coronavirus

PANDEMIC PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO ‘THRIVE ON OUR MISSION’

March 17, 2020

By Lonnie Wilkey [email protected] FRANKLIN — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Christians can draw encouragement from Scripture and the history of the church, said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. In comments March 16 to a group of pastors across the state via a conference call and later to TBMB staff, Davis said the church has always faced “the most difficult

COVID-19 IMPACTS SUNDAY SERVICES IN TENNESSEE, ACROSS U.S.

March 15, 2020

Baptist and Reflector staff, Baptist Press NASHVILLE — In an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), many churches across Tennessee encouraged members to stay home Sunday and watch online worship services. The Fellowship at Two Rivers, Nashville, was among the churches in Tennessee who elected to use that option. An email from the Fellowship’s elders was sent during the week, informing members: “We have made the hard

WORRIED? KEEP CALM AND CARRY THE GOSPEL

March 13, 2020

By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director It was 1939. War gathered in the distance as German military might rumbled like a deadly thunderstorm rolling across the open plains. Brits looked toward the horizon and saw dread tumbling their direction. It was inevitable. It was widely accepted that German bombers would darken the sky and rain fury on England’s prominent cities once war began. Tension rose; fear increased.

CARSON-NEWMAN, UNION MOVE CLASSES ONLINE

March 13, 2020

Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Union University and Carson-Newman University addressed the coronavirus pandemic with their respective campus communities on March 12. Union University in Jackson informed students, faculty and staff that it would move full semester classes on March 16 to an online or alternate delivery format. In a letter to the Union University community, university president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said, “While there have been no confirmed cases

GREEAR, FLOYD, ENTITY HEADS ISSUE CALL FOR DAY OF PRAYER

March 13, 2020

Baptist Press staff NASHVILLE — Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear and the SBC Great Commission Council (GCC) are calling all Southern Baptists throughout more than 47,500 churches “to commit to a dedicated time of prayer this Sunday, March 15, 2020.” In response to the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to be a global pandemic, Greear and the GCC, which is composed of the heads of the

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR ASKS CHURCHES TO CLOSE SUNDAY TO DETER COVID-19

March 12, 2020

By Diana Chandler Baptist Press FRANKFORT, Ky. — It appears unlikely many Southern Baptist churches will comply with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s request that houses of worship cancel services at least through Sunday (March 15) to deter spread of the new coronavirus, Kentucky Southern Baptists told Baptist Press. Kentucky congregations, while autonomous, will likely take seriously Beshear’s request, Kentucky Baptist Convention (KBC) Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Gray told BP. But congregations

LIFEWAY DEVELOPS FREE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE TRAINING RESOURCES

March 12, 2020

By Aaron Earls LifeWay news office NASHVILLE — As the coronavirus spreads in the U.S., congregations are facing a situation many have never considered. In response, the LifeWay Leadership team has developed pandemic response resources that are being made available for free to assist pastors and church leaders at MinistryGrid.com/coronavirus. “Pastors are asking questions about how their churches should react to the coronavirus,” said Todd Adkins, director of LifeWay Leadership.

TBMB SUSPENDS YEC AND GET-TOGETHER

March 12, 2020

By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBMB FRANKLIN — In an unprecedented move, leadership of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board made the decision to “suspend” both the 2020 Youth Evangelism Conference and the Woman’s Missionary Union annual Get Together/Connection. “We did not make this decision to suspend these two great events lightly,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “The COVID-19 situation moved

TBMB LEADER OFFERS CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

March 11, 2020

Dear Tennessee Baptists, We have had several pastors contact us regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Questions have arisen about canceling services and other events, so I wanted to offer our perspective here at the TBMB and just a word of encouragement. Since all TBC churches are autonomous, the TBC has no comprehensive policy that dictates actions related to the COVID-19 virus. We encourage every church to consider how and if they

IMB RECOMMENDS MISSION VOLUNTEERS POSTPONE TRAVEL

March 10, 2020

By Tess Schoonhoven Baptist Press RICHMOND — In light of the continuing global expansion of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), the International Mission Board’s coronavirus task force and senior leadership recommend that mission volunteers from U.S. churches postpone international mission-trip travel through April 30. This date could be extended and will be reevaluated by April 15. IMB also recommends that people who have not yet purchased tickets for future travel wait

coronavirus

PANDEMIC PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO ‘THRIVE ON OUR MISSION’