baptist Church near Brownsville, TN in Haywood County joined with other Tennessee Baptist Churches to work with Send Relief, a project supported by the North American Mission Board (NAMB).
Diane Hooper, a retire d grandmother and former director of an assisted living center, her daughter and son-in-law, Brooke and Buddy Evans and their three children Oakley 16, Tanner 14, and Wiley 10 joined a group of 14 people, in late March, for a 10-hour bus ride to the Dallas, Texas area. Buddy Evans, an experienced driver drove the church bus. [Read more…]
