Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series by TBMB Executive Director Randy C. Davis. Part Two will appear in the March 10 issue of the Baptist and Reflector. By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director One of our Tennessee Baptist pastors recently asked what were things that kept me awake at night and what were five things that got me going in the morning. I’m
Pastors express ‘decision fatigue’ and ‘ministerial frustration’ as COVID-19 pandemic lingers By Diana Chandler Baptist Press LEXINGTON — For the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Rock Hill Baptist Church in rural west Tennessee was resuming onsite worship. Then, Pastor Richard Bray was exposed to the virus and the church had to transition once again to remote worship while Bray waited weeks for his test results. Bray became a
By Scott Barkley Baptist Press HENDERSONVILLE — Since Long Hollow Baptist Church began experiencing what pastor Robby Gallaty calls “a genuine move of God” last month, roughly 300 people have traveled to its Tennessee campus from all over the country to be baptized. One group came forward – some scheduled, others spontaneously – at the church’s first Tuesday prayer service on Jan. 19, which lasted more than two hours. Twenty-two more were
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brian Croft jokes that masks are the new “color of the carpet argument” in churches, with similarly poor outcomes. Pastors are resigning from the stress “kind of in a way I’ve never really seen.” The founder of Practical Shepherding transitioned from fulltime pastoring to lead the shepherding outreach fulltime in January, pulled by a need for coaching and counseling that has steadily
Two-year-old church plant baptizes 45 people during pandemic By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] BRISTOL — Pastor Joel Kirk has a simple formula for planting a church: “It’s impossible to please God without faith.” So far, that formula has produced miracle after miracle for Realife Church in Bristol, a congregation that will not be three years old until the Sunday after Easter this year. Kirk recalled that on
Churches invited to host watch parties for YEC this year By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — For more than two years, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board youth specialist Jay Barbier has been thinking about the possibility of restructuring the annual Youth Evangelism Conference. The COVID-19 pandemic opened the door for those changes to be made. The conference, which has been a popular event for more than 50 years,
By Bruce Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville On Nov. 20, 2020, I was conducting a wedding rehearsal in southern Kentucky. The plans for the wedding had changed significantly. It had gone from a large celebration of several hundred family and friends to a very small gathering of just family. We wanted to be as responsible as possible and follow all of the proper protocols.
FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] McMINNVILLE — Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal wave of cancelations and postponements over the past 10 months, the virus certainly hasn’t canceled the evangelism efforts at First Baptist Church, McMinnville. It has only reshaped them. When the virus first took hold last spring, the church staff at FBC began examining some of
Based on recent numbers compiled by the TBMB, more than 800 pastors and staff members have battled COVID-19 since last spring. Some have recovered quickly. Others have endured extended struggles. Some have passed away. Here are just a few of the stories — straight from pastors themselves — about how the virus affected their personal lives and their ministry. Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — In recent weeks, the Baptist and
Pastors, church leaders dealing with tough decisions, high stress levels during pandemic By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Though a large number of Christians may feel their pastors and ministers have easy jobs (after all they only have to work on Sunday and Wednesdays, right?), research findings indicate the opposite is true. In 2015 LifeWay Research revealed some of the stress pastors face: 84 percent say
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series by TBMB Executive Director Randy C. Davis. Part Two will appear in the March 10
Pastors express ‘decision fatigue’ and ‘ministerial frustration’ as COVID-19 pandemic lingers By Diana Chandler Baptist Press LEXINGTON — For the second time since the COVID-19
By Scott Barkley Baptist Press HENDERSONVILLE — Since Long Hollow Baptist Church began experiencing what pastor Robby Gallaty calls “a genuine move of God” last month, roughly
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brian Croft jokes that masks are the new “color of the carpet argument” in churches, with similarly
Two-year-old church plant baptizes 45 people during pandemic By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] BRISTOL — Pastor Joel Kirk has a simple formula
Churches invited to host watch parties for YEC this year By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — For more than two years, Tennessee
By Bruce Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville On Nov. 20, 2020, I was conducting a wedding rehearsal in southern
FBC McMinnville sees surge in baptisms despite COVID By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] McMINNVILLE — Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal
Based on recent numbers compiled by the TBMB, more than 800 pastors and staff members have battled COVID-19 since last spring. Some have recovered quickly.
Pastors, church leaders dealing with tough decisions, high stress levels during pandemic By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — Though a large
