Featured

BIVOCATIONAL PASTORS PLAY KEY ROLE: PARROTT

January 5, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector ROGERSVILLE — With a half year under his belt as interim bivocational ministries specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention, John Parrott has confirmed what he already knew from his role as a director of missions — bivocational ministers are critical in helping to reach Tennessee Baptists with the gospel. Statistics show that approximately 65 percent of churches in Tennessee are served by bivocational

THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION – A YEAR IN REVIEW

January 4, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — A highlight for Tennessee Baptists in 2015 was the news that baptisms increased in Tennessee Baptist Convention churches for the second year in a row. In 2014, 2,603 TBC churches reported 23,499 baptisms, the largest number of baptisms recorded since 2010. In 2013 churches reported 21,979 baptisms. The year saw leadership changes with TBC entities. Vickie Anderson began serving Jan. 1

TDAC TO CEASE OPERATIONS

December 31, 2015

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — The Tennessee Drug Awareness Council is closing its doors, effective Dec. 31. Originally formed as the United Tennessee League to promote alcohol abstinence decades ago, the name was officially changed to Tennessee Drug Awareness Council about 15 years ago to promote drug awareness and drug prevention education, said Roger Stacy, chairman of the TDAC board of directors and director of missions for Gibson Baptist Association,

LIFEWAY STORE TO CLOSE IN NASHVILLE

December 29, 2015

LifeWay news office NASHVILLE — LifeWay Christian Resources will close its retail store in downtown Nashville on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. The site of the LifeWay store at 10th Avenue and Broadway was included in last month’s sale of the organization’s 15-acre campus. Although LifeWay is leasing back office space until a new headquarters is built, the lease does not include the retail building.

PASTOR LOSES 165 POUNDS IN 2015

December 29, 2015

Health issues, Chubby Challenge encourage pastor Ryan Culpepper to lose weight By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector RIPLEY — As 2015 winds to a close, pastor Ryan Culpepper is not nearly the man he was when the year began. And, for that he is grateful to the God he worships and serves. At the start of 2015, the 6-foot, 7-inch former college football player, weighed 460 pounds. “I was

NEWCOMB STILL LEADING SOULS TO CHRIST

December 23, 2015

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MILLINGTON — The recently concluded Summit at First Baptist Church, Millington, was a homecoming for Ray Newcomb who served as pastor of the Memphis area congregation from 1976 until his retirement in 2009. He preached the annual convention sermon and a humorous episode during his message has gone viral. During a key point in the sermon, Newcomb grabbed the pulpit and it came

TBC STAFF REALIGNS AROUND FIVE OBJECTIVES

December 22, 2015

BRENTWOOD – The staff of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention has been realigned in order to assist churches in accomplishing the Five Objectives. The Five Objectives were adopted by messengers at the Summit in 2014 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood as long-range goals for the convention.

MOTHER’S FAITH INSPIRES FILM MAKER

December 21, 2015

Tennessee native Gary Granstaff Produces Faith-Based ‘The Masked Saint’ FRANKLIN – After decades of living in Seattle, Wash., and Los Angeles, Tennessee native and movie producer Gary Granstaff returned to his roots. Granstaff was reared in the small community of Defeated in Smith County near Carthage. He attended and became a member of First Baptist Church, Carthage, where his mother (Hazel Granstaff) was an icon in the church and in

COUNSELOR PUTS ADVICE INTO PRACTICE

December 18, 2015

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MARTIN — Weslee Hill has counseled people through stressful times in their lives for the past 10 years as the counselor for Weakley County Baptist Association, based in Dresden. She is now putting into practice advice she has been giving to others for the past decade. Hill has especially walked with despondent clients through holidays including Christmas. The despondency quite often is dealing

BETHLEHEM EXPERIENCE DRAWS 987 PEOPLE

December 17, 2015

Baptist Association sees 10 people make commitments to Christ, 44 in three years By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector WINFIELD — Just like a time traveler, one enters the stone-walled streets filled with residents of another time. Cloaked women carry baskets of wares as robed men go about their business. Many are working at stalls and discussing their products. Roman soldiers stride among them, unsmiling. Soldiers also

Featured

BIVOCATIONAL PASTORS PLAY KEY ROLE: PARROTT