LEADERS
Corey Cain
Corey Cain was called July 1 as the lead pastor of First Baptist Church, Seymour. Cain previously served as pastor of Maplewood Baptist Church, Paris. Cain currently serves as president of the Tennessee Baptist Pastors Conference and second vice president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Kerry Franks recently was called as pastor of Green River Baptist Church, Waynesboro. He had been serving as youth pastor. He begins his new role in September.
Birchfield Baptist Church, Maryville, recently called Greg Watson as pastor. He was misidentified in the July 22 issue. The Baptist and Reflector staff apologizes for the error.
Anita Sloan
Anita Sloan recently celebrated her 20th anniversary on the staff of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. She has served as a part-time proofreader in the administrative services department of the TBMB. She and her husband Michael have three children.
Bobby Williams retired from the business world on June 30 and has transitioned from bivocational pastor to full time pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Moscow.
Jessie Lambert, a student at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, has been filling the pulpit of Williston Baptist Church, Williston, since the church began meeting again in August.
Chuck Smith has been called as worship leader of Rossville Baptist Church, Rossville.
DEATHS
Granville Watson, who served as an interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Somerville, in years past, died Aug. 11. He is survived by his wife, Becky, and a son. Watson was laid to rest in Columbus, Miss.
CHURCHES
Mountain View Baptist Church, Johnson City, will host a Marriage Night simulcast event on Oct. 3. For more information, including program leaders, cost and how to register, call 423-282-3262.
Thompson Creek Baptist Church, Como, celebrated its 189th anniversary on Aug. 9 with special music, a reading of the church’s history and a message from pastor Billy Ross.
Fifteen people from three churches were baptized during Nolachucky Baptist Association’s Annual Lake Baptism Service on July 26. Due to COVID-19, the service was different from previous years as people wore masks and practiced social distancing. In left photo, pastor Travis Webb of Westview Baptist Church baptizes Deyoun Majors, one of five from his church. In the center photo, pastor Brian Rhodes of Pleasant View Baptist Church, Talbott, baptizes Neal Johnson and in the right photo, Rob Walters, youth minister at First Baptist Church, Morristown, prepares to baptize his daughters, Adelyn and Carolee. Ministers from FBC, including senior pastor Dean Haun, baptized nine people during the service.
Redemption Church in Columbia recently held a baptism service. Pastor David Ward baptized Timberly Wright, who had watched a church service online from Floral City, Fla., during the quarantine. She drove more than 650 miles to be baptized.