evangelism Archives - Page 2 of 25

THIS TIME, IT’S COMING TO YOU

February 9, 2021

Churches invited to host watch parties for YEC this year

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Long Hollow Baptist Church pastor Robby Gallaty tapes a segment for the 2021 Youth Evangelism Conference. Gallaty is the featured speaker for this year’s conference, which will be streamed to churches across the state.

FRANKLIN — For more than two years, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board youth specialist Jay Barbier has been thinking about the possibility of restructuring the annual Youth Evangelism Conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic opened the door for those changes to be made.

The conference, which has been a popular event for more than 50 years, will have a much different look and feel this year. Instead of being hosted at a central location, the conference will be streamed to churches all across Tennessee on the night of March 13.

Churches are invited to hold “YEC watch parties” on their church campus. Churches can register for the event at yectn.org, and can view the stream, for free, through the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Churches can also hold breakout sessions on campus. [Read more…]

NO PAUSE FOR THE PANDEMIC

January 27, 2021

FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Jeff Owens, pastor of First Baptist Church, McMinnville, left, baptizies Morgan West, a 19-year-old college student. West came to the church through FBC’s new college/career ministry called “The Bridge.”

McMINNVILLE — Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal wave of cancelations and postponements over the past 10 months, the virus certainly hasn’t canceled the evangelism efforts at First Baptist Church, McMinnville.

It has only reshaped them.

When the virus first took hold last spring, the church staff at FBC began examining some of its outreach strategies — and began moving in a new direction with several of its ministries.

Those efforts, coupled with the church’s ability to adapt and adjust, led to a surge in baptisms in 2020. [Read more…]

‘BIGGEST MOVEMENT OF GOD I’VE SEEN’

January 13, 2021

Tragedies lead to salvations, baptisms in Hendersonville

By Scott Barkley
National Correspondent, Baptist Press

Andrei Iacob was baptized by Long Hollow Baptist Church pastor Robby Gallaty on Dec. 20, just days after Iacob’s wife and son were murdered.

HENDERSONVILLE — Noah Iacob lived for only a week two years ago. But his story is interwoven with other stories as part of a revival taking place at Long Hollow Baptist Church.

Noah’s underdeveloped lungs became too much for his body to overcome. But after his death, his mother Jessie realized she needed the healing power of Christ in her life and, after becoming a Christian, was baptized at Long Hollow. Jessie, her son Zeke and husband Andrei began attending the church.

But Jessie’s earthly life ended Dec. 11 when she and her son were murdered by an intruder when Andrei wasn’t home. The suspect, identified as a former employee of the excavating business the couple founded, took his own life Dec. 13 after police had determined his location. [Read more…]

PERSONAL EVANGELISM: DON’T LET COVID-19 BECOME AN EXCUSE

December 9, 2020

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

FRANKLIN — Evangelism leaders for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board agree COVID-19 has impacted personal evangelism, but they also strongly affirm that Christians should not use it as an excuse to not witness.

“The fact social distancing has been in place for months has certainly impacted our ability to communicate with others,” said Roc Collins, director of strategic objectives for the TBMB.

It is hard to create relationships and even communicate with social distancing. Plus, he added, people are leery of everybody and afraid they may catch this virus.”

Jay Barbier, youth evangelism specialist for the TBMB, noted there is “no doubt that personal evangelism has been impacted because of COVID.

“We as a people like to find excuses and I think this pandemic has entertained us in a way like never before to give in to evangelistic laziness. We need to stop saying why we can’t tell others about Jesus because of COVID and look at all the new, old and amazing opportunities we have to communicate the greatest news ever, the gospel of Jesus,” he said. [Read more…]

HENNING CHURCH REACHES THOSE SEEKING HELP

November 26, 2020

Baptist & Reflector

Pastor Wade Wallace baptizes a new believer at Victory Baptist Church in Henning.

HENNING — Pastor Wade Wallace of Victory Baptist Church in Henning readily admits that his congregation is not for everyone.

“This church is for people who are wanting help, who are seeking help, who realize that they need God but don’t feel like they fit into the average Baptist church,” he said.

The West Tennessee church was featured on one of four “Good News Videos” featured during Virtual Summit on Nov. 10. See this video and others online at TBCSummit.org. [Read more…]

CHESSER: NOW MORE THAN EVER, PEOPLE ARE IN NEED OF THE LORD

November 18, 2020

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

Bruce Chesser delivers an abbreviated president’s address during the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s first Virtual Summit.

FRANKLIN — Even during a worldwide pandemic, God has done and “will continue to do wonders among us,” affirmed Bruce Chesser, pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, and president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

Due to the cancelation of the in-person Summit originally scheduled for Brentwood Baptist Church, Chesser gave an abbreviated message during the Virtual Summit.

“I had expected to share a message at Summit and preach in a more traditional way,” he noted, “but it’s an honor to be able to come to you in this way.” Chesser, who will serve another year as president, said he planned to present his original message at next year’s convention. [Read more…]

STUDENT MINISTRY IN MCMINNVILLE THRIVING DESPITE COVID-19

August 21, 2020

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

John Templeton

McMINNVILLE — As John Templeton reflects on the past few months, he is awed by the way God has used these hard days as a time of transformation.

Exhaustion has turned into excitement. Frustration has been replaced by fruitfulness.

Despite the difficult circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Templeton has seen the Lord do a tremendous work in the student ministry at First Baptist Church, McMinnville, where Templeton serves as associate pastor and student pastor. [Read more…]

F.A.I.T.H. RIDERS PRAY FOR TENNESSEE BAPTIST CHURCHES, PASTORS, LEOs

July 14, 2020

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

Tennessee F.A.I.T.H. Riders have gathered recently to ride in various areas of the state, praying for churches, pastors and law enforcement officers.

CLARKSVILLE — That distant rumble that is being heard in some areas of the state is not always thunder followed by lightning. It just might be a group of Tennessee Baptist F.A.I.T.H. Riders (FR), followed by prayer.

F.A.I.T.H. Riders is a national motorcycle ministry that is passionate about sharing Christ with the world, according to its website. The organization, which is rooted in Southern Baptist churches, has more than 350 chapters nationwide, including 38 in Tennessee. [Read more…]

WE ALL NEED A BREAK FROM INFORMATION OVERLOAD

July 8, 2020

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

Though we are nearing the four-month mark of the pandemic and some churches have begun to meet again, we’re still not back to where we were (before COVID-19).

And what’s more, it may be a while before we get there.

Add to it over the past few months, tornadoes and other storms, racial tension and protests in our nation, a presidential election in November, a Supreme Court decision giving non-discrimination protection to sexual orientation and gender identity and who knows what else, our nation is dealing with a “brain overload.”

That’s why the June 24 issue of the paper advocated that churches give their ministers a break and allow them to regroup before the new church year begins in a few months and possibly a second round of COVID-19. But a break from the insanity of today’s world is good for everyone. [Read more…]

BAPTIST EVANGELISTS: READY AND WILLING

June 29, 2020

By Jerry Drace
Evangelist / Senior pastor, Friendship Baptist Church, Friendship.

At one time the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (COSBE) had more than 600 members. Today it has fewer than 90 and less than 50 of these are preaching evangelists.

COSBE held its annual business meeting using a Zoom conference call on June 12. One of the areas of discussion was how COSBE members can help pastors and their congregations during this time of unrest and uncertainty in our nation. [Read more…]

Churches invited to host watch parties for YEC this year

FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID

Tragedies lead to salvations, baptisms in Hendersonville

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