HARRIMAN — The familiar notes of “Standing on the Promises” fill the empty sanctuary of Trenton Street Baptist Church as Mildred Cole’s fingers flow across the organ keys. At 90 years old, she makes the practice look effortless — a testament to nearly eight decades of musical dedication. “I was determined to play,” she recalls with her characteristic directness. Growing up, Cole watched her father and grandfather play the violin,

LENOIR CITY — Ron Tilley admits the only instrument he plays is the radio. But that hasn’t stopped him from leading a music ministry career that spans seven decades. Tilley, who’s 86, has served as Minister of Music at nine different Baptist churches, including at his current role at Calvary Baptist in Lenoir City. He is now retiring after 72 years. “I was obsessed with it, I guess you might

DALLAS — Southern Baptists will be gathering soon in Dallas for this year’s Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting (June 10–11), which is expected to draw well over 10,000 people. North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley appears to be running unchallenged — at least for now — for a second term as SBC president. Other officer positions also only had one nominee announced at press time. Still, plenty of questions and opportunities

‘Miss Susan’ says she ‘loved coming to work every day’ NEWPORT — An era comes to an end on May 30 when Susan Mason retires after nearly three decades on the staff of Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center. Mason joined the staff in March of 1997 when the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board property was then known as Camp Carson. She was employed to handle reservations for the camp. Prior to

DALLAS — Randy C. Davis is hoping for a big Tennessee turnout in Texas. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is inviting all Tennessee Baptists who are attending the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting — being held in Dallas — to a dessert fellowship on Monday, June 9. The free event will cap off the first full day of the convention, which runs June

TBDR builds a way home for families after Helene   MOUNTAIN CITY — Last September, Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding ravaged East Tennessee’s mountains, destroying not just homes and roads but thousands of private bridges, leaving families isolated on their own property. In response, a volunteer team from Tennessee Baptist Disaster Mission, led by 70-year-old Dale Moles of Mooresburg, spent months after the storm repairing bridges so families could have an

Cecily Berry got a unique gift from her father Michael when she graduated from Union University on Saturday with her Master of Business Administration degree. Michael had secretly been working on his own MBA degree and made the May 3 ceremony extra special by graduating with her. Michael, who works as senior plant director for Corelle Brands in the Memphis area, had been thinking about completing an MBA for years.

KINGSTON — Eight women sat around a table, their laughter filling Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Kingston, Tenn. Flour flew in all directions as Janice Poland instructed the group of 70- to 82-year-old women on how to make fried apple and peach pies. They have a hefty goal of making 2,000. Technically, that’s just phase one of their overall goal to support and send International Mission Board missionaries to fulfill

NASHVILLE — Anthony Burdick, director of pastoral care at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, delivered an update on the medical system’s operations during the April Board of Directors meeting for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the United States. They operate 24 hospitals across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas with 1,100 employed providers. The system manages 3,860 licensed