By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector PALMER, Alaska — John and Kaye Thomas can be found in their Sevierville home about 100 days a year — mostly for Kaye’s part-time job. The rest of the time they are away doing missions work. Even while they are at home they often are found plugging into missions opportunities. Currently they are based out of their RV in Palmer, Alaska,
By David Crutchley Editor’s Note: Crutchley, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, is chair of the religion department at Carson-Newman University. He has led a group of C-N students to Africa for nine years. We arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, after a 12-hour flight from London. Home again … African soil. Table Mountain peers down from her lofty throne and welcomes us. Our group of 21 has traveled 10,000 miles
Tennessee Baptists second in number of Southern Baptist Convention messengers with 824 By David Roach Baptist Press Editor’s Note: Due to the publication schedule of the Baptist and Reflector, this issue contains a condensed wrap-up of the SBC annual meeting held June 14-15 in St. Louis. Extensive stories were posted on the B&R web site last week. ST. LOUIS — The election of Tennessee pastor Steve Gaines as president on
Editor’s Note: Kennedy Keltner is 12 years old and is a member of Central Baptist Church, Brighton, where her father, Rusty Keltner, is pastor. Kennedy wrote this essay for a writing competition. By Kennedy Keltner Motivation is a quality that many people lack. They think “Why do more work than I have to?” In the job I hope to do in the future, this language and thinking is unacceptable. Most
By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBC VIRACO, Peru — Julissa knelt beside her daddy and urged him to get back on the donkey. He’d collapsed by the side of the road, torso in the bushes, legs and feet stretched out into the dusty mountain road. “C’mon Papi. We need to go home.” But he was barely conscious and unable to move, a stupor brought on from a morning of
By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBC I sized up the donkey standing about 15 feet in front of me; then I casually walked over. I kept my distance because I’m not an equine kind of guy, but I had something to say. I looked the beast of burden square in the eye and decided to keep my comments brief and to the point. “I’m glad I’m not you the
By Julie McGowan Baptist Press RICHMOND — Southern Baptists provided resounding support through the 2015 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Finalized in early June, the 2015 Lottie Moon offering totaled $165.8 million — the highest total in the 127-year history of the offering. The offering surpassed the previous all-time record of $154 million in 2013 by $11.8 million. The 2014 Lottie Moon offering totaled just over $153 million.
By Jim Collier Senior Pastor, Kirby Woods Baptist Church, Memphis Over the past several years, Tennessee Baptists have grappled with their direction and purpose. Led by Randy C. Davis, we were asked to examine our efforts and determine the way forward. Emerging from this examination, Tennessee Baptists have applauded and embraced our Five Objectives: more baptisms, more renewed churches, more new churches, more cooperation through the Cooperative Program and more
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Any way you slice it, Tennessee is a missions field. I’ve known that for years but that really hit me a couple of years ago as I made my way across Tennessee and to all 95 counties. You may recall that yearlong journey as we gathered at county courthouses to pray and ring the bell of salvation. That excursion was an eye-opener to
By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector NEWPORT — One way to describe what has happened at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church is that it’s been “turned inside out,” said Terri Sawyer. In other words, the church has adopted a focus on what is outside rather than themselves. The decision of the congregation came as it faced some financial issues recently related to a new building and some decline
By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector PALMER, Alaska — John and Kaye Thomas can be found in their Sevierville home about 100
By David Crutchley Editor’s Note: Crutchley, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, is chair of the religion department at Carson-Newman University. He has led a group
Tennessee Baptists second in number of Southern Baptist Convention messengers with 824 By David Roach Baptist Press Editor’s Note: Due to the publication schedule of
Editor’s Note: Kennedy Keltner is 12 years old and is a member of Central Baptist Church, Brighton, where her father, Rusty Keltner, is pastor. Kennedy
By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBC VIRACO, Peru — Julissa knelt beside her daddy and urged him to get back on the donkey. He’d
By Chris Turner Director of Communications, TBC I sized up the donkey standing about 15 feet in front of me; then I casually walked over.
By Julie McGowan Baptist Press RICHMOND — Southern Baptists provided resounding support through the 2015 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Finalized in early
By Jim Collier Senior Pastor, Kirby Woods Baptist Church, Memphis Over the past several years, Tennessee Baptists have grappled with their direction and purpose. Led
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director Any way you slice it, Tennessee is a missions field. I’ve known that for years but that really
By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector NEWPORT — One way to describe what has happened at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church is that
