Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

FOUR GENERATIONS FROM ONE FAMILY BAPTIZED AT HICKORY VALLEY

By Baptist and Reflector

Baptist and Reflector

SPARTA — Hickory Valley Baptist Church in Sparta has been the site of four generations of baptisms from one family.

The sequence of baptisms, which has taken place over many years, started when Tommy and Nancy Lynn were baptized. Next was their daughter, Sherry McDonald, followed by Sherry’s daughter, Shayna Rowland, and then, recently, Shayna’s daughter Lyla Rowland.

In the top photo, pastor Doug Benningfield stands with Tommy and Nancy Lynn, Sherry McDonald, Shayna Rowland and Lyla Rowland.

In the photo to the left, the five who’ve been baptized at the church join with other family members who have been baptized. 

 

Facebooktwittermail

JOHN 3:16 JUST KEEPS BLESSING

By Roc Collins
Evangelism team leader • TBMB

Roc Collins

As the son of a preacher, one of my first and favorite memories is centered around that monumental one-verse explanation of the Good News: John 3:16! What a blessing Jesus gave to the church in that evening conversation with Nicodemus. It’s a verse that continues to shake the world and bring hope to individuals, nations, and generations. In all reality, I’m not sure if I fully appreciated the depth of God’s love for us until I had a son of my own. That one phrase — His only Son — brought me an even deeper sense of awe and gratitude.

March 16th (3/16) has emerged as a challenge to believers to share this great message. This year, March 16th fell on a Sunday! Earlier this year, I sent word out to our Churches to inform them of this great day and ask them to consider promoting “3:16 on 3/16.” So many pastors accepted the challenge to make that Sunday a day of evangelism. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP

By Jay Hardwick
President • Tennessee Baptist Convention

Hardwick

You know the jingle: “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.”

Folgers built its brand by depicting its coffee, or at least its aroma, as essential to any memorable morning routine. To this day, there are both Folgers drinkers and coffee drinkers in general who couldn’t imagine a morning routine without coffee.

What’s your morning routine? How do you start your day?

I was taken aback recently by a Bible passage that many of us have read or taught. In Mark 1:35, we see a glimpse of Jesus’ morning routine. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place; and there, He was praying.”

After a long day of ministry in Capernaum that stretched well into the night at Peter’s house, what was the best part of waking up for Jesus? What mattered most? Time with God the Father. Jesus got up early and prayed, seeking the Father and hearing from Him through prayer. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

BARBIER’S JOURNEY: FAITH THROUGH THE FIRE

By The Baptist and Reflector

Jay Barbier and his wife, Natalie, agree their ongoing journey through Jay’s battle with cancer has brought them closer to the Lord and has opened unexpected ministry opportunities.

FRANKLIN — In a moving testimony of faith and resilience, Jay Barbier, Harvest Field Leader with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, recently joined the Tennessee Golden Hour Podcast and shared his powerful journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment, revealing how his faith not only sustained him but deepened through the trial.

Barbier, who led youth evangelism initiatives including YEC (Youth Evangelism Conference) and Conclave, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2021 after a routine physical revealed three substantial tumors that doctors believe had been growing for 10-15 years.

“When I sat down with the doctor and they said, ‘Hey, man, you have cancer, and it’s really bad,’ it was a bomb for my wife and me,” Barbier recalled during the interview . “We went to our car and we wept. We were not expecting to hear something like that at our age.” [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

LEADING THE CHARGE IN EVANGELISTIC DISCIPLESHIP

By Ryan Keaton
Team Leader: Discipleship

Ryan Keaton

As the Strengthening Evangelistic Disciples Team Leader, I have the privilege of guiding a movement dedicated to deepening biblical discipleship across the Tennessee Baptist Convention network. This role isn’t just about leadership — it’s about catalyzing a statewide culture of disciple-making that will transform individuals, churches, and communities for the glory of God.

There are several ways we plan to implement this:

Building a Network that Transforms Lives

Our vision is bold: To develop a collaborative network of spiritually healthy churches reaching Tennessee and beyond until every Tennessean hears the Gospel. This is more than a strategy — it’s a mission that unites churches of all sizes and demographics to establish age-appropriate, reproducible discipleship frameworks that empower children, students, and adults to grow in their faith and become disciple-makers. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

BAPTIST BROADCASTER DEFINED BY FAITH, NOT CAREER

By Lonnie Wilkey
The Baptist Paper

Dan Scott

GREENVILLE, S.C. — With March Madness now in full swing, Furman University broadcaster Dan Scott can’t help but remember that magical moment two years ago when Furman pulled a major upset in the first round of the NCAA men’s tournament.

