Baptist and Reflector

09/04/2025

"WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE DINOSAURS"; Youth and adults sit silently with unasked and unanswered questions for fear of someone incredulously saying, “You don’t already know that?” Read about addressing hard questions from B&R Editor, Chris Turner, here: https://bit.ly/4fZ6ZVm

By Chris TurnerEditor, Baptist and ReflectorI just wanted to know when dinosaurs lived. That’s it. That was the most profound biblical mystery swirling in my head when I began seminary. I landed in the survey class of a professor considered one of the Southern Baptist Convention’s foremost Old T...

09/03/2025

"‘RALLY’ WILL PUSH PRAYER, EVANGELISM"; Baptist churches across Upper East Tennessee will gather on Sept. 14 for a special rally aimed at reigniting passion for evangelism and prayer. The “Who’s Your One?” Rally, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sullivan Baptist Church in Kingsport, incorporates elements from Project 2026, a national prayer and evangelism initiative. Read more about the upcoming event here: https://bit.ly/4n8NoEF

By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistKINGSPORT — Baptist churches across Upper East Tennessee will gather on Sept. 14 for a special rally aimed at reigniting passion for evangelism and prayer. The “Who’s Your One?” Rally, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sullivan Baptist Church in Kingsport, incor...

09/02/2025

Tennessee Baptists have officially surpassed their $2.7 million goal for this year’s Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, raising $2,731,088.91 by Friday, Aug. 29!!! This is RECORD BREAKING! THANK YOU TN BAPTISTS!!! Read more here: https://baptistandreflector.org/tennessee-baptists-surpass-2-7m-missions-offering-goal/

09/02/2025

"WHAT IS THE AMY HOOD ENDOWMENT?"; The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board is accepting applications for financial grants to help Baptist families adopt children through the Amy Hood Adoption Endowment Fund.

The fund, established in January 2023, honors Amy Hood, an adoption advocate who died in 2022 at age 57 after helping her family adopt three children internationally. The endowment aims to remove financial barriers preventing children from finding homes.

“The Amy Hood Adoption Endowment Fund honors Amy’s legacy and addresses a pressing need,” said Beth Moore, compassion ministry specialist for the TBMB. “We have thousands of children in Tennessee awaiting adoption, and we know families pursuing adoption often face significant financial hurdles. This fund exemplifies what Baptists do best, working together for kingdom purposes.

Read more about the Amy Hood Adoption Endowment Fund and the legacy it is honoring here: https://bit.ly/3HR93T2

Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board is accepting applications for financial grants to help Baptist families adopt children through the Amy Hood Adoption Endowment Fund. The fund, established in January 2023, honors Amy Hood, an adoption advocate who died in 2022 at ...

08/29/2025

"PRESSLEY TO UNION STUDENTS: ‘LEARN TO TRUST AN ALL-CONTROLLING GOD’"; Clint Pressley, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Union University students Aug. 27 that the start of a new semester is the right time to reconsider one central truth: God’s sovereignty is trustworthy. Read more online here: https://bit.ly/41VhiUM

Union University news roomJACKSON — Clint Pressley, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Union University students Aug. 27 that the start of a new semester is the right time to reconsider one central truth...

08/28/2025

New from the Baptist & Reflector: "SPENCER TO RUN FOR TBC PRESIDENT"; Read the article for more information here: https://bit.ly/3VjX17E

Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, will be nominated for the presidency of the Tennessee Baptist Convention when the annual meeting convenes at West Jackson Baptist Church on Nov. 10-11. Chris Kendall, senior pastor of Oak City Baptist ...

08/27/2025

New from the office of Dr. Randy C. Davis: "FROM THE PEW TO THE PULPIT" https://bit.ly/45Q3oEC

By Randy C. DavisPresident & executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission BoardThree men. Three vocations. One shared calling. Nathan is an emergency room nurse in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His nursing job provides for his family. His calling is to plant a new church in the area, hopefully with som...

08/25/2025

TBDR ISSUES FLOOD RECOVERY CALLOUT FOR CHATTANOOGA AREA https://bit.ly/3HHWMjK

Baptist and ReflectorFRANKLIN — Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, issued a callout on Aug. 21 for flood recovery teams who can respond to needs in the Chattanooga area. “There are 15 open jobs that need to be filled by local or nearby teams,” Jones ...

08/22/2025

"FOCUS ON THE FAMILY FOUNDER JAMES C. DOBSON DIES"; James C. Dobson — founder of Focus on the Family, one of the world’s largest faith-based organizations — died Aug. 21. Read more about his legacy here: https://bit.ly/45MPnaO

By The Baptist PaperJames C. Dobson — founder of Focus on the Family, one of the world’s largest faith-based organizations — died Aug. 21. He was 89. Dobson founded Colorado-based Focus on the Family in 1977 with the vision of strengthening marriages and parenting. He wrote more than 70 books,...

08/21/2025

"MAPLE GROVE MISSIONARY: PICTURE OF PERSEVERANCE, PRAYER"; Maple Grove Missionary Baptist Church has stood the test of time through nearly 150 years of American history. Read more of their amazing story here: https://bit.ly/4fVo4zO

By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistDICKSON — Maple Grove Missionary Baptist Church has stood the test of time through nearly 150 years of American history. Founded in 1875 in the Sylvia area outside Charlotte (Tenn.), the church took root during Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency, the same year ...

08/20/2025

"POWELL’S CHAPEL: A LIVING LEGACY OF FAITHFULNESS"; “It is such a blessing to be part of a church that has prevailed for 150 years,” said Cindy Phillips, whose great-great-grandmother was among the 10 charter members of Powell’s Chapel in 1875. Read more here: https://bit.ly/45rmiTq

By Zoë WatkinsCommunications specialistMURFREESBORO — The words of “How Great Thou Art” rose to the rafters of Powell’s Chapel Baptist Church on a hot Sunday morning as about 200 congregants celebrated a milestone 150 years in the making on July 27. Women fanned themselves, children squirme...

08/19/2025

"SBC PARTNERS WITH ABUSE PREVENTION EXPERTS TO LAUNCH ENHANCED HELPLINE"; Abuse survivors now have enhanced resources through the SBC Abuse Response Helpline, powered by a new partnership with The Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4moYW6Z

SBC Executive Committee NASHVILLE — Abuse survivors now have enhanced resources and support through expanded services at the SBC Abuse Response Helpline, powered by a new partnership with The Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. The Helpline delivers gospel-focused abuse support for survivors...