Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
From B&R staff reports
Union’s Chelsey Shumpert (No. 25) guards Carson-Newman’s Haris Price during the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II tournament. Union’s Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (No. 22) also defends on the play.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Union University women’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the first time in the program’s history. [Read more…]
Union University News Office
James Merritt addresses participants at the West Tennessee Evangelism Rally held March 4 at Union University.
– Photo by Kristi Woody
JACKSON — Christians must ask everyone to follow Jesus and willingly associate with those who don’t follow Jesus, Georgia pastor James Merritt said at Union University March 4 during the West Tennessee Evangelism Rally.
“The business of the church, and the business of every follower of Jesus Christ, is to find missing people and invite them to follow Jesus,” said Merritt, pastor of Crosspointe Church in Duluth, Georgia. “If we are not in that business, we are out of business.”
Merritt was the keynote speaker at the third annual evangelism rally that drew more than 800 people to the Union campus for a worship service, dinner and breakout sessions. The event included for the first time a women’s track and a student track. [Read more…]
By Nathan Handley
Union University
James Merritt.
Photo credit: Cross Pointe Church
JACKSON — James Merritt, lead pastor at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga., will be the keynote speaker at the third annual West Tennessee Evangelism Rally on March 4 at Union University. [Read more…]
By Nathan Handley
Tennessee Baptist directors of missions gather at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem during a recent trip to Israel sponsored by Union University and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
JACKSON — Union University and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board partnered to send 25 directors of missions to Israel for the first time in January.
Union University President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver led the trip alongside Nathan Finn, dean of Union’s School of Theology and Missions, and Ernest Easley, professor of evangelism at Union. Easley said he decided he wanted to send these directors of missions to Israel after realizing at their annual meeting in April that almost none of them had visited the country before. He said he was blessed to be able to work with Union to provide that opportunity. Willie McLaurin represented the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board on the trip. [Read more…]
Nathan Handley & Tim Ellsworth
Baptist Press
Union students join in worship during a Feb. 2 chapel service — part of a day-long celebration of the university’s recovery from a 2008 tornado. Photo by Kristi Woody/Union University
JACKSON, Tenn. — At the 10-year point since a tornado devastated the campus, Union University marked the anniversary with a day of activities Feb. 2 featuring former administrators, students and others closely involved with the event.
Former Union President David S. Dockery, in a Founders’ Day chapel address, spoke on providence, hope and unity the university experienced from the Feb. 5, 2008, tornado. [Read more…]
By Tim Ellsworth
Union News Office
An EF-4 tornado ripped through the campus of Union University in Jackson 10 years ago, leaving in its wake more than $40 million in damages.
JACKSON — Ten years ago, an EF-4 tornado ripped the Union University campus apart.
The campus sustained about $40 million worth of damages. The whirlwind destroyed buildings and dozens of students were injured in the storm. [Read more…]
From Union University
JACKSON, Tenn. – Frank Anderson, who occupies the Stephen Olford Chair of Expository Preaching at Union University, has been appointed as the director of Union’s Center for Racial Reconciliation.
In this position, Anderson will plan and host events related to a Christ-centered understanding of racial reconciliation and will work with university schools, departments, offices and centers to promote racial reconciliation. He will also teach courses related to urban ministry and African-American religious history. [Read more…]
By Todd Brady
Vice President for University Ministries, Union University
Union University faculty and students attending Summit were, from left, Todd Brady, vice president for university ministries; Alex Williams; J.P Barden; Joe Ball, director of discipleship and ministry; Josh Leamon; Joel Holland; Grant Allen; Andy Mayfield; and Michael Horton.
JACKSON — Driving back to Jackson from this year’s Summit, the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention which took place in Hendersonville, I found myself more encouraged than ever about the future of the state denomination. Although it was a good meeting with good people who were about good work, I was most encouraged by the group of students from Union that accompanied us to the Convention.
This was their first time to attend such an event. While I had spent time with them on our campus in classrooms, hallways and the cafeteria, it was good to share about 24 hours together at the annual meeting of Tennessee Baptists. [Read more…]
By Tim Ellsworth
Union University News Office
Union University
JACKSON, Tenn. — Union University has settled its lawsuit against the U.S. government concerning the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate that Union provide abortion-causing drugs as part of its employee health plans.
Under the terms of the settlement, the U.S. government agreed that the mandate was a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and that that under the Supreme Court’s decision in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, it imposed a “substantial burden” on Union’s free exercise of religion. [Read more…]
Former Union University athletic director and coach David Blackstock.
Union news office
JACKSON — David Blackstock, Union University’s athletic director for 34 years and women’s basketball coach for 18 years, died Nov. 1 at age 75 after a lengthy illness.
A native of Jackson, Blackstock graduated from Union in 1964 with a degree in health and physical education. He played baseball for the Bulldogs for four years. He became Union’s athletic director in 1973 after completing his doctor of education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. [Read more…]