Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
January 28, 2022
Carson-Newman news office JEFFERSON CITY — Carson-Newman University announced a rebranding and new name for a key campus outreach ministry. After 37 years, Appalachian Outreach is now Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (AMOS). The move comes after a review of the ministry and its growth over the last three decades. “Our Appalachian Outreach ministry has […]
January 28, 2022
By Scott Barkley and Lonnie Wilkey Baptist Press, B&R MORRISTOWN — When a teenage girl went missing in the East Tennessee mountains while walking her dogs, emergency responder Brandon Ramsey was able to do in 10 minutes what searchers on the ground couldn’t in more than two hours. Ramsey was pouring concrete on a construction […]
January 27, 2022
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press BRENTWOOD — Little 4-year-old Rowen Glenn doesn’t allow social boundaries to stand in the way of a good laugh. Her extremely rare Sotos Syndrome birth defect erases such cognition. “She has no understanding of social barriers,” is how Rowen’s grandfather pastor Mike Glenn puts it. “And if she wants to […]
January 26, 2022
By Scott Barkley Baptist Press JEFFERSON CITY — For 40 years, Ken Sparks coached and led thousands of young men on football fields in East Tennessee. Over that time his impact led to wins and championships, but also innumerable lives changed for the gospel through the man referred to as “the Billy Graham of coaches.” […]
January 26, 2022
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector lwilkey@tnbaptist.org WAVERLY — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has been given 200 water heaters to assist homeowners in Waverly who are still trying to recover from major flooding in August. The hot water heaters, with an estimated value of $100,000, were donated by the A. O. Smith Company, said […]
January 25, 2022
Baptist and Reflector MURFREESBORO — Returning after a long absence, the upcoming state evangelism conference is going to feature plenty of excitement and energy, said Roc Collins, director of strategic objectives for the TBMB and state evangelism director. The two-day event, officially called the Win Tennessee State Evangelism Conference, will take place on Jan. 30-31 […]
January 25, 2022
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector lwilkey@tnbaptist.org LEXINGTON — Tennessee Baptist Convention President Clay Hallmark has announced the appointment of a seven-member Sexual Abuse Task Force. Messengers during the 2021 annual meeting in November at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood overwhelmingly approved a recommendation from the directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board that […]
January 21, 2022
By Lonnie Wilkey lwilkey@tnbaptist.org WAVERLY — Luke Love and Mary Rachel Gean are serving this semester as campus missionaries with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Both have a desire to continue in BCM work in the future. Through the campus missionary program at UT-Martin, the two recent graduates are gaining valuable […]
January 20, 2022
Baptist and Reflector FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Convention churches contributed $2,923,245 through the Cooperative Program in December. After two months of the 2021-22 fiscal year, Tennessee Baptists have given $5,877,372 through the Cooperative Program giving channel which funds missions and ministries throughout the state, the nation and around the world. The amount given thus far […]
January 17, 2022
Baptist and Reflector RIPLEY — Thomas Bester, founding pastor and church planter of Forerunner Baptist Church in Ripley, died Jan. 15 at the age of 68. Bester joined the staff of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board in 2017 as part-time new church catalyst. At the time of his death, he served as African American church […]
January 17, 2022
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector ddawson@tnbaptist.org MOUNT JULIET — It didn’t take long for Jonathan Jennings to sense that God was up to something big at Mount Juliet High School. Jennings — the students and missions pastor at Victory Baptist Church and the chaplain for the Mount Juliet football team — has had a […]
January 16, 2022
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector lwilkey@tnbaptist.org WAVERLY — In the last few days and weeks of Christmas break, several college students from across Tennessee spent their last remaining “free” time ministering to flood victims in Waverly. Many residents have yet to return to their homes following the massive flood which hit Waverly and […]