FRANKLIN — The Fellowship of Tennessee Baptist Evangelists (FTBE) has announced expanded services for Tennessee churches in 2025, offering support beyond traditional revival meetings to include special emphasis Sundays, conferences, and pulpit supply assistance.
This widening scope of ministry reflects the collaborative vision of the organization’s dedicated members.
Comprised of 13 mostly full-time vocational evangelists, the fellowship meets annually in hopes of supporting each other.
“We really don’t operate as a group; it’s more of a fellowship. In other words, the guys have their own goals and their own projects,” said Phil Glisson, president of the FTBE.
“The fellowship keeps us in contact of one another, to encourage one another and pray for each other and know who each other are,” Glisson added.
Through each of the members’ goals and projects, the organization, which works in partnership with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB), aims to support local churches and pastors across the state. Their services can be accessed through the TBMB’s online directory, which provides comprehensive information about available evangelists and their specialties.
The Jesus Movement
The FTBE was originated in 1975, according to the TBMB archives.
The 1960s was a time of turmoil in America, with three assassinations — those of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy — that coincided with the escalating Vietnam War.
Social movements gained momentum, as the civil rights movement challenged racial injustice, the sexual revolution transformed cultural norms, and an emerging counterculture brought drug use into mainstream consciousness.
For many, morale in the country was low.
“Well, because of all that turmoil, the churches were declining. And so, the Jesus Movement hit America in the early 70s,” said Glisson.
He explained the Fellowship of Tennessee Baptist Evangelists was formed during this movement to support the rise of youth revivals and evangelism conferences.
“Churches started wanting to have weekend youth revivals. It just sort of caught on and started to spread like wildfire,” said Glisson. “A lot of us guys were young back then. We were called to the ministry or just starting in the ministry. We were in college, and the churches started calling the colleges, saying send us a youth revival team for a weekend. So, we all started volunteering.”
With the country and the world still facing turmoil now more than ever, the need to support pastors’ messages and their churches remains.
Complement, not compete
Historical data suggests that evangelical outreach programs have shown positive results in Tennessee churches. According to FTBE members’ experiences, congregations often benefit from hearing different perspectives that align with their regular pastoral teachings.
“You certainly see results many times when the event is taking place, whether it’s a revival or special Sunday. But we hear reports of results coming in later, a result of the seed sown at the event,” said Glisson.
He referenced a study done several years back among Baptist churches in Georgia and it was found that churches which utilized evangelists and revivals averaged more baptisms per year than those that did not.
The fellowship bases its approach on biblical principles, particularly referencing Ephesians 4:11, which outlines various religious leadership roles within the church structure. “Evangelists complement what pastors preach and help reinforce those messages to congregations,” said Glisson.
“To be a backer, a boost, to be a second, to be an amen to their voice,” said Glisson. “We want pastors to realize we are here to help them and be a team player with them,” Glisson said.
Membership
Getting new and younger members is a goal the FTBE is open to, though Glisson explains that the door to evangelism today is smaller.
“There’s not really a big entry point like there used to be for us with the youth revivals,” said Glisson. “The younger guys are more into ‘concert evangelism’ and ‘internet evangelism.’”
Scott Carter is one of the newer members of the fellowship, having joined just under three years ago.
“I became a member of the Fellowship of Tennessee Baptist Evangelists partly for the fellowship with other evangelists, and the encouragement we could give each other,” he told the B&R.
“The most rewarding part of being an evangelist and minister of the gospel is being able to share hope with the hopeless,” said Carter. “ To offer victory to those that the world has defeated. Nothing is more fulfilling than watching a new believer become part of the family of God!”
The organization expressed optimism about religious outreach opportunities in 2025, emphasizing their commitment to both evangelism and discipleship initiatives throughout Tennessee.
“Anytime you’re uplifting Jesus, especially if it’s somebody who’s called to that ministry, and that loves pastors and churches and wants to be a team player, you’re going to see positive results, both in Christians being encouraged and seeds being sown for the lost to be saved,” said Glisson.
TBMB maintains a current directory of vocational evangelists, accessible by visiting tnbaptist.org and by clicking on “Church Support” and then “Evangelism & Discipleship.”
Churches interested in working with FTBE evangelists can find detailed information about available services and contact information through this resource. B&R


