Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

PASTORS CONCERNED WITH GROWING LEADERS, REACHING OUTSIDERS

By Aaron Earls
Writer, Lifeway Christian Resources

NASHVILLE — When thinking about ministry difficulties, pastors say they’re most concerned with growing the people inside the church and reaching those outside it.

According to the latest release in Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, U.S. Protestant pastors say developing leaders and connecting with people not involved with a church are their two most prominent ministry needs.

“Paul’s instructions to ‘preach the word; be ready in season and out of season’ strike a chord within pastors like never before,” said Ben Mandrell, president of Lifeway Christian Resources. “In the midst of ministry challenges, it’s no surprise that their top felt needs are multiplying leaders and reaching the unchurched.”

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted that despite pastors having many personal needs, they often place a higher priority on the needs of their churches. “There is much agreement around the areas of ministry that need their attention today, because these needs have been the core work of disciple-makers since the Great Commission: equipping believers to share the gospel with unbelievers.” [Read more…]

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MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE

Pastors break away for ‘Off-the-Grid’ trip on Appalachian Trail

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Tennessee pastors, from left, Jeff Vanlandingham, Joel Tilson, Adam Cutshaw, Rocky Sickel, Sherman Boyd, Marty Shadoan and Timothy Fair recently spent three days hiking the Appalachian Trail as part of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s “Off the Grid” ministry for pastors.

NEWPORT —  Several days of hiking on the Appalachian Trail would leave many individuals feeling exhausted. 

Marty Shadoan said it had the opposite effect for him and the other pastors who recently hiked part of the trail while participating in the “Off the Grid” ministry sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s conference centers. 

“Off the Grid is a unique opportunity for pastors to rejuvenate, both body and soul,” said Shadoan, pastor of First Baptist Church, Rockwood. “There is nothing like spending three days on the trail with one’s fellow pastors. We hike with one another, share with one another, learn from one another and encourage one another.”

The “Off the Grid” ministry — which officially launched in 2020 — was developed by Kevin Perrigan, camp manager at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center. Perrigan said he wanted to have a ministry that would enable pastors to find an outlet to get away from the pressures of ministry while also forming new friendships with other pastors from around the state.  [Read more…]

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FEW PASTORS LEFT THE PULPIT DESPITE INCREASED PRESSURE

By Aaron Earls
Writer, Lifeway Christian Resources

NASHVILLE — Pastors faced increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, as churches were frequently forced to adapt overnight. More felt their role was overwhelming at times, yet very few pastors decided to actually leave the ministry in recent years.

A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found close to 1 percent of evangelical and historically Black Protestant senior pastors step away from the pulpit each year—a rate statistically unchanged from a 2015 Lifeway Research study.

“COVID-19 was neither a small nor short-lived stressor for pastors,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Many have speculated that pastors have been opting out of the pastorate as a result. That is not the case. They are remaining faithful to the calling at levels similar to those seen before the pandemic.” [Read more…]

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COMMON SENSE WAYS TO BLESS YOUR PASTOR

By Matt Tullos
Special assistant to the executive director

Pastors are amazing. They speak every Sunday. They provide leadership to teams and champion  the vision of the church. They are there for the most joyous and most despairing moments of life: when babies are born, when brides are married, when people die. 

Traditionally, October is a month we honor and bless our pastors. Some churches give a gift certificate, a book, or a tie. But if we all blessed our pastors in these practical ways, it would be worth so much more.  These commonsense strategies cost you nothing, but they would be priceless to him.

1. Honor and appreciate his wife. Many churches assume that the pastor’s wife needs to fit the cookie-cutter model of the perfect wife. She plays the piano, quietly smiles, has no opinions, serves in the nursery, leads the women’s Bible study, decorates the wedding parlor, attends every WMU meeting, and always appears perfect inside and out. Here’s a shocker: This woman doesn’t exist. Your pastor’s wife might do one or two of these things, but she is unique and has an important role to play in your church. [Read more…]

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OPERATION LEGACY BENEFITING PASTORS

By Bill Gruenewald
President, Tennessee Baptist Foundation

In March 2021, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) and the Tennessee Baptist Foundation (TBF) launched an initiative to help all Tennessee pastors and ministers get their estate plans in place. We partnered with Philanthrocorp, a faith-based company that works with charitable organizations in the area of estate planning and planned giving. 

