By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — “Forward Together with One Heart” is the theme of the 2021 Summit to be held Nov. 14-17 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood.
“I believe our theme for Summit reminds us of the great unity to be found in the Lord’s Great Commission calling” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
“Our theme serves both as a reminder of who we are called to be while compelling us forward to reach Tennessee and the nations for Jesus Christ,” Davis added.
The TBMB leader expressed excitement about the upcoming meeting. “I am so looking forward to Tennessee Baptists coming together in November for Summit. It feels like years since we have gathered together so I believe this year’s celebration will be a great encouragement for all of us after 18 challenging months,” he said.
Randy C. Davis
Davis expressed his hope that “messengers and guests will come to Brentwood in record numbers and celebrate what the Lord is doing in our state.”
Bruce Chesser, president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, also expressed his desire for Tennessee Baptists to come together “to celebrate what God has done and to prepare for what He is going to do in the days ahead.”
Chesser, who served two years as president because last year’s in-person Summit was canceled due to COVID-19, observed that it has been two years since Tennessee Baptists have gathered together. “We need to gather as a family. We need to sing. We need to hear God’s Word.
“And, we need to recommit ourselves to the task of taking the gospel to every corner of Tennessee and beyond,” said Chesser, pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville.
Bruce Chesser
Summit festivities begin on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 with the “Tennessee Reunion” at Brentwood Baptist Church.
The service will feature Robbie Gallaty, senior pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, and Travis Cottrell with the Brentwood Baptist Church worship ministry.
During the same time frame, the All Nations Worship Celebration will be held at Tusculum Hills Baptist Church in Nashville. For information about this event, contact Martha Espinoza at mespinoza@tnbaptist.org or 615-371-7916.
The annual Tennessee Baptist Pastors Conference takes place the following day at Brentwood Baptist.
Speakers include Derek Smith, pastor, Living Hope Baptist Church, Clarksville; Chris Phillips, pastor, Journey Point Church, Denver, Colo.; Ternae Jordan Sr., pastor, Mount Canaan Baptist Church, Chattanooga; Pat Hood, pastor, LifePoint Church, Smyrna; Chuck Lawless, dean of doctrinal studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest N.C.; and Ben Mandrell, president of Lifeway Christian Resources, Nashville. Austin Clark of First Baptist Church, Seymour, will serve as worship leader.
The annual meeting of the convention, where business is conducted, will convene on Tuesday, Nov. 16. Messengers will hear inspirational messsages, ministry reports and conduct business.
Several amendments will be considered to the convention’s Constitution and Bylaws, including a proposal to allow churches to send messengers to the TBC annual meeting if they give to TBC causes but do not give through the Cooperative Program. See pages 8-15. More details on this proposal will be presented in the Sept. 29 issue. Messengers also will consider the reports of the Committee on Committees and Committee on Boards. See pages 6-7.
Clay Hallmark
Messengers will elect a new slate of officers for the coming year. As of press time on Monday, Sept. 13, two candidates have been announced for TBC offices. David Green, pastor of First Baptist Church, Greeneville, and a former TBC president, announced in July that he will nominate Clay Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lexington, as president.
Green called Hallmark one of “God’s choice servants. He has a proven track record of being a man of God, a consistent leader and a champion for the Cooperative Program and Tennessee missions. He will truly be a complement to our state convention.”
In August, Matthew Greer, pastor of Missionary Grove Baptist Church, Camden, announced his plan to nominate Scott Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church, Waverly, as second vice president.
Scott Brown
He noted that Brown is “willing to do whatever it takes to see the lost won to Christ” and that he is “a willing servant at the state and local levels.”
Summit program personalities will include Chesser, Gallaty, Cottrell, Mike Glenn, pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, and Willie McLaurin, vice president for Great Commission Relations and Mobilization for the SBC Executive Committee.
As in recent years, a number of breakout sessions will be offered on Monday morning and in the Tuesday afternoon session. Topics will include what every messenger needs to know, evangelism, representing Christ in an ever-changing culture, protecting your ministry in a changing culture and more.
A complete list of topics and speakers will be published prior to Summit. Online preregistration for Summit 2021 opened Sept. 7 and will continue until 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 10.
Messengers may also register once they arrive at Summit. Every messenger must present their credentials at the registration area once they arrive at Summit. B&R
