Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
Baptist and Reflector
JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman University announced its plans to resume classes and residential living for the fall semester.
Classes will begin Aug. 19. Like many universities, in-person instruction for Carson-Newman will conclude by Thanksgiving and resume with online instruction for the remainder of the semester. Dining and residence halls will remain open. [Read more…]
By Todd Brady
Vice President for University Ministries, Union University
Some of society’s half-baked thinking has been exposed and mocked recently by conservative pundit, Jesse Kelly.
Last week, Kelly tweeted “Yale University was named for Elihu Yale. Not just a man who had slaves. An actual slave trader. I call on @Yale to change it’s [sic] name immediately and strip the name of Yale from every building, piece of paper, and merchandise. Otherwise, they hate black people. #CancelYale.” A mere six hours after he posted this, his tweet had been retweeted some 17,000 times and liked nearly 40,000 times.
Of course, Kelly’s tweet is sarcastic. It came as calls are being made by some who are wanting certain monuments of people who owned slaves to be removed.
Others jumped on his rhetorical bandwagon by saying that anyone with “Yale” in his biography is a racist and that Yale’s faculty is complicit by their participation in this “historically racist institution.” One person said, “Every person with a degree from Yale should be canceled. They should be forced to resign from public office. Resign from all Boards. Be disbarred. Lose their professional certifications. Lose judgeships.” [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: The pandemic has wreaked havoc on almost every imaginable event including high school graduations. Keep in mind, not only the graduate missed graduation, but so did his or her family who spent untold hours of helping the graduate reach the milestone. Jay Barbier, youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, his wife, Natalee, and son, Jay, provide their perspectives.
The Barbier family, from left, Caleb, Mary-Clare, Natalee and Jay.
Jay Barbier — A dad’s perspective
Let’s take a look into our current situation from one family’s perspective. Going through the experience of a pandemic has been overwhelming. The Lord has impressed on my heart to share thoughts from a student about to graduate, a mother wanting her son to enjoy the last moments of high school, and what is going through my mind as a father and the TBMB youth specialist. [Read more…]
Carson-Newman News Office
Carson-Newman University president Charles Fowler, left, records a video message for C-N’s campus community. Video messages are one of the ways the University has stayed connected with students, faculty and staff.
JEFFERSON CITY — Had the spring semester progressed normally, Carson-Newman University’s senior class would have walked the graduation stage on May 1.
Instead, the University offered a commemorative lighting of the campus’ central building, Henderson Humanities Building, in seniors’ honor. A video showcasing the building’s lighting and highlights from the Class of 2020’s junior and senior years featured words of reassurance from Psalm 119:105: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my path.” [Read more…]
Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN — With children staying home from school and activities, keeping them in a routine is critical, agree Tennessee Baptist Mission Board childhood specialists Donna Blaydes and Vicki Hulsey.
Blaydes suggested that families establish and stick to a routine.
“Routine is an important part of a child’s daily life,” she observed. “During this time when a child’s life has been temporarily disrupted, it is important to establish a new routine for your family,” she said. [Read more…]
Note: Many resources are available online for families. See list beneath this story for a few options.
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — The coronavirus pandemic is providing many parents more opportunities to share biblical truths as children are now confined to their homes rather than schools or daycare facilities.
The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s childhood specialists, Vicki Hulsey and Donna Blaydes, are encouraging parents to take advantage of the unique opportunities they have to invest in the spiritual health of their children. [Read more…]
Union University News Office
Union University graduates form a line during the school’s graduation ceremonies.
JACKSON — Within six months of receiving their degree, 98 percent of Union’s class of 2019 were employed or enrolled in graduate school, according to an “Undergraduate First-Destination Survey” conducted by Union’s Vocatio Center for Life Calling and Career.
Union’s 98 percent placement rate is about 12 points above the national placement rate average of 85.7 percent in 2018 (the most recent data). Union’s knowledge rate of its most recent study is 93 percent, which reflects how many placements of the 231 graduates are known.
“Being well above the national average, I think it shows the value of a Union degree,” said Alex Huguenard, director of the Vocatio Center. “The vast majority of them are meaningful placements.”
SEE ALSO – RADIO B&R EP. 37: TBMB JANUARY UPDATE WITH RANDY C. DAVIS
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
FRANKLIN — Top news stories in the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 2019 included the “I Stand for Life” initiative in support of SB (Senate Bill) 1236, the election of Charles Fowler as president of Carson-Newman University and record giving for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.
The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board initiated the I Stand for Life initiative on July 23 to garner thousands of signatures from Tennessee Baptists in an effort to let Tennessee lawmakers know that Tennessee Baptists would like to see legislation passed that protects the lives of unborn children.
The petition campaign was initiated by Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB who had a desire to make sure Tennessee Baptists were informed about the issue and that their voices were heard. [Read more…]
Belmont University News Office
Herbert C. Gabhart
NASHVILLE — In the spirit of giving thanks, Belmont University today dedicated its chapel in honor of a man long deemed the “heart and soul” of the institution.
Herbert C. Gabhart died in September 2009, but the former chancellor and president left behind a 50-year legacy of impact on this campus and the surrounding community. The Herbert C. Gabhart Chapel will now bear his name in gratitude for his service to Belmont and in honor of the committed Christian example he set.
“Dr. Gabhart represented the heart and soul of Belmont, and we still miss him deeply,” said Belmont President Bob Fisher. “He led this institution through incredibly challenging seasons, forging relationships and casting a vision that set Belmont on a course to achieve what then seemed impossible. His guidance, compassion and dedication cannot be replaced, but by naming our chapel — a centerpiece of campus life — in his honor, we intend to keep his memory alive to nurture our future course.” [Read more…]
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…]
