Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
January 9, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI flunked out of accounting 40 years ago, and that’s how I became the new editor of the Baptist and Reflector. I should explain. I enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University to study accounting. I wanted to be rich, and I figured accounting was my best shot. I mean, accountants deal […]
January 8, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardWe should hang a sign on the door as you enter the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board Church Support Center that reads: “Renovation in Progress.” The renovation is not for the building but for the organization. The TBMB is aligning its staff with the future ministry […]
January 1, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonShould Christians make New Year’s resolutions? While no such biblical requirement is explicit, Scripture does admonish us to contemplate our lives and commit them to the Lord (Prov 16:9). We are told to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2) and to put our immoralities to […]
December 20, 2024
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonOf all the things on our wish lists for Christmas each year, being home for the holidays with the people we love ranks at the top for most. So profound is the desire that we sing about it: I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on […]
December 19, 2024
By David DawsonCommunications specialist, TBMBAs I began mulling over the words that I would write for this column, I started thinking about all the things that I could say about Lonnie Wilkey, my boss. But after thinking it over, I determined this space would be better served if I discussed Lonnie Wilkey, my friend. Certainly, […]
December 19, 2024
By Shawn HendricksThe Baptist PaperA familiar spotlight returned to the sky near my home in early December. The spotlight sits at the base of the newly rebuilt outdoor nativity scene on the property of First Baptist Church Hendersonville, Tennessee. The glow of the light was a welcomed sight after it suddenly went out a couple […]
December 12, 2024
By Stephanie EvansNationally-Certified Counselor And Mental Health Expert • SpringfieldGrief is an emotion that everyone experiences. Grief is often a reaction to the loss of a loved one, but grief can also be a reaction to other types of loss as well (employment, stable housing, security, close family and friends due to relocation, abilities due […]
December 11, 2024
By Jay HardwickPresident • Tennessee Baptist Convention First, I want to say how grateful I am to be a Tennessee Baptist and what a humbling honor it is to serve a second term as president of our convention of churches. God is moving in our state, and I am looking forward to another year of […]
December 6, 2024
By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardGod is good, all the time. All the time… You know the rest. It is providentially fitting in this year of celebrating 150 years of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and on our way to next year celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Southern Baptist Convention’s […]
December 5, 2024
By Lonnie WilkeyEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI became a Tennessee Baptist in 1983 when my wife and I joined Tulip Grove Baptist Church, then a small congregation in Old Hickory. Five years later I became the associate editor of the Baptist and Reflector. I have seen and reported on Tennessee Baptist history — both good and […]
December 4, 2024
By Lonnie WilkeyEditor, Baptist and ReflectorWhen I was 22 years old and fresh out of college, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life. At the University of South Carolina I developed a love for writing. When I began my last semester I needed to do an internship. I wanted to […]
November 28, 2024
By Justin WainscottAssociate dean and assistant professor • Union UniversityOver the last several years during the Advent and Christmas seasons, I have noticed that churches increasingly seem to be singing traditional Christmas carols less and less. I’m not sure what all the reasons may be, and I’m certainly not attempting to impugn the motives of […]