By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director God loves a cheerful giver. Chances are you’ve heard that phrase from your pastor, or maybe from your momma or grandmother. We often share that verse with children when we teach them about stewardship. Well, last week I assume God was extremely pleased, and I was pleasantly surprised. No, actually I was pleasantly shocked. It was my great pleasure to announce at the
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director It’s right there in the red letters: “That my joy may be in you …” This is a statement of fact made by Jesus Himself, and yet I’ve encountered so many pastors who haven’t experienced joy in a long time. The man behind the pulpit carries both pastoral and personal burdens, and it can be overwhelming. What once was a thrill becomes drudgery,
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director There is a fog of divisiveness settling across the Southern Baptist Convention and it is spreading like a poisonous gas, and we must address it rather than allow it to linger and destroy our Great Commission calling. There is a litany of issues causing the increasing tension that seemingly permeates every conversation taking place across our denomination and we no longer have the
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director It’s been said the hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a baseball. It’s a tough point to argue. Take a guy like Nolan Ryan, one of the greatest fastball pitchers to ever play the game. Ryan unbelievably had a 27-year career and was still throwing the ball 95 mph-plus when he finally retired; ever the “Ryan Express” to the end.
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director The news media may have moved on, and that’s okay. As we say, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers get there when the disaster hits and stay long after the media has left. And that’s definitely the case in Sevier County where November’s wildfires devastated countless homes, businesses, and woodlands. Tennessee Baptists have been well represented as hundreds of committed volunteers have served —
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There are millions of spiritually lost people in Tennessee. That is an obvious statement, but that reality grabbed me again in recent weeks. This time, the faceless mass got personal as spiritual lostness introduced itself with a person’s name. In preparing for our annual Summit, we sent thousands of cards to our Baptist Collegiate Ministry leaders containing a single question: “If you could
Messengers approve new name for Executive Board, elect Freeman By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector SEVIERVILLE — Messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention approved a new name for the Executive Board and elected Springfield pastor Steve Freeman as their new president. The two actions were among many that took place during Summit: The Gathering of Tennessee Baptists held Nov. 13-17 at the Sevierville Convention Center.
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director You are familiar with the story. Two mothers came before King Solomon with a baby, each claiming to be the mother. An argument ensued; accusations flew, and Solomon decided to divide the baby, thereby revealing the identity of the true mother. Somewhere along the way, the Cooperative Program became the baby many in the Southern Baptists Convention want to divide. Impatience fuels a
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director James Suggs gets it. Suggs, 72, is the pastor of Cave Hill Baptist Church in Newport. He’s lived in Cocke County his entire life — Cocke County, total population of about 35,000. Suggs shares the story of when he was a young pastor in his early 20s and told some friends that his goal in life was to see a million souls saved.
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — The Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention adopted two recommendations during its Sept. 14 meeting at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood. Board members approved a budget of $35 million for 2016-17. The proposed budget, which must be approved by messengers to the annual meeting during the Summit in November, represents an increase of $750,000 over the current budget. The new
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director God loves a cheerful giver. Chances are you’ve heard that phrase from your pastor, or maybe from your
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director It’s right there in the red letters: “That my joy may be in you …” This is a
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director There is a fog of divisiveness settling across the Southern Baptist Convention and it is spreading like a
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director It’s been said the hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a baseball. It’s a tough
By Randy C. Davis TBMB Executive Director The news media may have moved on, and that’s okay. As we say, Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director There are millions of spiritually lost people in Tennessee. That is an obvious statement, but that reality grabbed
Messengers approve new name for Executive Board, elect Freeman By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector SEVIERVILLE — Messengers to the annual meeting of the
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director You are familiar with the story. Two mothers came before King Solomon with a baby, each claiming to
By Randy C. Davis TBC Executive Director James Suggs gets it. Suggs, 72, is the pastor of Cave Hill Baptist Church in Newport. He’s lived
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — The Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention adopted two recommendations during its Sept. 14 meeting
