Tennessee Baptist and Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

TANKER EXPLOSION STILL REMEMBERED

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
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Waverly Mayor Buddy Frazier, a member of First Baptist Church, Waverly, looks over the names of the 16 people killed in a tanker explosion in 1978. Frazier was a 25-year-old police officer at the time and had just left the site minutes before the explosion.

WAVERLY —   In the 40 years Tennessee Baptists have responded to disasters in the state and around the globe, countless volunteers have trekked to be the hands and feet of Jesus when people needed a friend and a helping hand.

But the state convention’s first “official” disaster relief response was done with little fanfare and no volunteers or equipment. In fact, the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board didn’t acquire a DR vehicle until after the first response.

On Feb. 24, 1978, a derailed L&N railroad car carrying liquid propane gas exploded, killing 16 people and injuring more than 200 others. Many of the survivors still carry scars from the burns they received. [Read more…]

DR CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
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Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, participated in the 40th anniversary of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief along with former state DR directors David Acres, left, and Tim Bearden, right.

MOUNT JULIET  — Nearly 300 volunteers from every area of the state flocked to the Missions Mobilization Center in Mount Juliet July 14 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief.

“We’re here today because for 40 years Tennessee Baptists have been responding in a united, cooperative manner to disaster,” observed Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“From earthquakes to tsunamis, from floods to fires, from tornados to ice storms and terrorist attacks, the men and women of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief have shown up to assist,” he continued. [Read more…]

WHAT IF THE NATIONS COME TO US? IT’S HAPPENING

By Justin H. Terrell
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Dandridge

What if I told you that you could take the gospel to the nations without leaving your own country? For many churches, the idea of international mission work without international travel seems inconceivable. But what if the nations traveled to you? [Read more…]

YOUTH LEARN LIFE LESSONS ON TRIP TO GUATEMALA

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
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Ethan Stacy, of First Baptist Church, Manchester, interacts with the boys and girls during the missions trip to Guatemala. TBMB youth ministry specialist Bruce Edwards said the youth on the trip who knew how to play guitar were instantly “rock stars” with the children.

FRANKLIN — The concept of “giving the shirt off your back” played out in an almost literal sense for a group of roughly 40 students and leaders who recently traveled to Guatemala for a week-long mission trip sponsored by the Youth Evangelism Conference and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“Many of the kids left for the trip with a suitcase packed full of clothes, and came home with a virtually empty suitcase,” said Bruce Edwards, youth ministry specialist at the TBMB. “We asked them to bring clothes that they would be willing to donate to the underprivileged in Guatemala, and I think the experience of doing that was very meaningful for many of the kids.” [Read more…]

MISSION TRIP — WITHOUT THE MILEAGE

Students in Hardeman County serve the community through Youth Evangelism Project

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
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Bailee Barnes of Hornsby Baptist Church, Hornsby, washes a car as part of a community missions project known as “YEP.” The project is sponsored
by four Hardeman County churches.
— Photo by Lonnie Wilkey

BOLIVAR — Sitting in her car with the window rolled down on a steamy morning in West Tennessee, Ella Hayes had a peaceful smile on her face. She was feeling a refreshing mist of water on her arm, but that wasn’t the reason she was smiling.

Her joy came from watching the youth who were enthusiastically scrubbing the car in front of her. The students were washing cars, free of charge to the customers, as part of the Youth Evangelism Project.

“This let’s you know there is still some love in the world today,” said Hayes. “With so much prejudice and racism and all that stuff going on, it puts a damper on your heart. But to see this right here — these kids out here working for Jesus — it’s nothing but love.” [Read more…]

PRISON MINISTER, CHAPLAIN EARNS NATIONAL AWARD

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
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John Spurgeon was recently named the Volunteer of the Year by the American Jail Association during a ceremony in Sacramento, CA.

MURFREESBORO —  Although his name was the only one that appeared on the plaque, John Spurgeon quickly points out that his award-winning prison ministry is built on the combined efforts of a large army of individuals.

Spurgeon, the prison ministry pastor at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, was recently named the Volunteer of the Year by the American Jail Association. [Read more…]

‘EVERY TRIBE, EVERY TONGUE, EVERY NATION’

156 internationals make salvation decisions at All Nations Camp

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

Children and teenagers from 15 ethnic groups, representing 32 nations, enjoyed worship services during the 25th annual All Nations Camp held recently at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport.

NEWPORT — William Burton has been praying all year that 150 children and youth would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior during the 25th All Nations Camp held May 28-June 1 at Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center.

He fell just a tad short in his expectations. God provided 156 first-time salvation decisions and 24 recorded rededication decisions among the record 438 campers and staff. “It was an incredible week,” affirmed Burton, ethnic evangelism/church planting specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

Burton said this year’s attendance was a 52 percent increase over last year’s then record of 288. Twenty-five additional ethnic churches participated as well, a 32 percent increase over last year, he added. The camp is open to international children, ages 7 to 17, he noted. [Read more…]

THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM: THE SBC’S ECOSYSTEM

Editor’s Note: This column was distributed among directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board during their April 24 meeting in Franklin. See related story.

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

The Cooperative Program is the fabric that weaves us together as Tennessee and Southern Baptists. From the cradle to the grave, the Cooperative Program has a profound impact on our calling as Great Commission Christians and our ability to reach a spiritually lost and dying world. It binds us together for the purpose of reaching every geographic priority Jesus identifies in Acts 1:8.

It fuels the SBC Ecosystem.

Here’s what I mean.

Take a Tennessee boy named Billy Baptist. He comes to Christ at 10 years old during a Vacation Bible School where workers were trained and equipped through a joint venture of his church’s local association and specialists from the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB). Later, at a summer camp held at one of the TBMB’s two conference centers, Billy responds to a call to ministry. Eventually he’s off to college and gets involved in one of the TBMB’s 20-plus dynamic Baptist Collegiate Ministries. While there, Billy gets his first taste of international missions during a summer BCM project in India. [Read more…]

TBMB APPROVES $2.1 MILLION GOTM BUDGET

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Five Objectives 5 ObjectivesFRANKLIN — The board of directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board unanimously approved a $2.1 million goal for the 2018-19 Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

The goal is an increase of $250,000 or 13.5 percent over the 2017-18 goal of $1.925 million. The projected income is $1.85 million.

The Golden Offering for Tennessee Baptist Missions is a cooperative effort of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union and the TBMB. The goal also was approved by the Tennessee WMU Executive Board.

The Golden Offering “is an important part of what we do,” affirmed Martha Pitts, president of Tennessee WMU. [Read more…]

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