News

BARBER URGES ‘VIGILANCE AGAINST CORRUPTION,’ ANNOUNCES 2023 SBC ANNUAL MEETING THEME

Bart Barber urged the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, during its Sept. 19 meeting in Nashville, to stay “vigilant against corruption,” while also passionately supporting those who are preaching truth in dark places around the globe. See more Executive Committee coverage here. During his 20-minute message, the newly-elected SBC president also announced the theme for the Convention’s annual meeting next year in New Orleans: “Serving the Lord, Serving Others,” taken

Read More...

AMERICANS’ THEOLOGICAL BELIEFS CHANGED TO SUIT POST-PANDEMIC PRACTICE

NASHVILLE — Americans experienced seismic changes over the past two years, including, for many, how they attend church. The shift in behavior coincides with a shift in theology. The biennial State of Theology study conducted by Lifeway Research found relative stability in some of the religious and cultural beliefs U.S. adults hold. After months of quarantines and social distancing, however, Americans increasingly believe worshiping apart from a church is as

Read More...

FORMER AFGHAN MUSLIM NOW REACHING WORLD FOR CHRIST

Latif Salar, an Afghan Muslim man on his sixth pilgrimage to Mecca, wondered why God was mad at him. He was a devoted follower of Islam and repented of his sin. So why didn’t he feel peace? “Why are you so far away from me?” he asked God. The next day, through crying and fighting with God, Salar continued on his journey. A strange man approached him and asked where

Read More...

SBC PASTOR PAY STUCK AT SAME LEVEL SINCE 2018

NASHVILLE — As inflation and other economic issues may be stretching most Americans’ budgets, Southern Baptist pastors may be feeling the pinch more than most.  A study conducted by Lifeway Research along with GuideStone and Baptist state conventions found compensation for full-time Southern Baptist senior pastors has remained flat over the past four years, while the total pay package has decreased.  While the Consumer Price Index has jumped 17.6 percent

Read More...

ARITF HOLDS INITIAL MEETING, ANNOUNCES FIRST STEPS

NASHVILLE — A statement issued by the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force said it will begin by focusing on several mandates, including the retaining of an individual or firm to receive reports related to abuse, the creation of the Ministry Check database and assisting the Credentials Committee toward retaining a qualified firm for assistance in matters related to allegations of or mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse. The announcement, released

Read More...

ASSOCIATIONAL SECRETARIES ARE THE ‘UNSUNG HEROES’

NEWPORT — Associational secretaries or ministry assistants (the terms are interchangeable) are “unsung heroes” in the Tennessee Baptist Convention, says Joy Clay-Corby. And, she should know.  Clay-Corby, administrative assistant for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, has worked closely with both associational and church ministry assistants for more than three decades. Clay-Corby, along with Heather Beard of the TBMB staff, recently hosted the annual retreat for associational ministry assistants at Carson

Read More...

TENNESCENE: SEP. 14

LEADERS Oak Street Baptist Church, Elizabethton, has called Joe Ledford as interim pastor. Jeff Harless recently was called as pastor of Doe River Baptist Church, Elizabethton. Mike Kemper is serving as interim director of missions for Gibson Baptist Association. He previously served the association from 1999-2006 when he and his wife returned to the International Mission board to serve as missionaries in Costa Rica and Argentina. He has also served

Read More...

CHRISTIANS LIKELY MINORITY IN U.S. BY 2050, PEW SAYS

WASHINGTON — Christians are projected to comprise less than half of the U.S. population by 2050 in a Pew Research study of how current trends might play out among believers and non-believers in the coming decades. In the best-case scenario of how trends might continue to unfold, which Pew presents as the most unlikely and most optimistic possibility, Pew projects the Christian share of the U.S. population to shrink from a current

Read More...

ENGAGING, EQUIPPING, IGNITING

FRANKLIN — For Mark Miller, the notion of developing and organizing a series of evangelistic rallies for pastors wasn’t just an idea that popped into his head.  It was a stirring in his soul.  Over the past two months, Miller, who serves as baptism and discipleship team leader and Sunday School specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.  has worked hand-in-hand with Roc Collins, strategic objectives director for the TBMB,

Read More...

TBMB DIRECTORS ADOPT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TBC MESSENGERS

NASHVILLE — Directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board will recommend a $35 million budget for messengers to consider during Summit, which meets Nov. 13-16 at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova. The proposed budget for 2022-23 is the same amount as the 2021-22 budget and is one of three recommendations TBMB directors approved for consideration by TBC messengers. “There is still a great deal of financial uncertainty anticipated for the

Read More...

TENNESCENE: SEP. 14

LEADERS Oak Street Baptist Church, Elizabethton, has called Joe Ledford as interim pastor. Jeff Harless recently was called as pastor of Doe River Baptist Church,

Read More »