Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
February 9, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorLet’s play a game. Peyton Manning; Reggie White; Al Wilson. Question: What do they have in common? Well, the answers are many. They were great and iconic football players at the University of Tennessee, and they are members of the College Football Hall of Fame. And they are quintessential “Vols […]
February 7, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & Executive Director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardIt’s a great question. “Will the TBMB be pulling back and reducing services to churches?” Direct. To the point. I love that. The question came from a new board member of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) just beginning his term on the Board of […]
January 30, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonJesus’ continual use of metaphors throughout the gospel powerfully anchored truth to our hearts in a way that cold prose seldom do. His principled images left lasting impressions that still resonate with us today, albeit in varying degrees that may differ from His original audiences. Take for […]
January 28, 2025
By Carolyn TomlinContributing Writer, Baptist and ReflectorAs a young child, I was blessed to have an Aunt Jessie who provided an informal education on God, nature, animals, plant life and the natural world. It was through this Christian woman I learned about how God not only loves us, but He provides for all our needs. […]
January 27, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonDo you consider yourself a happy person? If you had to complete the following sentence, “I would be most happy if ________,” how would you fill in the blank? Acclaimed journalist Jon Krakauer once thought he knew how he might answer a question like that. Two decades […]
January 22, 2025
By Randy C. DavisPresident & Executive Director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardThe launch of Sputnik 1 was a shock to the United States, and it changed everything. It was a pivotal moment in the Cold War, as the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in an arms and space race. When the Soviets launched […]
January 21, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI like Monty Burks. He’s a government man who truly gets it. Monty is the deputy director of Governor Bill Lee’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative. This was the second time he represented the governor at meetings held at First Baptist Church of Greeneville, where passionate, like-minded individuals gathered to collaborate […]
January 15, 2025
By Adam DooleyPastor • Englewood Baptist Church • JacksonThough making an annual trip to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., admittedly causes a certain amount of anxiety, there is no greater feeling than hearing that my son remains cancer free after a decade since being treated for leukemia. We praise the Lord each year after […]
January 13, 2025
By Carolyn TomlinB&R contributing writerJanuary is the month for setting new goals and creating change in our life. However, a recent study shows that 80% (abc.columbia.com) of people who start, disregard those good intentions by February. Excuses pile up and you’re back where you started. Reasons for abandoning these new goals may be “you’re too […]
January 11, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorVittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria was a quaint, family-owned neighborhood eatery tucked just off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. When my wife and I visit Los Angeles to see our daughter, our trip wasn’t complete without a visit to Vittorio’s. The garlic rolls were divine, the pizzas a culinary masterpiece—and I […]
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 […]