Randy C. Davis
It’s a great question. “Will the TBMB be pulling back and reducing services to churches?” Direct. To the point. I love that. The question came from a new board member of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) just beginning his term on the Board of Directors. It was both timely and relevant.
The answer? A resounding no. The TBMB will not be retreating or reducing services to churches. Instead, we are charging full steam ahead, amplifying our efforts to serve churches even more effectively. That’s why we are going through a major organizational restructuring, across our convention and within the TBMB.
Peter Chinchen, in his book True Religion, shares a story about rafting the Zambezi River. The guide told them they should stay in the rough water when the raft flipped and resist the urge to swim toward calmer water at the river’s edge.The reason? Crocodiles lurk in the calm, stagnate water. They are big and hungry.
For the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and the churches we serve, swimming toward calmer waters might feel tempting.
The past decade brought momentum and milestones such as advancements through the Five Objectives, renewed focus on evangelism, church planting, and revitalization initiatives. Giving through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions grew exponentially, and Cooperative Program giving maintained steady support — though at a pace slower than desired.
However, over the past two years, Tennessee Baptists acted. Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews, you articulated where you believe God is leading us and what you believe He’s asking us to achieve together. This collective effort became the Acts 2:17 Initiative, a vision shaped by like-mindedness across the state. This was no coincidence — it was a “God thing.”
Thousands of insights revealed a unified direction for the TBMB’s future. To fulfill this “preferable future,” significant changes were necessary. The reality is, the TBMB couldn’t sustain its previous structure and staffing levels while still investing in the bold ministry initiatives that you — and we — believe God is calling us to pursue.
Change requires courage. It requires swimming toward rough waters. Our mission to serve churches does not change, but our methods must.
Every adjustment we are making is designed to deepen our commitment to serving you, Tennessee Baptists. We are putting more qualified ministry practitioners into the field, bringing church support closer to your doorstep.
Our renewed mission statement reflects this vision moving forward: “We serve churches by multiplying gospel leaders who advance God’s Kingdom.” We will accomplish this by strengthening and multiplying gospel leaders, evangelistic disciples, and healthy churches.
This most certainly includes equipping, promoting, and training your churches for effective ministries like evangelism, Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, disaster relief, partnership missions, and help with church governance, minister development and health, and so much more.
Our mission is to resist stagnancy and seize this moment for bold, God-honoring action.
I see 2025 as an opportunity to solidify this new direction. It will be a year of building the TBMB’s new organizational structure and initiating pilot projects related to the priorities identified through the Acts 2:17 Initiative. By 2026, I believe we will find our full stride — working together to forge a stronger Tennessee Baptist Convention.
And we must not lose focus on what’s at stake. Look beyond your church doors —across your neighborhood, your town, our state. Nearly 5 million lost souls need the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s why we swim toward rough waters. Their eternities are too important for us to settle for calm and comfortable.
It’s a joy and an honor to be with you on this journey. B&R
