By David Dawson [email protected] BENTON — Pastor Benny Thomas said he recently began to sense that the Lord was leading him to make a decision that he wasn’t so sure he wanted to make. After 54 years in the ministry, much of which was served as a bivocational pastor, Thomas decided — somewhat reluctantly — that it was time to retire. “I finally hung it up,” said Thomas in his
By Jane Rodgers Correspondent, Southern Baptist TEXAN ALEXANDRIA, La. — Pummeled first by the category 4 Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27, then inundated by torrential rains from Hurricane Delta only six weeks later, Louisiana endured a double hit prompting a multi-state response by Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers — including DR teams from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention — that is bearing fruit. DR crews serving in the Bayou
Baptist and Reflector MOUNT JULIET — Most people were expecting one of this year’s hurricanes to be the 250th disaster relief response for Tennessee Baptists since their first response in 1978. Instead, it will be a response to damages caused by the recent ice storm in Oklahoma. “We thought Hurricane Zeta would be response No. 250, however, to this date no states have asked for assistance,” Wes Jones, disaster relief
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] BLAINE — Attendance at Mouth of Richland Baptist Church in Blaine, one of the oldest churches in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and in Grainger County, had dwindled to under 20 people in the summer of 2018 and the congregation was searching for a pastor. Meanwhile, Nick Wright and Brad Bales, two ministers and lifelong friends, were looking for a new place of
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press SALEM, Ore. — Oregon will become the first state in the nation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs including Oxycodone, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine beginning in February 2021. Voters approved the measure on Election Day by a margin of 58.6-41.4 percent and concurrently approved by 66.7-33.3 percent a new tax on tobacco and E-cigarettes to fund treatment programs in place of incarceration for
Two-year-old church plant now planting a church of its own By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CLARKSVILLE — Barely two years old, Real Life Church in Clarksville, or Real Life Sango as it is known locally, is not the typical new church. The church was born out of the prayers of a great many people, both in and outside of Montgomery County and not all of them were
Through acts of service and prayer rallies, Mount Canaan Baptist is sharing the gospel and promoting racial harmony in ‘Scenic City’ By David Dawson [email protected] CHATTANOOGA — Ternae Jordan, like so many pastors in the nation, has been given the difficult task of helping his congregation, and his community, navigate through the emotionally draining developments that have emerged over the past six months. Racial unrest, deadly storms and a worldwide
Baptist & Reflector FRANKLIN — The Nov. 18 issue of the Baptist and Reflector will include articles on messages delivered during the Virtual Summit and feature stories based on the videos. The issue also will include advertising messages from companies as well as Tennessee Baptist and Southern Baptist entities that normally would have had exhibits during Summit.
No in-person gathering, but annual event still has plenty to offer By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Though it will be the first time in the 146-year history of the Tennessee Baptist Convention that there will not be an annual meeting, Summit will take place virtually. The Summit, which was scheduled for Nov. 8-11 at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, was “postponed indefinitely” in late August. “The
By David Dawson [email protected] BENTON — Pastor Benny Thomas said he recently began to sense that the Lord was leading him to make a decision
By Jane Rodgers Correspondent, Southern Baptist TEXAN ALEXANDRIA, La. — Pummeled first by the category 4 Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27, then inundated by torrential
Baptist and Reflector MOUNT JULIET — Most people were expecting one of this year’s hurricanes to be the 250th disaster relief response for Tennessee Baptists
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] BLAINE — Attendance at Mouth of Richland Baptist Church in Blaine, one of the oldest churches in
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press SALEM, Ore. — Oregon will become the first state in the nation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs
Two-year-old church plant now planting a church of its own By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CLARKSVILLE — Barely two years old, Real
Through acts of service and prayer rallies, Mount Canaan Baptist is sharing the gospel and promoting racial harmony in ‘Scenic City’ By David Dawson [email protected]
Baptist & Reflector FRANKLIN — The Nov. 18 issue of the Baptist and Reflector will include articles on messages delivered during the Virtual Summit and
No in-person gathering, but annual event still has plenty to offer By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Though it will be