Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
June 27, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonNo one lives in a vacuum. Despite our occasional efforts to deny it, the people around us influence nearly every part of our lives for good or bad. Either you benefit from the nurture, example, and encouragement of those who speak into your life, or you suffer, […]
June 26, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorJune is Pride Month, and every year it crashes into our culture like a tsunami, flooding us with an aggressive amount of pro-LGBTQ+ messaging. Transgenderism has become a leading force to normalize gender confusions and sexually deviant behaviors. Unfortunately, the church — and most commentary offering a traditional or biblical […]
June 26, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardThe Southern Baptist Convention, held in Dallas two weeks ago, was, in my view, one of the most significant annual meetings our denomination has experienced in recent years. The agenda was packed, with critical decisions made on resolutions, amendments, budgets and other matters. Having had […]
June 25, 2025
By Nancy DugginPrayer Catalyst • TBMBTennessee designated July 2024 as “a time of prayer and fasting” by enacting Joint Resolution 803. The resolution, entitled “A Resolution to seek God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.” It quoted Founding Fathers and Scripture in appealing for divine intervention and forgiveness to address the challenges. Now, Tennessee House […]
June 18, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonAll sins are the same. Sin is sin. No single act of disobedience is any worse than another in God’s eyes. Chances are you’ve heard statements like these repeated by sincere believers and cynics alike. The faithful sometimes parrot these words to avoid sounding judgmental or harsh […]
June 16, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardYou’ve probably never heard of Martha J. “Mattie” Pritchard Miles, but you’re familiar with her work. Mattie was born on May 4, 1870, in Illinois and married the Rev. D.T. Miles, a Methodist minister at Hopedale United Methodist Church in Illinois. Mattie had a passion […]
June 13, 2025
By Carolyn TomlinContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorAs a small child, my father and I often walked to the country store down the road, for an ice cream treat after supper. Just spending time with my father was so special. He held my hand and we talked about my day’s activities. It was perfect, except for […]
June 12, 2025
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistMy dad is a know-it-all — in history, especially naval and American history; in politics; in random facts spanning from space exploration and “Star Wars” lore to bird calls and poems like “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” I credit my dad with giving me excellent taste in music, from Wagner and […]
May 29, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and Reflector The apartment was emptied and cleaned — an extraordinary accomplishment, given how much three college students crammed into such a small space over the past 18 months. Keys were returned to campus housing, and it was time to part ways. “Is everyone sure they have everything?” Jo asked her […]
May 28, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardIf you’re familiar with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, you know William Maxwell. He’s been the administrative face of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board for more than 30 years. William grew up in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, just east of Athens. For 75 years, his family owned […]
May 21, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonLocated just 500 miles northeast of Vancouver, the Fraser River in British Columbia divides into two streams. One flows eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The other runs westward to the Pacific Ocean. Dubbed as the Great Divide, just six inches after the fork in the river, each […]
May 15, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardNew Coke was a colossal failure. In 1985, after decades as a premier global brand producing the world’s most popular soft drink, the Coca-Cola Company’s leadership misjudged the slight uptick in Pepsi’s popularity, panicked, and spent millions testing, marketing, and releasing “New Coke.” The backlash […]