JEFFERSON CITY — Points along Vova Gorbenko’s journey to Jefferson City are marked with air raid sirens, explosions, bitter temperatures and a 20-hour drive under the cover of night.  The details sound much like they were ripped from a movie plot. But for Vova and his family, every turn, every mile and every step of their story has been real — very real. Vova, his wife Marina, their 17-year-old son

COLUMBIA — The leaders and church members at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church, Columbia, felt like one day simply wasn’t enough to honor the men and women who serve as first responders. So, the church turned the celebration into a weekend-long event.  It started with a “whole-hog” cookout on the night of Sept. 9, and extended through the worship services at Pleasant Heights on Sunday, Sept. 11, when the First Responders

GOODLETTSVILLE — Technically, Noah Leighton lost the challenge. But in his mind, the night was a major victory.  In fact, Leighton, the student pastor at First Baptist Church, Goodlettsville, was in full-scale celebration mode on Aug. 17 after the church’s “back to school” event drew more than 100 youth and saw 23 students make professions of faith. For Leighton, it was clearly a night for rejoicing, not “remorsing” —  even

The state evangelism rallies were held at regional sites this year in hopes of creating a wider reach for the event. Below is coverage from the rallies in East Tennessee (hosted by Carson-Newman University) and West Tennessee (hosted by Union University). 

JACKSON — Union University’s School of Theology and Missions and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board hosted over 200 students during the Equip Youth Apologetics Conference on Sept. 10 at Union’s Carl Grant Events Center. With key speakers trained in theology, philosophy, apologetics and youth ministry, the Equip Youth Apologetics Conference helped train youth how to defend and affirm essential Christian truths. Gregory Poore, Union associate professor of philosophy, apologetics and

JEFFERSON CITY — In a scene not commonly witnessed on a college campus, members of Carson-Newman University’s football team gathered after practice Sept. 15 along the banks of Mossy Creek.  The assembly took place less than 48 hours prior to the Eagles’ home opener. With Burke-Tarr Stadium only a couple hundred yards away, the players’ minds were on something even more important than Saturday’s game.  Fourteen members of Carson-Newman’s football

JOHNSON CITY — In 1772, four years before the United States of America was formed, a Baptist church was established on the banks of Sinking Creek in present day Johnson City. On Sunday, Sept. 18, members of Sinking Creek Baptist Church, celebrated the 250th anniversary of the oldest church in both the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the state of Tennessee. “It is a great honor to be pastor during this