MOUNT JULIET — With snow and ice and single digit temperatures all across Tennessee, some areas in the state are experiencing water shortages. Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, received a request on Friday (Jan. 19) from Stan Wafler, associational missionary for Beech River Baptist Association, that portions of Decatur and Henderson counties were without water. Jones found some water locally but not nearly enough

BIRMINGHAM — From Alaska to Maine, nearly 200 missions leaders from across the country gathered Jan. 6-8 on Missionary Ridge in Birmingham for Woman Missionary Union’s January board meeting. Vickie Anderson, executive director of Tennessee WMU, cited the national meeting as one of her highlights each year. “From hearing testimonies, updates and inspirational stories from missionaries, national WMU and SBC entity leaders to connecting with friends and co-laborers, this time

CLARKSVILLE — First Baptist Church of Clarksville Visitation Pastor Bill Graham has desired continuous citywide prayer for the city ever since reading about the Unceasing Prayer Movement in Austin, Texas. There, Kie Bowman helps lead pastors in making sure someone is praying every minute of the year. First Clarksville hosted Bowman, who heads the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s prayer ministry, in a City of Prayer Conference Jan. 12-14 aimed

FRANKLIN — Historic and horrific. Pleasing and perplexing. Elation and agony.  The year 2023 played out like a roller-coaster, taking Tennesseans through almost every emotion imaginable. And, as has been the case since 1835, the Baptist and Reflector helped tell the stories that shaped the year. The content below recaps some of the most-read stories from 2023 based on the number of views each story received on the Baptist and

FRANKLIN — During 2023 Tennessee Baptists began laying the groundwork for future ministry in the Tennessee Baptist Convention while meeting needs and ministering to people across the state and around the world. The following is a synopsis of the top stories in 2023: Acts 2:17 Initiative: The Acts 2:17 Initiative was launched at the annual meeting in 2022, but the bulk of the work took place throughout 2023. An Acts

BROWNSVILLE — The final notes of “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” fluttered through the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church on Dec. 31. After 49 years as church pianist, Jan Prine closed her hymnal and turned off the light on the piano. She had played her last song for the congregation she has been a part of since age 14.  Church members on this Sunday had sung their final song as

KNOXVILLE — Katherine Fortner, a member of Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, Knoxville, has volunteered at Western Heights Baptist Center for at least 35 years.  At the age of 91, Fortner still serves as ministry assistant to Western Heights director Shannon Washam. “You can’t be around this place long without seeing a need,” she observed. Two years ago, one of her grandsons who knew of her involvement at Western Heights asked

KNOXVILLE — In the late 1980s through the 1990s, Ben and Annabelle Hall, then members of Gillespie Avenue Baptist Church in Knoxville, were fixtures at Western Heights Baptist Center, a ministry of the Knox County Association of Baptists. “They came as volunteers to the Baptist Center every Tuesday and Thursday for about 20 years,” said Jackie Young, who recently completed his 42nd year as a staff member of the Baptist

The staff of the Baptist and Reflector wishes our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are grateful for our loyal readers and hope that each of you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season!