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TN GOVERNOR VETOES BIBLE BILL

Editor’s Note: At press time on Monday, no date or time had been established for legislators to override the Governor’s veto of the Bible bill. By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam vetoed a bill April 14 that would have made the Bible the official state book of Tennessee. The bill was approved earlier this month by both the state Senate and House of

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PRESENTATION OFFERED FOR 19TH YEAR

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector NEW MARKET — For the 19th year, cars gathered at New Market Baptist Church here to drive through “The Trail to the Empty Tomb.” This year, about 650 people viewed the presentation on two nights. One night was rained out, but that has only happened one other time over the years, explained J.W. Taylor, pastor. The presentation has been offered in

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MOVIE FILMED IN STATE SHARES GOSPEL

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD – A movie filmed in Williamson County clearly presents the gospel and a correct biblical message, says veteran filmmaker Dave Christiano. Though there has been an influx of faith-related movies in recent years, Christiano is concerned “about the deception in Christian films and the way Hollywood has invaded our space. I’m also concerned about the prosperity gospel and how it dominates films

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CHURCH BAPTIZES 100 IN SERVICE

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector CLEVELAND — The March 13 evening service of First Baptist Church here was unique. No one at the church had been in a service where 100 people were baptized. Amazingly, in many ways, the event wasn’t planned. For instance, 97 new Christians were signed up to be baptized but three more people came to bring the total to 100 people baptized.

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TAKING THE CHURCH TO THE PEOPLE

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector HERMITAGE — Pastor David Taft sees First Baptist Church here as a “gas station” which serves a few people at a time. “Our goal is not to get a lot of people in the building, but to get Christ in people. … “The church cannot be the church if we remove ourselves from the community,” declared Taft. “If I can’t relate

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REACHING NEIGHBORHOODS: PASTORS

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — To reach its neighborhood, which is home to a lot of Hispanics, Walker Memorial Baptist Church here considered starting a Hispanic congregation. Then it learned from the Tennessee Baptist Convention staff of a Baptist Hispanic congregation meeting in its city and God began to work. What Walker Memorial Baptist and Iglesia Bautista de las Americas (Baptist Church of the

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BAPTIST MINISTRY RECEIVES NEW RESOURCE

Wallace Memorial’s healthcare ministry receives ultrasound machine from ERLC By Tom Strode Baptist Press KNOXVILLE — An East Tennessee ministry has a new resource provided by Southern Baptists for its mission to serve the needy — in this case, underprivileged, pregnant women. Wallace Mobile Healthcare, based in Knoxville, received an ultrasound machine March 6 from the Psalm 139 Project of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The gift — the

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TBC LAUNCHES ‘THE REACHING APP’

Phone app encourages Tennessee Baptists to be Great Commission Christians By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Wake up in the morning, turn on the television or pick up your morning newspaper and you’re immediately reminded of the sin that is rampant in today’s society. The Tennessee Baptist Convention has launched a new phone application designed to provide an encouraging word to help Tennessee Baptists and other Great

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UNION MOURNS LOSS OF LANCASTER, 51, TO CANCER

By Tim Ellsworth Associate VP for Communications, Union University JACKSON, Tenn. — Holli Lancaster, a former IMB missionary in Southeast Asia and missionary in residence at Union University, died March 29 at age 51, following a battle with ovarian cancer. Holli’s husband, Dan Lancaster, serves as assistant vice president for university ministries at Union. “They brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the campus and built incredible relations with

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NOT YOUR TYPICAL CHURCH PLANTER

78-year-old Jerry Milam enjoying fruits of new church start in Lyles By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector LYLES — Statistics indicate that the average church planter is somewhere in his late 20s to his mid-30s, according to Lewis McMullen, church planting specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention. If that’s the case, Jerry Milam acknowledges (with a grin), “I’m well above average.” Milam, 78, is pastor of New Life Baptist

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