By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Groundbreaking for the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board’s Church Support Center will be held Saturday, April 23, on the new site in Berry Farms, south of Franklin.
Executive Board offices have been housed in the LifePoint Building in Brentwood following the sale of the former Baptist Center in 2013.
“The Church Support Center groundbreaking/worship ceremony will be both exciting and historic,” said Randy C. Davis, TBC executive director/treasurer.
Davis observed that two elements of the event “will speak symbolically to our mission.” Children are encouraged to attend the event with their parents and will be involved. “We must passionately focus on reaching the youngest generation with the gospel,” Davis said.
Second, churches all across Tennessee have been encouraged to bring or send soil (bags are available upon request) to place on the site in order “to be part of the very foundation of this new building. Every church in every part of our state is strategically important in reaching the spiritually lost people of our state. It’s those churches we serve,” he said.
The program will feature brief comments from Davis, Steve Freeman, president of the Executive Board; Roc Collins, president of the TBC; and James Porch, retired TBC executive director. Also included will be representatives of Generation Z (those born after 2000).
Parking will not be available at the construction site. Parking will be available at Oak Valley Baptist Church, 1161 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin. A shuttle will transport people to the groundbreaking site.
Limited seating will be available for senior adults and those with disabilities.
Dress is casual and it could be
muddy on site, organizers cautioned. In case of rain the groundbreaking will take place under
a tent.
Davis encourages Tennessee Baptists to wear their “boots and blue jeans” and bring an umbrella just in case. Most importantly, he said, “bring a heart ready to celebrate this monumental moment in the history of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.”
In order to better plan for the event, those attending are asked to RSVP on the TBC website at www.tnbaptist.org.
