Jay Hardwick, president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and senior pastor at Forest Hills Baptist Church, delivers the president’s report at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s quarterly board of directors meeting. — Photo by David Dawson
FRANKLIN — The directors of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board unanimously approved the purchase of 14 acres with two buildings with a combined 15,100 square feet of space to be used for church planting in the area near BlueOval City during their first meeting of the year April 23 in Franklin.
Included with the purchase was 25 acres contiguous to the property given as a charitable donation. The property is located in Gallaway in Fayette County near the site of BlueOval City, the massive Ford auto plant currently under construction in Stanton. The BlueOval City plant is expected to employ an estimated 10,000 workers when it is fully operational.
The recommendation called for the purchase of 5.1 acres with the two buildings (home to Bellamia Manor, a wedding venue) for $2,400,000; the purchase of 8.9 acres of cleared land with approximately 1,200 frontage feet on Highway 70 for $945,000 and the donated 25 acres.
Board members were informed that all three plots are contiguous, but the 8.9 acres are necessary to fully utilize the donated property without significant disruption to the first plot.
They were also told the purchase will be treated as investment of the TBMB endowment pool. Income generated from leasing and/or selling the first plot to the church established on the site and by developing the other two parcels for commercial use will be returned to the pool sufficient to cover the corpus and income targets of the fund.
Randy C. Davis
“We have a goal of seeing 40 churches planted near BlueOval City over the next 10 years,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of TBMB. “We feel this will be an excellent investment opportunity while at the same time providing immediate space for a church plant,” he said.
Directors were informed that TBMB has identified a sponsoring church (First Baptist, Collierville) and a church planter from the staff of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, and is ready to begin transition of the existing facility as soon as possible. In addition, several other churches have agreed to be key partners with the new church.
“God continues to open doors as we rally around this incredible opportunity,” he added.
Directors also adopted a total goal for the 2024-25 Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions of $3 million, comprised of a base goal of $2.7 million and a challenge goal of $300,000.
Based on a recommendation adopted by directors in 2023, this year’s GOTM includes personnel and general operating costs only in the areas of compassion ministries and disaster relief.
TBMB directors Danny Rachel, left, pastor of Parkburg Baptist Church, Pinson, and Dan Armstrong of Fairview Baptist Church, Mohawk, visit prior to the start of the TBMB directors meeting on April 23. — Photo by Lonnie Wilkey
Board member Corey Cain of First Baptist Church, Seymour, expressed concern that adding personnel costs to DR and compassion ministry reduces the amount of money used for ministry from one year to the next.
Davis responded, noting that the staff of the two ministries involved are “very much ministry.”
Though the GOTM recommendation was approved with no opposing votes, there were some abstentions.
Board members approved two other recommendations — one from the Committee on Committees to appoint Mike Powell of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Knoxville, to position 11 on the board of trustees for Tennessee Baptist Foundation and the other from the Administrative Committee regarding amendments to update TBMB bylaws, making them consistent with the current convention bylaws and financial plan.
Directors heard a report from convention president Jay Hardwick, pastor of Forest Hills Baptist Church, Nashville.
Hardwick took note of the 150th anniversary of the convention in 2024. “We are here because of seeds that were planted in the past and we have prospered,” he said. “But, we also recognize God is not through with Tennessee Baptists,” he continued.
Hardwick cited the work of Acts 2:17 Initiative workgroups. “The work of these committees will propel us into the future.” He noted the end goal of each workgroup is to make sure that every Tennessean has an opportunity to hear the gospel.
God has brought and is bringing the nation — and the nations — to Tennessee, he observed. “Most of them are not moving here looking for a church because most of them do not know Jesus. So instead of getting frustrated about the extra traffic or the difficulty in buying a house, let’s thank God for the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing in their lives.
“Because our sovereign, good and gracious God has brought the nation and the nations to Tennessee, He has prepared Tennessee Baptists and wants to use us and our churches to reach them with the gospel.”
Davis reminded board members of the “six big rocks” facing TBMB for the next few years.
Serving churches. “Our mission is making Christ known by serving churches.”
Facing distractions. He noted there are things in the Southern Baptist Convention that “seem to supply a steady stream of distractions that we have to pay attention to and address. But we always turn back to the mission as quickly as we possibly can with as much energy as we possibly can.”
Five Objectives. Davis and staff members provided updates on the progress of each objective. Roc Collins, director of strategic objectives, shared that Tennessee Baptist churches baptized 19,624 people last year, 20 percent more than in 2023 and the highest total since 2017.
Davis observed that when the decade of this emphasis ends, “we will have seen almost 200,000 people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior” and that people are more aware than they were 10 years ago of “the lostness in Tennessee.”
BlueOval City. “BlueOval City has been a rallying point,” Davis said. He stressed that BOC does not diminish “the incredible population growth Tennessee is experiencing in other parts of the state. But what is happening in BlueOval City is becoming a model of what can be duplicated in a new wave of church planting here in Tennessee.”
150th anniversary. “We’ve got a lot of great plans in place,” he shared. Five events are scheduled across the state, beginning in May, culminating with events planned for The Summit in November in Murfreesboro, where the TBC was formed in 1874, he added.
Acts 2:17 Initiative. “I’ve never been more thankful and proud of Tennessee Baptists for the way they have leaned into this process. We prayed it would be a grassroots effort and it has been,” he affirmed. He noted the recommendations and strategies coming from the 10 workgroups have been outstanding to this point.
Board members also heard updates from representatives of Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes, Baptist Memorial Health Care System and Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, along with a reminder from convention attorney Jim Guenther of what it means to be a responsible director.
Mark Anderson, president of TBAH, shared that the entity is facing a dire financial situation.
He said the convention approved TBAH’s group home ministry in 1988 and indicated the Cooperative Program would help fund the ministry, but Anderson said CP gifts have declined and the Father’s Day offering for TBAH has not generated the income hoped for since its inception 23 years ago.
“I’m not afraid of what’s coming,” Anderson said. “I believe the Lord will take care of the situation.”
Before adjourning for lunch, the directors met in a scheduled executive session, but no details were released.
The next board meeting is set for Sept. 10. B&R
