Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
September 23, 2025
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistMOUNTAIN CITY — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief stepped in with bridge repair and swift water rescue operations after Hurricane Helene destroyed thousands of private bridges and driveways across Tennessee, leaving families stranded on their own property. Leading both efforts is Dale Moles, a 70-year-old retired concrete plant owner from Mooresburg who jokes, […]
September 23, 2025
By Lonnie WilkeyContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorNEWPORT — Though not a spokesperson for Cocke Countians who lost their homes and possessions due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, many no doubt would agree with the sentiments expressed by Valentina Ryzhkov. “If it weren’t for the church people, we’d never returned to our business or home,” […]
September 23, 2025
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistKnox County DR team shows ‘staying power’ in Del Rio area DEL RIO — Hurricane Helene left behind more than just watermarks on kitchen walls and silt-caked living rooms. It left individuals grappling with homelessness and isolation. For the Knox County Baptist Association, the disaster became a calling that has stretched nearly […]
September 23, 2025
By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorCHUCKEY — Gene Cole’s adult life has been defined by responding to disasters, and he plans to continue that mission for as long as he can. Cole, a Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) volunteer from True Light Church in Jamestown, Tenn., is leading a team in a rebuild project in […]
September 23, 2025
Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — Nearly one year after Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee, the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has mobilized extensive resources to rebuild communities across the region. TBDR has deployed 462 disaster relief teams that logged more than 33,552 volunteer hours since Jan. 1, 2025, in East Tennessee, according to data from Garry Maddox, […]
September 23, 2025
By Lonnie WilkeyContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorNEWPORT — Mike Hensley is well qualified to assess the response of East Tennessee Baptist Association’s 38 churches following Hurricane Helene’s devastation in Cocke County one year ago. Hensley, director of missions and retired longtime pastor of Swannsylvania Baptist Church in Dandridge, has been involved in the life of […]
September 23, 2025
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistELIZABETHTON — Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee communities, West Tennessee churches continue making the hours-long journey across the state to help rebuild homes and lives through sustained disaster relief efforts. From building tiny homes to installing siding, to delivering appliances and praying with homeowners, volunteers from multiple counties […]
September 23, 2025
By Lonnie WilkeyContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorDenton Baptist Church undergoes amazing restoration COSBY — “Miracle” is the word Mike Hensley, director of missions for East Tennessee Baptist Association, uses to describe what has happened at Denton Baptist Church in Cosby since Hurricane Helene devastated the county last September. Church deacon Ronnie Chambers goes a step […]
September 23, 2025
By David DawsonManaging editor, Baptist and ReflectorTBDR coordinator, Johnson City JOHNSON CITY — Having served with Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief for almost a decade, Tina Golden has “been around the block” more than a few times. But even with her years of experience, Golden said the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene have been some of […]
September 23, 2025
By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistEnon Baptist sees miracle after church was destroyed JONESBOROUGH — Like the children being led to the Promised Land, so did Enon Baptist Church see themselves after the flood waters of Hurricane Helene subsided. Enon Baptist Church weathered the storm, even though their building did not. Less than a week after the […]
September 23, 2025
By Katie Linsky ShawContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorVolunteers unite to rebuild after Hurricane Helene JONESBOROUGH — When you first hear the name “Skeeter,” you might picture someone spirited and full of life — and 72-year-old Skeeter Lewis is exactly that. Even after losing her home, car, and belongings in last year’s Hurricane Helene flooding, Skeeter’s energy […]
September 23, 2025
By Katie Linsky ShawContributing writer, Baptist and ReflectorJONESBOROUGH — Larry Stinson volunteered for disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Deep South in 2005. He never imagined that 20 years later, he’d be responding to another hurricane in his own backyard of East Tennessee. Stinson, 79, started with Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) in 2003 […]