CP Connections Spring 2025

C O O P E R A T I V E

P R O G R A M

CONNECTIONS SPRING 2025

CP CELEBRATION Evangelism at the Mississippi State Fair results in 373 decisions for Jesus Christ

CHURCH SPOTLIGHT Retired prinicpal helps small-town church take Gospel across the world

EXECUTIVE EDITOR TANNER CADE

While evangelicals affirm the importance of evangelism, statistics indicate that most of us seldom engage in any kind of direct evangelistic exercise. The current state of evangelism within our church culture seems unhealthy and in need of renewal. I am thankful for the plethora of Mississippi Baptists who remain faithful to share the message of the gospel through ordinary conversations. I’m also thankful for the many churches who are strategically working to connect with lost people and introduce them to the gospel truth.

This issue of CP Connections highlights a sampling of the ways your Cooperative Program partnership is making a difference in our evangelistic efforts. You will read about the tremendous response our churches have made to the evangelistic opportunity at the Mississippi State Fair. Our Evangelism department sets up a tent every fall at the fair and extends an invitation to church leaders to bring teams from their churches to engage people with God’s Word. This ministry is an evangelistic laboratory where people ranging from students to senior adults can learn the discipline and the art of having a gospel conversation with another person. Best of all, we talk with dozens of people every year who indicate that they want to follow Christ as His disciple.

You will also be inspired as you read about a retired principal’s passion for sharing the gospel in a global way through partnering with our Missions Mobilization department. You may be surprised to discover that your Cooperative Program support helps connect the burden of an ordinary believer with international lostness in a direct way. I suspect as you read about John Bowen’s global journeys you will be challenged to think globally as an evangelist yourself.

Honestly, the stories in this issue could be told about thousands of Mississippi Baptists who recognize the call of the Great Commission. The work of the MBCB in coordinating cooperation helps to open doors, provide opportunities, offer training, and inspire obedience in the pursuit of this call.

We want to celebrate the results of this cooperation and say thank you for your partnership in the effort.

If you are reading this and are not part of the Mississippi Baptist Convention network of churches, give us a call. We would be more than glad to share how you can become part of this effort of making disciples both locally and globally.

Again, I’m thankful for the churches and their members who have bought into this Christ-focused mission. You truly are making an impact!

Your fellow servant, Shawn Parker Executive Director-Treasurer, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

EDITORS TONY MARTIN MEGAN YOUNG CONTENT ADVISOR RICK BLYTHE DESIGNER MEGAN YOUNG LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER BART LAMBRIGHT COPY EDITORS JUDY CHEN HOPE JOY OWENS MARIA TEEL

CP Connections is published by the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and is produced to emphasize the cooperative efforts among Mississippi Baptists. The magazine is distributed by mail to each cooperating church and is available in a digital format at mbcb. org/magazine. Any article without attribution is by CP Connections Staff.

Mississippi Baptist Convention Board P.O. Box 530 Jackson, MS 39205 601.968.3800 www.mbcb.org msbaptist@mbcb.org Volume 3, Number 1 © 2025 Mississippi Baptist Convention Board ON THE COVER: Mississippi Baptist volunteers pray with visitors to the MBCB evangelism tent during the 2024 Mississippi State Fair.

CONTENTS CP Celebration 3 Evangelism at the Mississippi State Fair results in 373 decisions for Jesus Christ

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Church Spotlight 8 Retired principal helps small-town chuch take Gospel across the world

Departments 14 MCIW prisoners graduate with seminary degrees in historic NOBTS commencement 17 MWMC 2025: 'A one-stop shop' for worship and media training 21 BSU students serve in their own backyard for 'Christmas in the Delta' 26 MBCB welcomes new pastors for orientation day 28 Ministry wives find encouragement, connection at annual conference

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Agencies 31

The Baptist Children's Village: 'Compelled by compassion'

28

CP Information 37

Why do Southern Baptists embrace the Cooperative Program?

38 What are some resources I can use to promote the Cooperative Program?

40 Upcoming Events

THE GOSPEL NEVER RETURNS VOID

CP CELEBRATION

Evangelism at the Mississippi State Fair results in 373 decisions for Jesus Christ

BY CHLOE NEWTON

The Mississippi State Fair packed out the turnstiles late in Fall of 2024, and with it the Mississippi Baptist fair evangelism tent. Now annually, the Evangelism Department is expected and welcomed in the busy walkways of the fairgrounds.

With the help of newcomers and veteran churches, groups, and individuals, the engagement exceeded years past. In 2024, 195 volunteers had 2,824 Gospel conversations, resulting in 373 decisions for Christ.

For many volunteers, fair evangelism creates a safe environment to share the Gospel for the first time.

Among the newcomers was First Baptist, Senotobia, led by Pastor David Haynes, who participated in the evangelism efforts at the Dixie National Rodeo. One of Haynes' favorite moments from his time at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) tent included a member’s simple prayer being answered.

“One of FBC’s members, who is named Mae, began praying that she would be able to tell someone about Jesus,” recounted Haynes. “Mae was able to talk and pray with a young man as he placed faith in Jesus. During our four-hour session at the state fair, we had 160 Gospel conversations and fifteen of those resulted in salvation.”

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2,824

GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS

Hearing the Gospel for the first time evokes a variety of responses. Christians are called to share the Gospel but are not promised they will see the fruits of their labor, yet it is a gift when the Lord allows it.

“We had a young lady come in the tent with her family,” shared Don Lum, MBCB Director of Evangelism. “There were three teenagers and a mom and dad. This young lady was holding back. She was kind of not really engaged. I was talking to the guy that had shared with them, and he came back in the tent the next day and said, ‘Look, you’ll never guess what happened last night. At 1:00 a.m. this morning, the young lady got up, went into her mom and dad’s bedroom and said, I need Jesus.’”

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Fair evangelism can be just as meaningful for the volunteers. It is a place to step out of their comfort zone.

“We had a young lady come, and she was scared,” Lum said. “This wasn’t her element, yet I watched her fight within herself to say, ‘I’m going to do this. I can do this. I want to do this.’ She really worked hard to step outside that box, to stand out there and not just watch people come by, but to engage people. Then to come back in the tent and to be able to take time and to learn how to share [the Gospel] with people.”

“It was important for members of our church to become familiar with sharing the Gospel,” said Haynes.

“In my opinion, it is sometimes easier to share the

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Gospel with strangers than it is to share the Gospel with friends or family members. However, once a person gains confidence in their ability to rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide them in Gospel conversations, then he or she will be more confident when talking with friends and family members about Jesus.”

Even when others outright reject the Gospel, God can plant a seed that He may later grow. Volunteers are reminded that the Gospel never comes back void.

“You’ve sowed the seed,” said Lum. “You told him about Jesus Christ, and then you’ve given him the opportunity to make the decision. And the decision’s always a personal one. We all get to make the choice to follow Him or not. And so I can’t feel bad about

that because we did our part. I tell folks when they come to work, I said, you can’t miss. You can’t lose.”

Since 2021, the fair evangelism tent has allowed a unique opportunity of cooperation. Rarely can churches volunteer in groups together across the state with a direct objective to share the Gospel.

The idea originated at the Dixie National Rodeo in 2016. The Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner noted the good success and allowed Lum to continue the same effort during October’s State Fair in 2021.

