News

SBC 2024: ASSOCIATIONS AND LEADERS ARE NEEDED IN SBC, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AGREE

INDIANAPOLIS — Baptist associations and associational mission strategists (or directors of mission) have an important role in the Southern Baptist Convention, especially when it comes to encouraging and equipping churches and pastors, candidates for the SBC presidency agree. All six presidential candidates were invited to address the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders on June 9 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. In introducing the candidates, Josh

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SBC 2024: PASTORS CONFERENCE OPENS WITH TENNESSEE FLAVOR

INDIANAPOLIS — Tennessee Baptists who made the trip to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention 2024 Pastors Conference are being treated to a little home cooking.  Three of the pastors on this year’s 11-speaker lineup are from churches in the Tennessee Baptist Convention, including the event’s “lead-off hitter” — Bartholomew Orr — who opened the two-day conference on Sunday night. Orr is the senior pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church,

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TENNESSEE LEGISLATORS ASK FOR PRAYER ACROSS STATE

NASHVILLE — Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 803 into law on April 16. State senator Mark Pody and House representative Monty Fritts signed a joint letter May 29 encouraging Tennesseans to “join in a 30-day season of prayer and intermittent fasting for the month of July as a means of humbling ourselves to receive God’s grace, mercy and blessing in Tennessee and our nation.”

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SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY REMAINS AN UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY

BRENTWOOD — Almost all churches believe they are welcoming places for everyone. But many families that include individuals with special needs often feel otherwise. Experts say it doesn’t have to be this way. Churches who want to welcome everyone, including those with special needs, should begin by asking questions, said Sandra Peoples, the disability ministry consultant for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and mother of a son with autism.

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TENN. BAPTIST DR: CHAIN SAW AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT CALLOUT

Tornados and straightline winds have hit northwestern Arkansas, western Kentucky and northeast Oklahoma in recent days, and Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief leaders are asking for trained chain saw teams to respond.  Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, said heavy equipment would be useful, and noted that volunteers must be current in their training to operate equipment, along with required safety gear.

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LIFEWAY TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING MUSIC MINISTRY THROUGH LIFEWAYWORSHIP.COM

BRENTWOOD — After meeting with church music leaders, Lifeway Christian Resources announced its commitment to continue operating lifewayworship.com. Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell said he and the leadership team appreciated the feedback they received over the last several months. “We’ve held listening sessions with over 200 church leaders from across the country since last fall,” Mandrell said. “Worship leaders told us this is their curriculum for discipling the people

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MEMBERSHIP DECLINE SLOWS; BAPTISMS, ATTENDANCE GROW

BRENTWOOD — The recent slide in total memberships among congregations affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention slowed in 2023, while baptisms, worship service attendance and small group participation all grew. The Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions details the annual numerical changes for the Southern Baptist Convention. Membership declined for the 17th straight year, dropping below 13 million for the first

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TBMB’S MAXWELL TO CHAIR NEWLY-NAMED REGISTRATION COMMITTEE

FARMERSVILLE, Texas —SBC president Bart Barber announced Friday, May 31, that William Maxwell, administrative director for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB), will chair the Registration Committee for the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis next month. Maxwell, a member of Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tenn., has served with the TBMB for more than 30 years. The registration committee is called “to supervise the registration of messengers, to oversee

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BHET GRANTS HELP PROVIDE FREE HEALTH CARE IN SULLIVAN COUNTY

KINGSPORT — Members of First Baptist Church, Kingsport, had a vision in 2005 of reaching out to their community, especially in ways to provide avenues of medical care for Sullivan County residents who could not afford it. As a result, Providence Medical Clinic of Kingsport opened in 2010 to provide not only physical care to area residents, but spiritual support as well. The clinic offers free health care to uninsured

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PASTORS FEEL HEALTH INSURANCE PINCH, NEED ‘OUTSIDE THE BOX’ SOLUTIONS

NASHVILLE — If SBC messengers ask a question following this year’s GuideStone Financial Resources report in Indianapolis, health insurance is likely to be the topic. Since 2019, messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting have twice asked GuideStone chief executives questions. Both times the inquiries focused on the rising costs of health insurance. In response to a messenger question last year in New Orleans, GuideStone president Hance Dilbeck noted the difficulty

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