In August 2009, I wrote several posts about how poorly Belleview Baptist Church and Steve Gaines handled a sex abuse situation. Some people have questioned why I waited for several months, Gaines acknowledged. This is a warning to parents whose children and teens are participating in BBC programs. How to Resign from a Church ), Union University, Jackson, Tennessee (1979), Dyersburg High School, Dyersburg, Tennessee (1975), SBC Baptist Faith and Message Study Committee (19992000), SBC Committee on Nominations (1991, 1999). An annual Fourth of July celebration, Starlight Spectacular, also draws thousands from the community. And he would leave with her in the presence of people who are there to monitor and would see him leave with her and nobody ever stopped him, Smith said. The church's head pastor has been Steve Gaines since 2005. The church's head pastor has been Steve Gaines since 2005. Before I started blogging, I spoke with Barabara Dorris at SNAP, as well as the well-known attorney,Jeff Anderson, both of whom offered me important advice. sending her sexually explicit photos of her mother taken during an extramarital affair seven years earlier. [30] This group was limited to 50 voting members in order to avoid having an infiltration by those opposed to it, although the actual group was much larger. The man was able to fool Adrian Rodgers! Bellevue Baptist Church fired Paul Williams, minister of prayer and special projects who served at the church 34 years, in January 2007 after an investigation into a "moral failure" he had confessed to Gaines six months earlier. (Dee: I dont beleive him.) . Ive seen multiple comments on BBCs Facebook page, trying to argue that the parents are the ones to blame in all this. CORDOVA, Tenn. (ABP) -- In the latest development in a scandal at one of the Southern Baptist Convention's largest churches, Bellevue Baptist Church fired Paul Williams Jan. 22. The first service was held on July 12, 1903 with Bellevue's first pastor, Henry Hurt. He liked watching my reactions to such photos and it was part of desensitizing me and breaking down proper boundaries. Thx again, Dee, for the post and your research with experts. So the dividend checks or the blog re-planting funding checks arent in the mail? He was listed in her phone as daddy and she would go to him for advice, police said. CORDOVA, Tenn. (BP)A call for the resignation of Bellevue Baptist Church senior pastor Steve Gaines has been voiced by the president of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, which has a longstanding relationship with the prominent Southern Baptist congregation. During Missions Week, missionary Steve Hyde talks about his experiences in serving in Cambodia. With a small $1,000 gift from member Fannie Jobe, Pastor Thomas Potts led the congregation to build a one-room stone chapel at the corner of Bellevue and Erskine Avenues. Baptist Press reported that Williams had abused his own son. Ive commented about this before. Bellevue, based in Cordova and a prominent Southern Baptist church pastored by Steve Gaines, a former Southern Baptist Convention president, has faced criticism in lawsuits and a recent . He matters, a lot. Married to Melisa. (Think the lawsuit.). This struck a chord with me. The lawsuit notes that Hook knew Janet Doe and her family outside of Bellevue: Hook and the victims mother had an extramarital affair in 2011, long before the abuse, according to the complaint. [38] The proclamation also noted that Bellevue Loves Memphis provided every city fire station with a copy of the movie Fireproof, assisted with the City of Memphis cleanup, and assisted with ten block parties. Our actions bare the fruit of our faith.For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the . Here is where it gets complicated. John Steven Gaines (born December 31, 1957) is an American Southern Baptist pastor, and the 61st President of the Southern Baptist Convention. So, I did some digging, this President, who had been a CEO of and investment company, and NEVER been an academic, was fired by his board.However, he claims he never said, or was taken out of context, all the bad thingsthat were said about him. [31] In 2009 the congregation began meeting in a facility formerly occupied by Georgian Hills Baptist Church at 3759 N. Lindsey Gaines Wingo: stay-at-home mom. "Women of Prayer" is the theme for next year's Abide, Feb. 23-24, with plenary speakers Donna Gaines, Bible teacher and wife of Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee; Andrea Lennon, Women's Ministry Specialist for the Arkansas Baptist Convention; Heather Johnson, Bible teacher and wife of Dr. Mark . Bellevue Baptist Church is located in Memphis, TN. No matter what the church says, they cannot know if this man has hurt other teens. We take no ads to make money. They would have to have a marketable skill. The Benefits of Gospel Partnership Dysfunctional Leadership Revealed by Former Intern Pastor of Sovereign Grace Churches. Pastor Steve Gaines focuses on how to deflect the attacks of Satan and the benefits of denying ourselves. He asked for forgiveness from his son and never touched him inappropriately again. Bellevue's drama ministry, organized in 1951, was the first drama ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention. [4] On October 30, 1983, the membership voted to move to the current campus, completing the move in 1989. In 1954, Westminster Films captured him in Technicolor