LEADERS Clark Street Baptist Church, Johnson City, unanimously voted Sept. 10 to call Randy Hommel as pastor. He is a Kingsport native who recently returned to the area after serving as pastor of Bel-Aire Baptist Church, Gulfport, Miss. ASSOCIATIONS Jere Phillips will lead a “Preaching and Teaching Through the January Bible Study” on Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wilson County Baptist Association office at 317 W. Spring Street
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN – A mix of ethnically diverse Tennessee Baptists gathered in a display of unity at the Church Support Center in Franklin Oct. 25 to publicly denounce the white supremacist movement and racism during a press conference called by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “We don’t call press conferences very often but we believe it is impossible to stand silently by while the
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MORRISTOWN – A Tennessee Baptist church that announced in January that it would escrow Cooperative Program funds in response to a decision by two Southern Baptist Convention entities last year to sign an amicus brief in support of a New Jersey mosque has developed a plan to continue financially supporting worldwide missions. First Baptist Church, Morristown, held a called business meeting Sept. 17
By Tim Ellsworth Union University News Office JACKSON — President George W. Bush shared stories of his time in the White House, talked about his faith in Jesus Christ, and encouraged college students to be involved in public service at Union University’s 20th annual Scholarship Banquet Oct. 17. The event, held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, drew 1,500 people who heard the former president discuss a variety
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector JACKSON — Addressing a group of more than 100 pastors and church leaders at West Jackson Baptist Church, former SBC president Johnny Hunt delivered some disturbing statistics in the opening few minutes of the “Moving Beyond” conference on Sept. 26. “We’re losing 17 churches per week,” said Hunt, the senior pastor at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga. “That’s 900 churches per year.”
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MARTIN — First Baptist Church in Martin did not have a large crusade or revival this past year. Nor did the church rely on the latest, greatest witnessing tool to come down the pike. Yet, for the first time in its 141-year history, First Baptist baptized 50 people in a 12-month period. The church’s previous high in a single year had been 49,
By Bob Smietana LifeWay Research NASHVILLE, Tenn.—In the 1950s, Congress banned charitable nonprofits—including churches—from endorsing candidates or otherwise intervening in elections. Any nonprofit that violated the ban could run afoul of the IRS. Churches risked losing their tax-exempt status if the preacher endorsed a candidate in a sermon. It’s time for that to change, most Protestant pastors say in a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. More than 7 in
Carson-Newman News Office JEFFERSON CITY — “A quality Christian education that is more affordable and obtainable in less time.” That is the plan Carson-Newman University officials are excited to share with students. In concert with the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that summer Pell grants are now available, Carson-Newman staff and faculty began working on ways to help students take advantage of such an opportunity.
Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,648,026 through the Cooperative Program in September. For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,139,417 through the Cooperative Program which funds missions and ministries in Tennessee, the nation, and the world. The amount is $828,320 or 2.6 percent below what was given during the same time frame last year. With one month to go in the 2016-17 fiscal year, gifts
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector CLEVELAND — Matt Ward, pastor of West Cleveland Baptist Church, was briefly out of sight. But he made sure he wasn’t out of mind. Ward recently returned from a week-long stay in storm-ravaged Houston, where he served as the team leader for one of the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief units in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. During his stint in Texas, Ward diligently updated
LEADERS Clark Street Baptist Church, Johnson City, unanimously voted Sept. 10 to call Randy Hommel as pastor. He is a Kingsport native who recently returned
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN – A mix of ethnically diverse Tennessee Baptists gathered in a display of unity at the Church
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MORRISTOWN – A Tennessee Baptist church that announced in January that it would escrow Cooperative Program funds in
By Tim Ellsworth Union University News Office JACKSON — President George W. Bush shared stories of his time in the White House, talked about his
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector JACKSON — Addressing a group of more than 100 pastors and church leaders at West Jackson Baptist Church, former
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector MARTIN — First Baptist Church in Martin did not have a large crusade or revival this past year.
By Bob Smietana LifeWay Research NASHVILLE, Tenn.—In the 1950s, Congress banned charitable nonprofits—including churches—from endorsing candidates or otherwise intervening in elections. Any nonprofit that violated
Carson-Newman News Office JEFFERSON CITY — “A quality Christian education that is more affordable and obtainable in less time.” That is the plan Carson-Newman University
Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,648,026 through the Cooperative Program in September. For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,139,417
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector CLEVELAND — Matt Ward, pastor of West Cleveland Baptist Church, was briefly out of sight. But he made sure