News

JOHNNY HUNT TO LEAD NAMB EVANGELISM, LEADERSHIP GROUP

By Mike Ebert Baptist Press ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Johnny Hunt, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock, Ga., and past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will join the North American Mission Board as senior vice president of evangelism and leadership. Hunt and NAMB announced the news Sunday (Aug. 26).

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EVEN PASTORS CAN STRUGGLE WITH WHAT TO SAY TO GRIEVING FAMILIES

By Grace Thornton Baptist Press GREENVILLE, S.C. — In 37 years as a pastor, Rudy Gray sat at the bedside of many terminally ill church members. He stood at gravesides with many grieving families. He sought to speak comforting words — at least he hopes they were comforting. But one thing he is sure of — he wasn’t fully ready to deal with bereavement in his early years of ministry.

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BELLEVUE MEMBERS CANVAS COMMUNITY FOR JESUS

Bellevue Communications Office CORDOVA — On Sunday, Aug. 12, more than 1,300 members of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, left the church building and went door-to-door in a five-mile radius around their church. Offering a simple gift bag and prayer, Bellevue members were able to invite the community to church, but more importantly they were able to invite them to Jesus.

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BOAT CAPTAIN FISHES FOR MEN, CATCHES 43

By David Roach Baptist Press CLARKSVILLE — Like many retirees, you can find James Shepherd, 84, fishing in his boat several days each week. But he’s set apart from many other retirees by what he’s fishing for. When he and a friend bought a pontoon boat four years ago, he sensed the Lord saying, “Why don’t you fish for men off this?” So Shepherd made signs that said, “Get in

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HAMPTON RETURNS ‘HOME’ TO PLANT CHURCH

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CLARKSVILLE — Cal Hampton has come full circle. He moved with his family to Clarksville at the age of 5 and was reared there. He stayed in the military town and attended Austin Peay State University. While at Austin Peay, he worked in a restaurant not far from the Austin Peay campus. After being called into the ministry, Hampton left Clarksville and

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ONCE ON THE VERGE OF CLOSING, RIVER ROCK IS NOW ROLLING

By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MURFREESBORO — It’s been quite a journey for River Rock Baptist Church in Murfreesboro: In the past decade, the church has gone from survival to revival. Under the leadership of pastor Don Herron — along with the help of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s revitalization team and abundant praying — the church has recovered from its darkest days and is now once again

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TENURE ENDS, LOVE REMAINS

The King’s Academy’s Walter Grubb retires after 31 years with TBC entity By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] SEYMOUR — Walter Grubb’s nearly lifelong affiliation with The King’s Academy (Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy) has come to an end, but his love and passion for the school will last the rest of his life. Grubb stepped down as president and headmaster of TKA on July 31 after serving in that

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Christian, persecution, prison, Bible

CHURCH TAKES GOSPEL TO PRISON

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MOUNTAIN CITY — When Gale Hartley moved to Mountain City nearly five years ago to become pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, he discovered the church had an active prison ministry thanks to the passion of deacon Mike Long. Long felt called by God to minister to prisoners at Northeast Correctional Complex where its minimum security annex holds approximately 300 offenders and an

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CARSON-NEWMAN NAMES SEARCH COMMITTEE

Carson-Newman University News Office JEFFERSON CITY — Tennessee State Representative Harry Brooks of Knoxville, chair of the board of trustees of Carson-Newman University, has announced the formation of two separate search committees as the university seeks a new president following the retirement of President J. Randall O’Brien, who will conclude his 10-year service in December. A Presidential Search Committee will be tasked with finding the institution’s 23rd president, while an

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