Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
March 25, 2026
By Bill StriplingBeulah Hill Baptist Church • West End, N.CThe greatest danger facing today’s church is not persecution, political pressure or cultural hostility. It is something far more subtle – and far more familiar. The greatest danger is apathy. Jesus warned the church in Laodicea about this condition with sobering clarity: “Because you are lukewarm […]
March 24, 2026
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonAs the fourth week of strikes on Iran approaches, Americans are bracing for soaring gas prices and sustained inflation. With an April 15 deadline looming, many taxpayers dread their final bill from the IRS. Here in West Tennessee, tornado season is now underway, often leading to numerous […]
March 24, 2026
By Carolyn TomlinContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorSince 1835, the Baptist & Reflector has told the story of Tennessee Baptists. Through wars, cultural shifts, and seasons of ministry growth, the paper has helped keep churches informed and connected. Through seasons of national crisis and cultural change, the Baptist & Reflector has continued to inform and encourage […]
March 23, 2026
By Brian CarmichaelBlack church specialist • TBMBThe Apostle Paul was not casual or sentimental in writing to the Philippians regarding the Christian life. He was intentional, directional, and disciplined. It was forward movement — pressing, straining, pursuing Christ with clarity and commitment. “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of […]
March 20, 2026
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI regularly hear the voice of William D. Downs Jr. echoing in my mind. Dr. Downs was the department chair and professor of communications and journalism at Ouachita Baptist University for 41 years. He was relentless, hounding us want-to-be reporters like a military drill instructor, which made more sense after […]
March 19, 2026
By Chris GarnerSenior pastor, Holly Grove Baptist Church For most of my ministry and pro-life activism, my moral framework around abortion has been relatively straightforward: Abortion is the unjust taking of innocent human life, and therefore Christians must oppose it. That conviction has never wavered. What has been more complex is how to think about […]
March 19, 2026
By Jared MooreSenior pastor, Homestead Baptist Church I’ve been pro-life my whole life. I believe that human life and value begin at conception. Only in the past few years have I learned that many leaders within the pro-life movement do not believe the same. That’s why I’m part of the abolitionist movement. Abolitionists believe that […]
March 19, 2026
By Andrew WoodFormer executive director, Hope Resource Center For decades, Southern Baptists have affirmed the sanctity of life through resolutions, public witness and local church ministry. We have supported the work of pregnancy centers, actively advocated for legal reform and prayed for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. With Roe now gone, we are in […]
March 18, 2026
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardThe success of the local church depends on the involvement and vibrancy of its members — the laypeople who are the heartbeat of the church. People like C.T. Cozart. I met C.T. several years ago. I was never his pastor, but he became a friend […]
March 16, 2026
By Michael AwbreyIllinois BaptistYou have probably heard some of the troubling statistics about teens and young adults. The data points are piling up like symptoms for a very ill patient. Since 2010, Anxiety is up 139% among 18–25-year-olds. Depression is up 145% among girls and 161% among boys. Self-harm emergency room visits are up almost […]
March 11, 2026
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonThe 1631 edition of the King James Bible infamously became known as the Wicked Bible due to a printing error of Exodus 20:14. Because editors inadvertently omitted the word “not” from the verse, God’s marital commandment read, “Thou shalt commit adultery!” Though only ten to fifteen copies […]
March 9, 2026
By Lonnie WilkeyContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorMy wife and I recently drove from our home in South Carolina to Tennessee to attend a celebration of life service for one of our dearest friends — Steve York who died a few weeks ago during the time of Winter Storm Fern. Steve and his wife, Edith, and […]