Scott, who has been director of broadcasting for Furman since 2012, was providing the radio play-by-play of Furman’s first NCAA tournament game in 43 years when the 13th seeded Paladins upset the fourth seeded Virginia Cavaliers 68–67 on a last second three-point shot.

Scott’s call of JP Pegues’ game-winning shot in 2023 was “a once in a lifetime moment” of a 40-year broadcasting career. In addition to football and basketball duties at Furman, Scott also is the play-by-play announcer for the Greenville Drive minor league baseball team. Prior to joining Furman, a former South Carolina Baptist Convention university in Greenville, S.C., he announced Clemson University baseball games. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

‘THE GREATEST WEAPON OF WARFARE’

By Zoë Watkins
Communications specialist

Joining TBMB staff as prayer catalyst, Duggin ready to help ‘lay the foundation’

Nancy Duggin

FRANKLIN — What is a prayer catalyst?

Primarily, it’s a person who is helping the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board bathe everything it does in prayer. But Nancy Duggin will also tell you it’s a person who is ready at-hand to help a church start a revival at the sound of an ‘amen.’

“It’s going to cover anything and everything you can think of when it comes to prayer and helping Tennesseans,” said Duggin. “I know the big goal is that we will not stop until every Tennessean hears the gospel. There’s no revival in all of history that I’m aware of where the foundation wasn’t laid with prayer.”

The TBMB hasn’t had a designated person focused on prayer in about a decade. But with the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s two rails of vision consisting of collaboration and prayer, the need became apparent. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

CARSON-NEWMAN STUDENTS TAKE NEW APPROACH TO SPRING BREAK

Carson-Newman news office

A missions team from Carson-Newman visits with children at a school in Honduras. Pictured left to right are Courtenay Folk, director of C-N’s Center for Community Engagement; Lucas Triplett, Alyssa Abbott, Eva El Helou, Reagan Garrett, and Sophia Folk.

JEFFERSON CITY — Dozens of Carson-Newman students recently returned from a spring break week that was anything but traditional. Grouped in teams, students took part in multiple mission trips around the globe — helping others, gaining real-world experience, and showing the love of Christ.

Students boarded planes traveling to Los Angeles, Hawaii and Honduras, while a team of nursing students took part in a medical mission trip to Ecuador. Carson-Newman also partnered with Morristown’s Arrowhead Church to send a team to southeast Asia. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

MINISTRY-MINDED AT AN EARLY AGE

By David Dawson
Managing editor, Baptist and Reflector

Andy Prock, back, and her sister, Carson, stand in a soon-to-be-filled pantry at The Grace House. The two sisters raised $500 for the organization at their birthday party.

COLUMBIA — Carson and Andy Prock celebrated their birthdays with a huge party that included cake, candles, games and laughter.

There was, however, one element that was noticeably absent from the festivities.

There were no presents for the two young sisters.

Instead, Andy, who turned 10, and Carson, 7, used their big day as a means of giving, not receiving.

They did so by asking the party’s attendees to make donations to Grace House — an organization that provides housing and other essential needs for displaced families.

“We felt like this was a way that we could really teach the girls the importance of helping others,” said the girls’ mom, Kyle Anne Prock. [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

COMPASSION IN NUMBERS

Baptist and Reflector

ELIZABETHTON — The only antidote to a flood’s devastation is an overwhelming tide of generosity.

Don Owen, leader of God’s Warehouse Ministries at the Nolachucky Baptist Association, reports that their warehouse has received an astounding 34.6 million products for disaster relief efforts since Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024.

“They’ve not come from the government, but from people, churches, associations as far away as Arkansas, Wyoming, Illinois, Texas, Florida, and even Canada. That’s generosity,” Owen told the B&R.  [Read more…]

Facebooktwittermail

Address

4017 Rural Plains Circle
Franklin, TN 37064

Contact Information

Mail: Baptist & Reflector, P.O. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068
Physical Address: 4017 Rural Plains Circle, Franklin, TN 37064
Email: bandr@tnbaptist.org
Phone: 615-371-2003

2025 © The Baptist and Reflector. All Right Reserved.