CHURCHES

Etter Baptist Church, Byrdstown, will host its 4th annual Golden 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, March 16, at 9 a.m. The event begins at Sunset Marina in Monroe and runs along the shores of Dale Hollow Lake. Early registration is $25 and includes a T-shirt if registered before March 1; $35 same day registration. All proceeds for the event go toward the Golden Offering for State Missions. For more information, contact Eric Thoman at 931-650-1077.

Lincoln Baptist Church, Fayetteville, will host a concert with the Open Heart Quartet from Bedford, Ind., on Feb. 23 from 6-8 p.m. The church is located at 267 Lincoln Road in Fayetteville. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Fellowship Baptist Church, Milan, has called Ron Harper as minister of music.

Larry Gilmore, a retired Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (then Executive Board) and past Tennessee Baptist Convention president, has been called as interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Milan.

Roger P. Freeman

Roger Freeman recently announced his retirement as pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Nashville. Freeman is a past president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He will continue to serve as an “ambassador” to pastors in Tennessee for the North American Mission Board, based in Alpharetta, Ga.

First Baptist Church, Rutherford, has called Zachery McCain as pastor.

Oak Grove Baptist Church, Milan, has called Bill Rice as interim pastor.

West Side Baptist Church, has called Stephen Powell as interim pastor. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Dustin Malugen, pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church, Iron City, was ordained into the gospel ministry on Sunday, Dec. 30.

Matt Judd

Parkway Baptist Church, Goodlettsville, ordained S. David Cuffman as a deacon on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Matt Judd has been called as senior pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist Church, Lewisburg. Judd and his wife, Beth, recently returned to the United States after serving as International Mission Board missionaries for six years. They have two daughters. Judd holds degrees from Liberty (Va.) University and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

Larry Dearth recently retired as care and visitation pastor at Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory.

CHURCHES

New Bethel Baptist Church, Shelbyville, will host Friends Day 2019 on Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. with special music from country gospel singer Margie Singleton with Joe Rucker and  Kyle Knoth. Call 931-639-7741 for information.

EVENTS

The 21st annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Historical Society will be held Thursday, March 7, at the Southern Baptist Convention Building, 901 Commerce Street in Nashville. The program will feature several presentations on the theme “Women in Tennessee Baptist Life,” beginning at 10 a.m. and will include lunch. The keynote speaker will be Linda Leathers, director of The Next Door ministry in Nashville. Reservations are required for lunch and may be made by e-mailing the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives at sbhla@sbc.net or by calling 615-244-0344. The meeting will conclude at 1 p.m.

EDUCATION

Union University is accepting applications for six committees that will plan events for the university’s bicentennial during the 2022-2023 academic year. “Union’s bicentennial celebration will be a significant event in the life of the university,” said Catherine Kwasigroh, Union’s vice president for institutional advancement.

Bonnie Sneed, administrative assistant for the Tennessee Baptist Foundation, celebrated her 30th anniversary with the Tennessee Baptist Convention institution in December. She is a member of Judson Baptist Church, Nashville. With her is Bill Gruenewald, president/treasurer of the TBF.

The mission of “Union200” is to celebrate two centuries of God’s faithfulness through events and initiatives that commemorate the Union story, unite the Union family and community and cast a vision for the future of the university. Kwasigroh said the university will review the applications and plans to announce the committee members during the 2019 spring semester. The application is available at www.uu.edu/union200.

Carson-Newman University’s Appalachian Outreach Ministry in Jefferson City recently received a grant from the Jefferson Health Care Foundation Fund. The funds will support the construction of wheelchair ramps, the Samaritan House which provides temporary housing to families in need and family stabilization, according to AO director Jean-Ann Washam and member of Corryton Church, Knoxville.

