Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

ACTEENS: INFLUENCING, CHANGING LIVES OF GIRLS

By Vickie Anderson
Tennessee WMU Executive Director

Tennessee WMU executive director Vickie Anderson, right, during her days as an Acteen.

My entry point into missions was the Acteens organization at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lebanon in 1980 as an eighth grader. During the next five years, the world of missionaries, ministry, service and missions opened up for me and a passion was ignited that still burns brightly today. Some of the things our group did that stand out in my memory are: [Read more…]

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ACTEENS: 50 YEARS OF IMPACTING GIRLS FOR CHRIST

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

Teenage girls and their leaders worship together during a recent gathering.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Acteens, the missions education group for girls in grades seven-12, turned 50 years old this year.

To kick off the celebration, Woman’s Missionary Union brought together former Acteens to reflect on the past and look to the future on June 7, just prior to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention which will be held in Birmingham (the home of WMU) June 10-12.

The gathering was specifically for all women whose lives have been impacted through Acteens in their teenage years, as well as current and former leaders of Acteens, according to Heather Keller, missions consultant for Acteens and a Tennessee Baptist who grew up in the Acteens program of First Baptist Church, Bolivar.

Vickie Anderson, executive director of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union, is a product of Acteens and she affirms its value. [Read more…]

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BOTT RADIO B&R SPOTS

The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and the Baptist and Reflector have launched a series of Missions Moments segments to air on the Bott Radio over the next two months.

Bott Radio is a family owned Christian talk radio network that features a number of respected biblical teachers. The 60-second Missions Moments segments will feature work being done by Tennessee Baptists and Tennessee Baptist churches. You can listen to and download all 14 radio spots below.

The spots are sponsored by the Baptist and Reflector newspaper and can also be heard on the following Tennessee Bott Radio Network stations:

Clarksville 99.5 FM
Dickson 91.5 FM
Donelson 107.1 FM
Gallatin 93.9 FM
Lebanon 91.5 FM
Memphis 100.7 FM
Memphis 640 AM
Nashville 89.1 FM
Nashville 1160 AM













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IMB TRUSTEES APPROVE 26 MISSIONARIES, LOOK TO FUTURE GROWTH

By Julie McGowan
IMB public relations office

Dr. Rick Dunbar (right) receives gestures of appreciation from IMB President Paul Chitwood, and a standing ovation from his fellow trustees, as he concludes his service as an IMB trustee and as board chairman. A member of First Baptist Church Madison, Miss., Dunbar also is an emergency medicine physician who frequently utilizes his medical expertise to volunteer on the international mission field. — IMB Photo by Chris Carter

International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 26 new missionaries to take the gospel to the nations during their May 22-23 meeting in Richmond. Trustees also considered pivotal changes in ministry advancement and prayer strategies; welcomed a report from Adam Greenway; heard an update from external examiners; and elected 2019-2020 officers.

The new missionaries will be commissioned for service at a Sending Celebration June 11 at 4:20 p.m. during the afternoon session of the SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. The service will be live-streamed on sbc.net.   [Read more…]

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MISSION TEAM SEES MORE THAN 14,000 DECISIONS IN PHILIPPINES

Baptist and Reflector

Members of the mission team to the Philippines included, from left, seated, Dennis Golden, Donald Williams, Mike Hopper, Bryan Morris, Randy Crews, Willie Pounds; standing, Randy Boals, Johnny Johnson, Loren Stephens, Tod Taylor, Mike Nolen, John Hayes and Charles Pratt.

SOMERVILLE — A team of 13 volunteers serving with Cross Partners Ministry recently returned to Tennessee after serving two weeks with more than 60 churches in three Baptist associations on Luzon Island in the Philippines.

Cross Partners Ministry is led by Charles Pratt, who also serves as director of missions for Fayette Baptist Association, based in Somerville. The team witnessed 13,738 professions of faith and hundreds of other church-related decisions, Pratt reported. [Read more…]

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TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

High school seniors (from left) Hunter Johnson, Hanna Currey, and Philo Wateau participate in door-to-door outreach. This is just one way that City Reach is making an impact.

