Jeff Mims, Chairman
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I hope you will enjoy our annual meeting and find the information in the book of Reports informative and inspiring. We are in such a different place as members of the NBA than we were just 12 months ago. We have an expanded staff and a clear vision of the work God is calling us to do.
On behalf of John Gardner and myself, we want to thank all of our fellow board members for their service. John and I are the last remaining members who started serving on the vision team almost eight years ago. We are proud of the progress the NBA has made, and we believe God has great things in store for the days ahead.
Welcome to the 125th Annual Meeting and Celebration of the Nashville Baptist Association.
We have much to celebrate this year as a network of churches. The mission of our Association is simple yet vital—we serve churches in advancing the gospel in Greater Nashville, Middle Tennessee, and around the world.
Our focus is clear: to assist your church in fulfilling God’s call and mission in your local context. And we do that together, not alone. Through partnership, encouragement, coaching, anddirect support, your Association exists to strengthen connections among sister congregations and foster collaborative ministry.
This year, more than ever, we’ve witnessed churches coming together in powerful ways to impact communities with the gospel. Across our growing network, renewal partnerships, leadership cohorts, and mission ventures are multiplying. To serve the local church and strengthen these efforts, our team has been actively engaged in the following ways:
- 3,000+ Unique Contacts
- 253 Meetings
- 25 Church Consultations
- 4 Pastoral Affinity Groups
- Transitional Interim Pastor Placements
- 3 Pastor Search Orientations
- 12 Trainings & Gatherings
While numbers tell part of the story, the relationships within our churches reveal a deeper reality—we are advancing the gospel together.
This has been our heritage from the beginning, and tonight we celebrate it in a special way. In July of 1899, thirteen churches joined together to form what would become the Nashville Association. Their task was simple: take the gospel to the expanding population centers of Middle Tennessee. What was true then remains true today—people in our region still need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our shared mission continues through four priorities of Gospel Advance:
- Planting Healthy Churches
- Renewing Every Church
- Encouraging Ministry Leaders
- Engaging Every Community with the Gospel
Tonight, as your Associational team shares stories and vision from these priority areas, we invite you to consider how you and your congregation can take part in this shared work in the coming year. Together, we pause to reflect on God’s faithfulness, to celebrate what He has done, and to look ahead with expectation to the mission before us—Gospel Advance.
We are deeply grateful that you and your leaders are part of this mission. We step into the next season with confidence, trusting that God will use us—together—for His glory and for the good of every community.
Grateful,
Bob Bickford
Executive Director
Gary Morgan
Church Planting Strategist
Plant
In my role with the NBA, I have the opportunity to walk alongside churches, planters, and potential planters as they explore planting new works, renewing struggling congregations, and living missionally in their communities. This involves encouraging pastors and teams, guiding through assessment, providing coaching and strategy, and helping churches take practical next steps toward multiplying gospel impact across Nashville.
Nik Lingle
Church Renewal Strategist
Renew
Bob Bickford
Executive Director
Encourage
Brett Boesch
Engagement Strategist
Engage
Every day, more than a hundred new people move into the Nashville area—many from nations and cultures that do not yet know Christ. In fact, over 100 nations now live in and around our city. This is not just a statistic; it’s a God-given opportunity. Like Paul in Athens, we must learn the values and “unknown gods” of our neighbors so we can share the living hope of Jesus with understanding and compassion. My role at the Nashville Baptist Association is to help our churches see this moment as a blessing and engage our communities with a mission-minded heart.
Randy Howell
Operations Manager & Ministry Support
Operations
4. Ministry Partner Reports.
Begin Anew
Begin Anew of Middle Tennessee walks with courageous adult learners—refugees seeking safety, immigrants building new futures, and neighbors pursuing a high school equivalency—who often carry uncertainty and loneliness. Through the Nashville Baptist Association’s partnership, we equip them with hope, dignity, and practical skills.
We serve Middle Tennessee through four campuses in Davidson and Williamson Counties plus an Online Campus. Students choose among three tracks: High School Equivalency (HSE) prep, English Language Learning (ELL), and Computer & Job Skills. Weekly Community Groups foster spiritual growth and mutual support. Participants are generally 18+, with exceptions for minors with parental and school board consent. To volunteer, contact Teresa Watts, Program Director: [email protected].
