As a part of our commitment to faithful stewardship and transparency, the Holston Baptist Association will be providing regular financial updates to our cooperating churches in The Quarterly. Below is the most recent Budget-to-Date Report, showing the association's income and expenses against the current annual budget, along with the Church Giving Report, which reflects contributions received from our cooperating churches. We are grateful for the faithful generosity of our ch

Below is a testimony from Joshua Lunsford about his experience participating in the HBA Pastoral Ministry Cohort over the last year. Some questions don’t have a simple answer. Over the past decade, I’ve been wrestling with one of the most complicated questions one could ask. “Lord, are you calling me into the ministry?” While we are all called to the ministry of the gospel, some are called to a deeper role in serving the Lord through vocational ministry. I know God has gifted

Within the Christian life, I believe there are many seasons that God fills with joy and uses to bless and prepare one’s heart for what He will lead them into. My time as an intern with the Holston Baptist Association was certainly one of those beautiful times, for God used that Summer in my life to further solidify and encourage me in the pursuit of a life spent glorifying God through international missions. It has been said that our lives as Christians can often be divided i

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” — Colossians 3:15 Like Israel under Egyptian rule, pastors and ministry leaders can become so burdened by their task list that they lose sight of the mightiness and magnificence of God. The phone calls you haven’t made yet, the emails you haven’t written, and the Bible study you haven’t prepared yet—these can all stack up against you and block your view of the God you’re servi

Holston Baptists, It’s hard to believe that our family moved from Kingsport to Kansas City almost two years ago. As we reflect on the past nineteen months, our hearts are filled with three gratitudes: 1. Church Family We visited Gashland Baptist Church on our third Sunday in Kansas City, and we quickly felt the Lord was calling us to join there. We joined as members in July of 2025, and our family has been loved and welcomed with open arms and put to work as well. John serves

Ministry Update from the Johnson City Baptist Center Another summer has come and gone with much activity at the Johnson City Baptist Center. Along with this having been one of the hottest summers recently, it seems to have been one of the most well-attended for our VBS/Backyard Bible Clubs. We averaged about 25 children each week, and were so thankful for the opportunity they had to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Holston churches, for sharing the love of Jesus

For 240 years, churches throughout our region have chosen to associate together for the sake of the gospel and for the glory of Christ. It can be difficult to appreciate just how much history is contained in 240 years. That makes the Holston Baptist Association just ten years younger than the Declaration of Independence, and ten years older than the state of Tennessee. In 1786, when the association was founded, the United States Constitution had not yet been written, and Geor

The items below are provided for reference as we prepare for our upcoming messenger meeting, including voting on the proposed bylaw revisions. These revisions were presented by the Documents Committee at the Spring 2026 Messenger Meeting, which took place on April 16, 2026, at Antioch Baptist Church in Johnson City. At that time, the Documents Committee explained their rationale for all proposed amendments and asked that messengers contact them and/or the HBA Office to discus

Can you believe it’s Fall Meeting time again? You may be wondering what has happened in HBA over the last year. Here are a few highlights: The HBA Ministry Pipeline Cohort In late October 2025, we launched the inaugural HBA Ministry Pipeline Cohort. Over the past year, we have averaged 8 men who are pursuing God’s call to serve in pastoral ministry. We covered a variety of topics including call to ministry, spiritual disciplines, Bible interpretation, preaching, church dynami

At the 2025 HBA In Christ Conference, Dr. Hershael York explored what it means to be united with Christ, showing how this glorious reality changes everything in our lives - our passions, identity, relationships, thoughts, grief, and discipline are all transformed in Christ. We are grateful to be able to make these messages available. We trust that Dr. York's messages will build up many believers as we all reflect on the countless benefits of being in Christ. Session 1: The Ri

ETSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry Throughout August, the Holston Baptist Association is highlighting the ETSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry as our Local Ministry Partner. As students return to campus, HBA churches are encouraged to support the BCM through prayer, participation in the ministry going on there, and by taking up a special love offering during the annual Associational Giving Days. Associational Giving Days Churches are encouraged to receive a special offering for the

Why a Sabbatical Is Not a Perk You Grant. It Is Maintenance on the Instrument Your Church Leans on Most By Chris Reinolds Chris Reinolds served as the featured speaker at the Holston Baptist Association's 2026 Spring Meeting, where he delivered the message, "What Kind of Church Are You?" and led a workshop on "Raising the Level of Urgency Without Blowing Things Up." In the Following Article, Chris addresses another important issue in the life of the local church: the need for

All of you are either in the middle of your VBS, have already had it, or your church is having it later this summer. The Johnson City Baptist Center is in all three of these positions! Last week began two months of teaching Vacation Bible School at the Baptist Center. Many of you will be joining us with your church during this time. We ask that you remember us in prayer as the Word and God’s love are shared with the children in our community this summer. It was exciting and b

Hello! Attached is the April 2026 Edition of The Messenger, the Holston Baptist Association's Monthly Newsletter. Included in this edition, you will find: From the Desk of the AMS: "Becoming a Better Evangelist, pt.2" by Dr. Troy Rust. This article S is the second installment in a two part series, "Becoming a Better Evangelist," in which Dr. Rust will be exploring some of the practical issues related to evangelism, and offers practical encouragement, in hopes of spurring on r

Hello! Attached is the March 2026 Edition of The Messenger, the Holston Baptist Association's Monthly Newsletter. Included in this edition, you will find: From the Desk of the AMS: "Ministry in the Normative-Sized Church" by Dr. Troy Rust. An exciting Ministry Update from the Director of Ministries at the HBA's Johnson City Baptist Center! A Guest Feature from the Coordinator for the Annual HBA Student Conference, Jimmy Jordan, in preparation for next month's Student Conferen

Hello! Attached is the February 2026 Edition of The Messenger, the Holston Baptist Association's Monthly Newsletter. Included in this edition, you will find: From the Desk of the AMS: "Ministry in the Normative-Sized Church" by Dr. Troy Rust. An exciting Ministry Update from the Director of Ministries at the HBA's Johnson City Baptist Center! A Guest Feature from the Coordinator for the Annual HBA Student Conference, Jimmy Jordan, in preparation for next month's Student Confe

Attached is the January 2026 Edition of The Messenger, the Holston Baptist Association's Monthly Newsletter. Included in this edition, you will find: From the Desk of the AMS: "Obedience" by Dr.Troy Rust. An exciting Ministry Update from the Director of Ministries at the HBA's Johnson City Baptist Center! Many announcements and events from the association and our churches. This month’s features from the HBA's Job Board at holstonba.org/jobs. The list of churches in the Holsto