The Bible may not be official TN state book, but lots of Tennesseans read and believe

Noting a report that says the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee has risen from fifth to fourth place on the American Bible Society’s rankings of the nation’s most “Bible-minded” places, the Kingsport Times-News got comments from area ministers. (Chattanooga is No. 1). The report is based on polling that asks respondents about their frequency of Bible reading and belief in the Bible’s accuracy.

An excerpt:

Marvin Cameron, pastor at First Baptist Church in Kingsport, said he believes the Tri-Cities’ high ranking speaks to this region’s heritage.

“I think that’s just a part of who we are,” Cameron said. “It’s part of who we’ve been growing up, and it’s something that stays with us for a lifetime.”

To encourage Bible-mindedness at First Baptist, Cameron said he prepares a daily devotional that is sent to the congregation by email. The devotional includes a daily scripture reading and a few paragraphs of reflection.

The American Bible Society report is HERE. First paragraphs:

For the fourth time in the past five years, Chattanooga, Tennessee, topped the list of “America’s Most Bible-Minded Cities”—an annual study conducted by American Bible Society in partnership with Barna Group.

The top five cities in the report are all located within the area of the United States known as the “Bible Belt.” Birmingham, Alabama; Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia; Tri-Cities, Tennessee; and Shreveport, Louisiana all boasted high levels of Bible belief and engagement. The report shows that nearly 50 percent of the population in these areas reads the Bible frequently and advocates for the spiritual authority of Scripture.

Other cities that scored high in Bible-mindedness include Charlotte, North Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Knoxville, Tennessee. And some cities made significant progress in 2017. Springfield, Missouri moved up from spot 11 to 7 while Jackson, Mississippi moved up from spot 15 to 12.