delivering his signature sermon. Steve and Donna have four children and 16 grandchildren. Poor us. Description. On Sunday, July 10, 2005, the Pastor Search Committee of Bellevue Baptist Church presented Dr. Steve Gaines to the church congregation. Thank you, Tim. Pastor Robert G. Lee preached in Japan and Korea in 1955. Steve is a manipulative and controlling person. Continuing to look at the promises of God found in Isaiah, Pastor Steve Gaines delivers hope for your future out of Isaiah 43:18-19. Friend: Didnt work out well for the business-savvy president of Mount St. Marys University in Maryland. . [10] Rogers published 21 books and 52 booklets, including Adrianisms, two volumes of his quotes. ST. LOUIS (Christian Examiner) - Corinth native and pastor of the Memphis area Bellevue Baptist Church Steve Gaines, 59, was elected by acclamation as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention today following a historic and unprecedented delay the first day of the June 14-15 SBC annual meeting. The complaint says that Janet Does father warned Bellevue Baptist that Hook should not be allowed to interact with children. The center cross is 150 feet (46m) tall, flanked by two 120-foot (37m) crosses.[3]. The last thing the penitent should do is seek an approving audience. You go to a church in which your senior pastor covered up a pastor who molested his own son. [8] He was elected president of the SBC again in 1986 and 1987. Bellevue Baptist is a flagship megachurch for Southern Baptists. Muff Potter: theyre everything TWW is not. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Since 1983, he has pastored churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama before coming to Bellevue Baptist Church in 2005 as Senior Pastor. March 2, 2023. Gaines told the congregation that the session was not a business meeting, but a time for church members to receive information from this pulpit from the leaders of this church.. Given the history of Steve Gaines and BBC, this should come as no surprise. Anyone???? Theres a sense of Steve Gaines being the measure of whats right and whats wrong, Spradlin was quoted as saying. [34] He was the first full-time minister of music in the Southern Baptist Convention, and when he retired 38 years later, he had the longest tenure of any Southern Baptist Convention minister of music. You can find Bellevue media anywhere. During his Father's Day sermon, Pastor Steve Gaines taught on "The Need for Christian Men." Speaking from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, he focuses on what makes a Christian man and how we should live as people of God. And the last thing a church should do is give them that audience. [13], On July 10, 2005, members voted to make Steve Gaines the new pastor. Dr. Steve Gaines became Bellevue's next pastor. Don't get stuck on the mistakes of your past and cower in fear to [4], On December 11, 1927, Robert Greene Lee preached his first sermon to the congregation at Bellevue. May 2, 2021 | In the latest installment of our study in the Book of James, Pastor Steve Gaines picks up in James Chapter 2 for a sermon titled "True Faith Works!" Though we know salvation comes from faith placed in the Lord, what role do works play in the cultivation of our beliefs? Four children. Unfortunately both cases were dismissed due to the statute of limitations. Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary is located on 51 acres (21ha) across the street from Bellevue (35 acres (14ha) were donated by Bellevue). Groups at Bellevue are small gatherings of people who meet together and encourage one another to Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, and Make Disciples. Steve relishes being in total control. History. Since 1983, he has pastored churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama before coming to Bellevue Baptist Church in 2005 as Senior Pastor. [4] When Lee retired in 1960 after serving as pastor for 32 years, Bellevue's membership had grown to 9,200, making it the largest Baptist church east of the Mississippi River and the second largest church in the Southern Baptist Convention. The ground floor of the 1952 sanctuary was designed for Christian theatre presentations like The Robe (1957, 1959) and Ben Hur (1961). We believe Worship is vital for the life of a Christian. [8] During a period of theological controversy within the SBC, Rogers helped to lead the SBC back to its historical roots of biblical inerrancy, an effort known as the "Conservative Resurgence". However, he claims he never said, or was taken out of context, all the bad things that were said about him. As the clock ticked down the final moments of the millennium, the Bellevue family worshipped at the foot of the cross. In December 2005, when he retired as senior minister of music, 5,000 adults and children were enrolled in Bellevue's vocal and instrumental programs. The annual award is presented by the April 4th Foundation of Memphis. Some saw it as Bellevue abandoning a community that could use the church [20] Yup, Christ taught us all how Christianity should be run by marketing/business types.. Whitmire premiered The Singing Christmas Tree in 1976, with a record attendance of high 56,000.[35]. On Sunday (July 12), Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, Tennessee, announced at the start of the worship service that a complaint had been . It was a church matter said the pastor, and he gave a sermon on grace and redemption. blog re-planting funding checks [4] In September 2008, the three crosses became the central image in the church logo.