In addition, C-N’s online education programs earned a No. 2 ranking among colleges and universities across the state, according to rankings released last week by U.S. News & World Report. In the “2019 Best Online Education Programs,” Carson-Newman ranked 148th in the nation and second in Tennessee, separated by only one point from the state’s top-ranking University of Memphis.  “These latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report affirm Carson-Newman University’s reputation and commitment for providing excellence in all our educational programs whether online, hybrid or face-to-face,” said Jeremy Buckner, acting provost and vice president for academic affairs.

LEADERS

Ron Hale retired Dec. 16 as pastor of senior adults/pastoral care at West Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson. He served the church for 12 years. Hale is a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. During retirement, Hale plans to do interim preaching and writing projects. He can be reached at 731-343-5092.

Mark Sheldon

Mark E. Sheldon, pastor of Westview Baptist Church, Kingston Springs, has written a new book, The Terror of the Lord: Expanding Our Understanding of the Character of God, which warns of the wrath of God that is to come while expanding the reader’s understanding of the character of God. Sheldon said the book is designed to broaden readers’ concept of God who is merciful and willing to forgive sinners yet is just. The book can be ordered from Amazon, Books-A-Million, or Barnes & Noble ($14.99). E-books are available on Kindle, Nook, etc., for $9.99. [Read more…]

LEADERS

First Baptist Church, Whitesburg, recently called Ira Ginn as pastor.

Randy Pate recently resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church, Milan, to accept a pastorate outside Tennessee.

Oak Grove Baptist Church, Milan, recently called Bill Rice as interim pastor.

Andy Mayfield has been called as pastor of Spring Hill Baptist Church, Trenton. [Read more…]

DEATHS

Dan Johnson

Dan Johnson, minister of music at Glenwood Baptist Church, Nashville, died Oct. 22 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. He had served at Glenwood for the past 11 years. Johnson was retired from LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville where he served for 32 years in the church music department.

During his tenure at LifeWay he served several area churches. In recent years, he was a member of the Tennessee Baptist Men’s Chorale, the Barbershop Harmony Quartet Society and the Nashville Symphony Chorale. He also served in the U.S. Army as a chaplain’s assistant. He is survived by his wife, Chere, three children and four grandchildren.

ASSOCIATIONS

New Salem Baptist Association recently moved into its new ministry center located at 116 Third Avenue West in Carthage.

CHURCHES

Morris Memorial Baptist Church, Moscow, will host gospel music singer Ivan Parker for a concert on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. The concert is free, but a love offering will be taken.

First Baptist Church, Somerville, will host IMB missionary Gail Davis on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. for a “Chosen Into Woven-ness” Brunch for ladies. There is no cost, but call the church at 901-465-3528 for reservations.

First Baptist Church, Fall Branch, will present “A Journey Through Bethlehem” Dec. 7-9 from 6-8:30 p.m. each evening. The event will be an outdoor, interactive experience as attendees will experience the excitement of the birth of Jesus while hearing also of His death and resurrection. Admission is free. Those attending are asked to park at ADESA East Tennessee Auto Auction on 195 Joe McCrary Road and transportation will be provided to and from the church.

First Baptist Church, Pegram, will present its 8th annual “Drive thru Bethelehem” on Dec. 8 from 6-8 p.m. The story of Christmas will be presented from the time the angel appeared to Mary until the wise men arrived when Jesus was 2 years old. The church is located at 4548 Sunnyfield Drive.

LEADERS

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Cookeville, held a retirement banquet for their retiring pastor Earl Dirkson and his wife on Dec. 5. Following 28 years of spiritual leadership, sacrifice and commitment in the role of senior pastor, Dirkson assumed his current role as pastor emeritus in July.

Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, is launching an initiative to enhance the green space along Mossy Creek in honor of President J. Randall O’Brien and First Lady Kay O’Brien, who are retiring at the end of this  year. The “J. Randall and Kay O’Brien Amphitheatre at Mossy Creek” will feature tiered seating that faces Mossy Creek, designed to complement the natural green space and a stage area for musical, theatrical, academic and community uses. Construction could begin as early as Spring 2019. An anonymous donor contributed a lead cost to launch the fundraising effort. The fundraising goal is $500,000. For more information, call 865-471-3457.

