Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

A LOOK BACK WITH GRATITUDE

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Ten years.

That’s how long it’s been since Jeanne and I left a beloved pastorate to follow the clear call of God to serve our Tennessee Baptist Convention network of churches. That decision came only after an intense season of prayerfully seeking the Lord’s direction. It was an agonizing time discovering, as best we could, His direction. I had asked the Lord for two things: A clear call and a compelling reason. He provided both.

The call itself was miraculous in its clarity and affirmed through unanimous support from the TBMB Board of Directors, my family, our church and our praying friends. [Read more…]

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TENNESSEE BAPTISTS REFLECT ON TBMB LEADER’S FIRST 10 YEARS

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

TBMB President Randy C. Davis presents his annual report during Summit 2017.

FRANKLIN — Of all people, perhaps David Green is the least surprised at the way Randy C. Davis has led Tennessee Baptists for the past 10 years.

Green served as the chairman of the search committee charged with finding a successor to James Porch who was retiring as executive director in June of 2010.

Green remembers asking Davis, who had been elected TBC president in November, if he would submit a resume.

Davis said no when he was first asked, Green said. [Read more…]

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JOURNEY MARKED WITH JOY, CHANGE

TN Baptists Are Celebrating a Decade With Davis

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

Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis has approached his 10-year anniversary with the TBMB. In the photo above — which was taken nearly three years before racial tensions in the United States reached a peak in recent weeks — a mix of ethnically diverse Tennessee Baptists gathered in a display of unity in a called press conference at the Church Support Center in Franklin to publically denounce the white supremacist movement and racism. It was the first (and only) press conference called by Davis.

FRANKLIN — In August of 2010, just six weeks after becoming the executive director of the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board), Randy C. Davis reflected on his new role in an interview with the Baptist and Reflector.

“We have incredible opportunities before us to continue to impact our state for the cause of Christ,” he said.

Davis recalled that when he was approached about leaving a pastorate he and his wife Jeanne loved (First Baptist Church, Sevierville) that they prayed for and asked for a clear call from God. “We didn’t want to miss God. We didn’t want to wonder if we’d done the right thing. God did give us a very, very clear call.”

Ten years and more than 400,000 miles of in-state travel later, that call still resonates with Davis.

He has seen the convention move forward but he also affirmed that opportunities still remain to impact Tennessee for Christ.

In a podcast with Radio B&R (see Episode 45), Davis recalled that soon after he began his work with the board he discovered that the number of people in Tennessee who were being saved, baptized and set on the road to discipleship had declined “dramatically” over half a century. [Read more…]

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I STAND FOR LIFE, NOW MORE THAN EVER

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Tennessee state representatives took an important step toward protecting life last week when pro-life legislation passed in both the House and the Senate. The legislative approval makes a way for the bill to move on to Governor Bill Lee, who will probably sign it into law since it closely resembles the pro-life legislation he outlined in January of this year.

The bill includes a “laddered” approach, meaning it offers abortion restrictions from most restrictive to less restrictive. The intent is that if the courts strike down the most restrictive it will then hopefully allow the next tier. The restrictions are defined by the number of weeks into a pregnancy the fetus is. [Read more…]

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HAVING AN ANSWER FOR THE ‘WHY’ QUESTION

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Children have a way of getting to the heart of the matter, don’t they? Their questions come at you unfiltered and often at the most unexpected times. That’s the way my daughters were and that is the way my grandchildren are. Their forthright insight can often catch adults unprepared. [Read more…]

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TBMB OFFERS GUIDANCE AS CHURCHES WAIT FOR STATE CLARIFICATION

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 1.

By Lonnie Wilkey and Chris Turner
Baptist and Reflector


FRANKLIN — The question most often asked by church leaders today is simple: When can we gather again as a congregation? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer.

A good criterion was suggested recently by Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee. His answer to the question is: “As soon as we can as safely as we can.” [Read more…]

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DAVIS: THERE’S NO DEFINITIVE DATE

Over the past several weeks, our Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff has talked with thousands of pastors and a recurring question we’ve been asked is this: “When can we reopen our church?”

As you know, within our Baptist polity that is not a question seeking permission but rather an informed perspective. I wish there were a single response with a definitive date, but that is a call every church must make for itself.

Based on the latest information, I would offer the following for careful consideration by all pastors and church leaders in relation to the topic of reopening the church: [Read more…]

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TBMB DIRECTORS HOLD FIRST VIRTUAL MEETING

By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — The board of directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board made history April 21 — and they didn’t even have to leave home.

Thanks to technology, COVID-19 did not wipe out the scheduled April meeting of the TBMB as an overwhelming majority of the board member joined a Zoom broadcast.

“This is a historical moment,” acknowledged Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB.

Davis informed the board members that the meeting was primarily an informational meeting and that no action would be taken at this time. “We didn’t want to bring anything to the board to vote on at this time simply because we want to make sure that we have the capability electronically to do it in a manner that is in order.” [Read more…]

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DAVIS: BE KNOWN BY YOUR FAITH

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

FRANKLIN — In his weekly COVID-19 update on April 8, Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, reminded Tennessee Baptists that the world is watching.

“How is this generation going to remember how we, as Christians, responded to this crisis?” [Read more…]

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