Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

CHRISTIANS SHOULDN’T BE INTIMIDATED BY OTHER VOICES

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

In 2015, Tennessee legislators passed a state law that authorized local school boards across the state to put policies in place allowing students to be excused during the school day to attend a class in “religious moral instruction.”

The freedom to have release time for biblical or moral instruction actually has occurred for more than a century and possibly longer. It was contested in 1952 and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bible Release Time (Zorach versus Clauson, 343 U.S. 306). [Read more…]

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STILL JAMMING: GA EVENT TURNS 30

By Ashley Perham
Baptist & Reflector

Tennessee WMU missions and ministry advocate Linda Robbins leads a JAM small group as children learn more about missions.

NASHVILLE — JAM, a one-day mission event for children, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

JAM, which stands for Journey into Adventures in Missions, was started by the Tennessee WMU in 1989.

Originally, the event was only for 1st through 6th grade girls in the WMU Girls in Action (GA) program.

In 2001, the event became open to all children in 1st-6th grade. [Read more…]

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CARSON-NEWMAN, TBMB TEAM UP TO RALLY FOR CHRIST

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Roc Collins

JEFFERSON CITY — As they prepared for the East Tennessee Rally for Christ at Carson-Newman, the leadership team at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board said they wanted the event to have a two-pronged purpose: To ignite the believers and offer hope to the spiritually lost.

By the time the rally came to a close, it was clear that both objectives had been met: The saints were stirred and the lost were found.

The rally, held at Holt Fieldhouse on the C-N campus on the night of Sept. 8, drew more than 900 attendees, who were treated to a night of praise, worship and encouragement. The evening also featured several life-changing decisions, including three professions of faith, three commitments to baptism and one rededication. [Read more…]

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COMING IN STRONG

Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City recently welcomed its largest freshmen class in history — 557 students. They are included in Carson-Newman’s highest enrollment in its 168-year history — 2,725 students. The enrollment also includes a record graduate class of 885 students. Since 2010, C-N has seen a 40 percent increase in total enrollment. In the photo above, C-N president Charles A. Fowler and his wife, Sandra, front center, along with faculty and staff, led the freshmen and their families on a prayerwalk through the campus on Aug. 24.
— Photo submitted by Carson-Newman University

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VICTORY FORMATION

C-N football program sees 10 players make professions

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Carson-Newman volunteer kickers and punters coach Alan Duncan and team chaplain Marty Blakely baptized 10 players from the Carson-Newman football team in Mossy Creek following football camp.

JEFFERSON CITY —  Big decisions are often made at football camp. Who is going to be the starting tailback? What scheme is the new defensive coordinator going to install?  Is the kick returner going to be used at wide receiver?

Important choices, for sure. Choices that can ultimately determine a team’s success.

And yet, those types of decisions aren’t nearly as significant as the decisions that were made at Carson-Newman’s football camp this summer. These were life-changing — and eternity-altering — decisions. [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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BOWDEN TALKS FAITH, FOOTBALL AT STUDENT EVENT

By Timothy Cockes
Baptist Press intern 

Former college football coach Tommy Bowden, center, stands with Clay Hallmark, left, pastor of First Baptist Church, and Bryant Hollingsworth, head football coach at Lexington High School.

LEXINGTON — Tommy Bowden, former college football coach at Clemson University, recently spoke to hundreds of Tennessee high school football students about the importance of making good decisions in life.

Bowden said he wanted to emphasize for the more than 700 players, representing more than five counties and 12 schools, the importance of having the right priorities in life by putting God first. The event was held at First Baptist Church, Lexington, on July 18. [Read more…]

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A NEW AND EXCITING FUTURE FOR CARSON-NEWMAN

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Charles and Sandra Fowler, center, were introduced June 10 as the new president and first lady of Carson-Newman University by David Ogle, left, chair of the presidential search committee, and Harry Brooks, right, chair of the board of trustees.
-Photo by Charles Key.

Charles Fowler admits he was surprised when he was informed last fall that his name had been put forward as a nomination to be the next president of Carson-Newman University. When I heard the news, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

I’ve known Charles for years. He is a gracious leader possessing a long and strong identity with, and understanding of, Tennessee Baptists. He has outstanding academic credentials, a pastor’s heart and a theologian’s mind. The CNU presidential search committee did an outstanding job of cultivating excellent candidates for the position and diligently prayed over and vetted each candidate. Just as I wasn’t surprised by Dr. Fowler’s nomination, I wasn’t surprised at the news of his selection. He started his new role July 1. [Read more…]

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NEW CARSON-NEWMAN PRESIDENT EXCITED FOR FUTURE

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

Charles and Sandra Fowler, center, were introduced June 10 as the new president and first lady of Carson-Newman University by David Ogle, left, chair of the presidential search committee, and Harry Brooks, right, chair of the board of trustees.
-Photo by Charles Key.

JEFFERSON CITY — When Charles Fowler was notified last fall that he had been nominated to serve as president of Carson-Newman University, he admitted it was “quite a surprise.”

Months of prayers, discussions, and meetings culminated June 7 when trustees of Carson-Newman unanimously elected Fowler as the university’s 23rd president, succeeding Randall O’Brien who retired Dec. 31, 2018. See original story, “Carson-Newman Trustees Elect Fowler as President.”

Fowler is the first Tennessee Baptist pastor elected to lead Carson-Newman since at least the 1920s, coming to the position from the pastorate of Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, near Memphis. He assumes his new role on July 1. [Read more…]

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