baptisms Archives - Baptist & Reflector

A SHOT OF GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE

August 2, 2021

By Randy C. Davis
President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

Let’s get real for a moment. There is a relentless barrage of daily bad news circulated through news outlets and social media. It is saturated with a great deal of misinformation, rumor, innuendo and flat out lies born in the pits of hell.

A lot of it lands on my desk, or at least in my inbox. Unfortunately it tends to also bleed over into congregations which is why I welcome the opportunity to dialog with anyone about issues that concern TBC churches and their leaders.

Such was the case when leaders from Wheelerton Baptist Church (WBC) asked to meet with me. The church is in a small community not far from the Alabama-Tennessee state line.

The pastor and deacons were concerned about issues related to the Southern Baptist Convention. We blocked two hours at the TBMB Church Support Center here in Franklin to have some frank conversations. [Read more…]

GILES COUNTY CHURCH GOING STRONG, BAPTISMS ON THE RISE POST-COVID-19

July 27, 2021

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Wheelerton Baptist Church pastor Paul Mason baptizes 19-year-old Bree Johnson in the Elk River.

DELLROSE — Like many churches throughout Tennessee, Wheelerton Baptist Church in Giles County was hit hard by COVID-19 last year.

Just the year before, the church, with the assistance of deacon Keith Bennett and others, guided the church through a construction project that doubled the size of Wheelerton’s facilities. For the most part, the church did not get to enjoy the new building until this year. Members were poised for growth.

And, while it was delayed a year by the worldwide pandemic, the church is beginning to see results.

In 2019, the church baptized four people and added two more in 2020. Through June of this year, the church has baptized 15 and has at least nine more scheduled to be baptized on Aug. 8.

All the baptisms now take place in the Elk River, said pastor Paul Mason. He recalled how that has become a tradition at the church. In 2017, a young boy, Bo Lewter, came forward to accept Christ as his Savior and announced that he wanted to be baptized “today.” [Read more…]

NEARLY 50 BAPTIZED IN GIBSON COUNTY LAKE

May 12, 2021

Baptist and Reflector

Todd Kirk, right, associate pastor of Salem Baptist Church, Trenton, baptizes a believer at the Gibson County recreational lake on the night of April 19.

Gibson County recreational lake was the site of 48 baptisms, including a large number of inmates from the Gibson County correctional facility, on the night of April 19.

Roughly two weeks earlier, the correctional facility had hosted a “one-night revival” — organized by Sheriff Paul Thomas — that featured 11 separate services held simultaneously in the living pods on the campus. [Read more…]

LONG HOLLOW SEES 1,000 BAPTISMS SINCE DECEMBER

April 27, 2021

By Scott Barkley
Baptist Press

Long Hollow senior pastor Robby Gallaty (left) assists Dylan, a former Satan worshiper who recently gave his life to Christ, in baptizing his friend Patricia, who had also worshiped Satan. — Photo courtesy of Jacob McKaig, Long Hollow Baptist Church

These days at Long Hollow Baptist Church, interruptions aren’t considered bad. The plan isn’t as crucial as the response. Things flow from a position of prayer, ultimately pointing toward Christ.

Structure exists, sure. There’s still an order of worship. Trained childcare workers remain ready and available. Pastor Robby Gallaty prepares and prays over his sermons. But anyone feeling led to come to the altar can do so at any time. Gospel conversations occur throughout the week. Baptisms are conducted while worshipers sing. They also take place after Gallaty’s message and invitation, continuing as long as 45 minutes after the benediction regardless of lunch plans.

Such steps are needed to meet the response the church has witnessed since December. That marked the beginning of a wave of baptisms that exceeded 1,000 on April 11. Gallaty, who began at the church in 2015, estimates that 70-75 percent of those are from first-time confessions of faith and 83 percent are adults.

He’s quick to point out that it is all due to God. And really, it couldn’t occur until Gallaty got out of the way. That realization happened after the suicides of two of Gallaty’s close friends: ministers Jarrid Wilson and Darren Patrick.

“Both of those men preached at Long Hollow within six months of their passing,” he said. “They both sat at my dining room table. It made me realize that the last person to say he’s burning out or that ministry is tough is usually the one burning out. [Read more…]

STARTED ON FAITH, SUSTAINED BY FAITH

February 11, 2021

Two-year-old church plant baptizes 45 people during pandemic

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Joel Kirk, pastor of Realife Church in Bristol, delivers his message.

BRISTOL — Pastor Joel Kirk has a simple formula for planting a church: “It’s impossible to please God without faith.”

So far, that formula has produced miracle after miracle for Realife Church in Bristol, a congregation that will not be three years old until the Sunday after Easter this year.

