Tennessee Baptist and Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE HELP, HOPE

Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers continue to help South Carolina flood victims

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

A disaster relief team from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, gathers around to pray for Joe Ashley McClary Jr., and his friend Gail Hill. The team provided flood recovery for a home located on the banks of the Black River owned by McClary’s mother.

MANNING, S.C. — Driving past homes in the low country region of South Carolina between Columbia and the coast, one might not suspect that less than a month ago many roads were impassable.

And, unless there was the obvious sign of water-logged furniture piled across the front yard awaiting trash pickup, one might not suspect that as much as 24 inches of rain fell upon the area in a three-day period between Oct. 3-5.

Yet, looks can be deceiving. Just ask the owners of those homes whose furniture and belongings have not been removed and the stench of mold and mildew fill the air.

Unfortunately, a month following the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Joaquin, there are many homes still untouched. And, numerous others that have been cleaned out still face massive rebuilding efforts. Some residents have insurance to handle the cost of remodeling/rebuilding. The majority of them do not. [Read more…]

CHURCH PUTS OTHERS BEFORE SELF

Gives large gifts to Southern Baptist missions/ministries while building new facility

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

David Worley, right, pastor, Bethel Baptist Church, Greenfield, thanks Jeff Perkins, worship leader of the church and chair of the building committee, on Oct. 18. From left are other members of the building committee, Larry Pentecost, Judy Huffstetler, and Martha Allen. Not pictured is Jeff Rush.

David Worley, right, pastor, Bethel Baptist Church, Greenfield, thanks Jeff Perkins, worship leader of the church and chair of the building committee, on Oct. 18. From left are other members of the building committee, Larry Pentecost, Judy Huffstetler, and Martha Allen. Not pictured is Jeff Rush.

GREENFIELD — Bethel Baptist Church here celebrated a momentus day on Oct. 18. The congregation began meeting in its new facility.

Church members did this with a clear conscience — they had continued their tradition of strong support for Southern Baptist missions and ministries while building the facility.

The new $3.5 million facility was built over the past couple of years, said David Worley, pastor.

During that period the only basic change in the financial situation and plan of the church was the increased total giving which was up from 2014 by 41 percent. Members were asked to help pay off the building debt so they gave designated gifts to the building fund which may have led to that increase, explained Worley. [Read more…]

SUMMIT BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN MILLINGTON

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

151103ReachNOW_LogoBRENTWOOD — It will be a convention of milestones when Tennessee Baptists gather for the annual Summit next week at First Baptist Church, Millington.

This year is the 180th anniversary of the Baptist an­d ­Ref­lector, the convention’s newspaper and one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the country; it is the 90th anniversary of the Cooperative Program, which was created in 1924 in Memphis (and launched in 1925) at the annual meeting of Southern Baptists; and it is the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s 35th anniversary of partnership missions. It also brings to a conclusion the term of Michael Ellis, the TBC’s first-ever African-American president.

“It has been an amazing year of traveling across our state, preaching and seeing God at work,” Ellis said. “It is a real privilege and a joy to be serving as president as Tennessee Baptists come to West Tennessee for the Summit. It is going to be a great meeting and I look forward to the Pastors Conference speakers and then being together with our larger Tennessee Baptist family.” [Read more…]

THREAT OF DIVORCE HARD TO SPOT AMONG CHURCHGOING COUPLES

By Lisa Cannon Green
LifeWay News

church divorce survey 3NASHVILLE – Before a divorce, churchgoers in troubled marriages look a lot like their happily married counterparts at church—participating, serving, and leading at similar rates.

After a divorce, the differences can be stark. Twenty percent have dropped out of church entirely. In many cases, their children have stopped attending too. A third give less to the church than they did before. Their churches report leadership voids and fractured relationships.

Yet pastors may have difficulty helping couples save their marriages, because churchgoers on the brink of separation often keep quiet at church about their marital woes.

Those are among the findings of new research by Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by Focus on the Family, surveyed Protestant pastors, churchgoing Americans in healthy marriages, and churchgoing Americans who divorced in the past five years. [Read more…]

FALL FESTIVAL SAFETY TIPS FOR CHURCHES

Baptist Press

Fall festivals as outreach events can be fun but experts say proper precautions are vital. This photo of a fall festival at Northpark Baptist Church in Trussville, Ala., was taken in 2014. -Photo provided by The Alabama Baptist

Fall festivals as outreach events can be fun but experts say proper precautions are vital. This photo of a fall festival at Northpark Baptist Church in Trussville, Ala., was taken in 2014.
-Photo provided by The Alabama Baptist

JASPER, Ala. (BP) — Fall festivals can be fun but broken bones, food poisoning and burns are not. That’s why churches should take steps to protect themselves and their guests from unnecessary risks during special outreach events, experts say.

Before hosting any special event, a church should first make sure its insurance policy covers activities that are outside the normal ministry schedule.

“From a risk management standpoint, what often happens is that churches don’t think about exposures. They are only thinking about having fun. Danger doesn’t even cross their mind,” said Arthur Williams, an account executive with insurance firm Byars Wright Inc. in Jasper, Ala.

However, some insurance policies have special events exclusions, which mean if an injury or accident happens during the event the church has no insurance protection. A church needs to know the specifics of what its insurance policy will and will not cover.

“Check with your agent and confirm there is no exclusion and that the church does have liability and medical payments coverage for special events held on the premises,” Williams said. “Most of the time, you should be able to get your insurer to include that within your policy if it’s not already included.” [Read more…]

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION CLOSES ON NEW PROPERTY

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

151026Closing_Randy_Signing

Randy C. Davis, left, executive director/treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, signs the closing documents on the new property that will house the convention’s Church Support Center. Looking on is Wes Turner, real estate attorney and former Executive Board member from First Baptist Church, Nashville.

