Tennessee

UNION HONORS DOCKERYS WITH LECTURE SERIES

September 26, 2016

Baptist and Reflector JACKSON — Union University will launch a new lecture series in the spring that honors its former president and first lady and celebrates the school’s Baptist history and heritage. The Dockery Lectures on Baptist Thought and Heritage, named for former Union President David S. Dockery and First Lady Lanese Dockery, will be an annual event designed to examine the importance of the Baptist heritage, the distinctives of

NASHVILLE LIGHTENS UP ON MARIJUANA PENALTIES

September 26, 2016

By Diana Chandler Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — Nashville and surrounding Davidson County have joined a lengthy list of governments giving law enforcement officials the option of issuing civil citations to persons possessing small amounts of marijuana. Marijuana possession and use in the city and county are still considered crimes. But under the new measure passed Sept. 20 by the Nashville Metropolitan Council, law enforcement officials may choose whether to

C-N SEES RECORD FALL ENROLLMENT

September 23, 2016

Carson-Newman News Office JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman University is experiencing its third year of record enrollment with 2,659 students. Last fall’s enrollment was 2,528. In addition, the college has been cited by U.S. News & World Report. The total enrollment represents a cumulative 35 percent growth over the last five years. The university also experienced a six-year high in the number of incoming freshmen with 506. The increase includes undergraduate

DOM USES MECHANICAL SKILLS TO REACH ESKIMOS

September 23, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector SHELBYVILLE — This summer Tim Key found a new way to minister to the Eskimo or Inupiat people in Alaska he has grown to love. He repairs their four-wheelers or ATVs. Key, director of missions, New Duck River Baptist Association, used to be a motorcycle mechanic. There are many needs in the four villages he and other Tennessee Baptists minister in,

TBC’S RICKMAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

September 22, 2016

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Gary Rickman, director of strategic relationships for the Tennessee Baptist Convention, will retire Dec. 31 after 25 years as a member of the TBC staff. Though born in Arkansas, Rickman considers Watertown his hometown. Prior to joining the convention’s staff in 1991, Rickman served as pastor of Ridgeview Baptist Church, Chattanooga. He also has served as pastor of two other Tennessee Baptist congregations (Burt Baptist

GAINES ADJUSTS TO ROLE AS SBC PRESIDENT

September 21, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector CORDOVA — After what may have been one of the most unusual presidential elections in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, reality has sunk in for Steve Gaines. Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in June during the annual meeting in St. Louis. After two elections failed to produce a winning candidate, both

PRAY FOR AND LOVE STUDENTS: SRO OFFICER

September 21, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector LASCASSAS — School Resource Officer Joseph Rigsby of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department asked members of Holly Grove Baptist Church here to pray for and show love to students — at his middle school and in all schools and communities. Rigsby, who works at a middle school, spoke during the church’s morning worship service Sept. 11. He sees many children in

CHURCH ACCEPTS MISSIONS WORK AT HOME

September 21, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector SMYRNA — Missions work is never easy but Parkway Baptist Church here is ready for challenges, said Pastor Dan Parker recently. In fact, Parkway Baptist sees God work the most when it accepts the greatest or most unusual challenges, he explained. “It’s crazy,” said Parker. So when he learned that a church in nearby Shelbyville needed to be revitalized, he prayed

GAINES: RHETORIC CAN INHIBIT EVANGELISM

September 20, 2016

By David Roach Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Conviction and kindness are the prescriptions of Southern Baptist leaders for the final eight weeks of the U.S. presidential campaign. With early voting by mail having begun in North Carolina and in-person early voting slated to begin in three states this week, Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines, joined other well known Baptists (Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.,

EXECUTIVE BOARD ADOPTS $35 MILLION BUDGET

September 20, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — The Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention adopted two recommendations during its Sept. 14 meeting at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood. Board members approved a budget of $35 million for 2016-17. The proposed budget, which must be approved by messengers to the annual meeting during the Summit in November, represents an increase of $750,000 over the current budget. The new

Tennessee

UNION HONORS DOCKERYS WITH LECTURE SERIES