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BALANCE NEEDED BETWEEN SPORTS, CHURCH

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Little Johnny has a travel baseball game on Sunday morning, sister Becky has a soccer game in the early afternoon, and older brother Ben has an AAU basketball game at the same time. And, by the way, church starts at 9 and is over at noon. What’s a family to do? For Derek Westmoreland, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church in Savannah,

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SOUTHERN SEMINARY TRUSTEES INSTALL GAINES TO VISITING PROFESSORSHIP

By Andrew J.W. Smith Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Trustees of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary unanimously approved all recommendations in the board’s April 10 meeting, including the installation of Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines to a visiting professorship honoring former SBC President Herschel H. Hobbs. The board also approved an expanded budget for the 2017-2018 academic year and elected three faculty members. The trustees established the Herschel H. Hobbs

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MUSLIMS OUTPACING CHRISTIANS IN BIRTHS, PEW SAYS

By Diana Chandler Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — Muslims are so outpacing Christians in births that the two population groups will be nearly equal by 2060, with Christians holding only a slight majority, according to newly released Pew Research data. An increase in Muslim births compounded by an aging Christian population will put the Muslim share of the global population at 31 percent by 2060, just under the 32 percent

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HELPING GOD’S SPECIAL FRIENDS FOR 34 YEARS

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector LEBANON — David and Mary Demps fell in love with special needs folks about 34 years ago as young Christians. Looking back, they see God’s direction to the ministry though they don’t have any family members who have developmental challenges. The Dempses have recently retired from serving for 20 years as houseparents of the Stoneway Acres White House in Lebanon which

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C-N, TBCH ENJOY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP

By Mark Brown Carson-Newman News Office JEFFERSON CITY — A ministerial partnership between Carson-Newman University and Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes goes back for more than a quarter century. And yet, officials of both entities say, the relationship deepens and blossoms each spring. “We couldn’t function without the volunteers, the group that comes from Carson-Newman (and others),” said TBCH vice-president Patrick Addison, who directs residential care for the Chattanooga and Oakdale

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GOD GIVES HER MINISTRY TO ‘DAUGHTERS’

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BETHEL SPRINGS — Judy Hollaway knew that her family which included her two wonderful sons and her husband, Mike, a Baptist pastor, was complete. But she still regretted not having a daughter. Then one day God spoke to her and told her that she would have many spiritual daughters. That was years ago. Since then God has given Hollaway hundreds of

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFFECTS CHRISTIANS

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector ELIZABETHTON — Christians and church members are not immune from domestic violence, says long-time Christian counselor Art Webb. One in four women will experience some kind of abuse by the time they reach 18 years old said Webb, a Christian counselor who has served with Watauga Baptist Association, based in Elizabethton, for 30 years. “I’ve seen domestic violence among Christians as well as

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MONEY, NOT MORALITY, RULES

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector If there was any doubt what’s most important to Americans, legislators in North Carolina cleared it up. On March 30 North Carolina legislators repealed House Bill 2, a law that required individuals in state buildings to use restrooms corresponding to the gender indicated on their birth certificates. See article. Last year at this time people were praising the legislators for their courage in

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COACHING LEGEND KEN SPARKS DIES

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman University coaching legend Ken Sparks died March 29 at the age of 73 after a lengthy bout with prostate cancer. Sparks retired last fall at the end of the season after 37 years as head coach at Carson-Newman. He is the fifth winningest coach in college football history with a record of 338-99-2. His career winning percentage of .7699

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public restroom signs male female gender bathroom toilet

TENNESSEE LEGISLATORS KILL BATHROOM BILL

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — Tennessee state legislators will not act upon the so-called “bathroom bill” for the second consecutive year. The bathroom bill (SB771) would prohibit public schools from having policies that would allow students to use the bathroom or locker room of their choice based on what sex the student chooses to be.

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