Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

TBHS CONTINUES LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

TBHS outgoing president Willie Beaty passes the gavel to newly-elected president Carolyn Gregory during the organization’s annual meeting.

NASHVILLE — This time, the Tennessee Baptist Historical Society made a little history of its own.

Carolyn Bridges Gregory was named as the TBHS’s first female president during the organization’s annual meeting on March 10 at the Southern Baptist Convention Building. It was the 23rd official gathering.

TBHS outgoing president Willie Beaty officially passed the baton — or, in this case, gavel — to Gregory during the business meeting portion of the annual event. [Read more…]

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FIRE ISN’T THE END OF THE STORY

Church moves forward despite losing historic building

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Firemen work to extinguish the blaze that burned down Forest Hills Baptist Church, Parrottsville, in mid-January. The church is hoping to rebuild a new facility on the same spot as the previous building, which was more than 100 years old.

PARROTTSVILLE — When pastor Michael Vickers talks about the fire that ravaged Forest Hills Baptist Church, Parrottsville, he immediately points out one important fact: The fire destroyed the church building; it did not destroy the church.

The fire occurred around 1 a.m. on Jan. 18, and decimated the building that had been standing for more than 100 years. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Vickers said the Forest Hill members, while certainly saddened about the loss of the facility, are excited about the future.

“We are going to get to rebuild,” said Vickers, “and our plan is to rebuild the church right where the (previous) building was, give or take a little bit. Our church sits on top of a little knob that overlooks the mountains, and it’s just beautiful.” [Read more…]

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CELEBRATING 185 YEARS OF TELLING OUR STORIES

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Lonnie Wilkey

When the calendar rolled over to Jan. 1, 2020 a few weeks ago, the Baptist and Reflector reached a milestone.

On Jan. 1 of 1835, the first issue of THE BAPTIST was produced. THE BAPTIST was the forerunner of the Baptist and Reflector. It was published before the present day Tennessee Baptist Convention was established in 1874.

So, that means the B&R has been telling the story of Tennessee Baptists for 185 years. Think about that. The paper was around during the Civil War, both World Wars and countless others. It survived the Great Depression.

It’s hard to determine, but we know the Baptist and Reflector is one of the oldest publications (both religious and secular) in terms of continuous print publications. There are some publications that are older, but they are now online only. [Read more…]

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MOON LANDING DISPLAYED GOD AS CREATOR

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

It’s hard to believe, but 50 years ago, on July 20, 1969, two American astronauts (Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin) became the first humans to walk on the moon.

As I reflect on my life, that was the first “landmark” historical event that I truly remember (followed just a few months later by the “Amazing Mets” winning the World Series). I was only 5 years old when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I vaguely remember the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy in the 1960s, and I was a child during most of the Vietnam War. The moon landing was the first significant historical event that I witnessed and really remember. [Read more…]

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BRICK AND MORTAR VS. ONLINE: BOTH ARE NEEDED

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

LifeWay Christian Resources’ decision to close their “brick and mortar” stores by year end has caused some angst among Tennessee Baptists.

And, I admit, I’m one of them.

I understand their reasoning. According to their news release, LifeWay Christian Stores has experienced a decline in customer traffic and sales. Business is business, but in LifeWay’s case, it also is a ministry to the thousands upon thousands of Southern Baptist churches across our convention. [Read more…]

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PASTOR DUO TEAMS UP TO REVITALIZE HISTORIC CHURCH

By Jessica Tate
Grainger Today

Nick Wright, right, pastor, and Brad Bales, executive pastor, of Mouth of Richland Baptist Church, teamed up earlier this year to help revitalize the 230-year-old congregation.

BLAINE — Mouth of Richland Baptist Church in Blaine celebrated its 230th anniversary with a homecoming celebration on Oct. 28.

The church opened in 1788, eight years before the establishment of the state of Tennessee and Grainger County in 1796. It was the first Baptist church in Grainger County and possibly the 18th oldest church in the state. It is now one of few churches in the area with two full-time pastors. [Read more…]

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TBMB WEBSITE HITS ‘THE BIG 2-0’

Since its launch in 1998, site has seen upgrades, redesigns and expansion

This photo shows the TBMB’s home page in 2008 — 10 years after its initial launch. At this point, the site had already undergone numerous changes and upgrades, and it has continued to evolve as technology improves.

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — Although there was no cake or balloons to mark the occasion, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board recently celebrated a birthday for one its most important team members: The TBMB website.

With little fanfare but plenty of significance, the site hit the 20-year mark in June. [Read more…]

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TANKER EXPLOSION STILL REMEMBERED

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Waverly Mayor Buddy Frazier, a member of First Baptist Church, Waverly, looks over the names of the 16 people killed in a tanker explosion in 1978. Frazier was a 25-year-old police officer at the time and had just left the site minutes before the explosion.

WAVERLY —   In the 40 years Tennessee Baptists have responded to disasters in the state and around the globe, countless volunteers have trekked to be the hands and feet of Jesus when people needed a friend and a helping hand.

But the state convention’s first “official” disaster relief response was done with little fanfare and no volunteers or equipment. In fact, the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board didn’t acquire a DR vehicle until after the first response.

On Feb. 24, 1978, a derailed L&N railroad car carrying liquid propane gas exploded, killing 16 people and injuring more than 200 others. Many of the survivors still carry scars from the burns they received. [Read more…]

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STATE’S OLDEST CHURCH MOVES FORWARD

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Pastor Jayson Hoagland stands outside the original log building of Sinking Creek Baptist Church in Johnson City.

JOHNSON CITY — Sinking Creek or Buffalo Ridge? Which one is truly the first and oldest Baptist church in Tennessee?

Historians are still unsure. Claims have been made for both Sinking Creek Baptist Church in Johnson City and Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church near Jonesborough.

But, Sinking Creek can definitely lay claim to having the oldest Baptist church building still on its property. What’s more, the church is not resting on its legacy. Sinking Creek is moving forward. [Read more…]

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THE PAST IS PAST: LET’S FOCUS ON THE NOW

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

I received a press release recently from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., about an address President R. Albert Mohler made during a “Leadership Briefing” on campus. His topic: George Washington.

Mohler had several kind things to say about our nation’s first president. Then he added the “but.” He referred to the fact that Washington owned slaves and observed that his legacy “is polluted by his short-sighted views on slavery and race.” Mohler may be right, but do we need to keep dwelling on our past? It’s not news. Washington and several of our nation’s founders owned slaves. It’s documented. It was part of the culture of the country at that time.

Did that make it right? No. Slavery is wrong in any era, including today when human trafficking is running amuck in our society. [Read more…]

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