As noted from last Fall, numbers are incredible and praiseworthy! The opportunity for many Mississippi Baptists to volunteer during the nearly two SPRING 2025 | 5

CP CELEBRATION

373

DECISIONS FOR CHRIST

"I pastor a church, and the people I talked to at the fair don’t go to church. The only way we’ll ever reach them is to go where they are.”

JEFF WALKER, PASTOR, GRACE CHURCH, BRANDON

week event is a memorable moment for all involved.

After the fair concluded, the work was far from over. Lum and his team quickly began the follow up process. New believers received a packet of helpful resources. A list of local churches was also provided to the individuals, hopefully encouraging the new believers to become a member and to be discipled.

From start to finish, this opportunity runs full circle in the cooperative spirit. Funding for signage, equipment, and resources is provided by the Cooperative Program, which is fueled by giving churches across the state. Then to conclude the efforts, the evangelistic ministry reciprocates into the convention sending potential new believers names to hopefully start 6 | CP CONNECTIONS

a discipleship pathway.

In 2021, Jeff Walker, pastor of Grace Church in Brandon, said it best.

“Think about this,” Walker stressed. “We had our tent, and the state of Mississippi was passing right in front of us. I pastor a church, and the people I talked to at the fair don’t go to church. The only way we’ll ever reach them is to go where they are.”

Evangelism efforts at the state fair and the Dixie National Rodeo are funded through the Cooperative Program. If you are interested in participating at either event, email Linda Burris at lburris@mbcb.org.

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CHURCH SPOTLIGHT

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

Retired principal helps small-town church take Gospel across the world

BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS

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John Bowen has a passion for connecting his small town Mississippi church with international missions.

Since his retirement in 2018, the former principal has represented Bethsaida Baptist Church, Philadelphia, on three Vision Journeys with the Missions Mobilization department of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board — to Poland, Laos, and most recently, Indonesia.

After each Vision Journey, Bowen reports back to Bethsaida, who now collectively pray for and partner with the churches and missionaries serving in these countries. The church is determined to offer partnerships with a minimum three-year commitment so

John Bowen (left) and MBCB Director of Missions Mobilization Chad McCord in Indonesia.

CHURCH SPOTLIGHT

that missionaries can be guaranteed of Bethsaida’s full support. To date, they have partnered with a church in Poland for almost five years, and missionaries in Laos for four, as well as two national church plants, in New Orleans and in South Dakota.

On September 11, Bowen embarked on his latest Vision Journey with Chad McCord, Director of Missions Mobilization, 10,000 miles away from Mississippi, to the island nation of Indonesia.

“He’s not on staff; he’s just in church. He’s not a pastor; he’s just a faithful member,” said McCord, commenting on Bowen’s commitment to connecting his church to international missionaries.

In Indonesia, Bowen and McCord met with two missionary teams, one in Jakarta, the capital city located on the island of Java, and the other on the island of Bali. “Both teams were amazing,” said Bowen. “Jakarta is the second largest metroplex in the world, second only to Tokyo. If you take the state of Tennessee and put half the population of the United States in there, that’s what the island of Java is like.

Jakarta alone holds about 33 million people. So the

challenge is daunting.”

When Bowen and McCord arrived in Jakarta after two strenuous days of travel, they met and ate with the missionary family who hosted them. The Jakarta team, consisting of three full-time families and three journeymen, shared about their work and vision for the city with their visitors. Prayer-walking through Jakarta and visiting a festival set up with booths and displays, the men joined their missionary host as he gave them a glimpse into an ordinary day of ministry, through which they shared the Gospel with a young man at the Sunday festival. Like the vast majority of Indonesia, most of the people the team come across are Muslim.

After a quick flight to the much smaller island of Bali, Bowen and McCord met the missionary couple finishing up their first term on the field. The missionary team serves both a rural and urban population, as well as a majority Hindu religion and a minority Christian religion stifled with animistic tribal beliefs.

They partner with two young pastors who were sent from a church in Jakarta to plant a church in Bali. The

“We just want to encourage other small churches like ours that they don’t have limitations.”

JOHN BOWEN MEMBER, BETHSAIDA BAPTIST CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA

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missionaries assist in training the church for evangelism and discipleship.

Bowen was thrilled to see both ministries striving.

“The two teams face unique challenges and employ different strategies to reach the lost,” said Bowen.

“These Vision Journeys are not mission trips,” clarified McCord. “They are ‘go and see’ trips for local churches to find a potential partner in mission work.

The idea is that we don’t want a church to get partnered with missionaries if it’s not a good fit. We hope for these trips to develop personal and ongoing partnerships.”

That’s what Bethsaida Church has been able to accomplish. With 80 adult members, the small town church is making an impact on the other side of the world.

“What happened was, a few years ago, my daughter — a highschooler at the time — went to Peru one summer on mission,” recalled Bowen. “I think her testimony of that trip helped people realize they could reach across the world if they wanted to. God doesn’t limit us because we’re here in East Central Mississippi. He gives us the opportunity to serve all

over the world.

“We’ve definitely been blessed as a church, and our pastor, Billy James, is just mission-focused. He has led the church to look outside our four walls and to see what we can do to grow God’s Kingdom. Our congregation is convinced that there are no limitations; even if someone can’t go physically, they can pray and they can give. Our church has just taken on that role and I’m so proud of them.”

“Bethsaida Church is just your average Mississippi Baptist Church,” commented McCord. “They are an older congregation, but they are starting to welcome more young people. As a church looks outside of their four walls with a missions focus, they become healthier churches.

"Mission-minded churches attract people who are looking for a church that loves and serves each other and desires to reach people all the way to the ends of the earth. They don’t have to be a large church to use what God has given them to expand the Kingdom; they just have to be obedient with what God has given them and use that with a Great Commission vision.”

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CHURCH SPOTLIGHT

With just a small amount of money, giving churches can impact international missions far more than most people realize. With exchange rates, money can go so much further overseas, and resources and programs for evangelism in places like Indonesia can be easily multiplied.

In terms of going, McCord shared, “John Bowen is wanting to talk to other sister churches in the Neshoba Association and gather up people from different churches to go on a mission trip together. That is the beauty of working together. Yes, churches can do some on their own, but as we work together, we can get two or three churches to do so much more.

"When churches give to the Cooperative Program, they’re also helping each other, and when you give to the Margaret Lackey State Missions Offering, some of those funds come to the Missions Mobilization department, and we are able to give financial assistance to churches seeking to go on mission trips.”

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“We just want to encourage other small churches like ours that they don’t have limitations,” said Bowen. “They can contact Chad McCord and ask, ‘Where can we partner? Who can we work with? Give us some direction.’

“There are all kinds of churches here in the state of Mississippi that, if they had the information and given the opportunity, would enthusiastically partner with missionaries and provide prayer support and financial support. That’s what I see my role as. I wasn’t called to be a missionary, but I love speaking with missionaries, looking at their work, and then coming back here to the states and finding people in churches that would be willing to partner with them.

That’s my role.”

Vision Journeys through Missions Mobilization are funded through the Cooperative Program. Learn more by emailing Mississions Mobilization director Chad McCord at cmccord@mbcb.org

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MCIW prisoners graduate with seminary degrees in historic NOBTS commencement

BY TONY MARTIN

The commencement service for the graduating class of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) and Leavell College was held at the Mississippi Correctional Institute for Women (MCIW) on Dec. 16 at the prison in Rankin County. Twelve women graduated with either an Associate of Arts in Christian Service or a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Service.

