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OLIVER AFFIRMS BIBLICAL VIEW OF HUMANITY, GENDER

September 16, 2023

JACKSON — In a culture that is increasingly post-Christian and that rejects the truth about the nature of humanity, Christians must uphold Scripture’s teaching, Union University president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said Aug. 25. “By and large, the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life,” Oliver said. “Many deny that God created human beings for His glory, and that

BLUE OVAL CITY: PREPARING FOR ‘PLANTING SEASON’

September 15, 2023

STANTON — From Lewis McMullen’s perspective, the city of Stanton and the surrounding region is a massive landscape of spiritual farmland, ready for cultivating. Over the past year or so, Lewis and other staffers from the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board — along with numerous church leaders from the Stanton area — have been driving metaphorical tractors through the sprawling fields, plowing the ground and scattering seeds in the area that

STUDENTS EXPERIENCE MISSIONS FIRSTHAND

September 14, 2023

FRANKLIN — In 2021 Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board launched the Tennessee Youth Venture Team for 10th-12th grade high school students who are actively involved in missions and are interested in a missional lifestyle. Team members participate in a year-long missions discipleship through a retreat, mentoring and Bible study, said Kim Cruse, missions discipleship specialist for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. Team members are given resources

SBC EC ELIMINATES STAFF POSITIONS

September 14, 2023

NASHVILLE — The SBC Executive Committee made staff adjustments on Sept. 13 that eliminated five staff positions and two contractor positions, according to a statement. “Over the past few weeks our current leadership and officers met at length to determine various ways to most effectively steward the resources provided to us by Southern Baptist churches,” said Jonathan Howe, EC interim president. “As a result, our financial realities have led to

TBC CP GIFTS ON TARGET

September 13, 2023

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $3,089,572 through the Cooperative Program in August. For the year to date, Tennessee Baptists have given $29,118,629. The amount is $213,044 or 0.7 percent below what was given over the same time frame last year and is $48,038 or 0.16 percent below budget needs.

MAGICIAN STEPHEN BARGATZE ‘REALIZING HOW GREAT GOD IS’

September 13, 2023

NASHVILLE — When Stephen Bargatze was named the International Brotherhood of Magicians’ closeup magic champion in 2000, he didn’t know it at the time, but the nuns who’d taught him as a child had helped him win. A few years later, when Bargatze was called back to help judge the competition, he was told to watch the contestants sign their entry waivers. When he asked why, organizers told him it

TENNESCENE: SEP. 13

September 13, 2023

LEADERS Shawn Allred, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kenton, since 2016, was called as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church, Dyersburg, on July 9. His first Sunday was August 13. Allred has pastored churches in Tennessee and Arkansas and has been in the ministry since 1991, serving in youth, music, associate pastor and senior pastor roles. “I am excited to begin pastoring at Hillcrest Baptist Church and ministering in the harvest

GOTM GIFTS SET RECORD IN 2022-23

September 13, 2023

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,262,288 through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Baptists in 2022-23. “We did not meet the goal of $2.4 million, but it is the highest offering total in the offering’s history,” reported Vickie Anderson, executive director of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. Tennessee Baptists gave $2,227,367 last year to GOTM. There were 1,134 churches contributing to GOTM in 2023 compared to 1,123 in 2022. This

CHURCHES HOST ‘BLOCK PARTY’ FOR BLUE OVAL CITY WORKERS

September 12, 2023

BROWNSVILLE — Mike Young, senior pastor at Zion Baptist Church, Brownsville, knows that if Tennessee Baptists are truly going to make an impact in Blue Oval City, it is going to require cooperation from churches all over the state. Much to his delight, he’s already seeing that happen. When Zion Baptist hosted a “Blue Oval City Workers Appreciation Block Party” on Sept. 9 at Hidden Acres RV Park, the event

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OLIVER AFFIRMS BIBLICAL VIEW OF HUMANITY, GENDER