Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
September 6, 2024
By Diana ChandlerBaptist PressBEIJING — The Chinese government has officially ended its international adoption program, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning announced Sept. 5, ending hopes for hundreds of U.S. families who were matched with children before the COVID-19 pandemic but had adoptions put on hold in 2020. Karla Thrasher, senior director of international adoptions at […]
September 4, 2024
By Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — Longtime Baptist communicator Floyd Craig died Aug. 30 at the age of 91. A native of Oklahoma, Craig and his wife, Anne, formed Craig Communications in 1981. Clients included a number of Southern Baptist organizations. Prior to establishing their firm, Craig served as director of communications with the Baptist General […]
August 29, 2024
By Kristen SosebeeInternational Mission BoardFRANKLIN — “We can’t control the results, but we can measure our faithfulness,” said Jason Harris, team leader for the International Mission Board’s Paris team, explaining their strategy for gospel outreach during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Part of that strategy includes facilitating and mobilizing more than 300 short-term volunteers to […]
August 28, 2024
By Aaron EarlsWriter, Lifeway Christian ResourcesBRENTWOOD — Highlighting Lifeway’s vision statement, President and CEO Ben Mandrell provided trustees with practical steps the organization is taking to serve 300,000 church leaders by 2030. “While we want to serve as many Christians across the globe as possible, we know our central goal is to listen to the […]
August 21, 2024
By Art ToalstonEditor’s note: This article first appeared in The Baptist Paper and is reprinted with permission. Amid an ongoing — and at times heated — debate on social media, former Southern Baptist Convention president J.D. Greear is among several dozen individuals named in a contentious new book, “Shepherds for Sale” by author Megan Basham […]
August 20, 2024
By Myriah SnyderWriter, Lifeway Christian ResourcesBRENTWOOD — Not only are churchgoers watching Christian movies, but some find them useful as an evangelistic and discipleship tool. A recent study by Lifeway Research finds 68 percent of American Protestant churchgoers have watched a Christian movie in the last year. Around 4 in 5 (81 percent) say Christian […]
August 8, 2024
By Marissa Postell SullivanWriter, Lifeway Christian ResourcesBRENTWOOD — Even as the front doors of churches swing wide to welcome new faces to the congregation, the back doors creak open as others make their way out to another church. For some, a residential move caused them to leave the church, but others simply moved to a […]
July 26, 2024
By David RoachBaptist PressINDIANAPOLIS — SBC messengers spoke to in vitro fertilization (IVF) for the first time on June 12, adopting a resolution on the topic after a sometimes-emotional floor discussion that featured messengers sharing their personal experiences with reproductive technologies. A resolution “On the ethical realities of reproductive technologies and the dignity of the […]
July 24, 2024
By The Baptist PaperNASHVILLE — The following statement was released early evening July 23 to provide an explanation and clarity about the recent announcements related to ERLC president Brent Leatherwood. It came from the executive committee of the board of trustees (essentially the officers of the board) for ERLC following a special-called informational meeting via […]
July 23, 2024
By Jennifer Davis RashThe Baptist PaperNASHVILLE — Within hours of releasing a statement on the evening of July 22 saying Brent Leatherwood had been “removed” from his position as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the organization announced the following morning that Leatherwood remains in the position. Meanwhile, the chair of the ERLC’s […]
July 23, 2024
By Brandon PorterBaptist PressNASHVILLE — Brent Leatherwood remains president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. ERLC executive board members say board Chairman Kevin Smith acted alone in an announcement of Leatherwood’s removal on July 22 and violated the entity’s bylaws. A early morning release from the ERLC executive committee says: “As members of the ERLC’s […]
July 19, 2024
By Baptist Press staffDALLAS — The historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church Dallas burned Friday evening, July 19. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. The Victorian-style, red brick sanctuary building was erected 1890 and is a recognized Texas Historic Landmark. According to media reports, Dallas Fire and Rescue received a call at […]