Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

GOD WORKING THROUGH SBC MISSIONARIES

By Paul Chitwood
President, International Mission Board

Paul Chitwood

Looking back on my first full year as your IMB president, the words that come to mind are: “Thank you.”

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving souls across the globe daily amid hardship and persecution, and for upholding Your servants as they go forth to share Your gospel.

Thank you, Southern Baptist family, for placing your confidence in me to lead our missionary force. It is an incredible privilege to lead the choice servants of God whom you have sent out.

This year has been marked by many victories but also by massive cyclones in Sub-Saharan Africa, political and humanitarian crises in the Americas, and large-magnitude earthquakes in Southeast Asia. [Read more…]

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SPECIFIC WAYS TO PRAY FOR MISSIONARIES

IMB Communications Staff

The 2019 goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering is $165M. For information on how to give, visit IMB.org.

RICHMOND — IMB president Paul Chitwood came home from a recent trip to East Africa with a plenty of memories — and 1,000 snapshots.

He knew missionaries faced challenges in taking the Gospel to the unreached. He knew the logistical and spiritual struggles could be intense for those on the front lines of pushing back the darkness.

But while he was in Africa visiting with IMB missionaries, every ride down a dusty road and every walk down a city street was a reminder that each missionary faces unique challenges.

And every single prayer for missionaries matters — he says it’s so important that missionaries know they are loved, remembered, and prayed for. [Read more…]

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MOON’S LIGHT STILL SHINING

Lottie Moon offering still impacting lives

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

The Stormer family, members of Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville, are serving as missionaries in Brazil. In the photo above, Aaron Stormer (back row, third from left), his wife, Melissa (second from left) and their children Aiden (far left), Gavin (front row, left) and Astrid (front row, right), share a smile with some ministry partners in Brazil. — Submitted photo

CLARKSVILLE —  There are trends that come and go in the Baptist culture, but the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions has remained a vital part of the Baptist fabric for more than 130 years.

The ministry has remained unchanged throughout its existence, holding steadfast to its exclusive purpose of supporting missionaries who serve abroad.

The continued significance of the LMCO, which started in 1888, can be seen in the faces of the Stormers — a five-member family from Clarksville who have been serving as missionaries in Brazil for the past two and a half years.

The Stormers, who are members of Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville, are stationed in São Paulo, a mega city of over 20 million people. [Read more…]

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STAYING FOCUSED ON OUR PASSIONATE PRIORITY

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

There are two distinctives that bind Southern Baptists together. The first is our shared biblical belief system. Unfortunately, the Bible can be mishandled in many ways and our Southern Baptist forefathers recognized that, so in 1925, they took the providential step to clearly define what Southern Baptists believe about the Bible.

That document is known as the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) and became our “statement of the historic Baptist conception of the nature and foundation of confessions of faith in our religious and denominational life.” The BF&M was updated in 2000 and reaffirms what we believe theologically and why we believe it.

The second distinctive that binds Southern Baptists together is our Great Commission calling to missions, and specifically our historic commitment to rally around international missions. We have always been, and we must always be, a “going” people. [Read more…]

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HELPING HANDS

Baptist associations all across Tennessee held their annual meetings, primarily in September and October. Among them was Salem Baptist Association, based in Liberty, which held its 197th annual meeting on Oct. 29. Grayson and Lydia Metcalf (pictured) were present and handed out prayer cards for their parents — Phil and Laura Metcalf, who are missionaries with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, serving in Mexico. Metcalf delivered the annual message at the association and included a slide presentation of their work in Mexico.

— Photo by Donna Nichols

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MILE HIGH MISSIONARIES

Tennessee church planters, volunteers shine light in Denver

By Lonnie Wilkey & Chris Turner
Baptist and Reflector

DENVER — If you love hiking and skiing and other outdoor activities, Denver is the place to live. If you love Jesus, you might get lonely.

People are flocking to Denver and its surrounding communities. In 2018, it was recognized as the fifth fastest growing large city (more than 300,000 residents) and 34th overall in the country by WalletHub, a financial services website, according to thedenverchannel.com.

Since 2007, Denver has become “Mecca” for Millennials (those born between 1981 to 1996), observed Dave Howeth, Send City Missionary for Denver with the North American Mission Board. [Read more…]

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PARTNER WITH ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE KINGDOM

Editor’s note: The Week of Prayer for Baptist Associations is Oct. 20–26, 2019.

By Sandy Wisdom-Martin
Exec. Dir., Southern Baptist WMU

I suppose he had to be the first denominational celebrity I ever met, though I did not know it at the time. I heard whispers in the halls of our tiny country church when I was a child: “Mr. Whitmer is here today.” Mr. Whitmer was our associational missionary, as the role was called then. He would usually visit our church twice a year.

God uses others to shape and mold us, and my story is incomplete if I leave out the role of the association in my spiritual and leadership formation. Here are some examples: [Read more…]

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TENNESSEE CHURCHES HELP REACH ANNIE ARMSTRONG RECORD

Baptist Press

SAN  FRANCISCO —  For the third straight year, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) for North American missions has hit a record high.

The 2019 offering total was announced during an Oct. 7 gathering with North American Mission Board (NAMB) trustees. Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd revealed the $62.2 million total in a video call.

“This record-breaking offering that our churches have given this past year through our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions demonstrates the passionate desire our churches have to reach each person for Jesus Christ in North America,” Floyd said. [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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