Beth Masters, director of the MCIW Extension Center of NOBTS, said, “The most rewarding thing about my job is seeing the women who are already believers step into leadership and just fall in love with Jesus even more. But also it’s for those women here who don’t know the Lord, getting to walk with them.

And we’ve been talking lately about we’re not only disciple makers, we’re disciple senders. And if we’ve missed the sending part, we miss the whole thing.”

Burl Cain, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and former warden at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in West Feliciana Parish, north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, expressed his gratitude.

“I look back and can’t express how much we appreciate folks in Mississippi, particularly the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) because without the $90,000 you give every year, we wouldn’t have the graduation class we have,” Cain said. “This state, Mississippi, and Louisiana are the only two states that will have chapels in every one of their facilities, all paid for by private donations.

“And I have to thank Gov. (Tate) Reeves. Without him I wouldn’t be here. I promised him when he 14 | CP CONNECTIONS

hired me that I was going to have a chapel in every one of the prisons because we needed more rehabilitation more than anything else, because we need God. He is really our Father and that’s what we need to rehabilitate people.”

Speaking of the graduates, Masters said, “Four of them will be heading to Delta Correctional Facility as field ministers. They are going to take on more responsibility, create new programs, and we’ll be able to expand our faith-based offerings because they will have the degree and are able to just be turned loose as field ministers. And so my greatest aspiration would be to see them step into those roles with integrity and honesty. Love people well and walk in obedience to the Lord.”

Ben Browning, director of prison programs at NOBTS, emphasized the program’s significance.

“This program makes such an impact. I can’t describe how important this is,” Browning said. Addressing the students, he continued, “We are so thankful to be here in this journey with you and to welcome everyone on a big day like today.”

Masters added, “Integrity is a big thing in here.

Integrity is not something that many of our women here have when they come in. There’s lots of hiding things. There’s lots of, ‘I can be one way with these people and one way with these people.’ And so to be authentically a Christ follower in every aspect of your life here is really hard. And over four years they’ve come to learn how to do that in a way that they didn’t before. And in a place that lives and

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Photo credit: Hometown Rankin Magazine

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breathes dishonesty and chaos and disruption, to decisions I was called to make was to give approval walk in honesty is huge. And then just to love people for the funding of this program at the Central Missiswell, because also in this environment, if you love sippi Correctional Facility. And I must say now, five somebody, your motives are always questioned. What years later, I consider it to be one of the proudest deare you trying to get out of them? What are you trying cisions that I have ever made.” to do? What are you trying to manipulate me to do?”

“Ministry is not about the recognition you receive,” During the commencement, Superintendent Terehe continued. “It’s not about the affirmation that you da Hairston offered words of encouragement. get from others. I love the affirmation that I receive “There are 12 exceptional women graduating tofrom being a minister. It took me a long time to recday,” she said. “Your accomplishments today are a ognize that that affirmation means very little. It’s not testament to your unwilling, unwavering faith, unabout the affirmation you receive. It’s not about the yielding determination, and resilience. As the first recognition that you gain. It’s not about notoriety. ever female graduates of this program in the state It’s not about establishing some exalted status. It reof Mississippi, you have not only earned the title of ally is about humble service to the Lord. field ministers, but you have also carved a path for “Some of you may be mecountless women who were teoric, and it may be that "You have chosen a path of following your footsteps. over the course of the next You have chosen a path of month, you make such a service, compassion, and service, compassion, and splash in the ministry that spiritual guidance. You will spiritual guidance. You will God has given you that evminister to your fellow inmates minister to your fellow inerybody in the Mississippi offering solace, hope, and the mates offering solace, hope, Correctional Facility and far and the transformative transformative power of faith." beyond knows your name power of faith. This is a calland knows who you are,” TEREDA HAIRSTON, ing that requires immense Parker said. “But my guess is MCIW SUPERINTENDENT strength, empathy, and a most of you are going to fly deep understanding of the human spirit. below the radar and you’re not going to receive that level of notoriety. And the key is this, do it anyway.

“Throughout your journey, you have faced chalThis is the kind of faith that pleases Christ.” lenges and overcome many obstacles,” Hairston Other commencement speakers included Norris continued. “You have navigated the complexities of Grubbs, provost at NOBTS, who gave the invocation the correctional system while pursuing your spirituand conferred the degrees; Mike Wetzel, director of al growth. Your dedication to both personal transforprison programs at NOBTS, who brought a welcome mation and service to others is an inspiration to all. from the seminary; Sandy Vandercook, associate As you embark on your new roles as field ministers, vice president for accreditation and assessment at remember the power of your voice and the impact NOBTS, who shared the prayer of commissioning; you have on the lives of those you serve. You are piGreg Wilton, dean of Leavell College, who presented oneers, you are role models and agents of change. the graduates; Tommy Doughty, who led the congreMay your journey as field ministers be filled with gation in the “Hymn to Alma Mater”; and Masters, purpose, fulfillment, and the enduring grace of God.” who gave the benediction.

Shawn Parker, executive director-treasurer of the MBCB, gave the charge to the graduating class.

“I serve as the executive director of the Mississippi Your gifts to the Cooperative Program help support Baptist Convention,” Parker said. “I’ve served in this Prison Ministry. Learn more by emailing Don Lum at dlum@mbcb.org. role now for five years and one of the first significant 16 | CP CONNECTIONS

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MWMC 2025: ‘A one-stop shop’ for worship and media training

BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS

Nearly 100 churches were represented at the annual Mississippi Worship and Media Conference (MWMC) where 150 attendees congregated on February 27 at First Baptist Church, Brookhaven. As technology continues to improve as a tool for creative and effective worship experiences, the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) Worship Ministries and Communication Services departments offer MWMC as a comprehensive service to the local church.

In the past, three different events achieved their focus on church music, worship leadership, and media, but in 2022 the two departments combined their annual conferences to create the MWMC. “Since so many of our church leaders wear multiple hats — leading worship while also handling

media, this combination just made sense," said Kris Smith, Director of Worship Ministries. "MWMC is designed to be a one-stop shop where leaders can get the training and encouragement they need in both areas.”

Every year, the conference expands and adapts to better harmonize with the needs of worship and media teams. This year, added breakout sessions offered more opportunities for connection and training.

Breakout leaders included: Andrew Causey, Founder of BiVoWorship.com; Andrew Hicks, VP of Sales and Design for Sound and Communications; Brad Stevens, President/Large Format Division of Hederman Brothers; Brian Hanna, Associate in Media at Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Clinton; Eric Busby, Director of Media and TechniSPRING 2025 | 17

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cal Ministries at Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Clinton; Ginger Fowler, Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, West Point; Dr. Jonathan McKenzie, Worship Pastor; Lorie Hanson, Director of Communication at First Baptist Church, Madison; Matt Bell, Senior Product Manager of MultiTracks. com; Ryan Capell, Production Director at Temple Baptist Church, Hattiesburg; Todd DuBose, Associate Pastor of Worship at First Baptist Church, Biloxi; and Dr. Will Bishop, Associate Professor of Church Music and Worship at Southern Seminary.

