Tennessee Baptist and Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM — ARE WE ALL-IN?

By Matt Tullos
Stewardship Development Specialist, TBMB

We’ve seen this scene played out in countless westerns. The weather-beaten cowboy in the dusty western saloon looks across the table and pushes all his chips to the center. For better or for worse, he’s all-in.

John the Baptist was all-in, too. He couldn’t be categorized as anything other than completely, radically, undeniably committed. His calling and mission propelled him into the vortex of the Jesus story.  What do you call a man who wears camel’s skin? How do you explain a consistent diet of wild honey and extra-crispy locust? [Read more…]

TBC CP GIVING AHEAD OF BUDGET

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,657,992 through the Cooperative Program in February.

After the first quarter of the 2019-20 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists have given $12,157,989. The amount is $293,198 or 2.5 percent over the amount given after the first four months of last year and is $491,322 or 4.2 percent over budget needs.

“We are grateful for Tennessee Baptists who continue to give faithfully to meet Great Commission needs in our own state and around the world,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

TBC CP GIFTS TOP $4 MILLION

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $4,083,899 through the Cooperative Program in January.

It is the largest single monthly amount ever and the first time CP gifts have exceeded $4 million in a month for more than a decade. It is the largest monthly amount since Tennessee Baptists gave $4,019,171 in December of 2008. [Read more…]

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: WHEN MISSIONARIES CRY

By Art Toalston
Contributing writer, B&R

Maybe you’ve seen a missionary cry.

Interviewing a missionary in Ecuador some years back, my heart was gripped when he spoke through tears of the persecution experienced by the indigenous people he worked among in the Andean mountains.

It was midday, we were in a cold, dark room. All I could do was sit there and dig for empathy within my soul as he cried.

In a conference more recently, I saw a husband and wife, missionaries to Russia, cry as they described their love for the people they had served. [Read more…]

TBC CP GIVING OFF TO SLOW START

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Cooperative Program gifts from Tennessee Baptist Convention churches got off to a slow start in November, the first month of the new 2019-2020 fiscal year.

TBC churches gave $2,445,574 through the Cooperative Program in November. The amount is $213,173 or 8 percent below what was given during the first month of the 2018-19 fiscal year. The total also is $471,093 or 16.15 percent below budget. [Read more…]

SUMMIT SUMMARY: EVANGELISM AT FOREFRONT

TBC leaders, messengers focus on how to ‘Win TN, by all means’ during 145th annual meeting

Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, preached the final message of the Tennessee Baptist Pastors Conference on Nov. 18. He encouraged pastors to gather at the altar for prayer for each other and their churches.
– Photo by James Wilson

Editor’s Note: See stories from the 2019 Summit in Knoxville throughout this issue.

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
[email protected]

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee Baptist Convention messengers gathered at First Baptist Concord, Nov. 17-20 for four days of inspirational worship, fellowship and to conduct business during the 145th annual meeting held during The Summit: A Gathering of Tennessee Baptists.

The Summit drew 998 registered messengers from 444 churches and 117 registered guests. The total is the highest since 2016 when 1,228 messengers from 501 churches gathered at the Sevierville Convention Center. Last year’s Summit drew 994 messengers from 409 churches to West Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson.

Convention messengers demonstrated focus, excellence and unity, observed Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

TENNESSEE BAPTISTS EXCEED CP BUDGET

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
[email protected] 

FRANKLIN — When the books closed Oct. 31 on the 2018-19 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists had given $34,719,604 through the Cooperative Program.

The amount is $115,032 or 0.3 percent more than was given for 2017-18 and $219,604 or 0.64 percent above budget.

Tennessee Baptist Convention churches finished the year strong, giving $3,222,974 through the CP budget in October. [Read more…]

IT’S A FACT: EVERY GREAT TEAM WORKS TOGETHER

By Matt Tullos
Stewardship Development Specialist, TBMB

The Evangels were a football team with a legendary record of wins. They had a storied history of some of the best players in the country who went on to win championships and drape banners and retired jerseys all over their stadium. It was the golden age of football for the Evangels.

Everything was going great until they had an idea to recruit the best quarterbacks available — ALL OF THEM. We’ll trade our best cornerbacks, linemen, running backs and kickers. We just want the best quarterbacks period. [Read more…]

TBC CP GIFTS NEAR BUDGET

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,429,074 through the Cooperative Program in September.
For the year-to-date, Tennessee Baptists have given $31,496,630 through the Cooperative Program.

The total is $15,166 over the amount given during the same time frame last year, basically no percentage increase. [Read more…]

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: A MISSIONARY’S GRATITUDE

By Paul Chitwood
International Mission Board President

EDITOR’S NOTE FROM BAPTIST PRESS: Paul Chitwood is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. October is Cooperative Program Emphasis month in the Southern Baptist Convention. Learn more about CP here.

RICHMOND, Va. — As I near the first anniversary of being elected president of the International Mission Board, I am incredibly encouraged about so many aspects of the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.

At the top of the list are our missionaries. Over these months, my wife Michelle and I have met with more than half of our 3,700 Southern Baptist missionaries and their 2,880 children. [Read more…]

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