TENNESCENE: WEEKS OF JAN. 22-FEB. 4

LEADERS

Randy Pressnell retired as pastor of First Baptist Church, Oneida, effective Jan. 5. He has served churches in Tennessee and Kentucky since 1978. Other Tennessee pastorates include First Baptist Church, New Tazewell, and Oak Grove Baptist Church, Mount Carmel. He also is a former administrator and professor at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, Ky.  Pressnell has been involved in Baptist ministries at all levels. He served for 12 years on the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board). In addition, his wife, Debbi, also served at the TBMB for six years. He has been moderator in Baptist associations where he has served and was on the Advisory Council of Ministers for Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City. Pressnell will be available for pulpit supply and transitional interim ministry. He can be reached at [email protected].

David Leavell recently resigned as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Millington, to seek other preaching and missions opportunities. He served there for more than 10 years and led in helping the church retire its indebtedness. During his tenure, the church baptized 1,050 people. Leavell is a past president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He also has served as pastor of Springfield Baptist Church, Springfield.

EVENTS

The 2020 Compassion Ministry Network Meetings, sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, are scheduled across Tennessee in February. See ad on this page for dates and locations. Each event will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., local time. The focus of the meetings will be “Understanding and Engaging Poverty.” Randy Pool of Mississippi River Ministry will lead the training conferences and special attention will be given on how to more effectively share the gospel through compassion ministry. The network meetings are for pastors, staff, directors of missions, church leaders and compassion ministry leaders. A free lunch is provided at each location, but you must register for the lunch. Registration deadline is two days before each event. Register online at www.tnccm.org or e-mail Carrie Kidd at [email protected] or call her at 615-371-2025. Contact Joe Sorah at 423-895-1481 if you have questions about the network meetings.

Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett, will host “The Gospel is Enough,” a biblical look at the social justice movement on Feb. 7-8. The goal of the conference is to bridge some of the gaps that exist in discussing many of the social, cultural and political issues confronting the church and Christians today, said Faith pastor Danny Sinquefield. He said he hopes the conference will provide clear, compelling, Christ-centered answers and solutions for issues and questions being raised. The conference begins on Feb. 7 with registration from 4-6 p.m., followed by the first session. The next day’s activities begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. For a list of speakers, other information and tickets, visit gospelisenough.com.

DEATHS

Longtime Tennessee Baptist Convention pastor and denominational leader Orvind M. Dangeau died Jan. 10 in Humboldt. He was 97. He served as a pastor in the state for many years before joining the staff of the Executive Board of the TBC in 1976 as director of Cooperative Program/stewardship. He retired in 1989. He was active in the state convention for a number of years after his retirement. Dangeau was a Navy veteran who served in World War II. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Freddie Ann, and later his second wife, Franchelle. He is survived by a daughter, three stepchildren, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Ira P. Singleton Jr., of Memphis, died on Dec. 31 at the age of 93. He was a veteran of World War II. After returning from the military he served as pastor of churches in Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. He also was a director of missions in Tennessee (Beulah Baptist Association) and Kentucky. He and his wife, Georgia, also served as career missionaries with the Foreign (now International) Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He continued to preach in churches around Memphis until eight weeks prior to his death. He preached for more than 75 years. He is survived by three children and nine grandchildren.

Claudie Hammers, who served as pastor of churches in Hardeman and Fayette Baptist Associations for more than 40 years, died Nov. 28 in Whiteville. He also served as interim pastor of Allen Baptist Church and Poplar Corner Baptist Church in Haywood Baptist Association. He was a member of Harmony Baptist Church, Whiteville.

Carol Growden of Tullahoma, a retiree and former staff member with Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union, died Dec. 22. She was 82. She is survived by her husband, Jim Growden, two sons and four grandchildren. Jim Growden served as a pastor in Tennessee for about 50 years. His last pastorate was College Street Baptist Church in Tullahoma.

Lyn Brasfield, retiree and former TBMB Youth Sunday School specialist died  Jan. 10.  A memorial service will be held for her at First Baptist Church, Nashville, on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m.

ASSOCIATIONS

A team of 41 volunteers from Weakley County Baptist Association, based in Dresden, participated Jan. 13-18 on a mission trip to Puerto Rico to do roof repair and Vacation Bible School. The team was led by director of missions Phil Mitchell and missions team leaders Tommy and Karen Wilson.

EVENTS

Carson-Newman University’s online graduate education program is ranked as the second best in the state according to a U.S. News & World Report ranking released Jan. 14. The program is ranked 154th nationally among all ranked colleges and universities. The announcement is part of the publication’s new 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. The University of Memphis is the only university receiving a higher ranking in Tennessee. Carson-Newman is also the state’s highest-ranked (172) private school in the “Best Online MBA Programs” category.