Kirk recalled that on Palm Sunday in 2018 he and his wife, Angela, met with about 20 people at a coffee shop in Bristol and he laid out a vision for a church that didn’t even have a name yet. [Read more…]

NO PAUSE FOR THE PANDEMIC

January 27, 2021

FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Jeff Owens, pastor of First Baptist Church, McMinnville, left, baptizies Morgan West, a 19-year-old college student. West came to the church through FBC’s new college/career ministry called “The Bridge.”

McMINNVILLE — Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal wave of cancelations and postponements over the past 10 months, the virus certainly hasn’t canceled the evangelism efforts at First Baptist Church, McMinnville.

It has only reshaped them.

When the virus first took hold last spring, the church staff at FBC began examining some of its outreach strategies — and began moving in a new direction with several of its ministries.

Those efforts, coupled with the church’s ability to adapt and adjust, led to a surge in baptisms in 2020. [Read more…]

‘BIGGEST MOVEMENT OF GOD I’VE SEEN’

January 13, 2021

Tragedies lead to salvations, baptisms in Hendersonville

By Scott Barkley
National Correspondent, Baptist Press

Andrei Iacob was baptized by Long Hollow Baptist Church pastor Robby Gallaty on Dec. 20, just days after Iacob’s wife and son were murdered.

HENDERSONVILLE — Noah Iacob lived for only a week two years ago. But his story is interwoven with other stories as part of a revival taking place at Long Hollow Baptist Church.

Noah’s underdeveloped lungs became too much for his body to overcome. But after his death, his mother Jessie realized she needed the healing power of Christ in her life and, after becoming a Christian, was baptized at Long Hollow. Jessie, her son Zeke and husband Andrei began attending the church.

But Jessie’s earthly life ended Dec. 11 when she and her son were murdered by an intruder when Andrei wasn’t home. The suspect, identified as a former employee of the excavating business the couple founded, took his own life Dec. 13 after police had determined his location. [Read more…]

LONGTIME FRIENDS HELP REVITALIZE HISTORIC CHURCH

November 9, 2020

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Longtime friends Nick Wright and Brad Bales are currently helping to revitalize Mouth of Richland Baptist Church in Blaine, one of the oldest churches in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and in Grainger County.

BLAINE — Attendance at Mouth of Richland Baptist Church in Blaine, one of the oldest churches in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and in Grainger County, had dwindled to under 20 people in the summer of 2018 and the congregation was searching for a pastor.

Meanwhile, Nick Wright and Brad Bales, two ministers and lifelong friends, were looking for a new place of service. Having grown up in the general area, the two “20-somethings” met with leadership at Mouth of Richland and suggested they consider hiring both of them, an idea that must have seemed impossible for such a small church.

But the church was looking for a pastor to lead them through some tough times, Wright recalled, adding that they told the church they were confident that they “could come together to revitalize the church.”

Bill Ramsey, a deacon at Mouth of Richland, was one of the deacons who interviewed the two friends. He acknowledged the church had not planned to hire two ministers. “It was a new experience for us,” he said. [Read more…]

MAKING THEIR MARK IN MEMPHIS

September 28, 2020

One Faith Christian Center connects with inner city communities, sees many baptisms

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

One Faith Christian Center pastor Barron Martin prepares to baptize a new believer. The church is a relatively young church plant, but is making an impact in the Memphis area through community outreach projects and events.

MEMPHIS — It’s incredible what God can do with a small church that has a big vision.

Barron Martin can attest to that. He is the lead pastor at One Faith Christian Center church, Memphis, and he has been blown away with the way the small church plant has been able to impact the community and spread the gospel.

The church baptized approximately 50 new believers last year as a result of their outreach ministries, and they are having similar success this year.

“Man, it’s been amazing,” Martin said. “I can’t describe the feeling, other than to say that I give God all the glory. Every ministry wants to feel like they are being successful in their efforts. So, for us to be seeing the fruits come from our outreach projects — that’s the reward within itself.” [Read more…]

FBC, HENDERSONVILLE, BAPTIZES 51 IN OUTDOOR SERVICE

September 7, 2020

Baptist and Reflector

HENDERSONVILLE — Since COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic in March, many churches have had to either forgo baptisms or “step outside the box” to get them done.

Such was the case at First Baptist Church, Hendersonville. “Like many, we have grown weary of all of the cancelations and postponements,” said senior pastor Bruce Chesser. “So, we have told our ministry team, ‘Stop focusing on what we cannot do and let’s figure out what we can do.’

“We have told them to think outside the box” he added. As a result, several ministry opportunities have resulted from this way of thinking, said Chesser, who also is serving as president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. [Read more…]

Two-year-old church plant baptizes 45 people during pandemic

FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID

Tragedies lead to salvations, baptisms in Hendersonville

One Faith Christian Center connects with inner city communities, sees many baptisms

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