“One area of my ministry I continually try to consider,” said Tanner Cade, Director of Communication Services, “is giving MS Baptists a chance to try equipment options across the media landscape. This year, we were greatly pleased to include groups that work with audio, video, lighting, and printing avenues that give attendees a chance to see what they can try in their worship spaces. It’s often difficult to demo products, and I hope to use gatherings like MWMC to always provide those opportunities.”

Meaningful Connections “Our goal as a department is to resource, equip, and encourage MS Baptist churches, and MWMC is an extension of that mission,” Smith affirmed. “This conference is all about helping worship and media 18 | CP CONNECTIONS

leaders grow in their calling. My hope is that those who attended walked away feeling better equipped for ministry — whether through the training they received, the worship they experienced, or the meaningful connections they formed with others in similar roles.

“One of the things that makes MS Baptist churches unique is the strong sense of community and collaboration among our leaders. That was on full display at MWMC. You could see it in the conversations happening in the hallways, the connections being made during sessions, and the way people were eager to learn from each other. It was a blessing to witness, and I’m grateful to have played a role in bringing our leaders together for this event.”

Nick Wolfe, Associate Pastor of Worship and Media at First Baptist Church, Brookhaven, shared his unique perspective as the lead minister of both teams. “It is awesome that we have two directors at the state level, Tanner Cade and Kris Smith, who can work together to produce a conference of ministries which intersect. Worship ministry cannot be done today without some technology, and I have learned over the years that technology is an art and an expression of worship. To see those two very important ministries come together is really a testament of the cooperation of MS Baptists at the state level.

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“At the church level, this conference is a great one-stop shop. I don’t have to attend multiple conferences to gear up as a worship and media leader.

I could spend my day choosing from a variety of breakouts necessary for my particular ministry.”

Effective Partnership “In order for a worship team and a media team to effectively partner together, as I have learned from my position,” said Wolfe, “we need to make it very clear to the media team that they are needed. I cannot do what I do on a weekly basis without the sacrificial help of media volunteers. It’s important that the media team know they are vital and that their work is recognized.

“I try to dote on my team of volunteers by taking them to lunch and buying them Christmas presents — things like that. I want to make sure they know that the church not only appreciates them, the church needs them. So it starts with mutual respect.

Teamwork thrives when everybody is humble.”

Nick Wolfe and Dr. Greg Warnock, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Brookhaven, led the general session in worship and preaching.

“My senior pastoral role starts with preaching and teaching the Word of God to the flock under my care,” said Warnock. “I am called to equip them for their

ministry of sharing the Gospel and making disciples.

Their ministry role though begins as authentic worshipers. I work with the Worship Pastor who then works with his worship and media teams to fashion purposeful worship experiences.

“Most of our churches (75% in MS) have bivocational pastors and volunteer or part-time worship leaders. Expectations often are unrealistic and frustrations can build unnecessarily. I hope our focus as church members is to come having already worshiped during the week and desiring to express gratitude and praise to God in song, with our church family; to confess our faith congregationally as the worship leaders guide through the songs they select.”

In the evening, the MWMC worship concert featured Crescent City Worship, “a collaborative team of students, faculty, alumni, and friends” from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.

“After experiencing this conference,” said Warnock, “the fellowship and the worship was so much more than I expected. The evening worship was so powerful. I needed that opportunity to worship. I was truly helped to be a better worshiper because of it.”

Months before the conference, the staff and volunteers at First Baptist Church, Brookhaven, and the staff of the Worship Ministries and Communication

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Services departments, began to prepare for the collaborative event.

On a church campus always lively with activity, the church hostess, the kitchen staff, and pastors blessed the conference with careful preparation and caring presentation. Volunteers helped serve meals, take out trash, set up tables, and much more. The MBCB team was able to set up rooms and stations with their detailed dedication thanks to the church’s assistance.

Additionally, Wolfe’s wife, two daughters, and two sons were able to help serve. “For my family to come out and support not just their dad, but their church and the ministry, was a blessing to me for sure,” said Wolfe.

ee from Louisiana this year, which tells us there are those beyond Mississippi that desire to grow through events like this.”

“I have really enjoyed seeing continued cooperation between Kris and Tanner,” Wolfe remarked.

“Both of these guys are respectively new in their positions, and it is refreshing to know the next generation of leaders are coming together to make this big event work. People are becoming more aware of the conference, and I look forward to next February.

I can’t wait to go wherever the next location will be and even offer my help. I would even come up a day early and get a hotel room to help out because it was such a beneficial time for me.”

Looking Ahead “Kris and I greatly enjoy the opportunity to bring together folks within worship arts,” said Cade, “and we would love to see this conference continue to grow and reach a larger audience. We had an attend-

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The Mississippi Worship and Media Conferenece is funded through the Cooperative Program. For more information contact Tanner Cade at tcade@mbcb.org or Kris Smith at ksmith@mbcb.org.

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BSU students serve in their own backyard for 'Christmas in the Delta'

BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS

Over 350 Baptist Student Union (BSU) students from 18 different college campuses across Mississippi engaged with over 40 mission partners and churches to share and live out the Gospel in 9 counties of the Delta region.

Christmas in the Delta, a BSU ministry mobilizing students for its second year in a row, met the needs of communities through construction projects, food pantries, local school ministries, outreach block parties, special church events, serving graduates of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) SPRING 2025 | 21

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extension center in the Mississippi State Penitentiary (also known as Parchman), and handwriting more than 100 Christmas cards to encourage pastors in the Delta and across MS. In between the labor and ministry, BSU students took time for debriefs and corporate worship sessions together.

In March 2023, Josh Warren, BSU Director at MS Delta Community College, and Zach Hardy, BSU Director at Delta State University, got together to plan a statewide mobilization of BSU students and brought the vision to Sam Ivy, Director of Collegiate Ministries of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB). That next December, the first run of Christmas in the Delta mobilized 87 students.

“The vision, the heart, and the passion of two local BSU directors created this ministry, and it was met with roaring affirmation from our other BSU directors,” said Ivy. “It was a great opportunity to invest in college students and to mobilize them to know Christ and to make Him known.

“Christmas in the Delta,” Ivy emphasized, “is about supporting the local church, mobilizing students, and engaging the lost in the communities of the Delta with the hope of Christ. Our main goal is mobilizing these students to articulate their faith and share it where we need more church support, more boots on the ground, and more laborers for the harvest.

Luke 10:2 reads, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,’ and the heartbeat behind Christmas in the Delta is just calling out laborers to go where the harvest is plentiful.”

With 87 BSU students organized last December, the MBCB Collegiate Ministries department expected between 150-200 students this year. Until Nov. 1, however, Ivy and other coordinators of the week were not aware of the 350+ BSU students planning to give part of their winter break for Christmas in the Delta. The coordinating team had a short month to rearrange logistics for twice the number of students expected, but Emmanuel Baptist Church in Greenville and First Baptist Church, Rolling Fork, jumped in with an offer of two housing sites for the students, in addition to the student building of First Baptist Church, Cleveland, and the dorms at Delta 22 | CP CONNECTIONS

State University.

On Dec. 16, 115 BSU students helped support the NOBTS graduates at Parchman by leading a worship song in the ceremony and hosting a reception with an open taco bar. Four hundred people — guests, families of the graduates, BSU students, and students in the seminary program — attended the reception in the visitor center.

