coronavirus

PRAYERWALKING DONE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY

Tennessee WMU ‘travel’ to Denver church planters without leaving home By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — For the past three years, Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union prayer warriors have traveled to Colorado as part of the Send Denver partnership to meet and pray with church planters on their home turf. Six teams which included 24 women were able to work with 14 church planters in and around

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PASTORS ARE NOT IMMUNE

to stress, fatigue and fear brought on by pandemic By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Providing counseling and guidance to individuals who are dealing with depression is a common assignment for pastors and church leaders. But what happens when the pastors and church leaders themselves are struggling with mental health challenges?

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CHURCHES GRAPPLE WITH WHETHER TO REQUIRE MASKS

By Tobin Perry Southern Baptist TEXAN HOUSTON — Listening to the discussion surrounding the reopening of churches, Steve Bezner could see much of it revolved around a dichotomy of faith versus fear. As Bezner, pastor of Houston Northwest Church, and other church leaders studied the issue from a variety of angles, they began to see it differently. “The more that we studied them, we began to see masks as love

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CHURCH PLANTS THAT MEET IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS FACE REOPENING CHALLENGES

By Tess Schoonhoven Baptist Press ATLANTA — As the state of Georgia continues on a path to reopening, Christ Covenant Church is cautiously planning to resume in-person gatherings. But decisions about when and how to return are complicated by where. Christ Covenant has called Sutton Middle School its Sunday home for 2 1/2 years. The church, which averaged about 500 in attendance before the COVID-19 pandemic, will be ready to

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SBC LEADERS COMMEND CDC GUIDELINES TO CHURCHES

By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Southern Baptist leaders commended to churches the new federal guidelines for restoring in-person worship gatherings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, even as efforts to resolve conflicts between state governments and faith communities continue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued interim guidelines May 22 that reminded state and local officials to take the First Amendment right of religious liberty into account

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WHAT ABOUT THE GRADUATES?

Seeing the whole picture from a family’s perspective Editor’s Note: The pandemic has wreaked havoc on almost every imaginable event including high school graduations. Keep in mind, not only the graduate missed graduation, but so did his or her family who spent untold hours of helping the graduate reach the milestone. Jay Barbier, youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, his wife, Natalee, and son, Jay, provide their perspectives.

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HOW TO FIND TRUE HEALING FROM COVID-19

By Mike Dawson Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Columbia COVID-19: we know that  “COVID” is the five-letter acronym for “Corona Virus Disease” and that the number 19 is for the year 2019 (since the disease originated in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China). And we’re well aware that it spread to become a global pandemic in the early months of 2020 and essentially shut down the world as we all had

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TRUMP CALLS CHURCHES ‘ESSENTIAL’ AS BAPTIST LEADERS URGE EQUAL TREATMENT IN REOPENING

By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Southern Baptist leaders are urging government officials to treat churches and other religious groups more justly in their reopening policies regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The calls for change came after churches in Minnesota and California told their governors they would begin holding in-person services in defiance of policies they consider to be unequal in treatment. Guidelines issued by Govs. Tim Walz of

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TBC CHURCHES BEGIN TO REGATHER

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — As June approaches, some Tennessee Baptist churches have started back while others are looking to return in late May and in June. As churches reopen, other larger gatherings are also being held. Gov. Bill Lee’s latest executive order issued on May 15 offered guidelines to facilitate the safe reopening of larger, non-contact attractions on or after May 22.

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NO FACES, NO PROBLEM FOR MCNAIRY COUNTY PASTOR

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] MICHIE — Like many pastors across Tennessee the past six to eight weeks, Ben Martin has gone to the sanctuary at his church and preached a sermon that was livestreamed to his congregation on Sunday mornings. But Martin, who has been pastor of First Baptist Church, Michie, for six years, missed seeing his congregation.

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WHAT ABOUT THE GRADUATES?

Seeing the whole picture from a family’s perspective Editor’s Note: The pandemic has wreaked havoc on almost every imaginable event including high school graduations. Keep

Read More »