Over the last two years, I have been privileged to be part of the Acts 217 visioning process. I have witnessed the Lord’s hand at work throughout the entire journey.  As we gathered in listening sessions, submitted surveys, gave feedback, compiled and interpreted data, discussed challenges and then pieced together a plan for moving forward, our steps were ordered by our Heavenly Father. It has been humbling and gratifying to

In less than a month, Tennessee Baptists will gather in Murfreesboro for the historic 150th Tennessee Baptist Convention. When we gather, we will do what Tennessee Baptists have done 149 times before — celebrate what God has done, connect and re-connect as a family, consider important matters before us, and commit to the work God has called us to engage in together.  Along with this meeting’s historic significance as we

There are similarities between the broken walls of Jerusalem and the broken communities scattered for miles along the eastern edge of our great state.  Recall the state of Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah. Gates and walls that once proudly stood around Jerusalem were broken and reduced to rubble, covered with moss and debris. The dilapidated condition of the city became the norm for a complacent people.  Fortunately, God laid

Looking at the photos is not for the faint of heart. A weeping couple in Florida embraces over the rubble that used to be their home. Traffic stalls on I-40 in North Carolina due to missing pieces of the interstate after excessive rain and mudslides. An engulfed Nolichucky Dam in East Tennessee weathers twice the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls. Overturned vehicles, floating houses and leveled communities

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining Randy Davis in representing Tennessee Baptists at the installation service of Jeff Iorg, our new president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.  In Dr. Iorg’s message during the service, he cast a vision and celebrated how Southern Baptists are a “force for good” in our cooperative work to share the gospel, send missionaries, train ministers, plant