Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

BCM SEEKS TO CONNECT FROM A DISTANCE

COVID-19 creates challenges, leads to new campaign to reach students

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — Connecting with incoming freshmen is always a high priority for Baptist Campus Ministry leaders.

Attempting to make those connections this fall, however, is going to look much different than it has in the past. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancelation of many of the traditional functions that are held in the weeks before school starts — including many late summer social gatherings and orientation events — and has created the need for BCM leaders across the nation to find new ways to reach out.

In Tennessee, the BCM leadership team has launched a statewide campaign that involves engaging with churches in hopes of securing names and contact information of students who would potentially be interested in joining the BCM. [Read more…]

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COLLEGE MINISTRY LEADERS WORK TO CONTINUE OUTREACH AMID COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

By Tess Schoonhoven
Baptist Press

Rachel Owen, a senior at UT Martin, works at her computer.

NASHVILLE — College ministry thrives in community. But the COVID-19 pandemic — and the resulting social distancing policies, including bans on large gatherings and campus-wide shutdowns — has in many ways severed traditional connections.

In an uncertain time, college ministries are finding ways to not only maintain community despite distance, but also working to foster an increasingly encouraging environment for the future.

A Heightened Focus

“Ministry looks like real life,” said Tiffany Hudson, director for Vanderbilt University Baptist Collegiate Ministry in Nashville. “It looks like helping collegians understand their need for community and providing space for them to continue to navigate life together.”

The correct focus of college ministry is leading students to the Word of God, where they can find true soul nourishment, Hudson continued. Even though most students have left campus because of the pandemic and scattered to their various homes, disrupting the traditional avenues for encouraging and equipping, that focus hasn’t changed. [Read more…]

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BIG BOOST FOR BIG EMORY

Location change has led to new ministry opportunities

Editor’s Note: Baptist associations are the emphasis on the Southern Baptist Convention calendar Oct. 20-26. Tennessee Baptists have 65 associations across the state. Here is a look at Big Emory Baptist Association based in Harriman.

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

Director of missions Randy Roper stands in Big Emory Baptist Association’s Great Commission Center which has enhanced the association’s ministry to churches.

HARRIMAN — Three years ago, Big Emory Baptist Association moved from the site it had occupied since 1969 to a new location on South Roane Street, not far from Interstate 40.

It has proven to be a huge boost for the association’s ministries and the association is still growing into its space, said Randy Roper, director of missions for Big Emory Baptist Association since 2015.

The association bought three former storefront buildings adjacent to each other and divided their project into three phases. Phase one consisted of the office facilities. The building now in use was completely gutted and remodeled, Roper said. The association moved into the new offices in 2016. [Read more…]

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FREE PANCAKES KICK OFF BCM MINISTRY AT MTSU

By Ashley Perham
B&R contributing writer

Lisa Whitt, left, and Jennifer Choate make pancakes to help kick off the year for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at MTSU.

MURFREESBORO — The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Middle Tennessee State University kicked off the new school year by offering free, all-you-can-eat pancakes to students from 8 p.m. to midnight.

It is the second year the BCM has offered free pancakes the first week of school although they have been serving pancakes during finals week for more than 10 years.

Mark Whitt, MTSU campus minister, said the event was a great way to connect with students quickly because the event takes place on move-in day.

“It’s also an event right after the carnival, a big event on campus, and then there’s nothing planned afterwards so we were able to just continue in with a big welcome to campus,” Whitt said. “It’s a quick way to meet students in a real non-threatening kind of way.” [Read more…]

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SPECIAL THANKS

Ashley Perham, a summer intern for the Baptist and Reflector, interviews pastor Micah Creekmore of Living Water Church, Murfreesboro, while writing news articles on City Reach Memphis.

If you have read the Baptist and Reflector regularly over the past few weeks, you have seen the name Ashley Perham quite often.

Ashley is a student at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro who served as an intern for the paper this summer. Though she received college credit for the experience, the B&R was the real winner.

Ashley did an outstanding job. She assisted in writing feature stories, proofing the paper and did some photography. She took on every assignment we gave her and responded with professionalism and enthusiasm. She took every task seriously and always gave her best effort. [Read more…]

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NORED RETIRING AFTER FOUR DECADES OF BCM SERVICE

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Charles Nored, seen here with his wife, Ann, is retiring after nearly 40 years with the BCM.

FRANKLIN — As Charles Nored’s retirement approaches, it would be difficult to succinctly sum up the enormous impact that he has made in his nearly 40 years of ministry.

But Jeff Jones, the BCM director at Memphis, was recently able to capture the essence of Nored’s ministry — which has included tenures at Walter State, MTSU and Motlow State — in one simple statement.

“Students love Charles,” Jones said, “and he loves them.”

Indeed, that’s what Nored has always been about: Investing in the lives of college students, building meaningful relationships and friendships with them, and helping them strengthen — or in some cases, start — their walk with Jesus. [Read more…]

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WHITT: BCM STUDENTS REACHING ‘MISSION FIELD’ IN MURFREESBORO

By Ashley Perham
Contributing Writer, Baptist & Reflector

Mark Whitt

MURFREESBORO — If Baptists want to know what the culture will look like in the next five to 10 years, they should look at the college campus, according to Mark Whitt, campus minister at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

Whitt was recently featured on a Radio B&R podcast where he shared his views on campus ministry. The podcast (which is Episode 28 of Radio B&R) can be found at baptistandreflector.org/radio-br/ .

Whitt said his ministry focuses on three things: reaching MTSU students for Christ, equipping them to serve, and mobilizing them to be disciples of Christ both in college and after. [Read more…]

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A BUSY MARCH — DAVIS REFLECTS ON YEC, DR, BCMs

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

FRANKLIN — Evangelism and missions were once again at the forefront of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board in March.

In his podcast reflecting on the month before, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board President and Executive Director Randy C. Davis observed that 780 decisions for Christ during the annual Youth Evangelism Conference was one of the highlights in March. In addition, more than 60 people surrendered to vocational ministry, he said.

“We’re just thrilled at what God did at YEC this year.”

Davis said the impact of YEC continues to grow even after its 51st year. [Read more…]

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BCMs PROVIDE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, SUPPORT

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

Morgan Owen

MARTIN — A college campus can be a frightening place for a first-time student.

Baptist Collegiate Ministry organizations can play a major role in helping incoming high school students adjust to college life, said Morgan Owen, BCM director at the University of Tennessee in Martin.

While some high school grads enter college with friends from hometown or church, many do not, Owen noted. BCMs provide incoming freshmen opportunities “to connect” with like-minded students, he said.

At UT-Martin, the BCM offers Survival, a four-day event for incoming students, freshmen and transfers.

The objective for Survival is to cultivate a faith-based community setting for incoming students as they make the adjustments to college, Owen said. [Read more…]

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