Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
April 17, 2024
CHURCHES Meridian Baptist Church on 6513 Chapman Highway in Knoxville will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday, April 28, with a special service. Former pastors will be recognized and leading special events starting at 9:30 a.m. with worship at 10:45 a.m., followed by a pot luck lunch afterward. A special history room has been […]
April 3, 2024
LEADERS Union University has named Ray Van Neste, dean of its School of Theology and Missions, as vice president for university ministries. Van Neste will continue to serve as dean in addition to his new role, where he will oversee Union’s chapel program, church relations and pastoral care for the university community. Van Neste has […]
March 20, 2024
CHURCHES Bethany Baptist Church, Mountain City, will hold revival services April 21-27 with guest evangelist Ted Richardson. The Sunday revival will begin at 11 a.m. with services each night at 7 p.m. Gayle Hartley is pastor. Chinquapin Grove Baptist Church, Bluff City, will hold revival services April 1-2 at 7 p.m. with guest evangelist Kenny […]
March 6, 2024
ASSOCIATIONS Twenty-nine volunteers from Weakley County Baptist Association churches spent Jan. 27-Feb. 2 serving in Puerto Rico. Half of the team worked at a church in the middle of the city of Fajardo (with a population of 25,000) doing various construction jobs while the other half worked in the island city of Vieques (with a […]
February 21, 2024
LEADERS Darrell Nimmo, a retired Tennessee Baptist pastor living in Goodlettsville, will write the Bible Studies for Life commentary for the March-May quarter. In addition to Tennessee he has served churches in Kentucky and Texas. He graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and he has been married to his wife Mary for 46 years. Mary […]
February 7, 2024
LEADERS Greg Wolfe was elected Jan. 21 as full-time pastor at Providence Baptist Church, Seymour. He and his wife, Brianne, have two children. DEATHS James Edward “Ed” North, 84, a resident of Somerville, died Jan. 27 in Bartlett. He served for many years as a pastor in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. While in […]
January 24, 2024
Beulah Baptist Church, Kingsport, recently held a recognition service for its first ever VBS Directors Traineeship graduates. The program was initiated by longtime VBS director Betty Cress, now assistant VBS director for 2024, who felt the need to train young adults for VBS leadership in the church. Cress developed a manual with input from others, […]
January 9, 2024
LEADERS Joey Johnson recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as pastor of First Baptist Church, Selmer. Duck River Baptist Association has called Genaro Orellana as its new Hispanic missionary. Orellana also serves as pastor of Iglesia Gracia which meets at Grace Baptist Church in Tullahoma. Michael Kelley, executive director of Nashville Baptist Association, has announced his […]
December 20, 2023
LEADERS Greg Long is retiring after 30 years as pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Maryville at the end of December. He has been the longest tenured serving pastor in Pleasant Grove’s 191-year history. Before coming to Pleasant Grove, he pastored two other churches in Tennessee. Greg and his wife, Susan, will continue to […]
December 6, 2023
LEADERS Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, McKenzie, recently honored Gene Price on his 39th anniversary as pastor with a monetary gift. First Baptist Church, Nashville, voted Nov. 19 to call Thomas West as senior pastor, effective Jan. 1, 2024. A native of Montgomery, Ala., West comes to Nashville from Queen’s Redeemer Church in England, where he […]
November 22, 2023
LEADERS Jamie Bodiford began serving Nov. 5 as pastor of First Baptist Church, Mountain City. Ray Gilder retired Oct. 22 as pastor of First Baptist Church, Gordonsville, after eight-and-a-half years. He formerly served as bivocational ministries specialist with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and executive director of the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network.
November 8, 2023
First Baptist Church, Linden, recognized Robert Warren for his 50 years of service as a deacon at First Baptist at the church’s 79th homecoming on Sept.17. Austin Hall, youth minister at First Baptist Church, Newport, was ordained to the gospel ministry on Oct. 22 at the church. Rome Baptist Church, Lebanon, recently ordained Levi Thommason […]