Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

TENNESSEANS SERVE FERGUSON RESIDENTS

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Dr. Mike Carrigan, a physician in Clarksville who is a member of First Baptist Church, Clarksville, reviews a chart of a patient as nurses help her at the Send Relief medical/dental mobile clinic of the North American Mission Board on June 11 in Ferguson, Mo. — Photo by Bill Graham

Dr. Mike Carrigan, a physician in Clarksville who is a member of First Baptist Church, Clarksville, reviews a chart of a patient as nurses help her at the Send Relief medical/dental mobile clinic of the North American Mission Board on June 11 in Ferguson, Mo. — Photo by Bill Graham

CLARKSVILLE — Racial animus in Ferguson, Mo., was long forgotten as African Americans and Anglos enjoyed a block party prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in nearby St. Louis, and some Tennessee Baptists were a key part.

Medical professionals mainly from First Baptist Church, Clarksville, manned the Send Relief medical/dental mobile clinics of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board. The clinics were premiered at the pre-convention Crossover St. Louis activities June 11 in Ferguson, the site of protests and riots after the fatal shooting of an African American by a white police officer two years ago.

The mobile clinics operated from the parking lot of First Baptist Church, Ferguson, which is located just about two blocks from the site of the infamous riots. [Read more…]

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FORMER TBC STAFFER MIKE OVERCASH DIES

By Lonnie Wilkey, Editor
Baptist and Reflector

Mike Overcash

Mike Overcash

BRENTWOOD – Retired Tennessee Baptist Convention staff member and long-time disaster relief volunteer Mike Overcash died June 8 following an apparent heart attack.

Overcash, 80, a former employee of LifeWay Christian Resources who served several Tennessee Baptist churches as minister of music, was on the staff of the TBC from 1995-2001 as computer services specialist and as interim director of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief in 2015.

After retirement Overcash remained active in Tennessee Baptist life as a disaster relief volunteer through Judson Baptist Church, Nashville, where he was a member. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., Overcash escalated his involvement and became a fulltime DR volunteer, helping in the wake of that incident as well as multiple hurricanes and tornados that wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States. [Read more…]

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DR VOLUNTEERS GOING TO LOUISIANA

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

dr-disaster-relief-logoMOUNT JULIET — Three teams of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers will be traveling to Leesville, La., in a few days to help victims of flooding there.

Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention, reported that the Tennesseans responded to a request for teams to help the people in Louisiana begin cleanup after the devastating floods in the state. [Read more…]

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DR TEAMS CONTINUE WORK AMID FLINT WATER CRISIS

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

dr-disaster-relief-logoMOUNT JULIET — Nineteen Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers will be serving in Flint, Mich., Feb. 21-28, responding to the city’s water crisis, reported Wes Jones, Tennessee Baptist DR specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

The volunteers will be installing water filters in homes and providing encouragement and prayer, he added. The project is being coordinated by the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board and the Flint-area emergency management office. [Read more…]

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BAPTISTS MINISTER IN CRISIS

Volunteers provide meals, support until search for Pinson toddler ends

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Noah Chamberlin

Noah Chamberlin

PINSON — The halls of Pinson Baptist Church are no longer a flurry of activity. After seven days of hosting law enforcement personnel, emergency management personnel, and volunteers who came from several states to search for 2-year-old Noah Chamberlin, another press conference was held on Thursday, Jan. 21. It was one people prayed wouldn’t occur.

In tears, Chester County Sheriff Blair Weaver announced that the toddler’s body had been found. Then John Gaters, pastor of Pinson Baptist, led those gathered in the hymn, “Carry Me.”

The toddler disappeared on Jan. 14 while on an afternoon walk in the woods with his grandmother and 4-year-old sister behind his grandparent’s home. [Read more…]

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DR TEAMS CALLED OUT

Baptist and Reflector

dr-disaster-relief-logoBRENTWOOD — Ten­ne­ssee  Bap­tist  Disaster  Re­­­lief volunteers have been asked to respond in the wake of deadly storms and flooding that occurred across the nation during the Christmas holidays.

As of Jan. 4, 11 states had Southern Baptist Disaster Relief vol­unteers serving at min­­is­try sites in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisian­a, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. [Read more…]

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THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION – A YEAR IN REVIEW

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

fiveobjectivesBRENTWOOD — A highlight for Tennessee Baptists in 2015 was the news that baptisms increased in Tennessee Baptist Convention churches for the second year in a row. In 2014, 2,603 TBC churches reported 23,499 baptisms, the largest number of baptisms recorded since 2010. In 2013 churches reported 21,979 baptisms.

The year saw leadership changes with TBC entities. Vickie Anderson began serving Jan. 1 as the executive director/treasurer of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. She was installed later in the year to that position during WMU’s annual meeting. Mark Anderson was elected in December to succeed Kenny Cooper as president of Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes. Cooper will retire Dec. 31 after 20 years in the role while Anderson, a longtime staff member, will assume his new role on Jan. 1. Bryant Millsaps will retire Dec. 31 as president of Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes and will be succeeded by Greg McCoy who served throughout 2015 as president-elect. Several changes occurred on the TBC Executive Board staff, including the retirement of Bobby Welch as associate executive director. Welch, who served since 2011, was instrumental in helping to initiate the 1-5-1 Harvest Plants initiative geared toward sharing the gospel, starting churches, and discipling people. [Read more…]

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DISASTER RELIEF CONCLUDES IN SC, TRAVELS TO TX

dr-disaster-relief-logoMOUNT JULIET — Just after concluding five weeks of work helping flood victims in South Carolina following Hurricane Joaquin, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers traveled to south Texas to help flood victims there.

One great result was that Tennessee Baptists saw seven people make professions of faith during their week of working there, reported Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist, Tennessee Baptist Convention. All of the disaster relief workers from several states there saw about 70 people make professions of faith, they reported. See more in Baptist Press story. [Read more…]

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MISSIONS, DR BRING BAPTISTS TOGETHER

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

Baptists are known for many things – some good, some not so good. We tend to argue among ourselves over things that have no Kingdom significance. We get bent out of shape if someone sits in our pew on Sunday morning. We’re not happy if the pastor doesn’t visit our sick relative in the hospital (never mind that we probably forgot to let the pastor or church office know we have a sick relative in the hospital). The list goes on. Baptists can be petty. I can say that because I have been one all of my life. I’ve seen it. And if truth be told, I probably have acted in a petty manner at times.

Yet, Baptists can also be some of the most kind-hearted, caring people on this planet. And nothing brings out the best in Baptists than rallying around a need, whether it be locally, nationally, or globally.

I was in South Carolina recently witnessing the efforts of our Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers. We have an amazing group of people in our state who are ready to head out on a moment’s notice to provide help to people who desperately need it. [Read more…]

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VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE HELP, HOPE

Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers continue to help South Carolina flood victims

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

MANNING, S.C. — Driving past homes in the low country region of South Carolina between Columbia and the coast, one might not suspect that less than a month ago many roads were impassable.

And, unless there was the obvious sign of water-logged furniture piled across the front yard awaiting trash pickup, one might not suspect that as much as 24 inches of rain fell upon the area in a three-day period between Oct. 3-5.

Yet, looks can be deceiving. Just ask the owners of those homes whose furniture and belongings have not been removed and the stench of mold and mildew fill the air.

Unfortunately, a month following the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Joaquin, there are many homes still untouched. And, numerous others that have been cleaned out still face massive rebuilding efforts. Some residents have insurance to handle the cost of remodeling/rebuilding. The majority of them do not. [Read more…]

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