Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

WEST TENNESSEE EVANGELISM RALLY DRAWS 800

By Nathan Handley
Union University News Office

Fred Luter speaks at Union.

Fred Luter speaks at Union.

JACKSON — Fred Luter, senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said evangelism needs more emphasis in churches and organizations.

Luter was the keynote speaker at the West Tennessee Evangelism Rally, held Feb. 21 at Union University. The event was sponsored by Union and the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

“We need to understand how critical, how important it is that we make evangelism a priority in this state,” he said. [Read more…]

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CR CONFERENCE SET AT UNION

By Baptist and Reflector

JACKSON — Union University will host a church revitalization conference March 14-15.

The theme of the meeting sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Convention is “Rekindle: Fanning the Flames of Christian Leadership.” [Read more…]

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EZELL URGES UNION STUDENTS TO ORDER LIVES AROUND OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST

By Nathan Handley
Union University News Office

160216ezell-chapelJACKSON — Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, encouraged Union University students to be obedient in their mission as Christians at a chapel service Feb. 10 in the G. M. Savage Memorial Chapel.

“The Bible tells us very clearly that, as believers we’re to be on mission,” Ezell said. “That means as a teacher, as an engineer, whatever it is — you can be on mission.”

Ezell, a 1985 graduate of Union, said North America needs more people on mission. He said the Southeast is full of churches, but there is great need in other regions. He said Americans tend to take things for granted and assume that the way things are where they live is the way things are everywhere. [Read more…]

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GROUP TARGETS BAPTIST UNIVERSITIES

Baptist Press

160126alexandra-la-mapALEXANDRIA, La. — The homosexual activist group Human Rights Campaign has targeted 23 institutions of higher learning with Southern Baptist ties in a report that also names 35 other colleges and universities with distinct Christian identities. Among the schools targeted are Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, and Union University, Jackson.

Released just before the 2015 Christmas season, the report, “Hidden Discrimination: Title IX Religious Exemptions Putting LGBT Students at Risk,” asks Obama Administration education officials to increase reporting requirements for these 58 schools because each was granted “exemptions of interest” relating to either “gender identity” or “sexual orientation” or both. [Read more…]

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UNION TO HOST WEST TENNESSEE EVANGELISM RALLY FEB. 21

Union University News Office

Union University CampusJACKSON — Ernest Easley recently looked through a file folder from 1984 where he came across an old leadership magazine published by Texas Baptists.

“On every page there was something about evangelism, outreach, training, and rallies,” said Easley, professor of evangelism at Union University. “I don’t read much emphasis anymore on evangelism. I don’t see our state conventions and our national convention fanning the flame of evangelism like they once did.”

That’s one reason why Easley, in partnership with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, helped to organize the West Tennessee Evangelism Rally that will be held Feb. 21 on the Union campus. The event is for pastors, staff members, church members, students and anyone else interested in evangelism. [Read more…]

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UNION OFFERS AID TO WEST TENN. STUDENTS

Union University News Office

JACKSON — Union University has instituted a new scholarship designed specifically to benefit students from West Tennessee. The West Tennessee Heritage Scholarship will provide an automatic $1,500 scholarship to any student from West Tennessee who attends Union, with a minimum high school grade point average of 2.0. “This is where we’re rooted,” said Dan Griffin, Union’s vice president for enrollment management.

“This is where 60 percent of our students come from. This is who we’re committed to. Union isn’t where it is today if it’s not for the people of West Tennessee.” [Read more…]

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PROFESSOR TAKES UNUSUAL ROUTE TO TEACH

By Nathan Handley
Union University News Office

Kevin Chen

Kevin Chen

JACKSON — Kevin Chen, associate professor of biblical studies at Union University, has been interested in the study of Scripture for a long time, but he didn’t begin his studies with a career in mind.

“My interest in biblical studies started when I was in high school and never went away,” Chen said. “I had a youth pastor who discipled me in my walk with the Lord and the study of Scripture.” [Read more…]

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ADRIAN ROGERS’ SERMON TAPES GIVEN TO GRANDSON

Kay Wilkes has given her late husband's collection of Adrian Rogers' taped messages to Rogers' grandson, Andrew Edmiston, a student at Union University in Tennessee. -Photo by Kristi Woody

Kay Wilkes has given her late husband’s collection of Adrian Rogers’ taped messages to Rogers’ grandson, Andrew Edmiston, a student at Union University in Tennessee.
-Photo by Kristi Woody

By Amanda Vernon
Union University

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP) — Baptist preacher Adrian Rogers’ legacy lives on in a collection of audio tapes given to his grandson, a current Union University student, during a presentation in Union’s Ryan Center for Biblical Studies.

A giant in Southern Baptist life, Rogers was the longtime pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church who played an instrumental role in turning the Southern Baptist Convention away from liberalism and back to the authority of Scripture.

Kay Wilkes of Union City, Tenn., discovered Rogers’ sermon tapes among the possessions of her late husband, Ben Wilkes, a former pastor who was a student at Union when he was mentored by Rogers. After learning that Rogers’ grandson Andrew Edmiston is a sophomore at Union, Kay Wilkes worked with staff at the Jackson, Tenn., campus to present the tapes to him. Andrew’s mother, Janice Edmiston, attended the presentation, as did his sister, Breezy Edmiston. [Read more…]

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UNION TRUSTEES APPROVE STRATEGIC PLAN

By Tim Ellsworth
Union University News Office

JACKSON – Union University trustees on Friday approved a long-range strategic plan for the university, got a clean audit report and passed the second smallest tuition increase in the last 20 years. “United in Spirit. Grounded in Truth.” is the title of the plan that emphasizes seven strategic themes that will guide the work of the university over the next five years: bearing witness to the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, expanding enrollment across the university, enhancing operational effectiveness and efficiency to advance the mission, revising the liberal arts core curriculum, supporting meaningful research among faculty and students, developing leaders for the future and bolstering student life and building community. “The point of our planning process was to get us to strategically and intentionally think about how we can both unify and coordinate our efforts to accomplish the mission of the institution,” Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said. [Read more…]

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UNION DEDICATES AND OPENS NEW LIBRARY, THE LOGOS

By Tim Ellsworth
Union University News Office

151123uu-dedicationJACKSON, Tenn. — Hundreds of Union University students, alumni, employees, trustees and friends gathered in front of The Logos Nov. 6 to dedicate and open the new library on the university campus.

“The building of this library, The Logos, has been made possible by the many people who have used their blessings from God to bless Union University,” said Bill Latimer of Union City, Tennessee, who provided the lead gift of $10 million for the building through the Bill and Carol Latimer Charitable Foundation. “We pray that God will bless not only these people, but all of those who attend Union University and all who will walk into this beautiful library.” [Read more…]

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