Jeremy Rose Keynote - Nashville Baptist Association Annual Meeting 2026

Jeremy Rose, Pastor of Axis Church delivered the keynote address at the Nashville Baptist Association Annual Meeting for 2026. He talked about the role of the association in helping bring together Axis and First Baptist Madison. What could happen if churches stopped asking, “What’s best for us?” and started asking, “How can we advance the gospel together?” After 88 years of ministry, First Baptist Church of Madison faced a significant transition. Rather than simply protecting its name, property, and history, the congregation chose to open its hands and partner with another church. Their decision demonstrated an important truth: a church’s story of faithfulness does not have to end when ministry changes. God can use what previous generations built to strengthen gospel ministry for generations to come. In this message, we explore why cooperation and church revitalization may be increasingly important for Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Strong churches have resources, experience, and leadership they can share. Struggling churches have buildings, relationships, history, and ministry opportunities that can be strengthened. The Nashville Baptist Association can help bring those churches together. The goal is not protecting our individual brands or building our own kingdoms. It is recognizing that everything God has entrusted to our churches ultimately belongs to Him. There are too many people in Nashville who do not know Jesus for churches to minister alone. Let’s open our hands, strengthen one another, and ask a better question: How can we advance the gospel in Nashville together?