TENNESCENE: WEEKS OF APR. 17-30

April 16, 2019

LEADERS

Mark Anderson celebrated his 30th anniversary with Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes on April 1. Anderson joined the staff in 1989 as director of disabilities ministry and was elected president of the TBAH on Jan. 1, 2016. He is a member of Woodmont Baptist Church, Nashville.

Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Vonore, recently called Jonas Turpin as pastor. Though he has preached for several years, Walnut Grove is his first pastorate.

Caldwell Springs Baptist Church, Elizabethton, has called Danny Glover as associate pastor and minister of students.

Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Moscow, recently called Charles Herring from Mount Pleasant, Miss., as associate pastor.

Trent Bowden, assistant manager of Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport, recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. He worked on the summer camp staff in 1997-98 and began part-time work in 1998. He joined the camp as full time in 1999 and was named assistant manager in 2004.

CHURCHES

First Baptist Church, Mountain City, will hold spring revival April 21-24 with Ron Lynch as guest evangelist.

Stateline Baptist Church, Laurel Bloomery, celebrated its 140th anniversary on March 24 in a joint service with its mother church, Pleasant Home Baptist Church. Stateline pastor Paul Graybeal brought the morning message and Pleasant Home pastor Greg Blackburn read minutes from the first meeting.

DEATHS

Doug Baker, 71, died April 5 in Bolivar. Baker was a minister for more than 50 years. He served as pastor of Parrans Chapel Baptist Church, Bolivar, for 29 years and was interim pastor at several other churches. At the time of his death he was a member of First Baptist Church, Bolivar, and did supply preaching as requested. He was a former second vice president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Bettye, two children and two grandchildren.

Don Byrd, 87, died April 1. Byrd was a longtime Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer and served other organizations in volunteer roles as well. He received the Jefferson Award in 1994 for his volunteer service. Byrd was a member of Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, Knoxville. He is survived by his wife, Martha, three children, eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Retired Tennessee Baptist pastor and director of missions Ted Davis died April 8 at the age of 90. Davis served as pastor of churches in Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina. He served as director of missions for McMinn-Meigs Baptist Association, based in Athens, from 1980-90. Davis and his wife moved to South Carolina after retirement and continued in several ministry roles, including campground missions. They returned to Tennessee in 1999 and became active members of Pleasant Grove Bapist Church in Blount County, one of his former churches. He taught the senior men’s class. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joyce, 11 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

The Heavenbound Singers of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, under the direction of Scott Andrews, sang recently at the Church Support Center in Franklin.
The Women on Mission group from New Union Baptist Church, Dayton, recently held a retreat to work on a mission project of making 20 knotted fleece baby blankets which they donated to The Care Center in Dayton.
First Baptist Church, Clarksville, recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Lillian Bradley Library. The original library opened and was dedicated on March 6, 1949. After several moves and changes over the years, the library is now located on the third floor of the Hope Activities Building. Changes in technology have benefited the library with circulation, research and online accessibility. The library includes 20 CDs, 271 DVDs, four items of equipment and 4,755 books. In 2009, the library was dedicated and named for Lillian Bradley who serve there for more than 60 years. Frances Sumner is the library’s current director. Staff members include Mike Stinnett, Carolyn Brown, Richard Davis, Joe and Carolyn McCullough, Davis and Carol McCutchen and Carol Myers.
A group of Hispanic pastors from Middle Tennessee recently met at the Church Support Center in Franklin and met with Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff. From left are Juan Fernandez, pastor, Saturn Drive Hispanic Church, Nashville; Gabriel Almazan, Mision Bautista Esperanza, Columbia; Randy C. Davis, president, TBMB; Oscar Aguilar, pastor, Iglesia Nueva Vida, Nashville; Jorge Arenivas, Tercera Bautista, Murfreesboro; Arturo Villega, Iglesia Bautista Southeast, Murfreesboro; Magno Roblero, Iglesia Agua de Vida, Springfield; and William Burton, TBMB.
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Weakley County honored their pastor, PJ Scott and his wife, Betty, with a reception on March 24, marking his 50th anniversary of pastoral ministry. He surrendered to preach in 1969 and became pastor of Jolley Springs Baptist Church, Gleason. He served there until 1975 when he moved to Mississippi to become senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Olive Branch. In retirement he has served six churches in Mississippi and Tennessee as transitional pastor.
Deona L. Thomas, center, WMU director for New Salem Baptist Association, was recently honored for 39 years of service and dedication to missions during the WMU quarterly meeting held at New Middleton Baptist Church. A brick was purchased in her honor for the national WMU’s Walk of Faith. Making the presentation were Sheila Dodge and Marty Dodge, director of missions for New Salem.