NASHVILLE — New Season Church senior pastor Dwayne Lewis was inviting mourners to follow Jesus at the funeral of Terriana Johnson when the gun battle began Nov. 26. The 200 or so mourners were largely unchurched, Lewis told Baptist Press Nov. 28, but they called on the name of the Lord in the melee. “People were responding for Jesus to help them. They were responding for God to help them,”

CORDOVA —  The Acts 2:17 Initiative was officially launched during the Tuesday afternoon session (Nov. 15) of the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention held during The Summit at Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova. The Acts 2:17 Initiative will provide Tennessee Baptists across the state the opportunity to speak into future priorities of the state convention. Messengers gathered in small groups to begin the process and 24 other listening sessions

CORDOVA — Messengers to the Tennessee Baptist Convention approved five resolutions, including the traditional resolution of gratitude and a resolution on “Avowing Opposition to Casinos in Tennessee” during last week’s annual meeting at Bellevue Baptist Church. Most of the resolutions were passed without opposition or debate except for one. The resolution on casinos noted that during the 2022 session of the Tennessee Legislature, “House Bill 1642 and Senate Bill 1656,

Editor’s note: This article provides highlights of the business sessions. See separate articles on the launch of the Acts 2:17 Initiative, election of officers, messages and more Summit coverage in the coming days at baptistandreflector.org. Additional articles also will be published in the Dec. 7 print issue and online.  CORDOVA — Tennessee Baptist Convention messengers adopted a $35 million budget for 2022-23, approved a constitutional amendment on second reading, renewed

The Southern Baptist Convention is a big house. It’s the largest association of evangelicals in the world.  The Cooperative Program brings home the bacon! The Cooperative Program is so far reaching, it’s often difficult to wrap our brains around all God is doing through our giving.  A book could be written about all that has been accomplished here in Tennessee and around the world, but 10 things are all I

CORDOVA — Tennessee leads the Southern Baptist Convention in the ratio of baptisms to population; a Hispanic church plant was awarded the Luke 15 award; and Tennessee Baptist Convention President Clay Hallmark challenged Tennessee Baptists to remember, repent and return to the Father in the President’s message during the Tuesday night session of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s annual Summit, Nov. 15 at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova.  Roc Collins,

CORDOVA — Messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention — held during The Summit at Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova — veered away from tradition on Nov. 15 by electing Clay Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lexington, to serve his second term as president of the TBC. Hallmark ran unopposed and was re-elected by acclamation. Joel Pigg, senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Trenton, was elected as

JEFFERSON CITY — As a high school player in Union, S.C., Mike Clowney had never heard of Ken Sparks or Carson-Newman College (now University). He will never forget his first conversation with legendary coach Ken Sparks who ended his career in 2016 with an overall college coaching record of 338-99-2, making him one of the winningest college coaches at any level. “He sat down and talked to me and my