Each August, the Arkansas Baptist Foundation (ABF) provides an opportunity for its Board of Directors to experience, in-person, the work and ministry of the agencies and institutions the Foundation serves. ABF does this by collaborating with an agency or institution to host their Annual Board Advance onsite at the ministry partner’s physical location.
The 2025 meeting was held in Harrison at the Arkansas Baptist Ranch (ABR) on Thursday, August 14. The Board, ABF staff, and other guests, heard from Derek Brown, Arkansas Baptist Children & Family Ministries (ABC&FM) Executive Director; Sean Milliken, ABR Director of Operations; James Barham, Director of Healthy Family Initiatives; Ryan Ropp, Director of Foster Care & Adoptions; and Tim Noel, Director of Church Partnerships & Mission Advancement. Sean Milliken led the Board and ABF staff on a tour of the Ranch highlighting the updates being made to one of the Foster Homes and the resources available to those foster families living onsite.
Highlights of the Board Advance sessions that took place following ABC&FM’s update included:
- David Graham, Associational Missionary for North Arkansas Baptist Association, shared a devotional from Matthew 25:14-30 and Exodus 14 on the importance of stewarding what the Lord blesses us with, including our time and possessions.
- Recently ABC&FM launched the Healthy Family Initiative (HFI) that focuses on the goal of building, strengthening, and restoring relationships. James Barham shared from Psalm 145:8, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”, we were created to receive this kind of love from the Father and the importance of this being reflected in our homes. HFI marriage retreats help couples walk through questions and conversations to rebuild relationships and live the way God wants us to live. ABF has a scholarship available for Pastors and Church Staff to attend the HFI marriage retreats at the Ranch at no cost to them.
- Ryan Ropp shared the Foster Bed to Child Ratio Report (as of 8/1/2025), asking the Board to locate their counties in the handout and reminded them the numbers represent a soul who needs care. Ropp led a time of focused prayer for the churches we represent to get to 1% fostering, for God to raise families for the harvest field, and for families to say yes and be on mission with us.
- Bobby Thomas, ABF President, led a review of the financial reporting through June 30th, including year to date distributions of $17,045,008.
- The Board voted to continue the 5% distribution rate from ABF’s Spending Plan Fund to maintain consistent ministry funding in 2026.
- Approval of a Leader Care Policy that aims to support and detail the responsibilities of the ABF’s Executive Committee and President/CEO, providing the framework for establishing a leader care plan in line with the new ECFA Leader Care Standard.
- Amendments to ABF Articles and Bylaws were presented and approved by the Board to align the ABF’s documents with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention’s Amended and Restate Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.