Opinion Column

GOTM — SUPPORTING MISSIONS IN TENNESSEE

By Vickie Anderson Executive Dir., TN WMU It is almost here, one of my favorite times of the year — September. I love getting to spend time with family and friends over Labor Day weekend and that fall weather and cooler temperatures begin to arrive. But the thing I love the most about September is that it is state missions emphasis month. For Tennessee Baptists, September brings the opportunity to

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WHEN THE CHURCH IS AT AN IMPASSE

By Johnnie Godwin Contributing Columnist, B&R Phyllis and I recently drove to a midday brunch to honor a newlywed couple. We had never been where we were going, but our GPS was set. As we turned off a paved road, our GPS took us up a graveled, narrow, curvy, mountainous road — with drop-offs but no turning back. Soon we met a full-sized pickup truck. Nearly side by side, the

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LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM BACKPACKING

By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBMB Lessons can be learned from many of life’s endeavors, but I’ve found backpacking seems to offer more than its fair share of learning opportunities. Who knows, maybe the mind is distracted by productive thinking while trying to avoid questioning one’s own sanity in lugging a 40-pound pack around the woods. Recently, my teenaged daughter and I shuffled off to the boonies. This was

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LOVING TO TELL THE TIMELESS STORY

By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director A great story never gets old, even if it’s an old story. I was recently talking with Mike Henegar, one of our Tennessee pastors, and he shared with me what God was saying to him through Psalms 71. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued so I reread Psalm 71 as soon as I got home. In the psalm, the Sweet Singer of

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GOD MADE IT HAPPEN

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector As I sat in my office earlier today (Aug. 21) I could not help but think how funny it would be if God looked down from heaven and decided to not allow the total eclipse to happen. He could have stopped it had He chosen, but He allowed it to happen. The hoopla surrounding this eclipse has amazed me. While they don’t happen

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RED, YELLOW, BLACK, AND WHITE

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector As I have read news reports of the violence that happened in Charlottesville, Va., nearly two weeks ago, the words of “Jesus Loves The Little Children” have remained in my thoughts. “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world” (those are

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ANSWER YOUR ‘WHY?’

Robert Tyson Director of Missions, Robertson County Baptist Association, Springfield What inspires you? What lights your fire? What is your passion? Once you know your passion, you will discover your “why?” Several years ago, Margie Warrell wrote an article for Forbes. In the article, she stated: “The word inspire comes from the Latin, meaning ‘to breathe life into.’ Accordingly, when you are working toward things that inspire you, it literally

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WELCOME REFUGEES TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Kathy Sharp Former IMB Missionary Imagine being a refugee landing in the United States for the first time. You’ve been waiting for years for the opportunity to start your life again. You don’t speak English, and you have no idea how to get started in a new country. Refugees have an array of hopes and fears as they acclimate to a new culture and new way of life. As followers

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THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Jeremy Chandler Marketing Manager, Pursuant, Nashville Social media provides churches with an incredible opportunity to reach more people and create deeper, more meaningful connections with people in the pew. But, when you combine the various ways churches can use it and challenges around what to post, many churches are still either hesitant to use social media or are using it poorly and not seeing any positive results. So how do

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KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TENNESSEE

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Even before the formation of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1874, the Baptist and Reflector (and its predecessors) has kept Tennessee Baptists informed. R.B.C. Howell  first published THE BAPTIST (the forerunner of the B&R) in 1835. Howell, who was also pastor of First Baptist Church, Nashville, recognized that church growth in those early years of the United States and Tennessee was limited by

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GOD MADE IT HAPPEN

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector As I sat in my office earlier today (Aug. 21) I could not help but think how funny

Read More »

ANSWER YOUR ‘WHY?’

Robert Tyson Director of Missions, Robertson County Baptist Association, Springfield What inspires you? What lights your fire? What is your passion? Once you know your

Read More »