News

UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO COOPERATIVE PROGRAM ENABLES TENNESSEE BAPTISTS TO REACH MONUMENTAL PLATEAU

By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — The oversized check was just a prop. The significance of the moment, however, was very real. During a recent ceremony at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s Church Support Center in Franklin, TBMB president and executive director Randy C. Davis presented a Goliath-sized check to Augie Boto of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The amount was for $500,000,000, which represents the

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TENNESSEE BAPTIST ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SBCD

By Erin Roach Baptist Press RIDGECREST, N.C. — The Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf (SBCD) gathered for their 71st annual meeting and elected a woman president for the third time in their history as they rallied around the theme “Good News 24/7” from Mark 16:15. More than 130 people from 20 states, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico attended the meeting July 15-19 at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, N.C.,

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BROWNSVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH — TWO PASTORS IN 60 YEARS

By Ashley Perham Baptist & Reflector intern BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Baptist Church, Brownsville, has had only two pastors in the last 60 years: H. K. Sorrell and Bob Connerley, who is celebrating 30 years at the church at the end of the month. “I don’t know how much that says about him and me, but it says a lot about the people here that they would put up with two

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KNOXVILLE CHURCH ‘DIES WITH DIGNITY’ TO HELP CHURCH PLANT

By Ashley Perham Baptist and Reflector intern KNOXVILLE — Hope Fellowship, Knoxville, started in 2016 as a church plant from Shoreline Church, Knoxville, with a vision to be a Christ-centered, multi-ethnic and generational church, saved by Jesus and changed by Jesus, according to Dominique Lee, pastor of Hope Fellowship. At the same time, Centerpointe Church, Knoxville, was making the difficult decision to “die with dignity,” said pastor Jim Millirons.

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PARKBURG BAPTIST SEES RESULTS OF CHURCH REVITALIZATION

By Ashley Perham Baptist & Reflector intern PINSON — Approximately 75-80 percent of churches are stagnant or in decline, and as many as 10 percent of Southern Baptist churches may cease to exist in the next 10 years unless fundamental changes are made, according to Steve Holt, church services director for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. The Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions and the Cooperative Program makes it possible for

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BOWDEN TALKS FAITH, FOOTBALL AT STUDENT EVENT

By Timothy Cockes Baptist Press intern  LEXINGTON — Tommy Bowden, former college football coach at Clemson University, recently spoke to hundreds of Tennessee high school football students about the importance of making good decisions in life. Bowden said he wanted to emphasize for the more than 700 players, representing more than five counties and 12 schools, the importance of having the right priorities in life by putting God first. The

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RURAL MEDICAL CLINIC IS ‘A GOD THING’

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] SPEEDWELL — A rural medical clinic, supported in part by local Christians, many of whom are members of Baptist churches, is trying to make a difference in one of the state’s poorest counties in Appalachia. Claiborne County in northeast Tennessee, bordering the Kentucky state line, is impacted by poverty (according to IndexMundi, an international data portal), broken homes (50 percent of school-age

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TENNESCENE: WEEKS OF AUG 21-SEP. 10

LEADERS Lewis McMullen recently celebrated his fifth anniversary as church planting specialist/new churches team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. McMullen formerly served with Nashville Baptist Association in Nashville. He has been the lead planter on eight church plants and a team member on four others. Bruce Chesser will celebrate his 10th anniversary as pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, on Aug. 18. Rick Taphorn has been named vice

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TBC CP GIFTS ON TARGET TO MEET 2018-19 BUDGET

Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches contributed $3,130,467 through the Cooperative Program in July. The July gifts brought the year-to-date total to $26,127,112. The amount is $97,667 or 0.4 percent over the amount given over the same time frame last year. With three months to go in the 2018-19 fiscal year, gifts are $252,112 or 0.97 percent above budget needs.

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CONCRETE CROSS INSTALLED ON UNION UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Construction crews recently installed a 17-foot high cross in Hadley Circle on the campus of Union University, Jackson. The concrete cross was made possible from donations through Leadership Union, a cohort of faculty and staff who are selected to serve by Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver. Leadership Union member Nancy Cherry said the cross “is a visual reminder of what (God) did for us in sending His Son to

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