TULLAHOMA — Grace Baptist Church, Tullahoma, hosted Lottie’s Lights Christmas Dinner on Dec. 7. 

During the event, a line of Christmas trees was on display, each one decorated by a Sunday School class. (A total of 17 classes participated).

Attendees at the event voted for the tree that they liked best by placing a monetary donation in a basket located by the tree. An additional tree was sold by silent auction.

The money raised at the

event — which totaled more than $4,000 — was designated for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, and helped Grace Baptist meet the offering goal set by the church.

Churches interested in hosting  a similar event can contact Grace Baptist for information. Kim McGehee, wife of Grace Baptist  senior pastor Tim McGehee, can provide more details.

“Churches of any size can do an event like this,” said McGehee. “It’s a unique and fun way to raise money.” B&R

The staff of the Baptist and Reflector would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Our hope is that all of you will enjoy a wonderful holiday season while gathering with friends and family to celebrate the  birth of our Savior.

The Dec. 17 issue, which marked our final edition of 2025, is filled with Christmas-related feature stories and editorials that we hope will help keep the focus on Jesus during this special season.

The next issue of the B&R is Jan. 7, 2026.

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptists are preparing for a year focused on prayer in 2026, with weekly prompts centered on three key areas: praying for those without Christ, praying for the church, and praying for pastors.

The “Prayer Matters” weekly resource will feature these three prayer categories throughout the year, along with additional prompts on various topics each week.

“2026 is going to be a year of prayer across Tennessee with six 30-day prayer initiatives,” said Nancy Duggin, prayer catalyst for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “We will pray for repentance, renewal, revival, and that the Lord of the harvest will raise up laborers who are ignited with his Spirit and excited to share the gospel.” [Read more…]

The family gathers around Jeanne Waller Campbell, known affectionately as ‘The Cookie Lady.’

GERMANTOWN — Everyone knew the cookies were always fresh.

Jeanne Waller Campbell baked well into her 10th decade, hands still steady with the rolling pin, and her heart still bent toward service. Residents and staff at the Village at Germantown counted on her for homemade treats and a warm smile. They called her “the cookie lady,” though the nickname hardly captured the fullness of her life — 102 years lived in faithful devotion to Christ, family and the calling to love her neighbors well.

When Campbell died in the early morning hours of June 4, she left behind more than memories of sugar cookies and Sunday school lessons. Among her final acts of stewardship was a $1,000 bequest to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, a gift that speaks volumes about a woman who understood that faithfulness and generosity can extend into eternity.

[Read more…]

East Tenn. pastor returns to Africa to strengthen growing churches

MORRISTOWN — Doug Brown stood on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the cold rain, praying for the 50 students he had traveled 8,000 miles to teach.

The 66-year-old pastor of Witt Baptist Church had hiked the mountain — once considered sacred by local tribes — to better understand the challenges his students face as they minister in a rapidly changing Africa.

“Nairobi is very cosmopolitan today,” Brown said. “They have Western influence, but they also have traditional tribal worship. It’s very much like ancient Corinth.” [Read more…]

Susan Delozier, left, and Kevin Watts help pack boxes for ‘The Christmas Store’ — a ministry of First Baptist Church, Sevierville. The ministry, which originally started as a project of the church’s Brotherhood (men’s ministry) and Royal Ambassadors (RAs), has provided toys and food for in-need families since the mid-1980s. — Photos by Craig Mintz

FBC Sevierville celebrates 40 years of ‘Christmas Store’

SEVIERVILLE — The Christmas Store, a ministry of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, celebrated 40 years of helping Sevier County residents in need during its annual event Dec. 12-13 at the church.

The ministry began as a project of the church’s Brotherhood (men’s ministry) and Royal Ambassadors and later evolved into The Christmas Store, recalled layman Dwight Stokes.

Stokes, who has served as general sessions and juvenile court judge In Sevier County since 1998, graduated from law school in the late 1970s and became involved in FBC’s Brotherhood ministry and served as RA director. [Read more…]