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 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 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 […]
February 21, 2018
By David Roach Baptist Press DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Governing Board has voted to lift the Fellowship’s “absolute prohibition” of hiring homosexual and transgender employees. But CBF “leadership positions in ministry” and missionary roles still will be limited to individuals “who practice a traditional Christian sexual ethic of celibacy in singleness or […]
January 29, 2018
Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Muslims will likely surpass Jews as the second largest religious group behind Christians in the U.S. by 2040, elevated by a high birth rate and immigration, the Pew Research Center said in its latest analysis. The 3.45 million Muslims here will more than double to 8.1 million by 2050, surpassing the […]
January 25, 2018
By Bob Smietana Baptist Press NASHVILLE — The Bible has a lot to say about caring for orphans. Protestant churches in the United States appear to be listening. About 4 in 10 Protestant churchgoers say their congregation has been involved with adoption or foster care in the past year, according to a study released today […]
January 16, 2018
By Benjie Shaw, BCM Director, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center Stop me if you’ve heard this before: America’s religious landscape has undergone large shifts in the last 20 years. In September, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) released its latest study, titled “America’s Changing Religious Identity.” In short, the PRRI study discovered:
January 15, 2018
By Chris Turner TBMB Communications Director The plane taxied to a stop and flight attendants opened both the forward and rear doors for us to disembark. As I rose from my seat, a smell hit me like a sucker punch and triggered a gag reflex. People cleared a space. Fortunately, it turned out well for […]
January 11, 2018
Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Christian wedding vendors who decline to provide services for same-sex ceremonies have suffered another legal setback. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Dec. 28 that the state did not violate the First Amendment rights of Aaron and Melissa Klein in a 2015 order that included a $135,000 fine. The three-judge panel […]
January 9, 2018
By Michael Koontz Pastor, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Harriman A few months ago, one of our deacons approached me about participating in the Oliver Springs Christmas Parade. The church had not been in a parade during his 10 years at the church. After a little research, we decided to jump in and see what God […]
December 22, 2017
By David Roach Baptist Press NASHVILLE — As worship pastor Andrew Lucius selects songs for Christmas worship, he is considering specific needs in the Georgia congregation he serves. Among his conclusions: singing only the first verse of familiar carols could leave worshipers spiritually malnourished. The widow “who’s going through the Christmas season the first time […]
December 15, 2017
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — Most Americans believe society is increasingly abandoning the religious aspects of Christmas, according to new Pew Research Center findings, but most Americans are not troubled by the trend. Only 32 percent of Americans find the trend troubling, Pew found in the study released Dec. 12. While 56 […]