Liane Keaton, center, ministry assistant and Vacation Bible School director at Sylvia Baptist Church, Dickson, stands with children who attended the church’s VBS this summer. They dressed as “100 year olds” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Vacation Bible School.

FRANKLIN — Southern Baptists are celebrating an important birthday this year, and a few Tennessee Baptist churches made the most of the occasion. 

If fun music, crafts, snacks and lots of energetic kids and adults come to your mind, you are on the right track. Lifeway’s Vacation Bible School is 100 years old this year, and according to Liane Keaton, ministry assistant and VBS director with Sylvia Baptist Church in Dickson, VBS just keeps getting better and better. 

“We asked our children to dress like 100-year-olds” on Thursday night of the church’s VBS in early June, Keaton said. “We sang happy birthday to VBS and blew noisemakers during the opening assembly (that night).” [Read more…]

Bruce Chesser, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, left, presents with a commemorative check to Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. — Photo from The Baptist Paper

HENDERSONVILLE — First Baptist Church Hendersonville announced Sunday, Aug. 11, that it will be the first church in the state to ever give more than $1 million in one year through the Cooperative Program, to support Southern Baptist missions and ministry around the globe.

The special presentation came as the church celebrated the 15th anniversary of their pastor Bruce Chesser. The church presented a check to Randy Davis, executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, during its morning worship services.

“If you don’t know what Cooperative Program means, that’s how we support missions and evangelism and missionaries all across Tennessee and around the world,” noted Chesser, who also has served as president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. “It’s what supports thousands of missionaries and their families.” [Read more…]

FRANKLIN — As summer winds down and students return to school in this month, Vicki Hulsey, childhood specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is hearing good reports from Tennessee Baptist churches regarding Vacation Bible School.

“Vacation Bible School continues to be the one week of the year that mobilizes the entire church to reach the community with the gospel, while also providing a unique discipleship experience for children and volunteers,” she added.

“I continue to receive praise reports through e-mail and Facebook from Tennessee Baptist pastors, children’s ministers, VBS directors and church members, sharing what God is doing through VBS in 2024,” she said. [Read more…]

John D Freeman holds a unique place in the history of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He is the only man to have served as executive secretary (now director) of the TBC and editor of the Baptist and Reflector.

Freeman served as pastor of Belmont Heights Baptist Church in Nashville before being named editor in 1925. He served until 1933 when he was named executive secretary. He held that position until he resigned in 1942 to become editor of the Western Recorder in Kentucky. While TBC executive secretary, the Tennessee Baptist Foundation was established during his tenure.

Freeman was not afraid to address the social issues of his day. He wrote fiery editorials in 1925 during the famous trial in Dayton when famed attorney Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes, a local teacher who was accused of teaching evolution. William Jennings Bryan was the special prosecutor assigned to the case.  [Read more…]

FRANKLIN — Tennessee set a new record this year, and Vickie Anderson, executive director-treasurer for Tennessee WMU, couldn’t be more proud of this one.  

When this year’s Christian Job Corps Scholarship/Award recipients were announced, the list included three Tennesseans, marking the first time the state has had a trio of recipients in the same year. [Read more…]

FRANKLIN — As the calendar turns over this week from July to August and the weather is still hot and humid, Beth Moore is already looking ahead to Christmas.

Or, more specifically, the Christmas Backpacks ministry, which provides backpacks filled with toys, clothing, hygiene items, food and other items to children in low-income families. It also serves as a means of outreach and evangelism for participating churches.

Moore, compassion ministry specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, has seen the enormous impact that the project has made in the lives of children around the state — and she is optimistic and enthused about this year’s event. [Read more…]

FRANKLIN — Social media no longer is confined to Generation Z, the generation born in the late 1990s or early 21st century, and it includes much more than Facebook.

What’s more, churches can no longer continue to ignore social media, says Samantha Bligh, events and social media coordinator for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“Social media is one of those unavoidable things today with the way technology has advanced,” Bligh affirmed.

Bligh was featured recently on the “Tennessee Golden Hour,” a podcast produced by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and hosted by TBMB staff members Matt Tullos and Beth Moore. [Read more…]

Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers, from top of photo, Kenny Street, Tommy Wilson and Butch Porch, work on a clearing a tree at a resident’s home in Spring, Texas.

SPRING, Texas — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers were reminded again this week that there is strength in numbers.

Joining forces with other volunteers from several different states, a trio of teams from Tennessee was able to assist the recovery process in southeast Texas, where residents are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Beryl. The Tennessee groups included chain saw and heavy equipment teams. 

Bill Lowe, disaster relief team leader for JST, arrived with his team in Spring, Texas, on Sunday, July 21, along with a team from West Tennessee, led by Butch Porch. Lowe said the teams went right to work — and there was plenty to do.

“At this location alone, there were 333 job requests,” he said. “So far, 170 of those have been completed.” [Read more…]