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 […]

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 […]

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND MENTAL HEALTH

By Cody Glen Barnhart Director of music and media, First Baptist Church, Alcoa  Recently, Seacoast Church announced that former Southern Baptist pastor Darrin Patrick passed away from what “appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” The news sent shockwaves through social media. Patrick’s passing is a devastating blow. We seem to have lost another one […]

TBMB CONFERENCE CENTERS PLAN ‘SOFT REOPENING’

Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — As COVID-19 began to spread in March, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board officially closed its two conference centers — Carson Springs in Newport and Linden Valley in Linden — on March18. Mark Proctor, associate administrator of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, called the action a “hard close” because “everything was […]

ARE YOU PROTECTING THE PRIVACY OF YOUR VIRTUAL MEETINGS?

By Chris Turner [email protected] The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has forced a significant amount of life change and possibly no part of our lives have changed more than the way we “do business.” Globally, organizations have shifted in-person meetings to virtual meetings. Churches are certainly included with worship services, staff meetings and small group meetings all […]

CARSON-NEWMAN ANNOUNCES STEPS IN PREPARING FOR “NEW NORMAL” WITH FALL SEMESTER

JEFFERSON CITY – Carson-Newman University has announced that it is making preparations for the fall in anticipation for students to return to campus following months of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video message to the campus community and families, president Charles A. Fowler shared what the University was doing to get ready […]

STILL A FUTURE FOR VOCATIONAL EVANGELISTS

Tennessee Baptist evangelists optimistic despite COVID-19 challenges By Lonnie Wilkey [email protected] FRANKLIN — COVID-19 has affected every vocation imaginable, but one group that has flown under the radar is vocational evangelists. For most vocational evangelists, spring through fall is the busiest times for conducting revivals and other evangelistic events. “Certainly this virus has put a […]

OLIVER SENDS PERSONALIZED VIDEO TO ALL 595 UNION GRADUATES

Union University news office JACKSON — Spring graduates from Union University received a special message on Saturday on what was supposed to be their graduation day – a personalized video greeting from Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver. Oliver recorded videos, typically between one and two minutes in length, for each of Union’s 595 graduates. […]

REGATHERING WILL BE NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ALL

By Bruce Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention  Most of us are trying to determine the best course of action in reengaging in on campus worship. Notice I did not say “reopening.” We haven’t been closed.  Almost all of us have continued to lead our people in Sunday worship, Wednesday night Bible studies, and we have […]

15 IMPORTANT WORSHIP ‘HELPS’ FOR CHURCHES

By Scott C. Shepherd Tennessee Baptist Mission Board music and worship specialist In the coming weeks and months, churches across Tennessee will make the decision to gather again for worship. These services — though COVID-19 restrictions have been reduced — will not be a return to “worship as usual.”  Here are 15 worship related helps […]