Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
February 4, 2026
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistChurch opens shelter during dangerous temps SHELBYVILLE — When temperatures drop to 32 degrees or below, exposure becomes life-threatening. Without proper layering and access to warmth for at least 20 minutes every two hours, hypothermia can kill. So, after Shelbyville’s only warming shelter closed three years ago, John Hall felt called to […]
January 30, 2026
By Scott BarkleyBaptist PressROCKY TOP, Tenn. (BP) – If there’s any place in the country one should be able to find a volunteer, it’s Main Street Baptist Church in Rocky Top, Tenn., just north of Knoxville. Wayne Phillips needed one on Sunday, March 15, 2020. He was preaching for the first time without an audience […]
January 29, 2026
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistNote: This story has been updated. FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) deployed half a dozen teams across Middle and West Tennessee to assist residents affected by the severe ice storm that left thousands without power and caused widespread damage. Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, […]
January 29, 2026
By Diana ChandlerBaptist PressFRANKLIN, Tenn. (BP) — MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard had been depressed a dozen years or so by 2017. In the studio with fellow musician Tim Timmons, Millard just lost it. “I just snapped and had one of those days when it just all came out,” Millard told Baptist Press. “I was […]
January 26, 2026
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistMorgan Co. inmates thrive in ministry training program WARTBURG — Roger Britton still remembers the prayer. One of the inmates working at Whites Creek Baptist Church in Rockwood bowed his head before a surprise steak lunch the congregation had prepared. What followed, Britton said, was “the sweetest prayer I have heard in […]
January 23, 2026
Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — Pastors today are burning out at an accelerated rate compared to six years ago, and levels of satisfaction in ministry have sharply declined during that same period. According to Barna Research, 72% of pastors reported feeling “very satisfied” with their jobs in 2015. By 2022, that number had dropped to 52%. […]
January 22, 2026
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistMinistry in Atoka provides safety, care for infants ATOKA — When Fire Chief Bill Scott’s phone rang in the overnight hours of Jan. 2, his first thought was a power outage. Instead, the alarm monitoring company reported multiple alarms from the Safe Haven Baby Box at Atoka Fire Station 1, confirming an […]
January 21, 2026
Compiled by B&RGREENEVILLE — A Tennessee youth pastor faces charges of statutory rape and sexual battery after his own church turned him in to police. Wesley Brobeck, 48, was arrested Saturday night at his Greeneville home, days after Freedom Fellowship Church, a nondenominational congregation, reported alleged misconduct involving a 17-year-old girl to authorities Jan. 16. […]
January 21, 2026
Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — William “Bill” Choate, a longtime leader of Baptist Collegiate Ministry in Tennessee whose influence shaped generations of college students, died Dec. 19 at age 67. Choate served Tennessee Baptists through the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board for 42 years. His ministry included roles as associate campus minister at the University of Tennessee, […]
January 19, 2026
Carson-Newman news officeJEFFERSON CITY – For a team of Carson-Newman University students and staff, it was a December to remember. Composed of seven students and three leaders, the group traveled to Denver, Colorado, during Christmas break to serve those in need. In coordination with the North American Mission Board, the trip represents a partnership that […]
January 8, 2026
By David DawsonManaging editor, Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — The Baptist and Reflector’s website celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. The website, officially launched in October of 2015, serves as a resource for Tennessee Baptists, not only providing a landing page for stories that are included in the B&R print edition, but also as an outlet […]
January 7, 2026
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistYear shaped by internal restructuring at TBMB, continued progress of Arise and Build, and record-breaking giving from Tenn. Baptists FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptists experienced a year of transition in 2025, marked by structural changes, leadership shifts, and continued recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. The Baptist and Reflector underwent significant change, too, as […]