OZARK, Ark. – In February, J.R. DeBusk will mark eight years serving as associational missionary with the Clear Creek Baptist Association.
“My goal is to encourage and be a friend to the pastors and to challenge the churches to fulfill their purpose,” DeBusk said. “I am trying to be a cohort, a friend, a mentor for pastors, and a resource for pastors and staff members.”
DeBusk was called to the ministry as a teenager. He attended Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“All along, I felt like my calling was as a pastor. I never served in any other capacity until I was called here as an associational missionary,” DeBusk said.
In the early 2000s, DeBusk was encouraged to attend a meeting for new associational missionaries or people who thought they might want to be one.
“It’s not really anything I ever thought about, but after attending I thought this may be where God is guiding my future,” he said. When he learned of an opening, DeBusk had his resume submitted and the rest is history.
“It was the right time,” he said.
DeBusk said the association offers various training and mentoring opportunities. Additionally, they host an evangelism rally annually in February and own Baptist Vista camp. DeBusk said the churches utilize the camp. They host boys’ and girls’ missions camps each year and a regular church camp during the summer.
“That has been an important ministry for the association. Next year will be 75 years for owning the camp,” he said.
Prior to becoming associational missionary, DeBusk spent 14 years at First Baptist Church in Heber Springs and 13 years at South Side Baptist Church in Pine Bluff.
“Cooperation is really the key to who we are as Baptists. From cooperating through the Cooperative Program to cooperating through your association in missions and training, cooperation is the key to who we are. If we fail to cooperate, we are going to fail. That’s just the reality of it. We are better together than we are apart,” he said.
For more information about the Clear Creek Baptist Association, click here.