Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, put all teams “on alert” on Friday morning in anticipation of potential severe weather in the state.
A pioneer in advocating and sharing stories of God working around the world died Jan. 8, 2024. Leland Franklin Webb, 91, was a writer and editor at the International Mission Board for 32 years. While his name may not sound familiar to some, Webb helped change the face of modern Christian media. He helped usher in the era of popular techniques to tell the stories of IMB missionaries and their
FRANKLIN — Historic and horrific. Pleasing and perplexing. Elation and agony. The year 2023 played out like a roller-coaster, taking Tennesseans through almost every emotion imaginable. And, as has been the case since 1835, the Baptist and Reflector helped tell the stories that shaped the year. The content below recaps some of the most-read stories from 2023 based on the number of views each story received on the Baptist and
FRANKLIN — During 2023 Tennessee Baptists began laying the groundwork for future ministry in the Tennessee Baptist Convention while meeting needs and ministering to people across the state and around the world. The following is a synopsis of the top stories in 2023: Acts 2:17 Initiative: The Acts 2:17 Initiative was launched at the annual meeting in 2022, but the bulk of the work took place throughout 2023. An Acts
LEADERS Joey Johnson recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as pastor of First Baptist Church, Selmer. Duck River Baptist Association has called Genaro Orellana as its new Hispanic missionary. Orellana also serves as pastor of Iglesia Gracia which meets at Grace Baptist Church in Tullahoma. Michael Kelley, executive director of Nashville Baptist Association, has announced his resignation in mid-January to become director of The Rooted Network, a discipleship and publishing organization
BRENTWOOD — For most pastors, the start of a new calendar year also indicates the start of a new fiscal year for their churches. But there is much more variety among pastors when it comes to who is involved in making the budget for the fiscal year. According to a study from Lifeway Research, 74 percent of Protestant pastors say their church’s fiscal year starts in January. One in 20
NASHVILLE — The SBC Executive Committee Presidential Search Team is set to announce its candidate to the public Feb. 18. The team announced Jan. 8 that it plans to present the candidate Feb. 19 at the EC meeting in Nashville. “The search team arrived at this candidate after following the four-phase process [Neal] Hughes outlined in the EC’s September 2023 meeting: the invitation phase, the interview phase, the investigation phase
BROWNSVILLE — The final notes of “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” fluttered through the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church on Dec. 31. After 49 years as church pianist, Jan Prine closed her hymnal and turned off the light on the piano. She had played her last song for the congregation she has been a part of since age 14. Church members on this Sunday had sung their final song as
The sexual abuse lawsuit against retired Texas Judge Paul Pressler, who has strong ties to several Southern Baptist Convention past and current leaders, has reportedly been settled with a confidential agreement between the parties involved. Pressler was an instrumental figure in the orchestrated effort known as the conservative resurgence by some and as the fundamentalist takeover by others of the SBC from the 1970s through the early 1990s. In addition
PHILADELPHIA — Online church attendees read the Bible more than onsite worshipers. Nonbelievers outpace Christians in valuing several pro-social Bible-based behaviors. And Black Americans are more spiritually vibrant than whites and Hispanics. The American Bible Society ranks those tidbits among the top findings from its 2023 State of the Bible, the 13th installment of the ABS’s intensive survey of Americans’ relationship with Scripture. “The need for meaningful, life-changing interaction with
Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, put all teams “on alert” on Friday morning in anticipation of potential severe weather
A pioneer in advocating and sharing stories of God working around the world died Jan. 8, 2024. Leland Franklin Webb, 91, was a writer and
FRANKLIN — Historic and horrific. Pleasing and perplexing. Elation and agony. The year 2023 played out like a roller-coaster, taking Tennesseans through almost every emotion
FRANKLIN — During 2023 Tennessee Baptists began laying the groundwork for future ministry in the Tennessee Baptist Convention while meeting needs and ministering to people
LEADERS Joey Johnson recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as pastor of First Baptist Church, Selmer. Duck River Baptist Association has called Genaro Orellana as its
BRENTWOOD — For most pastors, the start of a new calendar year also indicates the start of a new fiscal year for their churches. But
NASHVILLE — The SBC Executive Committee Presidential Search Team is set to announce its candidate to the public Feb. 18. The team announced Jan. 8
BROWNSVILLE — The final notes of “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” fluttered through the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church on Dec. 31. After 49 years
The sexual abuse lawsuit against retired Texas Judge Paul Pressler, who has strong ties to several Southern Baptist Convention past and current leaders, has reportedly
PHILADELPHIA — Online church attendees read the Bible more than onsite worshipers. Nonbelievers outpace Christians in valuing several pro-social Bible-based behaviors. And Black Americans are