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. Bellevue: Clergy sex-abuse and cover-up scandal-hit Southern Baptist flagship. Lee was born in a log cabin on November 11, 1886. Some people have questioned why I waited for several months, Gaines acknowledged. I think the problem here is that they never consider women (even teenagers) to be victims. The church completed a 3,000 seat building located at 70 N. Bellevue in 1952, which was one of the first air-conditioned churches in Memphis. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas (1991), Master of Divinity (M.Div. The newspaper identified the Bellevue staff member accused of sexual abuse 17 years ago as Paul Williams, a 34-year staffer. An independent investigation commissioned by the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, showed that sexual abuse allegations were ignored or covered up by church elders for nearly 20 years. thou shalt not confront. Browse all of Bellevue's on-demand sermons and original content on any device. Cant be bought. [4] The 40-year-old native Floridian was pastor of First Baptist Church in Merritt Island, Florida. Dr. Steve Gaines took the pulpit at Bellevue on Sept. 11, 2005 after serving as pastor for 14 years at Gardendale First Baptist Church, in Birmingham, Ala. Gaines became one of the leading conservative voices in the SBC. This seems crazy to me. In 1996, the Religious Heritage of America named Rogers Clergyman of the Year, and in 2003, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Until Steve Gaines and his cohorts begin to truly understand the depths of the pain of abuse victims, they will not be able to truly offer a spiritually rich and safe youth program. Under Rogers, Bellevue was a key supporter of the conservative faction within the Southern Baptist Convention during the "conservative/moderate" controversy of the 1970s and 1980s (Rogers served as SBC President for three terms). Dee, will you please give an authoritative answer? [35] Whitmire was minister of youth music until Lane's retirement in 1986. what matters is the bonus God points theyll probably get for showing grace and supporting the perpetrator. Bellevue Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in the Cordova area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. In 2007, Gaines initiated a church-wide, ongoing volunteer ministry to Memphis and the community. If you want to protect your child since the church appears to be unable to do so, attend the programs to keep an eye on things. Gaines, an alumnus of SWBTS and the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, issued a public statement in response to past controversial statements made by 75-year-old Patterson about women, abuse and divorce. It was and is one of the most vibrant churches in the convention; its former (Adrian Rogers) and current (Steve Gaines) pastors have been the President of the Southern Baptist Convention and both served on the Baptist Faith and Message Committee. [13], On July 10, 2005, members voted to make Steve Gaines the new pastor. Since 1983, he has pastored churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama before coming to Bellevue Baptist Church in 2005 as Senior Pastor. The new building was located on the same block where the original stone chapel had stood. 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. With a small $1,000 gift from member Fannie Jobe, Pastor . All of those courses on *How to witness to an atheist* will not get far when your witness is sticking up for a predator. This isn't the first time Bellevue has faced accusations of mishandling sexual . Im not an Episcopal, just good friends with one who is now a Bishop. Related. [4] Bellevue's main reasoning behind the move to the other side of the city, besides needing more room, was that its membership had changed, with the majority of it now located in the eastern part of the Memphis metro area. [4] Groundbreaking for the 7,000-seat worship center was July 19, 1987. Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN | bellevue.org. Since 1996, Gaines had preached once a year at Bellevue by Rogers' invitation. I grew up attending Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Oh, its not subtle at all. How to Resign from a Church The church's head pastor has been Steve Gaines since 2005. Williams was fired. Steve challenges the students to engage in missions. Pollard received the top achievement award for evangelism from the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1962, and he was president of the board of World Evangelism Foundation of Dallas, Texas. Three children. During Missions Week, missionary Steve Hyde talks about his experiences in serving in Cambodia. You can be sure that Gaines and Bellevue Baptist will try to use it to their advantage in the lawsuit. [4] He was named Pastor Emeritus in 1979. John Steven Gaines (born December 31, 1957) is an American Southern Baptist pastor, and the 61st President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Because, because Honor your father the 5th Commandment ? 