[37]. [4] On Easter Sunday, April 17, 1960, the church voted to call him as pastor after he preached at Bellevue. In the back, the officer located a man, later identified as James Hook, and a 16-year-old girl underneath a blanket. He was attacked, not the attacker. They always go to the sentencing to defend a predator. Also, Im going to apply what I learned about Steve Gaines and Belleview Baptist from way back when I started blogging. It took the Baptist Press putting pressure on BBC before they would ever come out and make a statement. [31] Bellevue Frayser operates a weekly food pantry, with Bellevue volunteers distributing food each Saturday morning to approximately 175 families. We'll fix this as soon as possible. At Bellevue Baptist Church, we believe God is calling us to be a catalyst for spiritual awakening in Memphis, TN and beyond. It will only further demonstrate their ignorance. Bellevue has two satellite churches in Memphis and Shelby County. Nevertheless, the Seminary has maintained a close relationship with the congregation ever since it moved to Memphis in 1976; former Bellevue pastor Adrian Rogers was an influential figure at MABTS. When the victims parents separated in 2018, Hook began communicating with the victim and her mother. This seems crazy to me. 27 talking about this. Speakers included James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Rogers' successor, Steve Gaines. A family life center, preschool wing, athletic complex, and multipurpose wing with a west lobby entrance were added to the worship center and two original wings in subsequent years. Wonder how that would work for some of these church/ministry leaders? On December 17, 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for 34 years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a moral failure, identified by Gaines and others as alleged child molestation in the 1980s. Powerful. Week Five | Men of Memphis | Spring 2023. He is currently serving at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova (a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee), one of the largest congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention and has visited Israel 16 times. He came in an completely changed the structure of the church and was allowed to do so in the name of church growth, increased number of baptisms and increased giving. . He had served as the minister of prayer and special projects at the 25,000-member church for 34 years. Come learn how you can be part of fulfilling Bellevue's Mission. [10] In 1994, he was asked by Focus on the Family founder and president, James Dobson, to serve on the organization's board of directors. [4] When his health improved, he later served as pastor of Union Avenue Baptist Church in Memphis. Description. Founded in 1903 as a mission of Central Baptist Church, Bellevue was originally located in Midtown Memphis at the corner of Bellevue and Erskine Streets (presently Court Avenue) where Dr. H. P. Hunt served as the church's first pastor. [33] This was the first time Bellevue was included in the top 50 most influential churches in the United States. what matters is that they themselves are sin-free, and didnt lose any God points. Specific details of the case, allegedly involving sodomy with a minor 17 years ago, have not been released to the public, although . Related. Bellevue became one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the United States in the 1950s with more than 9,000 members. Join us June 2023 for an exciting week filled with biblical truth, crafts, recreation, and an interactive musical presentation! This is the first space pic Ive seen that emphasizes my neck of the planets woods so to speak. [4] To accommodate the crowds that came to hear Lee preach the hour-long sermon each year on the first Sunday in May, Bellevue moved services to Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. Mrs. Pollard founded the Tennessee Ministers' Wives Association. A bit ambiguous, I cant deny. 2" series, this time focusing on the greatest commands God has given us. The church relocated to its current building (2000 Appling Road), which seats 7,000 in the main sanctuary, on a 377-acre (153ha) campus in Cordova, a Memphis suburb, in 1989. On January 5, 1958, Bellevue became the first church in the world to broadcast worship services using its own television equipment. Jeffrey Chalmers: get rid of all the weak students. Join us to pray and intercede on behalf of our Gospel partners throughout the nations. Members are conditioned to praise tales of turning away from the fast women. Bottom line. CORDOVA, Tenn. (ABP) In the latest development in a scandal at one of the Southern Baptist Convention's largest churches, Bellevue Baptist Church fired Paul Williams Jan. 22. Bellevues director of communications, Jim Barnwell, told the Commercial Appeal, I think the important thing to remember is that Steve Gaines realized he made a mistake, hes taking ownership of that and trying his best to fix it. Barnwell added, I dont believe there was a deliberate attempt to hide anything., Describing the investigation, the Commercial Appeal said it will include Bellevue members and independent sources during which Williams will not perform any ministerial duties or be on the Bellevue campus..