By Courtney Shaw Summer Intern, Linden Valley LINDEN — Most campers do not have the opportunity to attend Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center at the age of 5. Melissa Russell did and it has had an impact on her life ever since. When Russell was 5 years old, her mother taught Mission Friends at Northside Baptist Church in Columbia. One night the lesson focused on missions in China and her
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector GATLINBURG — Ruth Martin is not likely to ever forget Nov. 28, 2016. That’s the day she became homeless. The 91-year-old widow of a Tennessee Baptist pastor left her home of 40-plus years that night with just the clothes she wore. As fire surrounded her home atop a mountain road overlooking the city of Gatlinburg, she and her son and daughter (who also
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector 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
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector 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
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — With an urgent desire to fulfill the biblical principle of bringing light to dark places, a large collection of churches in the mid-state area has become actively involved in the battle against one of the country’s most horrific problems: human trafficking. In addition to raising awareness of the issue, the churches are immersing themselves in each area of the problem, including the
Editor’s Note: You can listen to Kim McCroskey discuss the fire that destroyed Roaring Fork Baptist Church last November and the current rebuilding process during Episode 10 of Radio B&R, the official news podcast of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector GATLINBURG — Fire may have destroyed the buildings at Roaring Fork Baptist Church here last November, but it did not derail the spirit
Baptist Press RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Summers provide great opportunities for short-term mission teams to serve the cause of Christ around the globe. At the same time, missionaries in cross-cultural settings are anticipating the arrival of those teams — a process that can bring joy and excitement, but sometimes fear. Short-term summer mission teams can provide much needed help for missionaries, but for both the missionary team and the volunteer
By Chad Freeman Baptist and Reflector 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
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector MEMPHIS — Tim Cox initially thought his connection to Brinkley Heights Baptist Church was simply going to be delivering a one-and-done sermon. Nearly three decades later, he’s still at the church. Cox’s ministry in Memphis, in fact, has become his life’s work. It also has become his missions field — and his battlefield. Buoyed by the tireless support of prayer-warrior church members, Cox has
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector 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
By Courtney Shaw Summer Intern, Linden Valley LINDEN — Most campers do not have the opportunity to attend Linden Valley Baptist Conference Center at the
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector GATLINBURG — Ruth Martin is not likely to ever forget Nov. 28, 2016. That’s the day she became
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector KNOXVILLE — Last November messengers to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted City Reach,
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector COLUMBIA — Stroking his long, gray beard and pausing occasionally to collect his emotions, Jay Binkley shares his story
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — With an urgent desire to fulfill the biblical principle of bringing light to dark places, a large
Editor’s Note: You can listen to Kim McCroskey discuss the fire that destroyed Roaring Fork Baptist Church last November and the current rebuilding process during
Baptist Press RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Summers provide great opportunities for short-term mission teams to serve the cause of Christ around the globe. At the
By Chad Freeman Baptist and Reflector TRENTON — During the height of the Jesus Movement in 1972, 15-year-old Randy Pool, witnessed an explosion of students
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector MEMPHIS — Tim Cox initially thought his connection to Brinkley Heights Baptist Church was simply going to be delivering
By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector MANCHESTER — The line outside the tent is lengthy, but it moves along steadily and orderly. Even at 10:30