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. Police noted that both Hook and the victim described themselves as being in a father/daughter relationship. This situation was truly shocking. Gaines, deacon chairman Chuck Taylor, Harry Smith, a longtime member of the churchs finance committee, and Chip Freeman, the churchs chief administrator, reportedly addressed various allegations point by point. Get even more content. Became a prof of epidemiology which Vets learn a lot about anyway. Bellevue Baptist Church in Boydton, VA Expand search. Dr. Steve Gaines, Bellevue's Senior Pastor, is known as a man of prayer and a preacher of God's Word. [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. He asked for forgiveness from his son and never touched him inappropriately again. And the whole of the Southern Baptist Convention elected Steve Gaines as SBC president even AFTER it was widely publicized that Gaines had known & kept quiet about a prior staff m Week Five | Men of Memphis | Spring 2023. This is a warning to parents whose children and teens are participating in BBC programs. If this is true, I am absolutely disgusted. Lane served with three Bellevue pastors who were each elected Southern Baptist Convention president: Robert G. Lee, Ramsey Pollard, and Adrian Rogers. [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. [7] In 1979, Rogers was elected on the first ballot as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the world's largest Protestant denomination. Membership Covenants [4] A two-story wooden frame building was added to the original stone structure in 1910, with evening services sometimes held on the rooftop. Sovereign Grace Ministries Why do churches like this one ignore victims? Thousands of evangelical women are calling on him to step down. Bellevue Baptist is a flagship megachurch for Southern Baptists. Almost immediately the new pastor made some changes such as . In 1954, Westminster Films captured him in Technicolor delivering his signature sermon. J R in WV: One of the first questions the Evangelist preacher asked was Whats your take of the collection?. [19] Bellevue has also planted churches in Honduras, Uruguay and Nicaragua. Mega-pastors? [4] Lee authored 56 books, written primarily from his sermons. Hope for Your Future. I honestly believe he cares absolutely nothing about the victim Janet Doe. March 1, 2023. There were many warning signs at Gardendale Baptist in AL. The actions, according to some, have opened up a needed avenue of dissent in the church but, according to others, have served only to . Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., said Sunday that Paul Williams, a minister of prayer and special projects . [34] For more than three decades, he directed the student nurse choir at Baptist Memorial Hospital known as the Nightingales. It is a flagship church of the Southern Baptist Convention, and its pastor, Steve Gaines, once led the denomination as its 61st president. They were warned by this teens father yet they continued to dole out his paycheck. The Commercial Appeal did not report a response from Gaines. We have had to place a minister on a paid leave of absence due to a past moral failure. [10] Rogers published 21 books and 52 booklets, including Adrianisms, two volumes of his quotes. Bellevue became one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the United States in the 1950s with more than 9,000 members. As told inIn Disturbing details released after man caught at park with teenager: A 43-year-old man was arrested over the weekend after his alleged interactions with a teenage girl came to light. Pastor Steve Gaines focuses on how to deflect the attacks of Satan and the benefits of denying ourselves. Pastor Robert G. Lee preached in Japan and Korea in 1955. His first sermon as new pastor at Bellevue was on September 11, 2005. Related. Sigh. Missions Night | Steve Hyde. Thus Bellevue has its four-fold mission statement: Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, and Make Disciples. Ive seen multiple comments on BBCs Facebook page, trying to argue that the parents are the ones to blame in all this. In the proper season I will send the showers they need. Church Discipline Bellevue's goals are to "Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, and Make Disciples." Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and our podcasts for on-the-go access. Given the history of Steve Gaines and BBC, this should come as no surprise. The crosses are engineered to withstand 70-mile-per-hour (110km/h) winds and are constructed of four pieces of structural steel and angle iron painted white. [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. Gaines kept the secret for six months until details of the incident appeared in a blog. Since 1983, he has pastored churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama before coming to Bellevue Baptist Church in 2005 as Senior Pastor. The Benefits of Gospel Partnership Dysfunctional Leadership Revealed by Former Intern Pastor of Sovereign Grace Churches. 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? At the time of his death on July 20, 1978, an estimated 3 million people had heard him preach Pay-Day Someday. We believe Worship is vital for the life of a Christian. [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. It will only further demonstrate their ignorance. Subscribe Share More Info. 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. Rogers died of cancer in November 2005. Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, agrees to be president of the Southern Baptist Convention after J.D. 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. Bellevue Baptist Church | 935 . 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. 