Collierville, Tenn. – More than 700 Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) leaders from across the country gathered last week at Collierville First Baptist Church in Tennessee for the 2024 Collegiate Summit.
“The Collegiate Summit is a once every three-year conference to equip and encourage those doing ministry in the most strategic place on earth – the college campus,” BCM Campus Minister in Fayetteville and Planning Team Leader Ryan Scantling said.
Each week, those ministry leaders engage over 55,000 students in ministry across the U.S. and Canada.
Scantling said the Arkansas college ministry leaders are respected nationally and were highly featured in this conference. Campus Minister Matt Hall of University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff BCM led a breakout and was emcee for the event.
Arkansas State University (ASU) BCM Campus Minister Tyler Hoffpauir and Scantling were on the planning committee. Jonathan Freeman of Central Baptist in Jonesboro, Noah Graves and Hannah Guinee of Cross Church and Hannah Zirbel of Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway led breakouts.
Arliss Dickerson, a longtime ASU BCM campus minister, led multiple breakouts and was featured on a main stage panel. Founding and National Engage Pastor of The Summit Church in North Little Rock Bill Elliff also brought a main stage message.
Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) College + Young Leaders Missions Consultant Lynn Loyd said he is “proud of the leadership role that Arkansas BCM played in making Summit such an effective equipped event on a national level.”
ABSC College + Young Leader Assistant Team Leader Chris Larmoyeux said the gathering of this many collegiate ministry practitioners in one place is rare.
“It was encouraging to connect with ministry friends from across the country to deepen relationships, be practically equipped, and be spiritually challenged,” Larmoyeux said.
“I am thankful that Arkansas churches prioritize reaching our college campuses and understand the importance of using campus-based and church-based ministries to reach students. The hugs and laughter are real, and the relationships among these ministers are rich and powerful. It’s mind-boggling to consider the cumulative Gospel impact these faithful leaders and ministries are making on our college campuses. I’m thankful our Arkansas group could attend because Collegiate Summit always bears much fruit far beyond the end of the event itself.”
“College ministry is truly a task that all Baptists can rally around – and they do, every time they give through the Cooperative Program,” Scantling said.
The next Collegiate Summit will be held May 5-7, 2027.
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So thankful for Arkansas Baptists and their continued support of BCM and Cooperative Program!