The BSU students shared their testimonies and heard testimonies from the Parchman students. Last year, BSU students gave money to buy chairs for the chapel in the penitentiary. This year, the students’ contribution purchased two iPads for the extension center’s professors, to aid in classwork, and a Bible for each of the graduates.

“The reason we mobilized our students in prison ministry this year and last year is because we believe in what God’s doing through MS Baptist’s efforts through the NOBTS extension center at Parchman,” said Ivy. “We want our BSU students to have their worldview shaken to the point where Christ’s radical grace is on full display when they’re hearing the testimonies of God’s goodness in the lives of those students at Parchman. The Gospel can save everyone, no matter their condition.”

Other ministry sites throughout the week included more than 50 BSU students in Sunflower County alone, meeting the needs of residents there by building wheelchair ramps and porches. Although the work conditions were meddled with rain every day, caking the ground in mud, the students went out and did their jobs, completing every job they had set out to do.

Other students hosted outreach block parties and assisted several local churches in teaching in youth services and sharing in prayer meetings. Leading on this trip were 26 BSU directors who preached in the local churches.

Students also worked with Rolling Fork Rising, a ministry out of First Baptist Church, Rolling Fork, after the EF-4 tornado which devastated the town in March 2023, serving in many roles including yard work, house construction, and painting. Students also worked with Reclaimed Project across the Delta

DEPARTMENTS

“Christmas in the Delta is about supporting the local church, mobilizing students, and engaging the lost in the communities of the Delta with the hope of Christ."

SAM IVY, MBCB COLLEGITATE MINISTRIES DIRECTOR

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DEPARTMENTS

and assisted in afterschool care throughout the nine counties.

Bryce Johnson, a BSU student of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, joined Christmas in the Delta for a second year. As he busily painted a window trimming of one of the many houses being built or restored for residents, he commented, “You always hear people say, ‘You can serve in your backyard; you don’t have to go overseas to serve.’ Coming here is almost like coming to my backyard. It’s just awesome to be able to serve your own state for the glory of God.” Leo Frank, a BSU Student of the University of Mississippi, shared onsite, “I’ve been cutting a lot of wood and drilling a lot of wood. We’ve been building a ramp for a woman who needs to get out of her house with a wheelchair. Currently, her ramp is just way too short, so we built an L-shaped ramp around

the house and just need to lay boards down to deck it and put some railings up. It’s great to be doing this work. I love that we can give to those who may not have as much as we do, especially during Christmas time when we’re living the high life. I didn’t realize until the first night we were all in the big auditorium how many BSU students there are in the state. So it was cool to see that I’m a part of that.”

Tyler Bolen, BSU Associate Director at the University of Mississippi, added, “Right now we’re building a wheelchair ramp, we have a crew inside that’s widening the bathroom door and installing a new toilet seat, and yesterday we put up a new storm door.

We’re really grateful to be part of this work. I’ve never really done much construction before, so it’s awesome to learn and do that, but also to be able to serve the Lord in this way and help this woman so she can get in and out of her house.”

“Housing and mobilizing the students would not have been possible without the churches who saw our needs, as well,” said Ivy. “They rallied behind us and helped us to accomplish this. Another huge support that made this week possible is MS Baptist Disaster Relief, who came alongside us and deployed over 30 volunteers on three feeding sites in Rolling Fork, Sunflower, and Cleveland to feed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day of the entire trip.

They served almost 4,000 meals.

“Seeing the teamwork between our seasoned Disaster Relief teams and our BSU students just reminded me that one day they will pass the baton to these guys and girls. Disaster Relief is a very established ministry in MS. BSU is a very established ministry in MS, but these two ministries have never converged like this before. This cross-departmental partnership was a very special part of our success in sharing the hope we have in Christ. I can’t tell you how many Gospel conversations were had, because they were just constantly happening. The Gospel was shared in these communities so many times.”

Christmas in the Delta is funded through the Cooperative Program. For more information contact Sam Ivy @ sivy@mbcb.org.

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DEPARTMENTS

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MBCB welcomes new pastors for orientation day

BY CHLOE NEWTON

Over a decade has passed since the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) has hosted New Pastor Day. MBCB Executive Director-Treasurer, Shawn Parker, envisioned rekindling the event. On Nov. 18, 25 new pastors gathered from around the state to connect and to learn. The ultimate goal was to strengthen the relationship between the pastors and the convention.

“We wanted those guys to be able to spend a day with us, so they’ll know throughout all of our departments here what resources and what assistance that we can offer to the churches. We want them to know how we can work together with them in ministry.

Being a new pastor, it’s a scary role, and it’s a scary time,” said John Pace, MBCB Director of Leadership. “[It was] a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow brothers and sisters and get the chance to make use of their gifts and opportunities to further the kingdom,” said Noah Whitehead, pastor of New Harmony Baptist Church, Blue Springs. Whitehead was hired in May of 2023.

Throughout the day, the church leaders heard presentations from the three major teams at MBCB — church engagement, church support, and church health. The pastors were able to ask questions, to learn more about how MBCB functions, and to bring awareness to the specific needs in their churches.

“All of our departments here at the building try to assist and relate to our churches, our ministers, our 26 | CP CONNECTIONS

DEPARTMENTS

pastors, our leaders, to try to work together to accomplish the cause of Christ, to advance the great commission and the great commandment of Christ here in our state,” said Pace.

The Leadership Department invited pastors who fell into one of two categories: pastors new to the state of Mississippi or those who have served in other roles within Mississippi Baptist churches but have shifted to a senior pastor role.

“I have recently made the switch to the senior pastor role,” said JD Hankins, senior pastor at Fredonia Baptist Church. “In this new role, I want to actually know what resources are available to us as pastors.

And coming to events like this, sometimes things

are presented to you that you haven’t even thought about. It kind of causes you to ask questions that maybe you’re not even thinking about.”

“There was great value [in the day]. Being able to catch up with fellow ministers in Mississippi and learning all the different ways that the Cooperative Program is funding ministry in the different departments is a blessing. I’m looking forward to cooperating with those I reached out to,” said Whitehead.

New Pastor Day is funded through the Cooperative Program. For more information contact Elizabeth Lindigrin-Hancock at elindigrin@mbcb.org.

“There was great value [in the day]. Being able to catch up with fellow ministers in Mississippi and learning all the different ways that the Cooperative Program is funding ministry in the different departments is a blessing. I’m looking forward to cooperating with those I reached out to.”

NOAH WHITEHEAD, PASTOR, NEW HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH, BLUE SPRINGS

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Ministry wives find encouragement, connection at annual conference

BY MEGAN YOUNG

As the 188th Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention prepared to convene, ministry wives from across the state gathered Oct. 28 for fellowship and encouragement during the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board’s (MBCB) Ministry Wives Conference.

Heather Johnson, a pastor’s wife and assistant director and instructor for Thrive, the Ministry Wives Certificate Program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, led 76 women in a two-part study exhorting them to be full of joy and filled with peace as they serve faithfully in the church.

In submitting to their husbands’ call to ministry, ministry wives have similar struggles and joys, resulting in a wealth of shared experiences that draw them together.

