By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] LEBANON — Dave Shelley is a firm believer that God can use recreation and games to share the gospel of Christ. And, he should know. Shelley, director of missions for Wilson County Baptist Association in Lebanon, is beginning his 51st year of leading day camps for children. “We want to reach this generation. Kids like to play,” Shelley affirmed. “When I started,

‘We have seen the good side of people,’ says DOM Phil Mitchell By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] DRESDEN — Friday, Dec. 10, is a day that most residents of Dresden and Weakley County are not likely to forget. A tornado, one of about 14  that occurred throughout other parts of northwest and middle Tennessee and Kentucky that night, swept through the county causing massive damage and destruction. 

Session encourages churches to join fight against human trafficking By David Dawson [email protected] FRANKLIN — Ashleigh Chapman is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia, but she made it clear that a person doesn’t need a law degree to understand and discern what the Bible has to say about the role of the believer in today’s society.    “You cannot miss it in Scripture — His call to every

Baptist and Reflector DYERSBURG  — Seventy-two years ago on Jan. 9, Bill Oakley walked down the aisle of Southside Baptist Church in Dyersburg and took his pastor ( and Dad) by the hand and told him God had called him to preach and that he was surrendering to that call.  The following Sunday night, Oakley preached his first sermon and the church licensed him to preach at the age of

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 job when he and other volunteer members of Bean Station Fire and Rescue got the

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] 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 Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “I am extremely grateful