Baptist and Reflector
Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for Baptist Village-Humboldt on Nov. 30 were, from left, Clay Hallmark, pastor, First Baptist Church, Lexington, and president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention; Jimmy Burroughs, pastor of Pinson Baptist Church, Pinson, and TBAH board chair; Mark Anderson, president-treasurer TBAH; Marvin Sikes, mayor of Humboldt; Steve Babcock, minister of missions, discipleship and administration, The Church at Sugarcreek, Humboldt, and TBAH vice-chair; and T. O. Lashlee, co-owner of Lashlee-Rich Contractors, builder for Baptist Village-Humboldt. — Photo by Danny Sinquefield
HUMBOLDT — Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes broke ground Nov. 30 for its first ministry in West Tennessee — Baptist Village-Humboldt.
Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes was founded by the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1974 to develop a residential ministry for senior adults. In 1989, TBAH was given the additional assignment of providing residential care for adults with exceptional needs.
Today, TBAH has two group homes for adults with exceptional needs in Knoxville, one in Jacksboro, two in Lebanon, and one in Hermitage.
Baptist Village-Humboldt will join Baptist Village-Johnson City in providing Christian care and homes for senior adults in retirement.
“As an organization we aim first of all to be Christian in all that we are and all that we are about,” said Mark Anderson, president of TBAH. “We are without apology Baptist in our approach and polity being an institution affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention,” he added.
For many years, TBAH owned Baptist Health Care Center in Lenoir City, a 24-hour nursing facility which for decades was the flagship ministry of Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes,
When BHCC closed in 2017 and property sold, the TBAH board of directors voted to dedicate those resources for a new senior adult facility in West Tennessee. “But instead of opening another health care facility, the directors chose to establish a community for senior adults,” Anderson said.
“Baptist Village-Humboldt (as does the facility in Johnson City) will provide safe, comfortable and affordable housing for seniors who are capable of independent living but perhaps not financially prepared for retirement. Rent will be based on the resident’s income and residency preference will be given to retired pastors and missionaries and their spouses,” Anderson added.
When completed, the new facility in West Tennessee will be comprised of 10 duplexes which will serve 20 families.
In his remarks prior to the actual groundbreaking in Humboldt, Anderson acknowledged, “While it is an historic occasion, it actually just continues the TBAH journey and mission it has been on for nearly 50 years.
“May we appreciate the efforts of those who have come before. Let us recognize we are merely in a moment of something much larger than we can fully understand and may we give thanks to God for allowing us to be a part of it,” Anderson concluded. B&R
