Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
March 18, 2019
By Roy Hayhurst GuideStone director of denominational and public relations DALLAS — A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled that the minister’s housing allowance is constitutional under two landmark legal precedents, reversing a lower court’s ruling that declared the minister’s cash housing allowance unconstitutional because it violated the Establishment […]
March 18, 2019
By Aaron Earls LifeWay Research In many congregations in the United States, new faces in the pews have become rare. A new study from Exponential by LifeWay Research found 6 in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining in attendance and more than half saw fewer than 10 people become new Christians in the past […]
March 14, 2019
By Tobin Perry Baptist Press BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As Southern Baptists from across the country make plans for the SBC annual meeting in June, they’re also preparing to engage more than 20,000 homes with the Gospel through Crossover activities. The North American Mission Board and Alabama State Board of Missions will mobilize 400 teams of […]
March 8, 2019
By David Roach Baptist Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Paul Fisher, the leader of a North Carolina Baptist mission team repairing roofs in Puerto Rico, died Feb. 28 in a swimming accident near San Juan. He was 36. Fisher and his wife Carrie were heading up a team assembled by North Carolina Baptists on […]
March 6, 2019
Baptist Press WASHINGTON — The Senate again has rejected legislation to require health care for a child born alive during an abortion, leaving most Democratic members vulnerable to charges of supporting infanticide. In a roll call Monday (Feb. 25), senators voted 53-44 to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the floor for a […]
March 5, 2019
Baptist Press ST. LOUIS — United Methodist bishops are promoting unity in the global church after delegates narrowly retained biblical marriage and a ban on LGBT ordination at a contentious 2019 General Conference in St. Louis. Delegates approved Feb. 26 the so-called Traditional Plan by a margin of 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent, going against […]
March 5, 2019
By Will Hall Baptist Press DAVIS, Okla. — About 100 evangelists, pastors, directors of evangelism and some wives traveled from across the United States to gather in Oklahoma at the Falls Creek Conference Center to identify issues that have led to declines in evangelism as well as the use of evangelists in the Southern Baptist […]
March 4, 2019
By Carol Pipes Lifeway director of corporate communications NASHVILLE — LifeWay Christian Resources board chairman Jimmy Scroggins announced today that trustees have asked Executive Vice President Brad Waggoner to serve as acting president and CEO of LifeWay until a new president is named. Waggoner will serve in the role previously held by Thom S. Rainer […]
March 1, 2019
By David Roach Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Reactions have varied to a Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee workgroup’s statement on sexual abuse. The statement came in response to SBC President J.D. Greear’s public naming of 10 churches he said should be asked to assure the convention they are working to correct their policies and procedures related to […]
February 28, 2019
By Alex Sibley Baptist Press FORT WORTH, Texas — Adam W. Greenway has been elected the ninth president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The election occurred during a special called meeting of the seminary’s board of trustees on the Southwestern campus, Feb. 26-27. Trustees also elected Randy L. Stinson as provost and vice president for […]
February 28, 2019
By Baptist Press Staff NASHVILLE — Following a called meeting via extended conference calls on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 22-23), members of the SBC Executive Committee bylaws workgroup have released a statement responding to SBC President J.D. Greear’s report earlier this week on sexual abuse. In his Feb. 18 report, Greer specifically named 10 churches included in […]
February 21, 2019
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Zak McCullar was 9 years old when he knocked on a stranger’s door in Black Mountain, N.C., eager to tell her about Jesus. “I said we’re from Walker County in Alabama and we’re with Oteen Baptist Church and we want to invite you to church, and if there’s […]