FRANKLIN — The start of a new year will mark the end of an era for the Baptist and Reflector.  Lonnie Wilkey, who has served as editor of the B&R for 26 years, has announced his plans to retire from his position, effective Dec. 31, 2024. The Greenville, S.C., native first joined the B&R staff in 1988 as associate editor, holding that position for 10 years. Wilkey then served as

Thomas Buford Maston was born Nov. 26, 1897, and grew up in New Market, Tenn.  He graduated from Carson-Newman College in 1920 and later received an honorary doctorate in 1958.   Maston received his master’s and Ph.D. in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he later taught for 41 years.  He later received a master of arts degree from Texas Christian University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from

FRANKLIN  — The communications team of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board captured seven awards in the 60th annual Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition held during the Baptist Communicators Association’s awards banquet April 24 in Richmond. In the design division, Trish Dubes, senior graphic designer, won first place for the TBMB benefits brochure in the Print Collateral — Brochure category and second place for the Mobile Dental Clinic in the Substantial

JACKSON — Union University trustees during their April 5 meeting celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Union president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, granted tenure and promotions to several professors, approved a $94.8 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year and voted to discontinue a few low-enrollment programs.  At an April 4 dinner in the Carl Grant Events Center, trustee and student leaders spoke about Oliver and what he has meant to

TAZEWELL — Tazewell and Claiborne County native Randy Pressnell will retire as Harvest Field 6 team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board on May 2. Pressnell has served in the harvest field role for the past four years. When he joined the TBMB staff he also served as bivocational ministries specialist for eight months before assuming the harvest field assignment full time. Pressnell surrendered to the ministry in 1975

SHELBYVILLE — Beginning this year, First Baptist Church, Shelbyville, is launching an effort to start five ethnic churches in Bedford County over the next 15 years. For a number of years, First Baptist has owned a building adjacent to the church that they rented to a Hispanic grocery store, said pastor Jeff Rasnick. Rasnick, who has been on staff at the church for 14 years, including the last 10 as

Editor’s note: Administrative Professionals Day is being observed on April 24. Take time to thank your church secretary/ministry assistant in a tangible way on this day. Their contributions are invaluable to our churches. SEVIERVILLE — Church secretaries/ministry assistants make invaluable contributions “behind the scenes,” affirmed Julia Binford, president of the Tennessee Baptist Secretaries Association. TBSA, which meets every other year, met April 8-10 at First Baptist Church in Sevierville with

SEYMOUR — Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, has become the sixth nominee for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. Chris Kendall, senior pastor of Oak City Baptist Church, Seymour, informed the Baptist and Reflector on April 11 of his intention to nominate Spencer, who has been the pastor at First Baptist since 2011. Kendall said he is

BELLS — Cross Roads Baptist Church dedicated a new playground March 24. The playground was a long-time desire of pastor Josh Simmons’ late wife, Cynthia. She began dreaming of a playground long before the church had many children to play on the playground. The playground comes at a strategic time for the church. Cross Roads Baptist has seen tremendous growth in the last five to six years and continues to