TENNESCENE: AUG. 14

LEADERS

Jon Foster recently was ordained as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Tellico Plains.

CHURCHES

Ralston Baptist Church, Martin, will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 6. The celebration will include a 9:45 a.m. worship service, a 10:45 a.m. music celebration with the group Living Truth, a 12 p.m. luncheon (food and beverages provided by the church) and a time of celebration and testimonies from special guests afterwards.

Laurel Creek Baptist Church, Rock Island, will hold revival services Sept. 15-18 with guest evangelist Josh Pilgrim.

ASSOCIATIONS

Duck River Baptist Association recently held its Youth Night of Worship at Oaklawn Baptist Church. There were eight churches from the association in attendance and eight other churches from three counties with a total of 206 in attendance. Students and leaders were led in music by the Oaklawn praise team and the message was delivered by Jay Barbier, youth specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

DEATHS

Creely Wilson, Tennessee WMU’s first state coordinator for Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC) died July 18. She was 92. CWJC began in Tennessee in 1997. Soon after National WMU launched CWJC, Wilson came to the office and told the staff that Tennessee WMU needed to start this ministry, recalled Vickie Anderson, now executive director of Tennessee WMU. “Her passion for women and meeting the needs of women through CWJC was clear,” Anderson said. What began as one site in Tennessee for women in 1997 today has grown to 15 Christian Job Corps sites in 13 locations. In their 2024 annual ministry reports, these sites reported 1,305 participants in their various programs, 115 graduates, four decisions for Christ, and 342 volunteers serving 16,995 volunteer hours. Wilson was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Wilson, longtime pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, and former staff member of the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board). She is survived by her three children, nine grandchildren and 18 great-grand-children. A more detailed story can be found here.