At 30 years, Rose Day still making impact for the unborn /// PREVIEWED ON COVER >> by Staff The annual Rose Day Pro-Life Indoor Rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol has become the most longstanding faith-based, pro-life event in Oklahoma. Established in the 1980s by a small group of Catholics, Rose Day participants offered red roses and a note to elected state officials, encouraging them to make policies that protect the unborn from abortion. During the 1990s, Oklahoma Baptists, based on their biblical convictions to protect unborn life, became involved. In 1990, Anthony Jordan, then pastor of Oklahoma City, Northwest, chaired the first-of-its-kind major pro-life rally on the steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Television reporter Connie Chung was quoted to say some 20,000 attended the rally. Jordan, who retired as Oklahoma Baptists’ executive director-treasurer in 2017, was thrilled with the success but recognized that the event, which happened on a Sunday, could have had more impact at a time when legislators were at the Capitol. Seeing an opportunity with the Rose Day event, Jordan and others reached out to the event organizers and became involved in the early 1990s. “If you really want something to take off,” said Joan Naylor, co-founder of Rose Day, “get the Baptists involved.” Now years later, Oklahoma Baptists help lead the Rose Day rally in coordination with other faith groups.
Rose Day attendees of all ages bring red roses to state legislators at the Oklahoma State Capitol. >> PHOTO: MESSENGER STAFF
The 2022 Rose Day indoor rally is set to take place inside the Oklahoma State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the onset of the legislative session. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and rose distribution begins at 9:30, with attendees encouraged to bring red roses for their legislators, the Oklahoma Governor and Lt. Governor. At 11:30 a.m., in the Oklahoma House of Representatives Chamber, fourth floor, the pro-life rally will begin. Gov. Kevin Stitt is scheduled to address the gathering, along with leaders including Todd Fisher, Oklahoma Baptists’ executive director-treasurer. Times of prayer and a testimony will be shared. Other Oklahoma Baptists on the program include Pastor Walter Mullican, Gayla White of Hope Pregnancy Ministries and Brian Hobbs, editor of the Baptist Messenger. Through the years, Rose Day has featured numerous leaders within the pro-life movement, including Abby Johnson, pro-life spokeswoman and former
Planned Parenthood center director; Alveda C. King, niece of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.; Lila Rose, pro-life activist and President of Live Action; and Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. “For more than 30 years, Oklahoma Baptists have made a real difference for the unborn through Rose Day, which brings together so many faith groups and pro-life organizations. I’m thankful that today in Oklahoma, there are other anti-abortion, pro-life events that are making an impact toward ending legalized abortion in this state and country,” said Hobbs, who serves on the Rose Day Committee. “At the same time, Rose Day has had a unique impact through the years, in bringing people together to help enact meaningful policies and working together for the lives of the unborn. We pray the 2022 Rose Day will continue to have that kind of impact,” Hobbs added. For more information, visit roseday.life.
Mossman makes a move from athletics to being a pastor >> by Chris Doyle
MANAGING EDITOR
His retirement was reported in The Oklahoman earlier this month. After 20 years of serving in the athletic department at the University of Oklahoma (OU), Kenny Mossman was making a career change to go into pastoral ministry. “I think there are people who probably think I’m nuts,” he said during a recording for the Messenger Insight podcast. “There are people who love college sports in this state on a high level, and they might look at this decision and wonder about my sanity.” Mossman has cherished thoughts of his time with the Sooners. He started his stint at OU as director of athletic communications and ended as executive associate athletic director for strategic communications. “It was a pretty rewarding experience because you get to do and experience things at OU in the athletics realm that are very unique compared to other places,” Mossman said about working at OU. Overall, he worked in college athletics for nearly 40 years. “It was amazing. I had been to one bowl game before I arrived at Oklahoma. In my 20 years, we never missed a bowl game. If you can name a bowl game, there’s a good chance— at least of the higher profile games—I got to work it.” He also mentioned being a part of four Heisman Trophy winners, men’s and women’s basketball teams reaching the Final Four and being the sports administrator for the OU softball team, which has won numerous national titles. But now, Mossman is pursuing full-time vocational ministry. A faithful member of Oklahoma City, Emmaus, he has been a diligent adult Sunday School teacher. He also spent a lot of time with Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a state board member. However, for the last few years, he believes God was preparing him to be a pastor. One day, Hance Dilbeck, former executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, and Mossman were having lunch. “Out of the blue, he asked me, ‘Have you ever thought that the Lord would call you into ministry?’” Mossman recalled about that significant meeting with Dilbeck. “I told him ‘Yes, I have thought about that but on a surface level.’ Hance gave me a convicting look and said, ‘I think He is.’”
Dilbeck told Mossman to confirm this calling with his pastor, Owen Neese. “I remember sitting down with Kenny,” Neese said. “He invited me to lunch, and I just had this strong sense that God was calling him into pastoral ministry. I think I almost beat him to the punch in telling him why we were there that day.” From there, Neese set Mossman on a path of ordination, which consisted of taking seminary courses online and going through an ordination process at church. He then receive numerous opportunities to preach around the state. Serving in pulpit supply, Mossman said, definitely “fanned the flame. It was the confirmation that I needed from God that, yes, this was something I was called to do.” Mossman was preaching on Sundays while also fulfilling his role on Saturdays at football games. Neese said this was not a total change for Mossman. “He’s not doing anything completely different because he has always been committed to the local church,” Neese said. “There were away games OU was playing, and I’d think there’s no way Kenny would be there (at church the next day). But he was there the next morning. He’s always valued being involved and serving in the local church.” Mossman then came to a point when he wondered if maybe he was experiencing burnout with his work at OU. However, he concluded it was holy discontentment. “I wasn’t getting fulfillment out of it anymore,” he said. “I found myself being in a full stadium and looking across the landscape of 80,000 people. My thoughts weren’t so much on how are we going to entertain these people, but honestly, I wondered to myself, ‘How many of these people are saved?’ When you start to look at things through an eternal lens, it will change your perspective in a hurry. It did for me. I just no longer felt that what I was doing there was as meaningful as I once thought it was. Now, as I look back, I know God was changing my heart and giving me a new desire. That desire was to more overtly spread the Gospel.” He did clarify that it is possible for a Christian to have a ministry no matter the occupation. “I did have a ministry,” Mossman said. “And that platform provided me many opportunities to go speak for Christ. But it escalated beyond that to a point where I could feel the Lord was calling me to be a pastor.”
Kenny Mossman stands in front of Carnegie, First, where he has been serving as interim pastor. >> PHOTO: CHRIS DOYLE
Recently, Mossman has been serving as interim pastor at Carnegie, First. This church in southwest Oklahoma had been pastored by Arthur Blount for nearly 40 years, before his recent passing. Mossman said this church has energized him since he’s been their interim pastor. “It’s a small town of less than 2,000 people, but they took 71 young people to Falls Creek last summer and have 40 youth regularly on Wednesday nights,” Mossman said about Carnegie, First. “They truly are ministering to Caddo County. They are a fun group of people to be with because they are not interested in sitting around and ‘playing church.’ They want to impact their area for Christ.” Along with the encouragement and inspiration Mossman receives from serving Carnegie, First, he also appreciates the support he gets from Oklahoma Baptists across the state. “It’s a neat thing to go into the pastorate as an Oklahoma Baptist because of the support system that is in place, (and that includes) the whole network of pastors across the state,” he said. “If it’s ok to be proud of a denomination, I am really proud to be a Southern Baptist in Oklahoma.”
Features | January 27, 2022 | The Baptist Messenger | www.baptistmessenger.com
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