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STUDY: AMERICANS SHARE CONFLICTING VIEWS ON SPORTS GAMBLING

January 25, 2016

By Lisa Cannon Green LifeWay Research NASHVILLE (BP) — Wagering on sports isn’t morally wrong, most Americans say — but nearly half think it should be illegal anyway, a newly-released study shows. And as millions nationwide manage their fantasy sports rosters, Americans straddle the fence on whether heavily advertised daily games by companies such as FanDuel Inc. and DraftKings Inc. should be banned. A study released today (Jan. 22) from

UNION TO HOST WEST TENNESSEE EVANGELISM RALLY FEB. 21

January 21, 2016

Union University News Office JACKSON — Ernest Easley recently looked through a file folder from 1984 where he came across an old leadership magazine published by Texas Baptists. “On every page there was something about evangelism, outreach, training, and rallies,” said Easley, professor of evangelism at Union University. “I don’t read much emphasis anymore on evangelism. I don’t see our state conventions and our national convention fanning the flame of

CHURCH IMPRESSES FORMER MISSIONARY

January 20, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BYRDSTOWN — When Eric Thoman (pronounced Toh-mahn) came to Etter Baptist Church here about four years ago, he was glad to be called as pastor of a church which was so supportive of Southern Baptist efforts. He was a North American Mission Board missionary in Ohio for seven years who was downsized because of restructuring by the Southern Baptist Convention agency.

BAPTISTS MINISTER IN CRISIS

January 19, 2016

Volunteers provide meals, support until search for Pinson toddler ends By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector PINSON — The halls of Pinson Baptist Church are no longer a flurry of activity. After seven days of hosting law enforcement personnel, emergency management personnel, and volunteers who came from several states to search for 2-year-old Noah Chamberlin, another press conference was held on Thursday, Jan. 21. It was one

FOCUS ON LONG-TERM MARKET GOALS

January 19, 2016

By Roy Hayhurst GuideStone Financial Resources News Office DALLAS — After a volatile start to the first week of trading in the 2016 calendar year, some investors are understandably concerned about their portfolios, but long-term investors should continue to consider their objectives and time horizons. David S. Spika, global investment strategist at GuideStone Capital Management, LLC, offered perspective on the cur-rent market, noting 2016 likely will be a volatile year.

UNION OFFERS AID TO WEST TENN. STUDENTS

January 18, 2016

Union University News Office JACKSON — Union University has instituted a new scholarship designed specifically to benefit students from West Tennessee. The West Tennessee Heritage Scholarship will provide an automatic $1,500 scholarship to any student from West Tennessee who attends Union, with a minimum high school grade point average of 2.0. “This is where we’re rooted,” said Dan Griffin, Union’s vice president for enrollment management. “This is where 60 percent

CONGREGATION TAKES ANOTHER STEP

January 16, 2016

Forty Forks Baptist Church, once closed, now has debt-free facility in Bethel Springs By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BETHEL SPRINGS — Forty Forks Baptist here was closed several times and the congregation’s small, one-room, block building sat abandoned for about six years when Randy Smith got involved. Smith, who at that time had felt called to the ministry for a couple of years, had grown up

IMB ELIMINATES COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, WRAPS UP ‘RESET’

January 14, 2016

By Julie McGowan IMB news office RICHMOND — The International Mission Board is in a position, financially, where no missionaries will be required to leave the field as the organization wraps up its two-phase reset, IMB President David Platt announced Jan. 14. The majority of the IMB’s Richmond Communications Center, however, will lose their positions, Platt also announced. The Communications Center will be eliminated, he said.

TRADITIONAL FAMILIES CONTINUE TO DWINDLE

January 13, 2016

Door wide open for churches to minister as non-traditional families increase By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Wally and Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver were blessed six decades ago and they didn’t even know it. Of course, the Cleavers were a fictional television family (“Leave It To Beaver”) first popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s but for a long time they have been a “poster family” for

MORE CHURCHES SEEING NEED FOR VOLUNTEER SCREENING

January 8, 2016

Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Nearly half of the background checks requested by churches through LifeWay’s program with backgroundchecks.com reveal some type of criminal offense. Most of those are minor incidents such as speeding tickets, but 21 percent of inquiries discovered misdemeanors or more serious crimes, LifeWay’s Jennie Taylor said. Since 2008, when LifeWay began its relationship with backgroundchecks.com, more than 11,300 churches and religious organizations have conducted nearly 230,000 background

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STUDY: AMERICANS SHARE CONFLICTING VIEWS ON SPORTS GAMBLING