Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

STRONG LEADERS MAKE KINGDOM STRONGER

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

One of the greatest and constant needs of the church since its birth at Pentecost is God-called, Spirit-filled, well-equipped leaders. One of the greatest joys in ministry is when those leaders unite in spirit, mind and effort to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fortunately, we have a rich history of that in Tennessee. Since the first gathering of Tennessee Baptists to form a church network called the Tennessee Baptist Convention, pastor training has been a priority. The second order of business conducted by the TBC at its first meeting was the affiliation with, and support of, what is today Union University.

The affiliation with what is now Carson-Newman University soon followed. From the outset, a primary emphasis of each of these institutions has been to equip preachers through Christian education in order to strengthen local church ministry. In fact, CNU was originally known as Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary. Tennessee Baptists have always had a desire to prepare the called for their calling. We still do.  [Read more…]

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TBMB FORGES AHEAD WITH PLANS FOR SUMMIT

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Mission Board leaders are continuing to plan for The Summit to be held Nov. 8-11 at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood.

The Summit is the annual gathering of Tennessee Baptists and includes the Pastors Conference, the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and everything in between.

“We’re excited about plans for Summit 2020 and at this point we are forging ahead with plans to gather as we normally do,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“At this time there is much uncertainty, but it is also impossible to predict what the climate will be in November related to COVID-19,” Davis continued. [Read more…]

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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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