By Bruce G. Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention, 2020-2021 Pastor, First Baptist Church of Hendersonville For the past two years it has been my honor to serve as the president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. As your president, I have had the opportunity to travel from Memphis to Johnson City and from Millington to Chattanooga and all points in between. I can tell you that God is blessing the work
By Randy C. Davis President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board I love a scoreboard. And a target. And a destiny. I want to know where I am going, how I’ll get there and when I’ll arrive. I’m wired that way. I admit I can be a bit obsessed with what’s coming next. A flaw? Maybe, and I have learned to “enjoy the moment.” However, that has not delivered
By Johnnie C. Godwin Contributing columnist, B&R We live in a world of “adversity.” The word “adversity” came into English by 1340 to mean “turned against.” A dictionary definition defines the word as “a state, condition, or instance of serious or continued difficulty — or adverse fortune.” (Merriam-Webster, Collegiate, 11th edition). My own definition would be that it is anything that bothers or hurts you or your family, church,
By Todd E. Brady Vice president for University ministries, Union University, Jackson The Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University recently revealed their findings from the 2021 American Family Survey. This survey seeks to shed light on Americans’ experiences in relationships, marriage and families and how those experiences relate to current events and public policy. Seven years ago, the same survey
By Randy C. Davis President & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board The Southern Baptist Convention is facing a Nehemiah moment. Put your sandals on and let’s take a walk through the rubble known as Jerusalem. Nehemiah wasn’t a preacher, or evangelist or any other type of vocational minister. He was a godly layman who heard the distant city was in ruins and the effort to rebuild the walls and
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] I have worn glasses for more than 50 years. It’s hard to find photos of me when I was a kid when I didn’t wear glasses. It wasn’t easy when I began wearing glasses in the fourth or fifth grade. I was called “four eyes” more times than I can count. Plus, back then, there was not the assortment of frames we
By Matt Tullos Special assistant to the executive director Pastors are amazing. They speak every Sunday. They provide leadership to teams and champion the vision of the church. They are there for the most joyous and most despairing moments of life: when babies are born, when brides are married, when people die. Traditionally, October is a month we honor and bless our pastors. Some churches give a gift certificate, a
By Bill Gruenewald President, Tennessee Baptist Foundation In March 2021, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) and the Tennessee Baptist Foundation (TBF) launched an initiative to help all Tennessee pastors and ministers get their estate plans in place. We partnered with Philanthrocorp, a faith-based company that works with charitable organizations in the area of estate planning and planned giving. They work with many other state Baptist foundations as well as
By Jay Barbier Youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board One of the wisest things I have ever been taught about preaching is boring people preach boring sermons. At first thought, this can seem crude or completely non-important. But yes, the big understanding in this theory is if you are a person that doesn’t experience life and life to the fullest, then the things you say or preach will
By Randy C. Davis President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board What will become of the Southern Baptist Convention? That question hangs above our denomination like an ominous cloud. The question is especially germane given the unprecedented decision by SBC Executive Committee Board members to waive attorney-client privilege in the third-party investigation of how the EC handled sexual abuse claims. The discussion has become strained at times. People have
By Bruce G. Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention, 2020-2021 Pastor, First Baptist Church of Hendersonville For the past two years it has been my honor
By Randy C. Davis President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board I love a scoreboard. And a target. And a destiny. I want to
By Johnnie C. Godwin Contributing columnist, B&R We live in a world of “adversity.” The word “adversity” came into English by 1340 to mean
By Todd E. Brady Vice president for University ministries, Union University, Jackson The Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy
By Randy C. Davis President & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board The Southern Baptist Convention is facing a Nehemiah moment. Put your sandals on
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] I have worn glasses for more than 50 years. It’s hard to find photos of me when
By Matt Tullos Special assistant to the executive director Pastors are amazing. They speak every Sunday. They provide leadership to teams and champion the vision
By Bill Gruenewald President, Tennessee Baptist Foundation In March 2021, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) and the Tennessee Baptist Foundation (TBF) launched an initiative
By Jay Barbier Youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board One of the wisest things I have ever been taught about preaching is boring
By Randy C. Davis President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board What will become of the Southern Baptist Convention? That question hangs above our
