Opinion Column

DOOLEY NOTED: GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK

I’ve been thinking about God a lot lately. Big news flash, huh? I am a pastor after all. What else would a man of my calling be doing? Lately, my focus has been different, though. So much of Christian service prioritizes helping others turn to God, finding answers to life’s dilemmas in Scripture, and equipping the saints to do the work of ministry for themselves. Outside of knowing Christ myself,

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BUT YOU ACTUALLY DO HAVE A CREATIVE BONE

My wife and daughter gave me a record player for Christmas a couple of years ago. I have it in my garage and recently I was listening to “Tones,” the 1986 debut album by ridiculously talented Austin guitar player Eric Johnson, and the thought hit me: there is a theological connection between Eric Johnson, my record collection, God and us.  I currently have 191 albums in my record collection. Most

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FRIENDS OF THE B&R AND MISSION:DIGNITY

Last August, the Baptist and Reflector reintroduced our “Friends of the B&R” plan. We are grateful for those who purchased subscriptions. Friends of the B&R is continuing, but for the next few months, we are focusing on our Mission:Dignity recipients in Tennessee. Last May the B&R provided at no cost a subscription to our Mission:Dignity recpients. For those who may be new to the paper, Mission:Dignity provides a monthly stipend

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THE CALL AND THE CRISIS

I was licensed to the gospel ministry 50 years ago Feb. 17 by my home church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Saraland, Ala.  The document on a wall near my office reads: “This is to certify Randy Charles Davis who has given evidence that God has called him into the Gospel ministry to preach the Gospel as he may have opportunity and to exercise his gifts in work of the ministry.”  

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DOOLEY NOTED: TRUE LOVE ACCORDING TO GOD

Though many debate the origin of Valentine’s Day, here in the U.S. its observance is synonymous with love and romance. In the coming week, tangible expressions of love and celebrations of relationships will be commonplace. These demonstrable acts will warm hearts and brighten days as we verbalize our concern for and commitments to others. Some will emphasize it more than others, but the nature of this holiday exposes our abiding

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE

The pursuit of God’s preferable future for Tennessee Baptists is gaining momentum.  Tennessee Baptists began a journey 15 months ago to understand God’s preferable future for our great network of churches. The Acts 2:17 initiative launched at the 2022 Summit held at Bellevue Baptist Church.  Thousands of data points were collected from Tennessee Baptist pastors, ministers and laypeople from Memphis to Mountain City and from Dyersburg to Ducktown. The objective:

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THE ELEPHANT REMAINS IN THE ROOM

The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention will meet Feb. 19-20 at the SBC Building in Nashville.  A few weeks ago, it appeared that the Executive Committee was poised to rid itself of the elephant in the room — the vacant office of president and chief executive officer. The position has been vacant aside from interim presidents since Oct. 31, 2021 when Ronnie Floyd’s resignation as president and CEO

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FIRST PERSON: A TYPICAL DAY FOR THE ‘BIVO’ PASTOR

Any way you look at it, bivocational ministry is tough. It is NOT part-time and it is not a 9-5 job. It takes away from the pastor personally, and it takes away from the wife and children.  It adds stress that only a bivocational pastor can understand. Like all pastors, We have a family, children, grandchildren and parents. We have hopes, dreams, desires that rarely come to fruition because we

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WHY YOUR CHURCH SHOULD PLAN VBS NOW

For many churches, dates for Vacation Bible School (VBS) are among the first placed on the church calendar each year. Churches give VBS high priority because pastors recognize VBS as one of the most important evangelistic events for the entire church year.  In some churches, a volunteer serves as the VBS director. Other churches may have a children’s ministry staff person who’s responsible for coordinating VBS. For some churches, especially

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WHY YOUR CHURCH SHOULD PLAN VBS NOW

For many churches, dates for Vacation Bible School (VBS) are among the first placed on the church calendar each year. Churches give VBS high priority because pastors recognize VBS as one of the most important evangelistic events for the entire church year.  In some churches, a volunteer serves as the VBS director. Other churches may have a children’s ministry staff person who’s responsible for coordinating VBS. For some churches, especially

Read More...

LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE

The pursuit of God’s preferable future for Tennessee Baptists is gaining momentum.  Tennessee Baptists began a journey 15 months ago to understand God’s preferable future

Read More »