[Perspective] Thank you, Arkansas Baptists!

For just over a decade, I have had the privilege of serving on behalf of Arkansas Baptists in churches and on college campuses across the state. This has been a dream job as I have come to know and love the incredible folks that make up 1,400+ churches from all corners of our state. As I conclude my service to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and transition to the role of pastor at East Side Baptist Church in Fort Smith, I wanted to share 10 things I have learned over the past 10 years. 

1. The diversity of Arkansas Baptists is one of our greatest strengths. We are a people of every color, background, class, and giftedness. Our churches often look drastically different from one another in practice and methodology, which is good, because it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.  

2. The ministry of Arkansas Baptists never stops. In the aftermath of tornados, in college dorm rooms, in pregnancy resource centers, in prison cells, and on mission fields across the world, Arkansas Baptists are always at work doing ministry.  

3. The support of Arkansas Baptists never wavers. Every day I woke up and headed to the college campus knowing that hundreds of thousands of Arkansas Baptists, whether they always realized it or not, had my back in ministry. Because they give sacrificially every Sunday, I could boldly share the Gospel on campus and give my life to the ministry God had called me to. 

4. The Cooperative Program (CP) is the greatest missions funding mechanism the world has ever known. As the primary funding mechanism for Southern Baptist missions and ministries, I have seen first-hand how every dollar a church gives to missions through CP has a gospel impact. Because of this, I am excited to lead my church to double-down on funding missions through the Cooperative Program. 

5. The staff of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention are the most incredible ministry leaders in the world. They serve tirelessly, making ministry dollars stretch to meet as many needs as possible while maintaining an incredible servant-hearted attitude. 

6. Arkansas Baptist camps are second-to-none. I have been privileged to experience first-hand the life changing decisions made at Camp Siloam, Camp Paron, Super Summer, and a host of associational and regional camps. The next generation is called to Christ and called to lifetimes of vocational ministry at evangelistic camps in Arkansas. 

7. The things that unite us are way more important than anything that threatens to divide us. We live in a divisive world where lesser things tempt to distract Arkansas Baptists from getting the good news of Jesus to every person on the planet. If Arkansas Baptists stay united around the Gospel, I am convinced the Lord will continue to use us for incredible ministry. 

8. Our agencies and institutions support and elevate the ministry of our churches. Arkansas Baptists established colleges and ministries like Ouachita, Williams, Camp Siloam, and Arkansas Baptist Children and Family Ministries to raise up leaders and serve the vulnerable among us. The staffs of these organizations are dedicated servants who are available to serve all our churches in a variety of ways. 

9. Arkansas pastors and church staff are my heroes. They relentlessly serve in hard situations to get the Gospel to their communities. Often, these incredible servants are underpaid and underappreciated, but they keep serving because they are committed to Christ, the church, and their community.  

10. The college campus is the most strategic mission field on earth! There is no greater place to reach and shape the future influencers of the world for Jesus than the college campus. I think Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) is the single most impactful ministry of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Every week, thousands of students have the opportunity to encounter Jesus and experience life through BCM and every church can jump in on the action and participate. BCM is truly cooperative missions at work. BCM campus ministers are the most passionate and strategic ministry leaders I have ever interacted with, and I pledge to be their biggest champion and cheerleader in the days ahead.