News

SURVEY: MOST EVANGELICALS CHOOSE TRUMP, BUT CLEAR DIVIDES EXIST

By Aaron Earls LifeWay Research NASHVILLE — Evangelicals seem ready to cast their ballots in the 2020 election. Nine in 10 evangelicals by belief are registered to vote, and few are undecided about their presidential choice. A new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research conducted Sept. 9-23 finds President Donald Trump with a sizable lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden among likely voters with evangelical beliefs.  Deep divides, however, persist among

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IMB APPOINTS 80 FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES; APPROVES BUDGET

Baptist Press RICHMOND — International Mission Board trustees unanimously approved the appointment of 80 full-time, fully funded personnel and approved a balanced budget for 2020-2021 of $255.3 million during their Sept. 29-30 meeting. The budget reflects a 4.5 percent reduction from the 2019-2020 budget of $267.4 million. But IMB President Paul Chitwood credited Southern Baptists’ faithful giving for the IMB’s successful navigation of the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19

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TN BAPTISTS ENCOURAGED TO EXAMINE 2020-21 TBC BUDGET, PRAY FOR YEAR

By Lonnie Wilkey [email protected] FRANKLIN — As in past years, the proposed 2020-21 Tennessee Baptist Convention Cooperative Program Allocation budget is being released 30 days in advance prior of the TBC annual meeting held each year in conjunction with Summit.  This year, however, the annual Summit has been postponed until 2021. The staff of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board is preparing a Virtual Summit to be aired at 9 a.m.

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LIFEWAY, RAINER SETTLE CONTRACT DISPUTE

Editor’s note: This story has been updated several times since it was originally posted. The story below was written after the B&R’s most recent print edition had gone to press.  By David Roach Baptist Press NASHVILLE — LifeWay Christian Resources and Thom Rainer have agreed to settlement terms in a breach of contract lawsuit between the SBC entity and its former CEO. The statement indicates the agreement was reached Monday (Oct.

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CHESSER: COVID MINISTRY PLANS SHOULD EXTEND 12-18 MONTHS

By David Roach B&R Contributing Writer HENDERSONVILLE — When Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee asked churches March 13 not to meet in person, leaders at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville thought they would have to suspend normal worship services two or three weeks, until Easter at the latest. When those plans didn’t materialize, they figured everything would be back to normal by the start of school. That didn’t materialize either. Today,

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MACON COUNTY’S MISS ANNETTE: GOING STRONG AT 100

By Lonnie Wilkey [email protected] LAFAYETTE — Not every church gets the opportunity to help a church member celebrate a 100th birthday and concerns and restrictions caused by COVID-19 make it even harder, but First Baptist Church, Lafayette, found a way. On Sunday, Sept. 6, about 20 church members gathered in their cars and drove to the home of Annette Cothron, a lifelong resident of Macon County and a member of

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2021 SBC ANNUAL MEETING HOTEL REGISTRATION OPENS OCT. 1

By Diana Chandler Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Online hotel registration opens Oct. 1 for the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, which will be held June 15-16 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. Online registration will be available at sbcannualmeeting.net beginning at 8 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Ronnie Floyd, SBC Executive Committee president and CEO, said messengers and guests will benefit from the many hotel rooms

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CARSON-NEWMAN ANNOUNCES RECORD ENROLLMENT

Carson-Newman news office JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman University is celebrating a record enrollment this year with 2,911 students. The university last broke its highest enrollment record just last year with 2,725 students.  Carson-Newman attributes this year’s continued growth to record graduate enrollment. Last fall, the new record set was 885 graduate students.  This fall, the university welcomed 1,189 graduate students.  “Record enrollment is something to celebrate, especially during these challenging

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OFFERING ENCOURAGEMENT, EMPATHY

Worship leaders exchange ideas, discuss challenges  at online roundtables By David Dawson [email protected] FRANKLIN — Scott Shepherd has a simple message for worship leaders and music ministers: “You are not alone.”  Shepherd, worship and music specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, has tried to convey that message during a recent series of “online roundtables” hosted by the TBMB.  Shepherd said many worship leaders have felt overwhelmed, discouraged and lonely

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SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERS WELCOME BARRETT NOMINATION

By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Southern Baptist leaders Russell Moore and Ronnie Floyd commended President Trump’s nomination (Sept. 26) of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. As expected, the president announced at the White House his choice of Barrett to succeed the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18 after 27 years on the high court. Trump’s selection of Barrett, a judge on the Seventh

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