PIGEON FORGE — Pastor Rich Murray of Mountain View Baptist Church in Johnson City is bivocational and proud of it. “If it worked for (the Apostle) Paul, why wouldn’t it work for me?” he asked. Murray observed that Paul modeled what it meant to be bivocational. “There is nothing more biblical,” he affirmed. “I believe that to be anything else would be a demotion for me because I’m called to
LINDEN — Change is inevitable in all areas of life and includes changes for individuals, businesses and even denominational organizations and churches, says seminary president Jeff Iorg. Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary in Ontario, Calif., and author of Leading Major Change in Your Organization, speaks from experience. “Even healthy organizations need major seasons of change,” he observed. Iorg made his observations via a Zoom meeting during the Tennessee Baptist Mission
LINDEN — Jeff Iorg is considered by many to be an expert on the topic of “dealing with change.” Even so, Iorg admits that adapting to something new can often be a challenging assignment. “My wife will tell you that I don’t always do well when change happens to me,” said Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary in Ontario, Calif., and author of Leading Major Change in Your Organization. Speaking to
COVINGTON — During his recent mental health seminar, pastor Ronny Raines, of First Baptist Church, Clarksville, provided his thoughts on questions to consider in regard to how pastors and ministry leaders can take care of themselves. Here are five key areas to consider: Mental: Are you depressed? Are you anxious? Do you need professional help? Is there margin in your life and ministry? Are you able to disconnect and relax
COVINGTON — Pastors are not “supermen,” but individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges that often lead to ministerial burnout and occasionally suicide. “I found out this job’s hard for everybody,” Cliff Marion told a room full of pastors and other church ministers gathered for the first-ever Pastors Mental Health Forum. “I know that’s the way the people in this room are feeling and that ultimately
BUTLER — In upper East Tennessee, pastor Don Winters of Sugar Grove Baptist Church in Butler is lovingly referred to by some family and friends as the “crazy preacher who swam the ice mile” or “the Watauga Lake lunatic.” Winters takes it in stride but he has the last laugh. On Jan. 23, Winters became the oldest man in the world to swim an “ice mile” at the age of
KNOXVILLE — Dana Fachman, pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in Knoxville retired Dec. 24, 2023, after 35 years of service to the church and the community. Before that, he served at Leawood Baptist church in Memphis for 10-and-a-half years, for a total ministry tenure 45 years. Fachman began his ministry at the age of 23 and only served in two churches which he says, “created stability” for his family.
PIGEON FORGE — For more than 35 years Joy Clay-Corby has been a fixture as a ministry assistant with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (formerly Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention). Clay-Corby has seen a lot of history over her three-and-a-half decades. She has served under four executive directors — Tom Madden, D.L. Lowrie, James Porch and Randy C. Davis. When she joined the staff in 1988, she worked
FRANKLIN — Longtime Tennessee Baptist Claude King will forever be intertwined with Henry Blackaby. Though Blackaby perhaps is best known for Experiencing God, the original version was co-authored by King, then an employee of the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources). King, now retired from Lifeway but still involved in discipleship and prayer ministry from his home in Murfreesboro, reflected on the life and ministry of Blackaby, who
BELLS — Chris Garner had everything mapped out in his mind: He was going to move to West Tennessee to plant a church that would be part of the BlueOval Initiative. Turns out, he was only half right. Yes, God opened the door for Garner and his family to move to West Tennessee, but church planting wasn’t part of the equation. Instead, Garner was called as senior pastor at Holly
PIGEON FORGE — Pastor Rich Murray of Mountain View Baptist Church in Johnson City is bivocational and proud of it. “If it worked for (the
LINDEN — Change is inevitable in all areas of life and includes changes for individuals, businesses and even denominational organizations and churches, says seminary president
LINDEN — Jeff Iorg is considered by many to be an expert on the topic of “dealing with change.” Even so, Iorg admits that adapting
COVINGTON — During his recent mental health seminar, pastor Ronny Raines, of First Baptist Church, Clarksville, provided his thoughts on questions to consider in regard
COVINGTON — Pastors are not “supermen,” but individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges that often lead to ministerial burnout and
BUTLER — In upper East Tennessee, pastor Don Winters of Sugar Grove Baptist Church in Butler is lovingly referred to by some family and friends
KNOXVILLE — Dana Fachman, pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in Knoxville retired Dec. 24, 2023, after 35 years of service to the church and the
PIGEON FORGE — For more than 35 years Joy Clay-Corby has been a fixture as a ministry assistant with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (formerly
FRANKLIN — Longtime Tennessee Baptist Claude King will forever be intertwined with Henry Blackaby. Though Blackaby perhaps is best known for Experiencing God, the original
BELLS — Chris Garner had everything mapped out in his mind: He was going to move to West Tennessee to plant a church that would