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SNAPSHOTS IN TIME: G.M. SAVAGE

As you walk among Union’s campus, you’ll see buildings with different names. These names are connected to many who greatly impacted Union’s growth and history. One such name often associated with Union is Savage which is on the current chapel and named in honor of G.M. Savage.  George M. Savage was born in 1849 in Rienzi, Miss. One of 19 children born to a Baptist preacher, Savage began preaching in

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REVITALIZATION OR REVIVAL?

Revitalization of our churches is one of the core goals of our association. I was recently speaking on revitalization and there was a lady in the group who I could tell was not on board with what I was saying.  She raised her hand and in a very standoffish way asked, “Without all the mumbo jumbo, what does revitalization mean?” I replied, “It means our churches need revival.” She instantly

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PASTORS ADDRESS ‘GROSS SCRIPTURAL MISINTERPRETATION’ OF BLOOD ON EAR

MOBILE, Ala. — In the days following the July 13 assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, an application of Scripture related to the situation (see image below) is making the rounds on social media and drawing growing concern from ministry leaders in the process. Derek Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church Tillman’s Corner in the Mobile area, addressed the concern July 17. “I don’t want to be unnecessarily cruel,

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DR: CHAIN SAW AND FLOOD RECOVERY TEAMS STILL NEEDED IN TEXAS, IOWA

Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, sent an email alert on Wednesday (July 17), asking for more teams and volunteers to look into their availability regarding on-going responses in Texas and Iowa. Jones said in the email that “trained chaw saw” teams are needed in Texas (where Hurricane Beryl produced major damage) and flood recovery teams are needed in Iowa (where certain parts of the

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FIVE QUICK TIPS FOR VBS FOLLOW-UP

The days and weeks immediately following Vacation Bible School  are the most crucial for outreach. But so often this critical element seems to fall through the cracks. We all have good intentions for connecting with children and families again after VBS, but then the aftermath of VBS kicks in.  The excitement of VBS is over. People are tired. Life returns to normal. It’s time to go on vacation. There are

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CHURCH’S LEGACY ISN’T BRICKS AND MORTAR

As the walls of our beloved church, which have stood proudly since January 1936, are being dismantled to pave the way for a new chapter, it’s crucial to reminisce about the rich history that has shaped our community. Each brick, each pew and each glass window hold within it a story of faith, resilience and devotion.  The story of Celina First Baptist Church is rooted in the vision and dedication

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SURVEY: HOW ARE BELIEVERS BEING PERCEIVED?

BRENTWOOD — Most churchgoers believe Christians have a good reputation with Americans in general, but they worry those feelings are starting to sour. A Lifeway Research study finds 53 percent of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Two in five (40 percent) disagree, and eight percent aren’t sure. More consensus exists on the direction public sentiment is headed. Around seven in 10 (69 percent)

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TBC, SBC LEADERS RESPOND TO TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis and Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, were quick to respond in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. Trump, who was injured in the attempt, was rushed off the stage quickly by Secret Service agents and

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NELSON TO LEAD HARVEST FIELD IN EAST TENN.

FRANKLIN — Longtime Tennessee Baptist pastor Gene Nelson has been chosen as Harvest Field 6 team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, effective July 15.  Nelson succeeds Randy Pressnell who retired from that role in May.  A native of Knoxville, Nelson was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1996 at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville. He earned degrees from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City and Southwestern Baptist Theological

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TENNESSEE DR TEAMS NEEDED IN TEXAS, IOWA

MOUNT JULIET — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been asked to respond in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Texas and to extreme flooding which occurred in Iowa in late June. Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda around 4:30 a.m. July 8, about 95 miles southwest of Houston, according to multiple news reports. The storm pummeled coastal areas like Galveston as well as the

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