Restoration Corner Ministries
Restoration Corner Ministries (RCM) is a collegiate ministry with a simple mission: to serve students with the hope of Christ. We believe in being “a small ministry with a big message—service to all.”
Through partnerships with local universities, we walk alongside students with purposeful programs: Thanksgiving Potlucks for those far from home, Discipleship Unlimited for spiritual growth, Real Men Talk and Esther’s Voice support groups, and Work Study opportunities that build skills and confidence.
To continue this work, we’ve launched the Restore Campaign, with a goal of raising $20,000 each year to support programming, facilities, and leadership. Every gift—from $5 to $1,000—helps us reach students with encouragement, community, and faith.
We are deeply thankful for every church, business, and individual who has prayed, given, and stood with us. Together, we are shaping lives and building leaders for Christ.
Baptist Collegiate Ministries of Greater Nashville
This summer has brought exciting transitions for BCM in Tennessee. Cole Rogers began as Collegiate Ministry Specialist at MTSU, while Bill Choate prepares to retire as Collegiate State Director, and Stacy Murphree steps in to lead statewide collegiate ministry. In June, the TN BCM team visited Hawaii to connect with local churches, explore the University of Hawaii campus, and strengthen their team—an experience funded by their own collegiate ministers fund. Looking ahead, Vanderbilt BCM is launching a new Dinner and Discipleship program, and Belmont BCM will emphasize discipleship through Refuge, with strong student leaders and high church support fueling the fall semester.
Women’s Missionary Union
What Joy! — our National WMU theme from 1 Thessalonians 2:8 — has inspired Nashville WMU groups of all ages to passionately share God’s love and the gospel this year. Your NBA WMU Team has supported these efforts by connecting churches to the Women’s Discipleship Network and helping revive Hispanic WMU (UFM) across Tennessee.
Together, our groups have prayed, given, and served in countless ways: building a model houseboat to learn about missions in Brazil, joining the Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer, collecting gift cards and offerings for disaster relief, and serving through Begin Anew, The Next Door, TN Baptist Children’s and Adult Homes, BCMs, Pregnancy Care Clinics, Christmas ministries, and more.
We also lead churches to support missions through the Golden Offering, Lottie Moon, and Annie Armstrong offerings. Looking ahead, we’re rebuilding children and youth WMU, hosting statewide events, and expanding Compassion Ministries, including Mental Health First Aid and anti-trafficking awareness.
Vacation Bible School
In 2023–2024, the Nashville Baptist Association provided VBS coaching for individual churches, helping them prepare, conduct, and follow up with their VBS programs. While this mode l was effective, we realized many churches could benefit from broader training.
This past winter, the NBA VBS Leadership Team prepared to host our first Associational VBS Clinic, recruiting experienced leaders from across the association. Together, we developed breakout conferences focused on Bible study, missions, recreation, music, backyard kids clubs, and director training—tailored to meet churches’ greatest needs.
Held in spring 2025, the clinic began with a powerful plenary session featuring testimonies from children’s ministry leaders on the lifelong impact of VBS. While attendance was smaller than hoped, participants left encouraged and equipped—so much so that we plan to host another clinic next spring. Stay connected for updates as we continue equipping churches to reach kids through VBS!
Bible Drill
Can you recite the books of the Bible in order? Quote 25 verses by heart? Share Scripture that supports Baptist beliefs? That’s the challenge of Bible Drill, a program for Children (4th–6th), Youth (7th–9th), and High School (10th–12th) supported by your Nashville Baptist Association. Bible Drill helps students hide God’s Word in their hearts—an invaluable skill in a world of instant searches and short attention spans.
Want to start Bible Drill in your church? Contact Pam Reasonover at [email protected] or 615-260-966.
Nominated Board Members
Nominated Board Members
Two Board members will be rotating off the board this year: Jeff Mims and John Gardner. We thank them for their years of service to the Association on behalf of member churches.
New board members for nominated for service this year:
Todd Vermilyea
First Baptist Church, Dickson
Ben Pate
Oak Valley Baptist Church
Unity Baptist Nashville
New Churches
New Churches
- Roger Heights Baptist Church (petitioning), Pastor Terrell Washington
- Unity Baptist Nashville, Pastor Dan Eum
Special Recognition
Joann Howard
Special Ops
John Gardner
Board Member