“There is a commonness to the calling of ministry that helps ministry wives to connect with each other even if you don’t know each other, even if you’ve never met,” said Johnson. “I like to describe our lives as ministry wives in this way: We are women who live our lives on the fringes of other people’s lives in all the seasons of their lives while trying to live our own lives while the Lord uses our husbands to pour into others’ lives. What a gift and a privilege. What a burden and a joy.”

Johnson began her first session by focusing on the impact a minister’s calling has not only on his life, but on that of his wife and family as well. Referencing the Lord’s calling of Abram in Genesis 12:1-5, she highlighted the faith it took for his entire family to leave everything familiar and step out into the unknown.

“There is a whole family that is making this move, that is going with him,” said Johnson. “We just don’t know how this thing is going to play out. Not year by year, not decade by decade, not season by season, 28 | CP CONNECTIONS

AGENCIES

but we have to learn to trust God with it all, especially in the unknown because He knows. So if we want to live lives full of joy and filled with peace, we need to trust God with the unknown.”

In her second session, Johnson pointed to the life of Paul as an example of how to trust God with the unknown while living in service to the Lord. Referencing Philippians 1:6, she reminded everyone of Paul’s assurance that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

“Paul is telling them that God is faithful,” said Johnson. “If you’re going to have joy and peace in the uncertainty of ministry and the ups and downs, the highs and lows, it’s good to know that God is faithful.”

Joining together for a time of Bible study and fellowship every year during the conference, ministry wives are able to witness the faithfulness of God in

each other’s lives and encourage one another in their service to Lord.

“This is my fourth Ministry Wives Conference,” said Elizabeth Parker, wife of MBCB executive director-treasurer Shawn Parker. “At every conference, I have been so encouraged by the speakers who shared their experience and wisdom with us. And at every conference I have enjoyed connecting with ministry wives from all across our state — that’s been the bigger blessing. I’m thankful the MBCB Leadership department gives us this time and space to be together.”

The Ministry Wives Conference takes place annually during the Misssissippi Baptist Convention in October and is funded through the Cooperative Program. For more information contact Elizabeth Lindigrin-Hancock at elindigrin@mbcb.org.

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AGENCIES

30 | CP CONNECTIONS

AGENCIES

The Baptist Children's Village: 'Compelled by compassion'

BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS

Since taking root in 1897, the Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village (BCV) has grown into a vibrant, multi-program organization most notable for its Residential Child Caring Program, succeeding 128 years without government aid, through wars, pandemics, and economic recessions by the grace of God. Children, aged 1 to 20, live on one of five campuses across Mississippi, with houseparents who model a healthy family lifestyle and provide as natural an environment as possible. The children attend public school and local churches, engaging in community activities as they consistently hear and see the Gospel of the God who reaches out to adopt into His everlasting family anyone who would accept Him as Savior and Lord.

When these children grow into their young adult lives, the BCV offers the Independent Living Program, which gives 20+ year olds not yet ready to live on their own resources and a place to come home to (for those continuing their education) until they are able to live independently. This, however, is not the only way the BCV meets the needs of Mississippi with a Christ-centered, trauma-informed approach.

In recent years, the BCV has expanded to include more residential and non-residential programs, including the In-Home Family Support Program. Interventionists in this non-residential program work

with families at-risk of children being removed from the home. They identify the cause of issues, provide training and mentoring, and connect families with resources useful for addressing the causes.

Although poverty is often a factor, more times than not, families struggle with generational dysfunction.

With this program, families learn how to engage with their children, prepare healthy meals, budget for the present and future, and establish healthy routines such as eating dinner at the table and talking about one’s day together. Most of all, it is an opportunity for interventionists to share the Gospel with broken families and connect them with local churches with whom they can build relationships.

Residential Family Program Over time, interventionists in the In-Home Family Support Program recognized a need for single mothers and their children to retreat from unstable environments in order for change to occur, and thus the BCV became interested in starting the Residential Family Program. They began to communicate with and learn from similar programs in other state Baptist agencies. Gleaning from the experience of other agencies, a committee came together and formed the program.

Meanwhile, the BCV reopened their Waynesboro campus for the Residential Family Program in June, SPRING 2025 | 31

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2024, after two years of being unable to staff it for child-caring.

Hannah Humston, a former BCV family interventionist since 2022, transitioned to become the Residential Family Program manager in April, 2024. A Licensed Master Social Worker, Humston has followed God’s compassionate calling on her life to serve atrisk families and children. She and her team knew the Residential Family Program would be a big undertaking, with unique needs.

On a 12-to-18 month timetable, the Residential Family Program provides single mothers and children an opportunity to restart and receive support

for a season, until they can get back on their feet and sustain their family.

“Day-to-day ministry is kind of crazy!” shared Humston with a laugh. “Right now, we have three families — three moms and six kids three years old and under — on our campus. On a ‘normal-ish’ day, my family-care specialists, Deborah and Patty, take the children to daycare at local churches, and take the moms who are employed to work. If the mothers aren’t working yet, they usually take them to apply for jobs or to appointments.

“When a mom first arrives,” Humston explained, “we help her sort out her Medicaid and make sure

“First and foremost, this is an opportunity for the moms to be reached with the Gospel and come to know the Lord. It’s also a safe space where they can intentionally focus on themselves and their children, able to leave after a year or year-and-a-half, and capable of taking care of their families and being in a better place than when they came to us."

HANNAH HUMSTON, BCV FAMILY PROGRAM MANAGER

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she and the children are up to date on doctor and dental visits. We also take them to Christian counseling to meet those needs, as well. Then after picking up the kids from daycare, our family-care specialists make dinner and everyone eats together, then the kids play outside, the women hang out and have fun, the children are readied for bed, and then we do it all over again the next day!

"We try to make the kids feel like they are in as normal an environment as possible, so we engage them with fun activities. Over the holidays, our family-care specialists took the families to see Christmas lights and watch parades. Since we have a lot of little kids here, it also feels like we’re always having a birthday party! Then on Sundays, the families go to church with our family-care specialists.

“On the case-management side of supporting them, I work with the moms on their ‘plan of care’, their individualized goals which we work toward, whether that’s saving money, getting a job, or anything of that nature. The moms also receive parenting education and financial literacy education as they gather those life skills necessary to provide for a family.”

Humston shared about one of the mothers on the campus, “When the mother came to us, she was due to have her baby about a month later. She and her older children were able to get settled before her due date, and when the day arrived, everything went really well at the hospital here and we were able to be there with her. She is very resilient and very strong, and was right back at it the next day, doing what she needed to do for her family.

"Her baby boy is healthy, her older children are well, and she’s working on applying for a job. She wants to be a teacher, so we are working on getting her into an online educational program that she can do while she’s with us. She is great with the kids and would be a wonderful teacher. Her goals are to be able to get a car, go back to school, and learn everything she needs to learn while she’s with us, so that she can provide for her family on her own and not have to be dependent on anybody else.”

When asked how MS Baptists can support the Residential Family Program, Humston suggested hosting

drives at the church. The program is in constant need of baby wipes and diapers of every size, and any necessities quickly expended, such as paper-products.

If you are local to the area of Waynesboro, volunteer!

Any group willing to work the yard or building maintenance is greatly appreciated.

