Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
Union University News Office
JACKSON — Traditional undergraduate enrollment for the fall semester at Union University is up 2.2 percent, the first increase in fall-to-fall enrollment in this category since 2010.
The number of new students at Union increased from 401 in 2017 to 450 this year, a 12.2 percent increase. Non-traditional enrollment is up 1.1 percent in headcount, but the number of student credit hours is 1,409 more than last year, a 16.8 percent increase. [Read more…]
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
Robert Blake, deacon at One Faith Christian Center Church, talks to a group of young men from the West Frayser community before they take the court for pick-up basketball games.
MEMPHIS — It would have been easy for Barron Martin to take the safe route. He could have moved from the Memphis area, found a comfortable job, and simply “tuned out” the violence and poverty that plagues the neighborhood where he was raised.
Instead, he chose the opposite approach. He elected to be on the frontline. [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Walter Grubb stands in front of the Anderson Building on the campus of The King’s Academy (Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy) in Seymour. Grubb retired July 31 after 31 years of ministry with the institution, including the last 24 as president/headmaster.
SEYMOUR — Walter Grubb’s nearly lifelong affiliation with The King’s Academy (Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy) has come to an end, but his love and passion for the school will last the rest of his life.
Grubb stepped down as president and headmaster of TKA on July 31 after serving in that role since 1994. He had been with the school since 1987 when he was named principal.
But being a native of Blount County and the son of a Baptist pastor (the late Glenn Grubb who served at Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Maryville for many years), Grubb was well acquainted with the Tennessee Baptist-affiliated high school. In fact, his dad attended the academy to complete his high school diploma after he was called to the ministry. “Not too many people get to see their dad graduate from high school,” Grubb said. [Read more…]
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
Neal Buchanan, a member of Lincoya Hills Baptist Church in Donelson, has been serving as a volunteer tutor at an elementary school near his house for almost 20 years. Buchanan was recently featured on the front of two brands of Kellogg’s cereal for his tireless efforts with students. In the photo above, Buchanan is working with Jonah, 8, who is a second-grade student at Pennington Elementary.
NASHVILLE — Somewhere between exercising, working tirelessly in his yard, rebuilding classic cars, cutting hair and serving multiple roles as a lay leader at his church, 82-year-old renaissance man Neal Buchanan still finds time to volunteer as a reading tutor at the elementary school near his home.
Buchanan, a member of Lincoya Hills Baptist Church in Donelson, has been passionate about childhood literacy for his entire adult life. He was recently honored for his devotion to the cause by being featured on two brands of Kellogg’s cereal boxes — Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes.
“I am not sure why they selected me; I guess it’s because I have been doing it longer than anyone else,” said Buchanan in his typical humble manner.
“I think they chose him because he is the oldest one on the list,” joked his wife, Gail. [Read more…]
By Carolyn Tomlin
Contributing Columnist, B&R
Summer vacation is almost over. No longer may students sleep late on week days. And for parents, getting back into a routine may be as difficult as for children. Do you wonder, “How can I get my children out of bed, catch the school bus on time, and not forget their belongings?” If this is a problem at your house, could the following suggestions work for your family? [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Sam McElroy, left, of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, interviews Joshua Dobbs, former University of Tennessee football star, during a Night of Champions event at Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga.
CHATTANOOGA — Joshua Dobbs’ career at the University of Tennessee speaks for itself. Perhaps that’s why he’s more comfortable talking about Jesus than himself.
Dobbs holds four school records for a quarterback and is high on the list of other significant football records. During his UT career (2013-16), he was 23-12 as a starter with a perfect 3-0 record in bowl games. He is tied for fifth for most wins by a Tennessee quarterback.
Add to the fact that he had a 4.0 grade point average while majoring in aerospace engineering and he’s a member of the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s little wonder that he’s well respected across the state. [Read more…]
By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director
Aparna had no idea what to expect when she arrived in America and on the campus of East Tennessee State University. Johnson City couldn’t be more culturally different from her home in Northern India.
She didn’t know anybody when school started. One day she saw a group of people standing around and wandered over to see what was going on. It was the Pop-Tart Cart, a ministry of the ETSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Sure, it is a place to grab a pack of Pop-Tarts and a cup of coffee, but it is really a connecting point for BCMers to share the love of Jesus and the gospel with fellow students. One of them struck up a conversation with Aparna and invited her to the BCM. That invitation changed her life.
She made lots of new friends in the following weeks and frequently heard the gospel. It wasn’t long before she realized her need for a Savior and gave her life to Jesus. Awesome!
But the story gets better. [Read more…]
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
click to enlarge
FRANKLIN — Bill Choate, the collegiate ministry specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is a big-picture kind of guy, especially in regard to his view of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries.
Choate believes BCM is about so much more than simply being a place for college-aged Christians to socialize. He believes — and has seen — that the ministry is having a major impact for Christ in ways that stretch well beyond the confines of a college campus.
“Tennessee BCM is training leaders for the Kingdom,” said Choate. “And that’s what is so exciting to me. The multiplying impact of transforming our culture for Christ comes from discipling and training up young Christian leaders.” [Read more…]
By Bill Choate
bchoate@tnbaptist.org
(Left to right): Hattie Zhang, Hannah Lee, Tori Qualls and Ashley Rivera get together for a selfie during a Baptist Collegiate Ministry event. The four students, all Vanderbilt graduates, are among the roughly 5,000 students in Tennessee who are impacted by BCM each year.
I looked across Mark Whitt’s desk at MTSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry office and asked, “What are the blue cards?” Mark, BCM Campus Minister, said all 750 were contact information cards from new students coming to MTSU.
They were gathered by Mark and student leaders over a summer of on-campus student orientation events.
Of the approximately 4,500 new students on campus at MTSU this fall, BCM already has touched and gathered contact information from 750. School hasn’t even started! [Read more…]
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Randall O’Brien
JEFFERSON CITY — Randall O’Brien, president of Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City since 2008, has announced his plans to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2018.
O’Brien celebrated his 10th anniversary as Carson-Newman’s 22nd president on July 8.
O’Brien was elected by the university’s trustees in July of 2008 and began transitioning to the position in August of that year. He didn’t officially join the college until Jan. 1, 2009. A native of McComb, Miss., O’Brien was executive vice president and provost at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, at the time of his election. [Read more…]
