STANTON — About 40 volunteers from four churches in Fayette Baptist Association joined together Nov. 21 to provide a Thanksgiving meal to 1,000 construction workers at the BlueOval City job site in Stanton. The Walbridge Company hosted the event celebrating 6.7 million man hours of work. An executive from the Ford Motor Company was there to congratulate the vast army of workers on keeping the project on time and set

CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee Baptist Convention messengers approved the Acts 2:17 Vision Team report (see story on page 2), adopted a $35 million budget for the fifth consecutive year, approved five changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, adopted four resolutions and dealt with additional business during the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention held during The Summit Nov. 12-15 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The theme of the annual meeting

NEWPORT — Though Off the Grid, a ministry of the Tennessee Baptist Conference Centers, was originally intended for ministers to get away from their daily stress, churches are now finding it can also be a good team building tool as well. First Baptist Church, Manchester, has brought a group of men to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) for two years in a row and this year a women’s group also

CORDOVA — Former Southern Baptist Convention president and Tennessee Baptist pastor Steve Gaines announced to his congregation at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova on Nov. 19 that he has been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Gaines has served as pastor of the Memphis-area church since 2005. Gaines said that he has “a great team of doctors in Memphis who are treating me.” He added that he plans to go to M.D.

LINDEN — Word is getting out about Linden’s new look.  After completing the first phase in a series of expansion and renovation projects, the Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center recently hosted the unveiling of the facility’s new “village” of housing units, common areas and meeting center.  The upgrades have generated  a spike in first-time guests and positive reviews from returnees, said Jimmy Tucker, manager of Linden Valley. 

JACKSON — On a typical Tuesday at Union University students can be seen studying, attending classes and participating in on-campus jobs or extracurricular activities. But on this particular Tuesday, Union students were instead doing yard work across town, helping with administrative tasks at local nonprofits and painting elementary school classrooms.  Union University on Oct. 31 participated in its 21st annual Campus and Community Day, a day to commemorate God’s provision

CHATTANOOGA — Messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention elected Jay Hardwick as president of the TBC on Wednesday at the Chattanooga Convention Center.  Hardwick, pastor of Forest Hills Baptist Church, was opposed by Todd Stinnett, pastor of Black Oak Heights Baptist Church in Knoxville. It was the first time in more than 15 years that the election included more than one candidate. With ballots cast through

COVINGTON — Pastor Kirby Ownby of Mount Olive (South) Baptist Church in Knoxville recently went on an exploratory trip to West Tennessee to explore opportunities related to Blue Oval City. Ownby said Mount Olive would “love to partner with a new church plant” in the Blue Oval City area in the future. Meanwhile, after meeting with Mike Melton, pastor of Charleston Baptist Church, Stanton, and Clay Gilbreath, director of missions