The program also has a desire to invite women adept in practical or special skills to teach the mothers on their expertise (i.e. a cooking class, budgeting, attending job interviews, or health talks from pediatricians, dentists, etc.) Contact Humston at hhumston@bcvms.com for more information.

“First and foremost,” Humston emphasized, “this is an opportunity for the moms to be reached with the Gospel and come to know the Lord. It’s also a safe space where they can intentionally focus on themselves and their children, able to leave after a year or year-and-a-half, and capable of taking care of their families and being in a better place than when they came to us.

"Everything that we do is a step toward independence for them. It’s not a shelter where they stay here indefinitely; it’s a holistic program which helps them make changes in their lives.”

One major prayer request Humston shared is that the program already has an overwhelming number of applications. Pray for more staff, more buildings, accessibility, and success as the program continues in its first year of operation. Serving at-risk families is an enormous need in Mississippi.

Youth Detention Intervention Program Another new non-residential offering is the Youth Detention Intervention Program in which staff and trained volunteers enter five operational detention facilities in the state to share the Gospel with teenagers. The goal is to eventually have access to all 20 youth detention facilities in Mississippi. A unique ministry with unique needs, the program not only trains church members to share the Gospel, but also how to work within the realm of the detention facility and the rules which govern them.

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as a result of a “Good News Bible Club” afterschool program at the Clinton YMCA. When Darron Byrd, now Program Director of the Youth Detention Intervention, and his team ministered to the fifth-andsixth-graders, one of the counselors, a JSU student at the time, responded to the Gospel and came to faith in Christ. Soon after, the young man took a job at the Henley-Young-Patton Juvenile Justice Center in Hinds County, but continued to meet weekly with Byrd for discipleship. Each week, the young man told Byrd about the teenagers — aged 12 to 17 — and Byrd was shocked to learn that no outreach or evangelism ministry occurred there whatsoever.

As the Lord impressed this need upon Byrd and the young man, they walked through the credentials, background checks, and various processes necessary to begin outreach in Henley-Young. The ministry began in January, 2020, only a few short months before COVID caused a “roller coaster” of availability within the facility. Even so, Byrd began to see these young people respond to the Gospel, grow in discipleship, and even evangelize other teenagers in the detention center.

As the ministry grew, Byrd developed a strategy for recruiting volunteers from his church, Morrison Heights, to train and equip them to enter the facility.

Before, Byrd and the volunteers were only granted a two-hour time slot of one day a week for outreach; now they are permitted 10 hours throughout five days of availability.

Two years later, Byrd reconnected with Sean Milner, Executive Director of the BCV and Byrd’s former attorney, whom he has known for 20 years. When Byrd shared about the ministry, Milner was instantly interested in converging this essential outreach program with the resources of the BCV. In December of 2022, the Youth Detention Intervention Program of the BCV was launched. Subsequently, the program was able to enlist additional churches and extend outreach into Yazoo County, Warren County, and Sunflower County.

Byrd spends much of his schedule meeting with pastors to promote ongoing ministry to local churches, training volunteers for the mission, and going 34 | CP CONNECTIONS

into the facilities to build relationships and share the Gospel. Currently, the program has around 10 active volunteers working within five facilities, carrying out group evangelism and one-on-one discipleship, depending on the interest of the recipient.

In 2024 alone, the Youth Detention Intervention Program saw 41 young people make professions of faith through their outreach efforts.

“I had a young man whom I had not met before ask to meet with me when I was at Henley-Young a couple of years ago,” recounted Byrd. “He came in and sat down in front of the counselor’s desk I was using. He would hardly look up at me, and I asked him what I could do for him. He had tears rolling down his cheeks, and he just said, ‘I need God to forgive me for what I’ve done.’ He was 15 years old, and he was very broken over the crimes he had committed.”

After being walked through the Gospel, the young man prayed with Byrd to receive Christ. He was given a Bible, a devotion, and encouraged to grow in his faith. He soon began witnessing to others in the facility. Within four months, he had memorized 60 verses of Scripture which he wrote out in a notebook, with a notation under each describing what it meant to obey that verse.

“The young man received a 12-years sentence, and was moved to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility Youth Offender Unit. Within one week of his relocation, he had already talked the warden into allowing him to start Bible studies for other guys,” said Byrd. “That’s just one of those testimonies of how God is rescuing these young people from the dominion of darkness, transferring them up to the Kingdom of His Son Who is the Light of the world.”

Byrd explained that the strategy necessary to accomplish the mission before them is based on Jesus’s commission to the disciples — to be witnesses for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria; and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

“We started at ground zero in Hinds County and have been working our way out into these outlying areas. For each of these, we identify a community with a juvenile facility, establish a relationship with

AGENCIES

“The Scripture that came to mind the very first time I walked into a facility was Matthew 9:36, ‘When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ That Scripture propels us down the road of this outreach."

DARRON BYRD, YOUTH DETENTION INTERVENTION PROGRAM DIRECTOR

them, and communicate and meet with churches local to the area and help them to understand the ministry need,” explained Byrd.

The idea of going into a correctional facility — even a juvenile one — is intimidating to some churches.

For that reason, the BCV comes alongside willing churches to prepare them for this unique ministry opportunity.

“We understand that this is not a VBS; it’s not your traditional ministry,” said Byrd. “So we try to equip churches, because we know God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Our role through

the BCV is to be a service to the church, to equip the church for the work of ministry, which is the biblical principle for growing the church.”

Preparing volunteers for deployment involves four to six weeks of shoulder-to-shoulder, on-theground training with a BCV staff member. The BCV then helps the church get established in one of the juvenile facilities, developing their own relationship with the administration and staff. The ultimate goal of the training process is for the BCV to recede into a support role, providing a church with resources for ongoing outreach.

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Once released from a juvenile facility, however, the chance of seeing repeated offenses is common, with Mississippi having a high recidivism rate. For that reason, the Youth Detention Intervention Program seeks to be a resource to a released child, as well as their family, to point them to a church and follow up with them in some capacity. Aftercare through the BCV is not court-appointed; therefore, it must be on a voluntary basis. For the teenagers genuinely desiring for God to change their lives, the ministry offers help with this new direction.

“The Scripture that came to mind the very first time I walked into a facility,” said Byrd, “was Matthew 9:36, ‘When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ That Scripture propels us down the road of this outreach.

We’re compelled by compassion to reach these kids where they are.”

If a church has interest in learning more, contact Byrd at dbyrd@bcvms.com. He is available to speak at churches about the Youth Detention Intervention

Program and updates on the BCV as a whole.

God’s Provision Since 1897 Chrystelle Thames, Director of Communications and a BCV alumnus, remarked, “Today, the Baptist Children’s Village looks very different than it did in 1897, but it continues to receive 100% of our support from churches, individuals, and the Cooperative Program — no government funding since 1897. God has continued to use His people to provide for the different needs of children and families in Mississippi after all these years. Our Mississippi churches are so generous, and we receive more support in Mississippi than many of our sister agencies in other states around the country. It is extraordinary to see how God works through His church.”

The BCV is an agency of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and receives monies from the Cooperative Program budget. Learn more by emailing BCV Director of Communications Chystelle Thames at cthames@baptistchildrensvillage.org.

