By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Besides the two Baptist camps/conference centers being operated by the Tennessee Baptist Convention in Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee, seven Baptist associations own and operate camps/retreat centers, and a former association camp bought by a Baptist church in Tennessee, now a separate ministry, is available. The TBC camps are Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center, Linden, and Carson Springs Baptist

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — In addition to approving the 10-year goals outlined by Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Director Randy C. Davis (see story on page 1), the Executive Board approved a new partnership with the Guatemalan Baptist Convention, approved allocations for the 2014 Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, and heard an update from the Vision 2021 Transition Team during its June 24 meeting held at

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Chris Kelly has been named executive vice president and general counsel of the Tennessee Baptist Foundation, effective July 1. Kelly, who is an attorney and trust officer, is a deacon and Sunday School teacher and has served on several committees at Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro. He has served on the TBF board of trustees since 2012. He served on the investment committee and was vice

By Charlie Wertherington Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes President/Treasurer Bryant Millsaps has announced his intention to step down from his post on Dec. 31, 2015. Millsaps joined the TBCH staff in 1998 as assistant to Gerald Stow, president/treasurer. He was selected as Stow’s successor and began his service as president/treasurer in 2000. When he completes his tenure at the end of 2015, Millsaps will have

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — David Acres, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief director since 2005, has announced his retirement, effective Sept. 30. The East Tennessee native served as pastor of several churches in Tennessee including Liberty Baptist Church, Wartburg; Mount Harmony Baptist Church, Knoxville; and First Baptist Church, Huntsville.

Baptist and Reflector RICHMOND — Southern Baptists gave an unprecedented $154 million to the 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, breaking the record for the largest total in the offering’s 125-year history. The 2013 offering, finalized June 5, reached $154,057,852.36. The total represents an increase of nearly $4.8 million over 2012, or 3.2 percent. It tops the previous record, $150.4 million in 2007, by more than $3.6 million, and marks

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector Two Baptist associations in Tennessee have elected directors of missions recently. Tennessee has 66 associations. Phil Mitchell, pastor, First Baptist Church, Adamsville, for 14 years, was called as director of missions, Weakley County Baptist Association, based in Dresden, effective May 19. He also was pastor of Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Cedar Grove, for 12 years, and Davis Memorial Baptist Church, Dresden, for

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector CLEVELAND — All Baptists want our churches to be healthy but when a church needs revitalization, it does not always occur the way we think, said Phil Taylor, director of missions, Bradley Baptist Association, based here. That is the case for Stuart Park Baptist Church, Cleveland, which closed March 30 after holding its final service. Several weeks earlier it had transferred

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,940,748 through the Cooperative Program in May. After seven months of the 2013-14 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists have given $20,166,640. The amount is $483,580 or 2.3 percent below what was given at the same point last year and is $1,125,027 or 5.28 percent below budgeted needs.

Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Jeremy Westbrook, pastor of Living Hope Church in Marysville, Ohio, will be nominated for vice president of the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference next week in Baltimore. The Pastors Conference precedes the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention which will be held June 10-11.