Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
March 23, 2018
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, Baptist and Reflector When I was about to graduate from seminary, I was drinking coffee with a new friend named Leroy Benefield. He was a missionary to the Philippines but on stateside for a year. Besides coffee, we shared a missions class.
March 22, 2018
By David Leavell President, Tennessee Baptist Convention & Alan Quigley Mobilization Team Leader, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Last year, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) publicly announced that 29 percent of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches reported no baptisms, and 47 percent reported two or less. In the SBC 2017 Book of Reports, NAMB […]
March 21, 2018
By Steve Gaines President, Southern Baptist Convention As I walked into the hospital, I looked on a visitation card at the name of the man who had requested that I visit him. He was dying of cancer and wanted me to come and pray with him. I was honored to do so.
March 20, 2018
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector In January of 2010 I wrote a column for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday about my mother Ruth. I shared how she gave birth to me out of wedlock when she possibly could have had an abortion. Remember that in the late 1950s there was a stigma towards […]
March 12, 2018
By Steve York I am writing today to offer my resignation as teacher to the class. I do not wish to resign but I have been told by a wing of ABC News that I am mentally ill. With that in mind, I will step down if the class so desires me to. You see, […]
March 8, 2018
Rob Phillips Director of communications, Missouri Baptist Convention The doctrine of hell is disturbing. The very idea of suffering and separation beyond the grave elicits a wide range of responses, from anguish to anger.
March 8, 2018
Editor’s Note: One of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s five core objectives is to see at least 500 churches revitalized by the year 2024. Because renewed worship fuels revitalized churches, Scott Shepherd’s passion is to help the local church deepen its understanding and practice of worship. With this goal in mind, he has written a […]
March 7, 2018
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector The Bible has a lot to say about the fear of the Lord. Here are some verses (all from the Holman Christian Standard Bible) that we all need to be reminded of regularly. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions […]
March 6, 2018
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director One of the mixed blessings of being a pastor is presiding or participating in funerals, especially those of Christian friends. On the one hand there is sadness for the loss of family members and friends; on the other there is the celebration knowing those individuals “see […]
February 26, 2018
By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R Everybody needs a pastor! Even a pastor needs one. But just what is a pastor to be and do to meet our needs? Today we use so many words to describe the role of pastor that I feel the need to put a laser focus on why I say […]
February 23, 2018
By David Leavell President, Tennessee Baptist Convention I don’t know a Southern Baptist who wouldn’t say that prayer is important. I think we would also agree that we talk more about prayer than actually pray. Prayer requires an intentional “quieting down both physically and spiritually” — a time to adore the Lord’s character, confess sin, […]
February 22, 2018
By Kevin Perrigan Manager, Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center, Newport I can still picture the large garden that my parents cultivated when I was a kid. Rows and rows of potatoes, tomatoes and beans as well as other things. We would always have fresh vegetables for each meal. Our freezer was always full of meat […]