News

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS

TBMB offers training sessions for churches on how to minister to refugees, other ‘strangers’ among us By David Dawson [email protected] FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Mission Board compassion ministries specialist Beth Moore said she believes the first step churches can take in assisting refugees is to gain a better understanding of who they are.  In the months ahead, Moore is hoping that churches across Tennessee will begin to dive deeper into

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TENNESCENE: OCT. 13

LEADERS Jack Hice recently celebrated his 31st anniversary as pastor of Marble Plains Baptist Church, Winchester. On his first Sunday at the church, there were nine people in attendance. On July 25, there were 131 people present and Hice baptized seven people that day, all of them adults or teenagers. Chris Hughes has been called as interim pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Elizabethton. The church also ordained Patrick Beasley as

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FLOYD RESPONDS TO ATTORNEYS’ DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM ROLES

Baptist Press NASHVILLE — SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd responded on Monday afternoon to a letter he received from Convention attorneys Jim Guenther and Jaime Jordan, who announced they were withdrawing as the SBC’s legal counsel.  In the letter — which was addressed to Floyd, as well as EC trustees and Greg Addison, EC executive vice president — the two attorneys alerted Floyd that the law firm

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LAW FIRM WITHDRAWS AS EC GENERAL COUNSEL

Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — The Nashville law firm of Guenther, Jordan & Price informed the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Oct. 11 that the firm will no longer represent the SBC entity because the board of directors voted to waive attorney-client privilege (See story). The letter, signed by James P. Guenther and James D. Jordan, was sent to Ronnie Floyd, president and chief executive officer of the Executive Committee.

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INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UNDERWAY

By Brandon Parker Baptist Press NASHVILLE — The independent third-party review of the SBC Executive Committee is underway, according to Bruce Frank, chair of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force. Frank said the contract among the task force, Guidepost Solutions and Rolland Slade, on behalf of the EC, has been signed. “There are some small details to work out, like the Cooperation Committee, but Guidepost is at work,” Frank said. Members

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MANDRELLS TALK ABOUT LIFE IN THE ‘GLASS HOUSE’

By Joy Allmond Lifeway news office NASHVILLE — When Ben and Lynley Mandrell left the Denver-area church they planted to answer a call to lead Lifeway Christian Resources, they weren’t prepared for the journey their inner lives would take. On the heels of this seismic shift in ministry assignment, they found themselves in counseling to work through issues not dealt with due to the busyness of ministry life. “It was

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THREE TENNESSEE TRUSTEES RESIGN AS SBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WAIVES ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected]   NASHVILLE — Three  Tennessee members of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention resigned from the entity Oct. 5 prior to the remaining EC members voting to waive attorney-client privileges — a sticking point in the past several weeks to allowing a third-party investigator to move forward with its investigation of Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse cases as mandated by messengers of the 2021 SBC annual meeting.    

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TENNESSEE ELECTRICIAN LEVERAGES HOBBY TO GLORIFY THE LORD

By Maggie Evans The Baptist Paper KNOXVILLE — Chopping firewood might not be everybody’s idea of a good time, but for Gary Cate, it’s something he genuinely enjoys.  Chain saws definitely make his job easier, but it’s such a source of enjoyment for Cate that he and his wife heat their house with a wood fire when the weather gets cold.  “It’s just something that I’ve done my whole life,”

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FAITH CARRIES CHURCH, PASTOR THROUGH MAJOR CRISIS

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MORRISTOWN — It’s probably safe to say that not many pastors experienced an introduction to their first pastorate like Jason Lemka encountered last year at Roe Junction Baptist Church in Morristown. Lemka, who has been a member of Roe Junction for about 20 years, was elected as pastor of the church just as a worldwide pandemic was getting underway. Three weeks later,

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GOD’S WAREHOUSE NEVER RUNS OUT OF SUPPLIES

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MORRISTOWN — Don Owen never ceases to be amazed at what God can do. He has seen it time and time again. Owen, who became involved in disaster relief more than two decades ago, has seen the ministry in Nolachucky Baptist Association evolve to six ministries (DR, Baptist Builders, Midwest Food Bank, God’s Warehouse Services, Harvest of Israel and Water Rescue) currently

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TENNESCENE: OCT. 13

LEADERS Jack Hice recently celebrated his 31st anniversary as pastor of Marble Plains Baptist Church, Winchester. On his first Sunday at the church, there were

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