FRANKLIN — Roughly 16 months since its launch, the City Reach initiative continues to meet its objectives: Creating gospel conversations and spreading the love of Christ through work projects, community outreach and, most importantly, prayer.

City Reach is a five-city missions ministry designed and implemented by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. First envisioned by TBMB executive director and president Randy C. Davis, the ministry involves a partnership with the five metro associations in Tennessee — Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Clarksville — and was created as a means of reaching Tennessee for Christ by concentrating on those five major cities. [Read more…]

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CONNECTION CHALLENGES GIRLS TO PURSUE CHRIST

By Juliana Wilson
TN WMU Communications/Childhood Missions Specialist

Attendees participate in an activity during last week’s event.

GATLINBURG — Connection 2019, a missions event for girls in grades 7 through 12, took place April 5-7 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in conjunction with Get-Together.

The group of 294 girls and leaders focused on the event theme “Unshakable Pursuit” which was based on the key Scripture from 1 Corinthians 15:58.

Through worship, breakout sessions, missionary testimonies and hands-on experiences, the young women were challenged to pursue the God who pursues them and seek Christ in their life even when things do not go according to plan. [Read more…]

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BARBIER SHARES KEY TO REMAINING UNSHAKEN

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Natalee Barbier speaks to attendees during a break-out session. Barbier’s session was called “Unshaken by Life’s Storms.”

GATLINBURG — Natalee Barbier didn’t say it has been easy.

She just said it’s been worth it.

Barbier, who was one of the featured guests for the “breakout sessions” at last week’s WMU Get-Together, spoke to the attendees about the challenges that she has faced during parenthood. Her session was entitled: “Unshaken by Life’s Storms.”

Natalee and her husband, Jay, the evangelism event specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, have a 15-year-old daughter, Mary-Clare, who has Down’s Syndrome. The journey of raising a special-needs child has been challenging, of course, but has enabled the couple to grow in their faith in ways they couldn’t have imagined. It has shaped the Barbiers’ ministry, and opened doors to sharing God’s love and faithfulness. [Read more…]

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TOGETHER TIME

WMU event features fellowship, worship, wisdom

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

WMU attendees bow for a time of prayer during this year’s Get-Together and Connection. –Photos by James Wilson, Baptist and Reflector

GATLINBURG — Many tourists travel to Gatlinburg with hopes of relaxing and rejuvenating. But for those who attend WMU’s Get-Together and Connection, the goal is much deeper: To become re-energized spiritually.

The three-day event, which was held April 5-7 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, featured the theme “Unshakable Pursuit,” and presented attendees with ideas and plans on how to be strong in the Lord, even amid the turmoil and challenges that life so often presents. [Read more…]

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FOR THE LONG HAUL

Morristown business donates truck for Disaster Relief work

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

Standing in front of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief’s newest ministry tool are, from left, David Hawkins, director of missions, Nolachucky Baptist Association; Don Owen, DR director for Nolachucky Association; Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board; Roscoe England, DR volunteer and driver; Doyle Wallace, president of Wallace Hardware in Morristown; and Wes Jones, DR specialist for the TBMB. Wallace Hardware donated the truck to be used for disaster relief ministry.
— Photo by Charles Key, Carson-Newman University

MORRISTOWN — Wallace Hardware in Morristown recently donated a truck to be used for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief ministry.

The truck was donated to Nolachucky Baptist Association’s disaster relief ministry, which, in turn, donated it to Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief. The truck will be housed at “God’s Warehouse” in Morristown.

Don Owen, disaster relief director for Nolachucky Association, noted that Wallace had allowed DR to use the truck and its trailers for the past three years for numerous trips to areas that have been impacted by hurricanes and other disasters. [Read more…]

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