By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

A special treat for the children who attended Camp Journey at Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Knoxville last week was the helicopter from the local Sheriff’s Department which made a guest appearance. Tim Hopkins, center in blue shirt, directs the children. The camp was part of City Reach Knoxville.
— Photo by Corinne Williams

KNOXVILLE — Last November messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted City Reach, an effort to reach the five largest metropolitan areas in the state — Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, Clarksville, and Chattanooga.

Because Summit was in East Tennessee last year, Knoxville was chosen as the first city. Tennessee Baptists are responding well, according to leaders in the city and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“City Reach has had a significant impact on the churches that are part of our network,” observed Phil Young, director of missions for the Knox County Association of Baptists. “We have seen partnerships formed that have encouraged and enabled churches to connect with their communities in ways that have helped move people toward a relationship with Christ and the local church,” he said. [Read more…]

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Jay Binkley sits in the pew where he accepted Christ at Highland Park Baptist Church in Columbia. He attended the service because he was invited by a church member.

COLUMBIA — Stroking his long, gray beard and pausing occasionally to collect his emotions, Jay Binkley shares his story about how he came to know Jesus.

It’s a modern-day Road-to-Damascus narrative, complete with the persecution of Christians — at least those who dared to come onto Binkley’s property.

“I wasn’t a good man,” said Binkley. “I had an attitude toward people: I didn’t like them. And for years, I didn’t want to have anything to do with God.”  [Read more…]

By Chad Freeman
Baptist and Reflector

Tom Moore of Salem Baptist Church, Trenton, gives water to a homeless man at a work service in Church Park of Memphis. The man had collapsed due to the heat and Moore responded to the need. “That is compassion ministry in a nutshell,” says Randy Pool, who leads Mississippi River Ministry in Tennessee.

TRENTON — During the height of the Jesus Movement in 1972, 15-year-old Randy Pool, witnessed an explosion of students coming to faith in Christ. Students from all over the country flocked to Dallas, Texas’ Cotton Bowl stadium. Many students Pool personally knew from his hometown in Millington also attended the “Explo ’72” event.

The Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) event, drew more than 80,000 college and high school students. [Read more…]

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Jesus Tent volunteers provide snacks to people attending the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

MANCHESTER — The line outside the tent is lengthy, but it moves along steadily and orderly. Even at 10:30 in the morning, long before any musical acts have taken the stage, the Jesus Tent is buzzing with activity at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Bringing to mind the image of the occupants boarding Noah’s Ark, the processional of young adults, often arriving in pairs, gradually makes its way closer and closer to the tent.

Once inside, the group continues to progress, moving up incrementally beside the long and narrow “pick-up” tables, where a variety of free items — from apples to sunscreen to shampoo — are available for the taking. In the meantime, the back of the line gains numerous newcomers, content to patiently wait their turn.  [Read more…]