Last August, the Baptist and Reflector reintroduced our “Friends of the B&R” plan. We are grateful for those who purchased subscriptions.
Friends of the B&R is continuing, but for the next few months, we are focusing on our Mission:Dignity recipients in Tennessee.
Last May the B&R provided at no cost a subscription to our Mission:Dignity recpients. For those who may be new to the paper, Mission:Dignity provides a monthly stipend to individuals 65 or over who (a) were employed by or otherwise served local Baptist churches in a paid ministry (such as a full-time evangelist) for at least 10 years and (b) whose monthly income falls at or below the current poverty level as established by the federal government.
Mission:Dignity is ministered through GuideStone Financial Services and it may be one of the best kept secrets in our denomination. It is a ministry that is desperately needed and should be celebrated and supported.
I grew up in a small Baptist church in South Carolina that could barely pay a sustainable wage. One of our benefits was that we provided a parsonage to help the minister “get by.” That story no doubt has been repeated over and over not only in Tennessee but across the Southern Baptist Convention.
Lonnie Wilkey
Many pastors are called by God to serve small churches throughout their ministry and are unable to save for retirement. That is why Mission:Dignity is so important. This ministry helps some of God’s choice servants be able to afford the prescription(s) needed to maintain their health or buy enough food to last through the month.
We have discovered that many of our Mission:Dignity recipients love the convention and want to keep up with what is happening but they simply cannot afford to subscribe.
The B&R met this need last year but we cannot sustain it alone. First Baptist Church, Dyer, heard of our need and made a substantial contribution to help provide both the Baptist and Reflector and The Baptist Paper to our men and women who have served the Lord and their convention for most of their lives. May their tribe increase!
The Baptist Paper has agreed to continue to offer their paper, which primarily covers SBC news, for an additional $10 per subscription. For $25, Mission:Dignity recipients can receive both papers for a year.
Will you help us?
With a focus on funding this project for Mission:Dignity subscribers, we are asking our readers and supporters to purchase subscriptions or provide a one-time gift like our friends from First Baptist Church, Dyer, did.
This can be done by individuals or a group, such as a church or even a Sunday School class, that would like to provide a ministry to some of our choice servants who have been faithful to the Lord for many years.
We can provide both the B&R and The Baptist Paper for a total of $25 per subscription. If you only want to provide the B&R, it would be $18 per subscription. Whichever route you choose, you are helping the B&R provide a ministry while doing what we love to do: Sharing stories about how God is at work in Tennessee — and the SBC
Those interested in purchasing a subscription(s) can contact either Mary Nimmo (mnimmo@tnbaptist.org) or Susan Dalton (sdalton@tnbaptist.org). To reach them by phone, please call 615-371-2003.
You can also mail a check, marked for Mission:Dignity subscriptions to Baptist and Reflector, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068.
We also have a subscription form on page 16 so you can continue to support the paper by sending the B&R to family, friends and other church members. Become an advocate for the paper. Your support is essential in maintaining a print issue in the years to come. B&R
