Tennessee Baptist pioneer reinterred
WHITESBURG, Tenn. (BP) -- The remains of Tennessee pastoral pioneer Tidence Lane have been moved to the grounds of a church he pastored beginning in 1785. Around 1779, Lane helped found what some believe to be the first organized church of any denomination in Tennessee, Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church near Jonesboro, according to Albert Wardin's book "Tennessee Baptists: A Comprehensive History, 1779-1999." Six years later, Lane -- a Revolutionary War veteran -- became founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Whitesburg, Tenn., when the congregation was known as Bent Creek Baptist Church.
Tornado sends church members to elementary school
MT. JULIET, Tenn. (BP) -- A mid-Tennessee church is trekking across the street to an elementary school for worship after sustaining damage from an EF-1 tornado, including a toppled steeple that left a hole in the roof above the sanctuary. Mark Marshall, pastor of The Glade Church in Mt. Juliet near Nashville, said he is thankful that Gladeville Elementary School is willing to lend its facilities. "We have a phenomenal relationship with them," Marshall said. "Over the years, this church has built a bridge with them."
Halloween outreach ‘hammers out the Gospel,’ pastor says
WAVERLY, Tenn. (BP) -- Scott Brown, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Waverly, Tenn., doesn't think Christians should hide from Halloween. The members of his congregation obviously agree. Rather than avoiding the night that is traditionally linked to ghosts and goblins, First Baptist embraces it by hosting one of the largest fall festivals in the state. First Baptist, which has about 200 members, welcomed more than 7,000 ...
Players & coaches gather for football & the Gospel
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BP) -- It's not every day that a rendition of "Rocky Top" rings out from an orchestra in a church. But the University of Tennessee's signature song is how the evening began at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga where an energetic crowd -- including a large number of football players and coaches from the local area -- came together for "A Night of Orange and White." The July 27 event, which featured former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer, ...
