JACKSON — Union University trustees at their Sept. 6 meeting approved a mission leave policy for university employees, providing up to five days every two years for faculty and staff to participate in mission trips.  Union president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said the institution wants to encourage its employees to live out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this policy is one way to do that. The policy

HUMBOLDT  — Antioch Baptist Church in Humboldt recently honored Aubrey Wilson for 50 years as a faithful leader of young men through Royal Ambassadors (RAs). Approximately 200 members attended the celebration in the church’s fellowship hall with some spilling over into the side rooms and gym area. The event included a meal, several gifts and a program with six different speakers, said Danny Sinquefield, Harvest Field 6 team leader for

JACKSON — Most cultural debates today are rooted in an attack on God’s original design for His creation, Shane Pruitt told a group of high school students at Union University on Sept. 7. “At the end of the day, God is the originator, designer and inventor of it all,” said Pruitt, national Next Gen director for the North American Mission Board. “And if God is the original designer, inventor and

HARRIMAN — Approximately two-thirds of the 51 churches in Big Emory Baptist Association joined together Aug. 25-28 to plant gospel seeds in their communities. The 34 churches that participated were divided into 10 different groups, said Matt Cannon, director of missions for the association. From Sunday through Wednesday nights, each group held a revival service at one of the churches in the group with a pastor from a different church

FRANKLIN — Continuing their response efforts after Hurricane Helene’s devastating output, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief will be setting up two incident command posts in the coming days. One post will be stationed at First Baptist Church, Dandridge, and Tennessee volunteers will be working out of that area covering Jefferson and Cocke counties. TBDR will be feeding with Salvation Army, and Tennessee chain saw and flood recovery teams will be working out

FRANKLIN — Some Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams are already in action (see story HERE), but more are needed in the efforts to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, sent out an email Saturday morning, asking that all TBDR teams and volunteers be on standby. “East Tennessee has been hit hard,” Jones said in the email. “The worst damage

  Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 28. NEWPORT — Eastern Tennessee experienced significant and widespread damage Friday afternoon due to torrential rains and high winds from Hurricane Helene. Helene made landfall in the Florida Panhandle late Thursday and forcefully progressed through Eastern Georgia into Tennessee along the Appalachian Mountains, causing severe flooding and wind damage in numerous East Tennessee counties. Newport, Irwin, Hampton and

MOUNT JULIET — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been placed on alert for possible response to Hurricane Helene. As of 2 p.m. EST on Sept. 26, Helene is currently a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 110 mph. It is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Big Bend this evening as at least a Category 3 hurricane, bringing the risk of devastating damage, according to an NBC News

CROSSVILLE — Search across the Southern Baptist Convention and you will find churches with pastors who have long tenures and even other ministers who have been at the same church for a number of years. In a society, however, where the average stay of a minister at a church is normally less than six or seven years, it would be hard pressed to find a church that matches Central Baptist