BRENTWOOD — The Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention signed the closing documents on property in Franklin Oct. 26, preparing the way for construction to begin on a permanent location for the convention’s Church Support Center.

“We are thankful to have this step behind us and can now turn our attention to the construction,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director of the Executive Board. “This is a momentous day in the life of Tennessee Baptists and the future of our ministry to those in our state and around the world.”

The 2.3-acre mixed-use property is located in the Berry Farms business development located adjacent to I-65 and near the Goose Creek Bypass (State Route 248), just north of State Route 840. Construction on the 32,000-square-foot building is scheduled to begin March 1, 2016 with a completion date slated by March 1, 2017. The Executive Board Ministries will move into the location as soon as construction is completed. [Read more…]

BCM AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE DOUBLES

Baptist ministry at DSCC, Gibson County Campus, draws about 60 students biweekly

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

151024bcm-dsccTRENTON — About 200 students attend Dyersburg State Community College, Gibson County Campus, here. Of those, about 60-70 gather during a Tuesday lunch break for Baptist Collegiate Ministries every other week.

The students eat lunch together in the commons area of the college’s building and then hear Joey Hufstedler, BCM director, teach a Bible lesson.

Hufstedler often explains before he begins teaching that he will try to keep the study to about 20-30 minutes but he’s used to preaching longer at his church.

He has been surprised that quite a few students have asked him to teach longer.

“This age group, they’re sick and tired of being told what to believe. They want someone to show them what the Word says,” said Hufstedler, who has led the ministry for about a year. He also is pastor, Poplar Grove Baptist Church, Trenton.

Though he is a member of the previous generation (he is 40 years old), and was willing to accept direction from older people, that has changed, Hufstedler explained.

“They’re tired of people not being genuine.” [Read more…]

UNION STUDENTS ASSIST ORPHANAGE

Engineering students/profs travel to Honduras to help orphanage become energy efficient

By Nathan Handley
Union University News Office

Union engineering professors, from left, Randy Schwindt and Georg Pingen and senior engineering students Erin Picard and Chris Boccarossa build a rough design of a solar water heater at an orphanage in Honduras.

Union engineering professors, from left, Randy Schwindt and Georg Pingen and senior engineering students Erin Picard and Chris Boccarossa build a rough design of a solar water heater at an orphanage in Honduras.

JACKSON — Union Univer-sity engineering students are using their skills for service. Last month, a team of engineering students and faculty traveled to Honduras to assess the needs of an orphanage.

Randal Schwindt, professor of engineering, said the goal of the trip was to find ways to help the orphanage save money using the skills engineering students learn in class. He said the orphanage, Orphanage Emmanuel, spends most of its funds on electricity, so the main focus of the project was reducing power consumption.

Schwindt said the orphanage spends about $24,000 per month on electricity, and about $13,000 of that is for current consumption. The rest goes to pay fees brought on by changes in the government of Honduras.

“The government made promises that it did not keep, and it is all very political,” Schwindt said. “We aren’t going to be able to fix that, but what we’re trying to do is reduce the costs where we can.” [Read more…]

CHURCH MINISTERS DURING COMMUNITY CRISIS

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Pastor James Julian and his daughter, Natalie, 8, stand with children of the Crawford family by the new home which Spring Creek Road Baptist Church helped them obtain. From left are Taya, 2; Abby, 11; Brandon, 13; Destiny, 4; and first row, Natalie Julian, 8; and Kyla, 9. The parents and a new baby which is hospitalized were away from home.
Pastor James Julian and his daughter, Natalie, 8, stand with children of the Crawford family by the new home which Spring Creek Road Baptist Church helped them obtain. From left are Taya, 2; Abby, 11; Brandon, 13; Destiny, 4; and first row, Natalie Julian, 8; and Kyla, 9. The parents and a new baby which is hospitalized were away from home.

CHATTANOOGA — It seemed like another busy Wednesday night at Spring Creek Road Baptist Church here on Sept. 10. The church bus and van picked up about 40 people, mainly students, from several neighborhoods near the church. Everyone ate supper at the church and then students went to Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, Acteens, and tutoring while adults went to prayer meeting.

Just before everyone left to go home, Shari Stone, volunteer children’s ministry coordinator, received a call from the parent of a bus rider.

Fire trucks were in front of the Superior Creek Lodge so they should wait to bring home the folks who live there, said the parent.

The group returned to the church’s gym.

It wasn’t long, maybe 30 minutes later, when Stone received another phone call telling her that the reason the fire trucks were there was that the city was inspecting the lodge and officials had just condemned part of the lodge. The residents were being evicted but the kids could come home, reported James Julian, pastor.

The next morning, Julian and church member Blake Daffron arrived at the lodge to help in this crisis for the families. Superior Creek Lodge had about 1,000 residents, the pastor noted.

The two men talked to the residents they knew, trying to offer the little comfort they could. Everyone soon learned the entire lodge had been condemned. [Read more…]

Registration Underway for Summit

Baptist and Reflector

summit-logoBRENTWOOD — Registration is underway for The Summit which will be held Nov. 10-12 at Brentwood Baptist Church here.

The Summit includes the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, the Tennessee Baptist Pastors Conference, WMU’s Missions Extravaganza, and other related meetings and events.

As of Oct. 20, 545 messengers from 188 churches have pre-registered. Randy C. Davis, TBC executive director/treasurer, observed that convention saw its largest increase of messengers since 2007 at last year’s meeting in Chattanooga.

“Our 2014 Summit will be important, urgent, and historical for several reasons,” he noted. [Read more…]

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Mail: Baptist & Reflector, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068
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