They work with many other state Baptist foundations as well as the International Mission Board. The TBF believed with the size of this project, help would be needed, and felt Philanthrocorp was a good partner. The TBF has and will continue to work with all Tennessee Baptists in helping get their estate plans finalized.

Over the past six months, we have seen many pastors and ministers take advantage of this service, which is free of charge. As of August, there were 42 pastors in the planning process, with another 26 that were beginning the process.  [Read more…]

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THREE REASONS PASTORS AVOID COUNSELING

By Ben Mandrell
President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources

“Too fast!” my wife, Lynley, screamed as I drove down a steep hill caked in snow. The vehicle picked up speed like a roller coaster on first fall.  

“I grew up driving in this!” I snapped, more than slightly annoyed that she doubted my driving. Moments later all six Mandrells were sledding sideways, out of control and bracing for impact. 

By the grace of God, the SUV stopped just short of a concrete embankment. We were safe, but we were stuck. With a frazzled family and spinning tires, I looked for a friendly passerby — someone to pull us out of this mess.

Looking back on that moment makes me think about pastors who are feeling emotionally stuck. Sadness, depression, bitterness, unresolved anger — all these emotions can cause a spiritual leader to fantasize of running fast from ministry and working in a less draining environment. 

In a recent Lifeway Research survey among pastors, we heard painful responses such as, “ I  feel the weight of the ministry of this church lays totally on me” and “There is a tremendous sense of loneliness.”  [Read more…]

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U.S. PROTESTANT PASTORS SEE GENDER CHANGE AS IMMORAL

By Aaron Earls
LifeWay Christian Resources

NASHVILLE — As legislatures in Washington, D.C. and across the country discuss issues surrounding individuals who identify as a gender different from their biological sex, a clear majority of U.S. Protestant pastors see such gender fluidity as morally wrong.

In a study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research, around 3 in 4 Protestant pastors say identifying as a gender different from one’s biological birth gender is morally wrong. Similar numbers say the same about attempts to physically change genders.

“American culture increasingly views morality differently than historic Christianity,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “When pastors articulate Christian teaching, it often sounds very different from the cultural narrative because it rejects a basis for morality centered on the individual.” [Read more…]

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PRAYER GROUP HELPS PASTORS’ WIVES CONNECT

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Melody Cain (left) and Jeanne Davis, seen here together before the COVID-19 pandemic, helped start the Ministers’ Wives Prayer Group on Facebook last spring. Davis is the wife of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis, and Cain is the wife of First Baptist Church, Seymour, pastor Corey Cain.

FRANKLIN — Jeanne Davis was determined to bring pastors’ wives together. Even if they had to stay apart.

Fortunately, the internet made that possible.

Davis, the wife of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis, teamed up last spring with Melody Cain, the wife of First Baptist Church, Seymour, pastor Corey Cain, and several others to create the TBC Ministers’ Wives prayer group.

The group, which meets weekly on Facebook, has experienced continual growth since it was formed last April. It currently has about 375 members.

Davis said the group is exactly what she’d hoped it would be: a place where pastors’ wives  have an outlet to discuss their situations, to encourage each another and, most certainly, to pray for each other.   [Read more…]

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WHAT’S KEEPING YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series by TBMB Executive Director Randy C. Davis. Part Two will appear in the March 10 issue of the Baptist and Reflector.

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

One of our Tennessee Baptist pastors recently asked what were things that kept me awake at night and what were five things that got me going in the morning. I’m glad he asked. It’s been a great opportunity to evaluate if my personal and ministry goals align with what I hope the Lord wants to accomplish through me.

So here they are — the five things that keep me up at night:

Spiritual lostness

I have had a burden for the eternal destiny of friends, family and people in general since I came to faith in Christ. The day Granny Davis died, I read in her Bible a note written in 1956: “I am standing in the gap for my dear children so that one day they will be a circle unbroken, together in heaven forever.” [Read more…]

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CHALLENGING DAYS BUT ALSO DAYS OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

I loved being a pastor. It was my joy and honor to spend 34 years as a pastor in a local church, so obviously I have a special place in my heart for the men who faithfully labor behind the pulpit serving God and His people.

Between those years and the time I’ve spent as president of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, a pastoral mindset is second nature to me. Daily I make decisions by putting myself in the shoes of the pastors who lead our churches. Those shoes fit me best. God shaped my heart into a shepherd’s mold.  [Read more…]

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