Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
June 5, 2023
By Lonnie WilkeyEditor, Baptist and ReflectorSouthern Baptist Convention president Bart Barber, a pastor in Farmersville, Texas, recently announced on a Twitter video that he expects there will be a motion to amend the SBC’s Constitution and Bylaws along with the motion for the newly elected SBC president to appoint a committee to study both the […]
June 1, 2023
By Clay HallmarkPresident, Tennessee Baptist ConventionOne of the adventures I love is leading tours of the Holy Land. Seeing God’s Word come alive in people’s lives is something that I really enjoy. Each time I go to Israel, one of my favorite places to go is the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. I […]
May 31, 2023
By Larry RobertsonSenior pastor, Hilldale Baptist Church, ClarksvilleLast month a sold-out crowd of satanists descended on Boston for SatanCon 2023 to celebrate The Satanic Temple’s 10-year anniversary. Many within my tribe were upset, and I get that. I really do.“They’re not even hiding their satanism anymore!” Be that as it may, brothers and sisters, “Satan […]
May 30, 2023
By Escrito por: Joana PerezDedicado a todos aquellos que compartieron valientemente sus luchas personales contra la salud mental, con la esperanza de que su valentía inspire una mayor comprensión y compasión hacia aquellos que sufren en silencio. El Evangelio y la salud mental están interconectados porque ambos abordan la condición humana y nuestra necesidad de […]
May 30, 2023
By Joana PerezSexual assault clinical counselor, KnoxvilleEditor’s Note: The following column is also available in Spanish here. The gospel and mental health are closely related because they both address the human condition and our need for grace, healing, compassion and restoration. More importantly, it also demonstrates how Christians are to respond to a suffering, broken […]
May 25, 2023
By Randy C. Davis President & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardA best-selling author popularized an illustration to show the importance of knowing your priorities. He filled a bucket with sand and pebbles and then attempted to put the big rocks in the bucket. There was no room. However, when he first filled the bucket […]
May 23, 2023
By Lonnie WilkeyEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI have heard all my life that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease.” According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia) the phrase is “an American proverb or metaphor used to convey the idea that the most notable (or loudest) problems are the ones most likely to get attention.” According to a […]
May 18, 2023
By Jerry JeterPastor, Pleasant View Baptist Church, ClarksvilleWe waited. I was the first to arrive. The bride was the second. We waited for the groom. Others began arriving. Suddenly, we heard a siren. It was a Tennessee state trooper, going in a direction nobody we knew would be coming from. Then an ambulance, followed by […]
May 12, 2023
By Matt TullosStewardship specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardI’m so thankful for my mother. She made it to heaven this past year, but she left an indelible mark on my life. Growing up, I thought my mother was the strictest, most penny-pinching woman on the planet. As an adult, this theory has been confirmed. I used […]
May 7, 2023
By Paul Chitwood Like most Baptist churches of the day, First Baptist Church of Murray, Ky., regularly hosted missionaries and denominational workers raising financial support. Growing frustrated with so many requesting to speak on Sundays, Pastor Harvey Boyce Taylor tried something new. He placed a box at the back of the sanctuary and told the congregation […]
May 2, 2023
By Chris Turner and Lonnie WilkeyBaptist and ReflectorIt is never the wrong time to do the right thing. And the right thing was done Monday, May 1, with the decision by trustees of the Executive Board (EC) of the Southern Baptist Convention to not elect by a vote of 50-31 former EC board chair Jared […]
May 1, 2023
By Sing OldhamPastor engagement specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardIn one of David’s moments of despair, he penned a verse of Scripture that expresses what many of us have felt — overwhelmed and alone. “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man […]