0:00 - Introduction of our text 6:11 - A Christian man is watchful 8:06 - Discipline your eyes 9:30 - Live in God's . © 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 - The Wartburg Watch. [4], The church's most well-known leader, Adrian Rogers, was the senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist from 1972 until March 2005. 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 investigative report for how leaders have handled sexual abuse allegations in the past. 30 Compiled by Art Toalston. Dr. Steve Gaines, Bellevue's Senior Pastor, is known as a man of prayer and a preacher of God's Word. while others saw it as a growing issue of white flight. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. [18], Gaines was the only Southwestern Seminary graduate to receive both awards. [15] For Easter 2005, First Baptist Gardendale held community-wide services at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex with more 10,000 attending. 0:00 - Introduction of our text 10:19 - Faith strengthens 15:05 - Faith serves 21:42 . Did anyone from the church go to sit on the side of the victim or ask for a tougher sentence for a man who abused a teen from their church? @wartwatch Not even the milk toast "We regret if anyone was offended"? The survey was tabulated through more than 2,000 emails being sent to non-Catholic church leaders. [38] The proclamation noted that on six workdays, 5,300 volunteers have contributed between 30,000-35,000 hours through yard work, painting, construction, and more to benefit 40 schools, two post-secondary schools, 44 churches, 55 family homes, 14 parks, nine city/government buildings, 16 hospitals, 47 ministries, and ten Memphis City School football fields. Didnt work out well for the business-savvy president of Mount St. Marys University in Maryland. Ava Aaronson: TWW recognizes the power of truth. Bellevue Baptist was named in a report in May by Guidepost Solutions . In 2006-07, it was mired in reports of a clergy child molestation cover-up. it matters not that they ignore and effectively shun the victim. Looking at Matthew 22, we'll see how God calls us to love others and worship Him. The Young and Reformed, for example? . 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. But he had power, including the power of truth. The campus also offers a thrift store and tutoring for students. Gaines previously served as pastor at First Baptist Church in Gardendale, Alabama; a suburb of Birmingham, for fourteen years. [4] Because of the growth in membership, a 1,000-seat auditorium was constructed on Bellevue Avenue, replacing the stone chapel. SEATED: Living From our Position in Christ. He matters, a lot. Bellevue is the largest church in Memphis. January 10, 2023. Association of Related Churches Missions Week is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about short-term, mid-term, and long-term missions! He used some shocking language to describe his wish to oust freshmen who were not instantly adjusting to campus life. Headless Unicorn Guy: Whats your take of the collection?. February 26, 2023 / Bellevue Baptist Church. Impact Baptist Church (now called Bellevue Frayser), in the Frayser community, is the largest and fastest growing African-American Southern Baptist Church in Tennessee. 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 . Dont owe anything to anyone. Muff Potter: theyre everything TWW is not. Its simply this: I acted out of a heartfelt concern and compassion for this minister because the event occurred many years ago, he was receiving professional counseling; and I was concerned about confidentiality. 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. If Steve Gaines found out that a child had been sexually molested by one of his ministers and if he did nothing to address it, then he needs to step down immediately, the newspaper quoted Spradlin as saying in a Dec. 20 article. https://cruxnow.com/church/2016/03/drown-the-bunnies-president-out-at-mount-st-marys/. This button displays the currently selected search type. Let us go back a ways and see the pattern. When the victims parents separated in 2018, Hook began communicating with the victim and her mother. Allen, Bob. it is entirely self-centered. "Bellevue Baptist Church Televises Sunday Services", "Explore one of Memphis' Megachurches: Bellevue Baptist Church", Bellevue Baptist Church's History and Vision, Bellevue's Lee 'One of the Towering Giants', Bellevue Baptist to Hear Prospective Pastor Sunday, SBC The Baptist Faith and Message Committee, Union graduate called as pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, "Ft. Worth church produced Baptist leaders", "Bellevue Baptist Goes on Global Mission", Churchgoing: Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis, Doctrine, Demographics, and the Decline of the Southern Baptist Convention in Shelby County, Tennessee, "Bellevue Leadership Report from September 24, 2006", Bellevue conflict bleeds onto Internet, into Public Square, 'People losing trust' in Bellevue pastor, seminary leader says, "Bellevue Baptist Church Opening Up to Casual Service", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bellevue_Baptist_Church&oldid=1136470808, Evangelical megachurches in the United States, Christian organizations established in 1903, 20th-century Baptist churches in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 13:40. Love People. Bellevue teams have also worked in Seattle, WA; Vancouver, BC; and the Dakotas. After being located in the heart of Midtown, Memphis for over 80 years, Bellevue relocated to its current campus in Cordova. The Young and Reformed, for example?