Tennessee

MORE TO LIFE THAN PLAYING FOOTBALL

UT football great tells high schoolers about ‘Team Jesus’ By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CHATTANOOGA — Joshua Dobbs’ career at the University of Tennessee speaks for itself. Perhaps that’s why he’s more comfortable talking about Jesus than himself. Dobbs holds four school records for a quarterback and is high on the list of other significant football records. During his UT career (2013-16), he was 23-12 as a

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BCM IMPACT STRETCHES BEYOND CAMPUS

By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Bill Choate, the collegiate ministry specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is a big-picture kind of guy, especially in regard to his view of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries. Choate believes BCM is about so much more than simply being a place for college-aged Christians to socialize. He believes — and has seen — that the ministry is having a major

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BCM – REACHING THE NEXT GENERATION

BCM mobilizes believers, trains leaders, influences campuses By Bill Choate [email protected] I looked across Mark Whitt’s desk at MTSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry office and asked, “What are the blue cards?” Mark, BCM Campus Minister, said all 750 were contact information cards from new students coming to MTSU. They were gathered by Mark and student leaders over a summer of on-campus student orientation events. Of the approximately 4,500 new students on

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A TRUE BAPTIST STATESMAN

By Lonnie Wilkey [email protected] As most people probably are aware, the 11-story Sullivan Tower, which sat on the property formerly owned by LifeWay Christian Resources, was imploded on Saturday, July 21.  The former LifeWay property was sold a few years ago and is being developed into a hotel, office buildings, restaurants and retail and entertainment venues.

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TANKER EXPLOSION STILL REMEMBERED

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] WAVERLY —   In the 40 years Tennessee Baptists have responded to disasters in the state and around the globe, countless volunteers have trekked to be the hands and feet of Jesus when people needed a friend and a helping hand. But the state convention’s first “official” disaster relief response was done with little fanfare and no volunteers or equipment. In fact, the

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DR CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MOUNT JULIET  — Nearly 300 volunteers from every area of the state flocked to the Missions Mobilization Center in Mount Juliet July 14 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief. “We’re here today because for 40 years Tennessee Baptists have been responding in a united, cooperative manner to disaster,” observed Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist

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CARSON-NEWMAN’S O’BRIEN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector JEFFERSON CITY — Randall O’Brien, president of Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City since 2008, has announced his plans to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2018. O’Brien celebrated his 10th anniversary as Carson-Newman’s 22nd president on July 8. O’Brien was elected by the university’s trustees in July of 2008 and began transitioning to the position in August of that year. He didn’t officially join the college until

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FAITH SUSTAINS MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT PICK

By Bill Sorrell Contributing writer, B&R MEMPHIS —  When pro scouts began showing up at University of Memphis baseball games this spring, Jonathan Bowlan’s teammates started calling him “draft guy.” He would answer, “We’ll see.”

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