By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Too often pastors develop an “old cowboy” mentality where they feel they need to “stay in the saddle” at all costs. Unfortunately, too many church goers feel their pastors should be old cowboys. That notion of pastoral “toughness” may sound romantic, but it rarely – if ever – ends well. Set aside the obvious sin of pride involved; no one can
Examining the most important elements that keep your church safe By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — When addressing church leaders on the keys to making their facilities safe and secure, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board risk management specialist Mark LeMay often uses an old TV advertisement as a reference point. “You remember the Fram oil filters commercials where the mechanic says ‘you can pay me now or you
J. Travis Tyler Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Elizabethton On Sunday morning, Jan. 13, Pastor Vic Wallace preached his last sermon as pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Jonesborough. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Pastor Wallace began a ministry lasting over six decades of pastoral ministry including Flag Pond, Mosheim, Mountain City, Kingsport, and Fall Branch. One of the longest pastorates was at First Baptist Church, Fall Branch, where I met
Four Mile Baptist, a congregation of 28, had five baptisms in 2018 By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — At an age when most pastors are stepping away from the ministry or moving into interim or supply work, David Oliver did just the opposite. At the age of 68, Oliver became pastor of Four Mile Baptist Church in Maryville. And, what’s more, God blessed in a
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — When he was invited to the Bivocational Ministers and Wives Retreat for the first time, Jim Haggard wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go. Ten years later, he now considers it to be one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Haggard, the pastor of Middlebrook Baptist Church in Knoxville, was dealing with the death of both of his
By Roger Britton Pastor, Whites Creek Baptist Church, Rockwood On Jan. 12, 1997, my wife Kathy, daughter Kacie and son Cody and I began our ministry when I became the pastor of Whites Creek Baptist Church in Rockwood. Kathy and I were married in 1979 and had been in ministry from day one of our married lives. We started out as bus ministry director and children’s church pastor at First
[one_half padding=”0 8px 0 8px”] Pastor’s name: Jose Armenta Wife’s name: Carolyn Church: Rio Grande Mission Church City (of church): Church Hill Other profession (in addition to pastor): Carpenter What is your favorite part about being a pastor? Sharing God’s Word with lost people. How do you juggle the role of being a pastor along with your other job? My other job understands that I am a pastor first. Quoting
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Here’s a riddle for you. What do a banker, a contractor, an elementary teacher, a chemist, an engineering professor and a farmer all have in common? Answer: They are all faithful pastors. Unbelievably, approximately 60 percent of the pastors in Tennessee are bivocational. Let that sink in a moment. The majority of the churches connected to the Tennessee Baptist Convention have
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — They’re machinists, salesmen, police officers, bankers, teachers, college professors, retirees, electricians, plumbers and the list goes on, but they all have one thing in common — they are dedicated servants of God devoted to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. One hundred and twenty-one bivocational ministers from across Tennessee, along with their spouses and two other family members, gathered
By Aaron Earls LifeWay Christian Resources NASHVILLE — The economic recovery has reached the offering plate, according to a study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Today, eight in 10 Protestant pastors (79 percent) say the total offerings at their church this year are at or above last year’s levels, including 42 percent who say this year is ahead of last year. Few pastors (15 percent) say giving is not keeping pace with
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Too often pastors develop an “old cowboy” mentality where they feel they need to “stay in
Examining the most important elements that keep your church safe By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] FRANKLIN — When addressing church leaders on the
J. Travis Tyler Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Elizabethton On Sunday morning, Jan. 13, Pastor Vic Wallace preached his last sermon as pastor of Oak Hill
Four Mile Baptist, a congregation of 28, had five baptisms in 2018 By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — At an
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — When he was invited to the Bivocational Ministers and Wives Retreat for the first time,
By Roger Britton Pastor, Whites Creek Baptist Church, Rockwood On Jan. 12, 1997, my wife Kathy, daughter Kacie and son Cody and I began our
[one_half padding=”0 8px 0 8px”] Pastor’s name: Jose Armenta Wife’s name: Carolyn Church: Rio Grande Mission Church City (of church): Church Hill Other profession (in
By Randy C. Davis TBMB President & Executive Director Here’s a riddle for you. What do a banker, a contractor, an elementary teacher, a chemist,
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] PIGEON FORGE — They’re machinists, salesmen, police officers, bankers, teachers, college professors, retirees, electricians, plumbers and the
By Aaron Earls LifeWay Christian Resources NASHVILLE — The economic recovery has reached the offering plate, according to a study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Today, eight