By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector JACKSON — Leaders who recognize the need and are willing to be involved are critical to church revitalization, speakers agreed at a church revitalization conference held at Union University here last week. The conference, which was sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Convention and Union, addressed the issue of “Fanning the Flame of Christian Leadership.” Tennessee native Jim Henry, former pastor of Two Rivers

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Groundbreaking for the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board’s Church Support Center will be held Saturday, April 23, on the new site in Berry Farms, south of Franklin. Executive Board offices have been housed in the LifePoint Building in Brentwood following the sale of the former Baptist Center in 2013. “The Church Support Center groundbreaking/worship ceremony will be both exciting and historic,”

Editor’s Note: Last night The Tennessean reported, on Wednesday, March 23, the “Bathroom Bill” was given new life in the House and advanced in the Senate. Although the House Education Administration and Planning Committee voted against the bill on March 22, when the committee reconvened on Wednesday, Rep. Jim Coley, R-Bartlett, made a motion to force the committee to reconsider its action. Tennesseans can still call their legislators to express

Bellevue pastor shares goals and hopes if elected convention president By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BROWNSVILLE — Tennessee Baptist pastor Steve Gaines of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, will be nominated for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC annual meeting June 14-15 in St. Louis. Georgia pastor Johnny Hunt announced he would nominate Gaines on March 9. In an interview with the Baptist and Reflector

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector HENDERSONVILLE — When Mike Pennington, director of missions, Bledsoe Baptist Association, began helping Cragfont Baptist Church, Castalian Springs, it was in trouble. He tried to assist the congregation for several years but it was still declining in attendance and could not meet its financial obligations. Then he approached First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, whose senior pastor, Bruce Chesser, agreed to try to