By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector We have all heard the accusation. Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. They preach one thing, but live the exact opposite. Sadly, there are Christians who do just that. But there are also Christians who try the best they can to match their words with their actions. Christians, however, do not have the market on hypocrisy. For those who read the Baptist
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Hunger. For most of us, we have no idea of what true hunger is. We all perhaps have gone a day or so without food, but we seldom can say we are really hungry. I recently had a colonoscopy which means I went without eating solid food for more than 24 hours. And though I was “hungry” I knew I would have something
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There’s a homeless man who lives in Chattanooga tucked under a towering overpass. He abused crack cocaine and alcohol. Physically, his life was a wreck and heading for death. Spiritually, he was heading for hell. But about a year ago, someone navigated quarry stones, briar bushes and the threat of personal harm to share the gospel with him. Today, “Tree Man” Smith is
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I love good popcorn, but not necessarily the microwave variety. In my household, I usually am the one designated to make popcorn. I use a deep pot with a lid on the stove top. I place oil and butter in the pot and let the butter melt into the oil. Then I place the popcorn kernels into the mixture. At first, not much
By Richard Skidmore Financial Support Specialist, TBC It is quite possible that beginning this past January your pastor or other church staff member began being taxed on their health insurance premium. It will be the church’s responsibility to report the amount of the premium as taxable income as part of the salary paid to this person. How can the Affordable Care Act that had as its centerpiece making health insurance
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There are churches everywhere in Nashville. Let’s take a ride. For instance, nine large churches sit adjacent to Franklin Road in a two-mile stretch if you drive north from Old Hickory in Brentwood. If you drive south another two or three miles through Brentwood you can add another five large churches, bringing the total to 13 just in that one short stretch. Travel
By Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,421,683 through the Cooperative Program in August. For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $27,893,395. The amount is $801,328 or 2.8 percent below what was given at the same point last year. With two months remaining in the 2013-14 budget year, Cooperative Program receipts are $2,523,271 or 8.3 percent below budget needs.
By Larry Robertson President, TBC, & Clarksville Pastor I didn’t grow up in a strong Cooperative Program giving church. When I got to Blue Mountain (Miss.) College as a ministerial student, however, my eyes were opened to the unparalleled strategy Southern Baptists have to fund missions and ministry. Dr. James Travis, longtime biblical studies professor at Blue Mountain, taught us that being Southern Baptist is more than geography or theology.
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I watched a recent video clip of Victoria Osteen, wife of noted pastor and author Joel Osteen of Houston. Honestly, I was not impressed. I recently wrote a column expressing my opinion of the “health and wealth” ministers that are so prevalent today. At least one reader chastised me and said I was way off base. That reader and others need to see
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director To say Litz Manor Baptist Church was on life support is an understatement. The reality was its slow death was only delaying being moved from the category of once-thriving congregations to just another statistic of churches that closed its doors. You’ve seen those churches. They are now community theatres, coffee shops, town hall meeting places …or bars. But God wasn’t done with Litz
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector We have all heard the accusation. Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. They preach one thing, but
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Hunger. For most of us, we have no idea of what true hunger is. We all perhaps have
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There’s a homeless man who lives in Chattanooga tucked under a towering overpass. He abused crack cocaine and
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I love good popcorn, but not necessarily the microwave variety. In my household, I usually am the one
By Richard Skidmore Financial Support Specialist, TBC It is quite possible that beginning this past January your pastor or other church staff member began being
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There are churches everywhere in Nashville. Let’s take a ride. For instance, nine large churches sit adjacent to
By Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,421,683 through the Cooperative Program in August. For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given
By Larry Robertson President, TBC, & Clarksville Pastor I didn’t grow up in a strong Cooperative Program giving church. When I got to Blue Mountain
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector I watched a recent video clip of Victoria Osteen, wife of noted pastor and author Joel Osteen of
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director To say Litz Manor Baptist Church was on life support is an understatement. The reality was its slow