“This conference is specifically designed for those who feel called to lead the Church through worship in various capacities,” said Jay Barbier, one of the organizers of the event.
Mal Underwood, a Brentwood Baptist DR volunteer, described the relief effort as a multi-stage process. “Flood relief is about triaging first responses — getting the mud out and helping families return to a degree of normalcy,” he said.
“When the doctor says you have stage four, he says hope is off the table,” Jay Barbier explained. “But when I get to lean in on Jesus, I have hope in Him.”
Evangelism and discipleship are linked and cannot be separated. We have been called to make disciples, not converts, and we do that one person at a time. Jesus always had time for the individual, and we must follow His example.
The EC and Southern Baptists desperately needed stability. The EC’s credibility was in shambles after six years of making news for all the wrong reasons.
“I’m trying to avoid haphazard or rushed decisions. I’m more interested in methodical, systematic, real progress than I am haphazard or rushed decision-making that really doesn’t pay a benefit we need in the long run.”
Working alongside non-profits serving those affected by Hurricane Helene is a priority of Tennessee Serves, an initiative headed by Tennessee’s First Lady Maria Lee.