CP INFORMATION

Why do Southern Baptists embrace the Cooperative Program? n The Cooperative Program presents a unified and comprehensive budget to fund statewide, national and international missions and ministries. n It provides a long-term sustainability for our entities. When a church makes their missions giving as a percentage of their church budget, it provides consistency and stability. n It adheres to our long term Baptist principle that “we can do more together than alone.” n The Cooperative Program mitigates competition between entities thereby allowing a balanced Acts 1:8 Strategy. n It levels the playing field and makes a place at the table for small and ethnic churches.

Every church can stand hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, on level ground, as partners in the gospel (large churches, small churches, new churches, growing churches, graying churches, and ethnic churches).

2025

Cooperative Program Budget 2025 Budget

% of Total

MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONVENTION BOARD Baptist Record Business Services Capital Needs Church Planting/Revitalization Collegiate Ministries Communication Services Computer Information Services Convention & Convention Comm.

Disaster Relief Discipleship/Sunday School Evangelism Executive Administration Financial Services Human Resources Leadership Missions Mobilization Multicultural Ministries Stewardship/Prayer Ministries Strategy Office WMU/Women’s Ministries of MS Worship Ministries Subtotal

$275,213 $435,275 $627,567 $406,121 $2,431,897 $442,824 $259,917 $125,850 $318,375 $1,035,754 $396,710 $503,205 $361,207 $304,772 $369,906 $438,269 $236,974 $261,588 $387,951 $549,007 $435,954 $10,604,336

0.89% 1.41% 2.03% 1.31% 7.87% 1.43% 0.84% 0.41% 1.03% 3.35% 1.28% 1.63% 1.17% 0.99% 1.20% 1.42% 0.77% 0.85% 1.26% 1.78% 1.41% 34.33%

MISSISSIPPI AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS Mississippi College William Carey University Blue Mountain Christian Univ.

Board of Ministerial Education Education Commission Baptist Children’s Village Mississippi Baptist Foundation Christian Action Commission Historical Commission Subtotal

$2,142,849 $2,474,407 $1,019,687 $380,500 $50,373 $758,306 $392,150 $320,162 $120,839 $7,659,273

6.94% 8.01% 3.30% 1.23% 0.16% 2.45% 1.27% 1.04% 0.39% 24.79%

CHURCH RETIREMENT AND PROTECTION Subtotal

$425,000

1.38%

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION International Mission Board North American Mission Board Theological Education SBC Operating Ethics & Religious Liberty Comm.

Subtotal

$6,150,869 $2,780,772 $2,703,887 $364,845 $201,343 $12,201,716

19.91% 9.00% 8.75% 1.18% 0.65% 39.50%

Total CP Budget

$30,890,325

100.00%

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What are some resources I can use to promote the Cooperative Program?

We have free print and online resources for you to help promote the Cooperative Program in your church. All resources are easily accessable on our website at mbcb.org/cp.

Training Kit

GIVE LOCALLY IMPACT GLOBALLY Use the Cooperative Program Training Kit to lead your church through a study of the Cooperative Program.

Contents include: • Leader Guide • Flash Drive – One-session video training – Four-session video training – Accompaning study guides – Other resources • Cooperative Program Brochure

Brochure

GIVE LOCALLY IMPACT GLOBALLY

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM TRAINING KIT

This is where you come in. By utilizing the Cooperative Program Training Kit, your church can play a pivotal role in educating the next generation about the Cooperative Program's significance.

By giving generously, your congregation can be assured that their contributions are instrumental in advancing God's work.

38 | CP CONNECTIONS

THE TASK IS FAR FROM COMPLETE In Mississippi, a state with nearly three million residents, two million are either without faith or unchurched. Globally, among nearly eight billion people, 59% remain unreached, indicating that 4.7 billion are unaware of Jesus.

er ythe@mbcb.org b.org kson, MS 39205

CP INFORMATION

HOW THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM BENEFITS YOU, YOUR CHURCH, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Bulletin

HOW IS THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM DISTRIBUTED?

Contact the MBCB Stewardship/ Prayer Ministries department at 601.292.3347 for more information!

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CP INFORMATION

UPCOMING EVENTS April 1 State Bible Drill First Baptist, Starkville 3 Cooperative Program Dinner First Baptist, Biloxi 4 Cooperative Program Dinner First Baptist, Madison 4-5 Mother/Daughter Weekend Garaywa Camp & Conference Center 5 State Bible Drill Parkway Baptist, Clinton 5 State Bible Drill Petal-Harvey Baptist, Petal 7 State Bible Drill First Baptist, Brandon 7 State Preaching Conference Blue Mountain Christian University 8 State Preaching Conference Garaywa Camp & Conference Center 8 State Bible Dril Emmanuel Baptist, Grenada 8 State Bible Drill First Baptist, Meridian 9 State Preaching Conference William Carey University 10 State Bible Drill Auburn Baptist, Tupelo 12 Bible Drill Tournaments First Baptist, Madison 12 Disaster Relief Area 1 Training Hillview Baptist, Greenwood 20 Easter Sunday 25-26 African American Leadership Conference Calvary Christian Oak Forest Baptist, Jackson 26 State Speakers Tournament First Baptist, Brandon

May 4 Mississippi Baptist Symphony Orchestra Concert First Baptist, Florence

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8 Senior Adult Refresh First Baptist, Ellisville

12 Impact Training First Baptist, Tupelo

13 Senior Adult Choir Festival First Baptist, Florence

17 Mississippi Baptist Symphony Orchestra Concert First Baptist, Grenada

15 Senior Adult Refresh Friendship Baptist, Grenada

June 8-11 Southern Baptist Convention & Pastors’ Conference Dallas, TX 9 Mississippi Baptist Fellowship Dallas, TX 9-16 All-State Youth Choir & Orchestra Rehearsal Camp & Tour William Carey University (Additional Locations) 24-28 HeartSong Worship Arts Camp William Carey University

July 7-11 Christian Leadership Institute (CAC) Blue Mountain Christian University

18 Impact Training First Baptist, Laurel 19 Impact Training First Baptist, Natchez 22-23 Equipping Leaders Training 22-23 Mississippi WMU Annual Meeting

September 5-6 Hispanic Men’s Retreat Lake Tiak O’Khata, Louisville 8 CRV Banquet William Carey University 11 CRV Banquet Blue Mountain Christian University 11 Small Church Youth Ministry Workshop First Baptist, Senatobia

8-11 SMACK Camp William Carey University

15-16 Mississippi Singing Churchmen Fall Tour Various Locations

8-12 Super Summer 2025 Mississippi College

22 CRV Banquet Mississippi College

11-13 Hispanic Youth Retreat Lakeside Camp, Scobey

25 Small Church Youth Ministry Workshop Wyndalle Baptist, Byram

24-26 State Literacy Missions & Christian Job Corps Conference Garaywa Camp & Conference Center

26-28 Mississippi Baptist Conference of the Deaf Garaywa Camp & Conference Center

August 5-6 Mississippi Baptist Singing Churchwomen Retreat Garaywa Camp & Conference Center 7 Impact Training First Baptist, Philadelphia 8-9 Hispanic Women’s Retreat Garaywa Camp & Conference Center 11 Impact Training North Greenwood Baptist, Greenwood

For more information, visit mbcb.org/ events

MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONVENTION BOARD PO Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205-0530

We equip local churches to make disciples in Mississippi and around the world.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Jackson, MS Permit No. 158