Lester Morelock recently was called as pastor of First Baptist Church, Jonesborough.

King Springs Baptist Church, Johnson City, has called Gary Addington as pastor.

Letter to the Editor

I want to thank Tennessee Baptists for the privilege of serving as 2018 Pastors Conference President. It was a high honor and one of the highlights of my life. I hope everyone was blessed and encouraged by the music and messages.

I want to encourage every Tennessee Baptist to keep being faithful, keep working, keep preaching, keep witnessing, keep praying, keep ministering and keep serving “until Jesus comes!”

May God bless you and your churches.

— Tim McGehee
2018 Pastors Conference president

CHURCHES

First Baptist Church, Pegram, will present its 8th annual “Drive thru Bethlehem” on Dec. 8, 2018 from 6 to 8 p.m.  The true story of Christmas will be presented from the time the angel appeared to Mary, the shepherds in the field, the trip to Bethlehem,  their finding no room at the inn, the birth of Christ with shepherds and the wise men arriving at the house when Jesus was two years old.  Everyone will be in costume with live animals: sheep, goats and camels.  The church is located at 4548 Sunnyfield Drive. Enter drive from Hannah Ford Road  (at first red light from Nashville) and exit on Sunnyfield Drive. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Jimmy Burroughs has been called as interim pastor of Pinson Baptist Church, Pinson, in Madison County.

Mike Rhodes

Elected as officers of McMinn-Meigs Baptist Association were Phil Prichard, Wildwood Baptist Church, moderator, and Victor King, Short Creek Baptist Church, associate moderator.

Mike Rhodes, pastor of Puryear Baptist Church, Puryear, will retire at the end of December after 39 years as a preacher and pastor. He will be available, beginning in January, for pulpit supply or transitional interims. Contact him at bro.mikerhodes@gmail.com or 731-426-3273. [Read more…]

DEATHS

Max Walker

Retired pastor Max Walker died Aug. 29. He served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Selmer, for 22 years before he retired and was named pastor emeritus. Walker also served as pastor of churches in Newbern and Lavinia and in Kentucky and Mississippi. He was active in the Tennessee Baptist Convention, serving on several committees and as a trustee of Union University, his alma mater. After retirement, Walker served numerous churches as interim pastor. He is survived by his wife, Ann, of 57 years, two daughters and four grandsons.

A. Rudolph “Rudy” Fagan, who led the former Stewardship Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention for 20 years, died Oct. 3 in Murfreesboro. He was 88. Fagan served as president of the Stewardship Commission from 1974 until his retirement in 1994. The former agency was closed in the SBC’s Covenant for a New Century in the mid-1990s. He is survived by his wife, Florrie, of 64 years, four children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. [Read more…]

CHURCHES

Sunday, Sept. 30, kicked off the beginning of a first-time ministry for senior adults at First Baptist Church, Scotts Hill. The Sunday worship included thanksgiving and acknowledgement of senior adults’ service to the Lord, followed by a luncheon in their honor. The senior adults of FBC will meet on the second Tuesday of each month at noon in the church fellowship hall. The group welcomes any senior adult to attend, regardless of church affiliation. For more information, contact Cheryl Duck, the church’s director of senior adult activities at 813-219-4294. Tim Buffaloe is pastor.

Little West Fork Baptist Church, Clarksville, will celebrate its 200th anniversary on Oct. 28, starting with morning worship at 10:30. Wesley R. Pitts, former director of missions for Cumberland Baptist Association and a former church member, will lead the service. His wife, Diane, former member and church pianist, will be part of the service. A meal will follow. For reservations and cost information, call 931-647-3814 or e-mail pastor Kim Allen at allenk@lwfbc.com. An afternoon celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m. [Read more…]