STUDENT MINISTRY IN MCMINNVILLE THRIVING DESPITE COVID-19

By David Dawson Baptist and Reflector [email protected] McMINNVILLE — As John Templeton reflects on the past few months, he is awed by the way God has used these hard days as a time of transformation. Exhaustion has turned into excitement. Frustration has been replaced by fruitfulness. Despite the difficult circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 […]

F.A.I.T.H. RIDERS PRAY FOR TENNESSEE BAPTIST CHURCHES, PASTORS, LEOs

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CLARKSVILLE — That distant rumble that is being heard in some areas of the state is not always thunder followed by lightning. It just might be a group of Tennessee Baptist F.A.I.T.H. Riders (FR), followed by prayer. F.A.I.T.H. Riders is a national motorcycle ministry that is passionate […]

WE ALL NEED A BREAK FROM INFORMATION OVERLOAD

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Though we are nearing the four-month mark of the pandemic and some churches have begun to meet again, we’re still not back to where we were (before COVID-19). And what’s more, it may be a while before we get there. Add to it over the past few […]

BAPTIST EVANGELISTS: READY AND WILLING

By Jerry Drace Evangelist / Senior pastor, Friendship Baptist Church, Friendship.  At one time the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (COSBE) had more than 600 members. Today it has fewer than 90 and less than 50 of these are preaching evangelists. COSBE held its annual business meeting using a Zoom conference call on June 12. […]

DON’T FORGET — REMEMBER RULE NO. 1

By Roc Collins Director of Strategic Objectives, TBMB From my early years of little league through high school, no matter what sport I played, I heard a common message from all my coaches. Whether it was on the diamond, the hardwood floor or the gridiron, coaches would say it over and over. “Keep your eye […]

COVID-19 CRISIS FORCES CHURCHES TO ADAPT

Association’s 10 churches try new format, provide Backyard Bible Clubs ‘in a bag’ By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] CARTHAGE — For more than 11 years, New Salem Baptist Association had sponsored Backyard Bible Clubs in low income areas. The plan was to do it again this year, but COVID-19 entered the picture […]

WHAT’S THE REAL INVISIBLE ENEMY?

By Matt Tullos TBMB Special Assistant to the Executive Director 2020 will be remembered as the Year of the Pandemic. A new normal swept across our country as leaders grappled with circumstances that previously were only portrayed in doomsday novels and disaster movies. We’ve seen the best and worst of humanity. Mass graves, food lines, […]

VIRTUAL REVIVAL

Holston Baptist pastors lead revival online By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] JOHNSON CITY — What began as a conversation to discuss reopening churches in northeast Tennessee has turned into perhaps a month-long revival. “The revival vision was birthed out of a Zoom meeting of Holston Baptist Association pastors to discuss everyone’s thoughts […]

‘TENT MINISTRY’ IS UNIQUE WAY TO PRESENT GOSPEL

By Ashley Perham Baptist & Reflector OAK RIDGE — Pastor Tim Kimsey, Woodland Park Baptist Church, Oak Ridge, was a successful tournament fisherman until the Lord convicted him to go all in with a ministry as a fisher of men. In 1997, Kimsey walked away from tournament fishing to take a youth pastor position in […]

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EASTER SERVICE

By Bruce Chesser President, Tennessee Baptist Convention Easter is just around the corner and if you are like most churches it will be one of our greatest opportunities to impact our communities in the entire year. More people will attend church on Easter than any other day of the year.  But the reality is that […]