By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Annie Armstrong has been in heaven with the Lord she loved for 81 years, but her legacy lives on and she is still making a difference for God on this earth. Annie Armstrong was born in Baltimore in 1850 in a culture where women were not necessarily considered leaders. But she ultimately became a leader and challenged churches to raise money and
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] The printed issue of the Baptist and Reflector goes to press every two weeks during the year. The B&R staff prepares the copy, proofs it carefully (we have the two best proofers any publication could have in Mary Nimmo and Susan Dalton). David Dawson (TBMB communications specialist who writes for and designs the paper) and I also read it carefully prior to
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Clutter. We’ve all seen it. We know it when we see it. In my case, I’m probably the king of clutter. People walk by my office, look at my desk and just shake their head and move on. I like to refer to my “mess” as “organized clutter.” But no matter what “spin” I give it, I’m still guilty of cluttering my desk/office
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Long before I joined the staff of the Baptist and Reflector in 1988 I worked on the staff of the former Education Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, an entity that was disbanded in the mid-1990s as part of the restructuring of the convention. While serving as director of communications for the Education Commission I had the privilege and opportunity to write
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector With Thanksgiving drawing near on Nov. 22, I want to share a neat story that took place nearly two weeks ago. In the Oct. 24 issue of the Baptist and Reflector, we ran a feature story on Ivan Raley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Byrdstown. Raley is an 80-year-old longtime Tennessee Baptist pastor and former Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home administrator. Fourteen months ago,
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] We no longer live in a simple Democrat or Republican world. It’s no longer about whose policies are best for the greater good of the country. We have transitioned into a government where it is liberal versus conservative. It’s morality versus amorality. Americans will go to the polls on Nov. 6. This is the last print issue before the election. As editor
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] I spent part of last week in and around the coast of North Carolina with William Maxwell, administrative director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, meeting some of the most dedicated servants of Christ anywhere — disaster relief volunteers. Volunteers from all across Tennessee were helping North Carolinians recover from the devastation to their homes caused by Hurricane Florence earlier in September.
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector For most Tennessee Baptist churches, the beginning of September means it’s time to plan next year’s budget. Having served on a church personnel committee in the past I know the challenges of trying to determine salaries and benefits for church staff. It’s not an easy task. Church staff members are under the same pressure to support their families as is someone who works
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Many Tennessee Baptist churches are observing Baptist and Reflector Day on Sunday, Aug. 26. As a result, hundreds of Tennessee Baptists may be seeing their state paper for the first time. We hope it won’t be your last. This issue of the B&R is filled with stories of some of God’s choice servants — people you probably have never heard of or
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] God has a tremendous sense of humor. Four years ago, in the fall of 2014, I was watching my beloved South Carolina Gamecocks play the University of Tennessee. Yes, I realize I was one of the few people in Tennessee pulling for the Gamecocks that night. The game was excruciatingly close. Several times late in the game, South Carolina would pull ahead
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Annie Armstrong has been in heaven with the Lord she loved for 81 years, but her legacy
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] The printed issue of the Baptist and Reflector goes to press every two weeks during the year.
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Clutter. We’ve all seen it. We know it when we see it. In my case, I’m probably the
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Long before I joined the staff of the Baptist and Reflector in 1988 I worked on the
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector With Thanksgiving drawing near on Nov. 22, I want to share a neat story that took place nearly
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] We no longer live in a simple Democrat or Republican world. It’s no longer about whose policies
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] I spent part of last week in and around the coast of North Carolina with William Maxwell,
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector For most Tennessee Baptist churches, the beginning of September means it’s time to plan next year’s budget. Having
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] Many Tennessee Baptist churches are observing Baptist and Reflector Day on Sunday, Aug. 26. As a result,
By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector [email protected] God has a tremendous sense of humor. Four years ago, in the fall of 2014, I was
