By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

SHELBYVILLE — “I knew God would provide and we would get along but I really didn’t imagine this thing would explode,” said Joe Thompson.

What “exploded” during 2014 at Southside Baptist Church is phenomenal. Though the church only draws about 130 people to Sunday morning activities, members have seen 350 people make decisions for Christ and have sent out 55 volunteer missionaries to Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, and five states. Of the missions workers, most are short-term but one family is serving long-term in Utah and another is in Nashville working long-term with the Muslim community.

Also, the church has increased giving to local missions, through the Cooperative Program to Tennessee Baptist and Southern Baptist missions, and to the Baptist association, said Thompson, who is pastor. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

MEMPHIS — In 2006, Impact Baptist Church began as a church plant of Bellevue Baptist Church in nearby Cordova in the living room of its first pastor, Michael Ellis and his wife, Angela.

The church began with 22 people and now averages between 175-200 people on any given Sunday.

Impact Baptist had strong ties with Bellevue and was meeting in a church building (formerly Georgian Hills Baptist Church) owned by Bellevue in the Frayser community of Memphis until last December.

Ellis, who was elected president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in November, noted that Bellevue informed them that they wanted to go in another direction by starting a satellite congregation in Frayser. [Read more…]

By Baptist and Reflector

HENDERSONVILLE – David Landrith, 51, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, died Nov. 18 at his home following an extended bout with cancer.

Landrith was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called colorectal melanoma in March of 2013, according to a statement released by Long Hollow Baptist Church. Despite several surgeries and clinical trial medicines, the cancer spread throughout his body, including his lungs and brain. [Read more…]

By Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $3,204,689 through the Cooperative Program in October.

The strong showing enabled the TBC to finish the 2013-14 fiscal year with $34,032,296 in CP receipts.

The amount fell just short ($256,650 or 0.7 percent) of matching last year’s total giving of $34,288,947. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD — At the beginning of this year, Randy C. Davis, executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, had an ambitious goal.

His desire was to ring the “salvation bell” and to lead prayer rallies in every county of the state. And though the weather was not always cooperative (three rallies had to be rescheduled), Davis accomplished the goal on Nov. 3 with the three remaining rallies in Davidson, Williamson, and Rutherford counties. [Read more…]

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD – Despite an aggressive push by those opposing Amendment 1, Tennessee voters adopted the amendment, which will allow for regulation of abortions in the state, by a margin of 728,751 (53 percent) to 656,427 (47 percent).

The number of “yes” votes cast far exceeded the number required (approximately 675,000) for passage. For an amendment to the State Constitution to pass, it needs a simple majority plus 1 in the number of ballots cast in the governor’s race. [Read more…]