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TENNESCENE: AUG. 22-28

August 21, 2018

LEADERS

Meghan Clayton is the new preschool and children’s minister at First Baptist Church, Manchester. In addition, Cyndi Cox recently celebrated 20 years as director of Christian education and Tim Hensiek celebrated his fifth anniversary as student pastor.

Michael McEwen has been called as pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Trenton.

Connect Church in Milan has called Keith Donaldson as pastor.

Robert Cates is serving as interim pastor of West Side Baptist Church in Trenton.

New Hope Baptist Church, Dyer, recently called Bryan Morris as pastor.

Selma Wilson

Selma Wilson, senior vice president of organizational development and chief people officer at LifeWay Christian Resources and a member of LifePoint Church, Smyrna, will retire effective Oct. 1. Wilson joined the Sunday School Board (now LifeWay) in 1990 as a marriage and family consultant, providing training and events for churches. Since then, Wilson has served in various leadership positions at LifeWay including vice president of B&H Publishing Group, director of the discipleship and family magazines, director of organizational performance, and as associate to the vice president of Church Resources. Additionally, Wilson, along with her husband Rodney (a former Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff member), served as executive editors of HomeLife magazine. In 2010, Wilson became LifeWay’s first female vice president when she was named vice president of B&H Publishing Group. She is also a regular speaker, writer and conference leader in the area of leadership, women and family ministry.

DEATHS

Longtime Baptist pastor Willie M. Newman died July 13 at his home in Loudon. He was pastor of First Baptist Church, New Tazewell, and Armona Baptist Church, Alcoa, and First Baptist Church, Bryson City, N.C. where he spent his last 25 years before retiring in 1995. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Eloise Shull Newman, five sons and their spouses, and 11 grandchildren.

Doris Holland Lester, 91, widow of former Baptist and Reflector editor James Lester, died Aug. 9. She was a member of Judson Baptist Church, Nashville. She is survived by two sons, Earl and Edwin Lester.

ASSOCIATIONS

In July, 63 people from churches in Riverside Baptist Association ministered in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The team worked pastors Randall Curtis of Frenchtown Baptist Church and Josh George of Quinebaug River Church. The team did landscaping and building repairs, held block parties and conducted prayer walks among other activities for the churches. It was a very successful and fruitful mission trip, reported Chris Ward, director of missions.

CHURCHES

On July 28, Harvest of Israel, a ministry begun by First Baptist Church, Morristown, and facilitated by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, packed and sent its 37th 40-foot container to Israel. Each container of humanitarian aid is shipped to the Messianic believers of the land and is distributed as a witness to both the Jewish and Arab people. Harvest of Israel now has more than 200 partners and ships out of four different states including its main warehouse location in Morristown.

  • A team of 24 people from nine churches in Western District Baptist Association recently served in Guatemala as part of the Tennessee Baptist/Guatemala Partnership. The Western District team included the association’s new Hispanic church plant Faro with Edwin and Panche Alvarado who are originally from Guatemala. While there the team witnessed 26 people who prayed to accept Christ.
  • Five members of the staff of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board were recognized in August for a combined 135 years of service. From left are Steve Holt, church services director, 15 years; Andy Gunn, maintenance technician, 40 years; Joy Clay-Corby, ministry assistant, 30 years; Morgan Owen, campus minister, University of Tennessee, Martin, and Dan Ferrell, production services manager, 35 years.
  • Retired and active Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionaries and their families who served in Guatemala, Central America, gathered at Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center Aug. 3-5 for a time of fellowship and prayer. Approximately 128 missionaries and MKs (Missionary Kids) with a combined, individual total 1,100 years of service are pictured. Among that group were former Guatemala missionaries now serving in five countries internationally. The group traveled from 10 different states and overseas. Six families with Tennessee ties were represented: Cleve and Carol Turner, Millington; Wes and Pam Jones, Mount Juliet; Ron and Margie Carothers, Spring Hill; Joe and Yvonne Bruce, Hendersonville; Al and Beth Bailey, McKenzie; and Garry and Cathy Eudy. Eudy is field coordinator of the current Guatemala partnership with Tennessee Baptists. The group is grateful to Tennessee Baptists and their Cooperative Program giving which enabled them to serve and also provide a venue for their reunion.
  • Mark Miller, left, Sunday School specialist and Harvest Field team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, recently presented Pastor Randy Keene of First Baptist Church, Minor Hill, with a plaque commemorating the church’s 150th anniversary. On the anniversary Sunday the church had more than 100 people in attendance.
  • Robby and Gretta Cardwell of Fairview Baptist Church, Corryton, stand outside their tent in Clarkrange during the (Highway) 127 Yard Sale held during the first weekend of August each year. Cardwell led a church service on Sunday, Aug. 5, for vendors and others attending the service. This is the fifth year the Knoxville layman has led the worship service at the 127 Yard Sale which is billed as “the world’s longest yard sale.”
  • Members of Toone Baptist Church in Toone, gather to pray inside the local public elementary school located in rural West Tennessee. Pastor Anthony Vaughn organized the effort three years ago in order for members to prayer walk inside each classroom and pray over every desk and in other areas of the school prior to the beginning of the school year. (cont'd)
  • (cont'd) Members also collect teacher supplies and assemble a basket with a note from the pastor to place on each teacher and staff member’s desk.
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