Tennessee Baptist and Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

A NEW DAY IN OBEYING THE GREAT COMMISSION

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Johnnie Godwin

Johnnie Godwin

I believe in the Cooperative Program established in 1925. It is our best single-shot, laser beam approach in reaching the world for Christ. I say this at a time when most of our Southern Baptists are largely ignorant of their Baptist history and heritage and the history of missiology. They know little about the Cooperative Program and are tending to retreat to the old societal system. In that system, the “wheel” that hollered the loudest or squeaked the loudest got the most grease. James L. Sullivan was president of the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) He wrote a book titled Baptist Polity — As I See It. That grand book could correct our fragmentation in missions today if we would read it and learn from it and grow by it.  [Read more…]

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE GATLINBURG FIRES

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

Randy C. Davis

Dear Tennessee Baptists,

You no doubt know of the devastating news this week coming out of Gatlinburg and Sevier County. As someone who called that area home for 20 years, it has been especially gutting to me to hear the reports. Jeanne and I have so many friends in that area and know personally many of the families affected. Some have lost everything.

However, I want you to know I have never been prouder to be a Tennessee Baptist. Because your churches gave through the Cooperative Program and Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, Tennessee Baptists were on the scene responding to people’s spiritual and physical needs less than 24 hours after the fires destroyed lives and property. In fact, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board missionaries were able to get to the sites of three of our Tennessee Baptists churches ministering to pastors while their destroyed buildings still smoldered. [Read more…]

SMALL MEMPHIS CHURCH GIVES OVER AND ABOVE CP

By Benjie Shaw,
BCM Director, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center

Benjie Shaw

Benjie Shaw

My introduction to McLean Baptist Church in Midtown Memphis was unremarkable. McLean was one of the many churches across the state the Tennessee Baptist Convention wished to recognize for uninterrupted contributions through the Cooperative Program since its inception in 1926. As a TBC staffer in Memphis, I had several churches with whom I was to make contact and, if possible, arrange a Sunday morning presentation to thank the church for their commitment to the Cooperative Program.

Being new to my position with Baptist Collegiate Ministries in Memphis, I was eager to make new contacts in the area and to express my gratitude to churches who contribute to the Cooperative Program. You see, Baptist Collegiate Ministries across the state of Tennessee are one of the myriad of ministries that receive funding from the Cooperative Program. While the details of each BCM’s funding vary somewhat, the vast majority of BCMs across the state receive funds for staffing and facilities from the Cooperative Program and the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. Making contact with a church that had such a rich history of Cooperative Program giving that also called Midtown Memphis home was a tremendous opportunity. [Read more…]

A STRATEGIC MOVE TOWARD A 50/50 DISTRIBUTION

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

split-cut-scissors-money-50-50-distributionYou are familiar with the story. Two mothers came before King Solomon with a baby, each claiming to be the mother. An argument ensued; accusations flew, and Solomon decided to divide the baby, thereby revealing the identity of the true mother.

Somewhere along the way, the Cooperative Program became the baby many in the Southern Baptists Convention want to divide. Impatience fuels a call for drastic action. We’ve become too quick to draw the sword without considering the broader consequences. Let’s take a breath, step back, and look at the bigger picture. [Read more…]

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIFTS EXCEED BUDGET

cplogoBRENTWOOD — For the first time since 2006-07, Cooperative Program gifts from Tennessee Baptist Convention churches have exceeded the budget. What’s more, it was accomplished seven days prior to the end of the month and the fiscal year (Oct. 31).

The amount actually needed to meet budget was received on Monday, Oct. 24. By Friday, Oct. 28, Tennessee Baptists had given $2,398, 659 in October. For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $34,366,396.

The amount is $497,376 over what was given last year and is 116,396 above budget needs with one counting day remaining on Oct. 31. [Read more…]

TBC CP GIFTS STILL AHEAD OF GOAL

Baptist and Reflector

cplogoBRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,828,179 through the Cooperative Program in September.

For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,967,738 for missions and ministry causes in Tennessee and around the world. [Read more…]

DO YOU ‘GET’ THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM?

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

Randy C. Davis

James Suggs gets it.

Suggs, 72, is the pastor of Cave Hill Baptist Church in Newport. He’s lived in Cocke County his entire life — Cocke County, total population of about 35,000. Suggs shares the story of when he was a young pastor in his early 20s and told some friends that his goal in life was to see a million souls saved.

“I knew to see that goal reached I was going to have to go way beyond Cocke County,” he said. “But I figure that by participating in the Cooperative Program I’ve been able to see at least that many saved in these 50 years.” [Read more…]

TBC CP GIFTS RISE

Baptist and Reflector

cplogoBRENTWOOD  —  Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $3,140,779 through the Cooperative Program in August. It was the fourth time during this budget year that gifts exceeded $3 million in a month.

For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $29,139,559.

With two months to go in the current fiscal year the amount is $1,278,882 or 4.6 percent over the amount given at the same time last year and is $597,892 over current budget needs.

“It is humbling and encouraging to see Tennessee Baptist churches growing in their giving through the Cooperative Program to financially support Great Commission ministries in Tennessee and around the globe,” said TBC Executive Director Randy C. Davis.

FUTURE BRIGHT FOR IMB, PREDICTS SCOTT HARRIS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Scott Harris, missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will serve as chairman of the trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board for the coming year.

Scott Harris, missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will serve as chairman of the trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board for the coming year.

BRENTWOOD — As Scott Harris enters his eighth and final year as a trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, he has witnessed a lot of change.

He became a trustee in 2009 just after the economy had bottomed out. He has served with three different presidents (Jerry Rankin, Tom Elliff, and David Platt) in addition to Clyde Meador who served in an interim role.

What’s more, the IMB has had to deal with drastic changes in denominational life and throughout the world. Any one of those would be hard enough to deal with, but “all of them at the same time is significant,” said Harris, who will lead the IMB trustees as chair in his final year of service.

He considers it an honor to serve as chair. He is an “MK” (missionary kid) and he also served as an IMB missionary in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. He has been the missions minister at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, since 2002. [Read more…]

SBC CP GIFTS UP 2.99 PERCENT

Baptist Press

cplogoNASHVILLE — Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 5.28 percent above the year-to-date SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget projection, and are 2.99 percent above contributions received during the same time frame last year, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page. [Read more…]

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