T H E B A P T I S T F O U N D AT I O N O F O K L A H O M A
GENEROSITY Fall 2015
KARI S MINISTRIE S TURNING ORPHANS INTO SONS & DAUGHTERS THE GLOBAL FAMILY OF GOD Church Funds STORIES OF HOPE & HEALING Ministry Highlight
GENEROS IT Y Fall 2015 A magazine for clients and stakeholders who support The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma’s mission to promote charitable planned giving and provide financial management for the gifts that strengthen Southern Baptist ministries.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
T he Foundation has been in a season of change for quite some time.
PRODUCTION
In early 2013, our organization set a goal to distribute $25 million
VI Marketing & Branding | Design Layout Jayme Phillips | Editor & Writer Mary Criner | Writer
annually to ministries by the year 2025. Over the past two years, our
Send questions/comments to: Editor, Generosity 3800 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73112 communications@bfok.org
cumulative distributions to ministry have exceeded $40 million. We are excited to be hitting our milestones (and surpassing them) year over year. After establishing this goal, the Foundation decided to embark on a research and branding study in early 2014. It was our belief that if we
ADMINISTRATION
were going to reach our goal by the year 2025, we would need to put
Robert Kellogg | President & CEO Dan Allen | Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, Donor Relations David Depuy | Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Client Relations Shryln Treadwell | Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services Jerry Vaughan | Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer, Ministry Services Jim Wilsie | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
our best foot forward. The branding study allowed us to refine our marketing efforts and poll our clients and potential clients around the state to discover why they choose to work with the Foundation. Ultimately, our clients choose the Foundation because we enable them to give to causes they care about — causes that share their vision of spreading the Gospel. The changes don’t stop there. In 2015, the Foundation has a new
Generosity is published in the spring and fall by The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Recipients include approximately 10,000 clients, stakeholders and churches in Oklahoma. To request a copy or to update mailing information, please call 1.800.949.9988.
project that we hope will make the estate planning process more simple
“…through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” II Corinthians 9:11
continue the journey with us.
and ultimately allow more donors to complete their plans and leave gifts to ministry. The unveiling of this project will be in November so stay tuned for the announcement. We hope you are as excited as we are to
Robert Kellogg, President & CEO
GENEROSITY
FALL 2015 4 THE GLOBAL FAMILY OF GOD
5 EVANGEL BAPTIST CHURCH OF TROY
7 MARKET REPORT
8 K AT H RY N HI GH F I L L
CHURCH BUILDING LOANS & FUNDS MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENTS
CHURCH BUILDING LOANS
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
1 4 STORIES OF HOPE & HEALING MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
1 6 HURRICANE SURVIVOR FINDS STRENGTH NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD
6 PLANNING WITH THE PATTERSONS DONOR RELATIONS
10 KARIS: TURNING ORPHANS INTO SONS & DAUGHTERS MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
18 FOUNDATION NEWS
CHURCH BUILDING LOANS & FUNDS MANAGEMENT
THE GLOBAL FAMILY OF GOD b y J e r r y Va u g h a n
S ometimes, events and people come our way that remind us of just how global the family of God is. I’ve had two of these events happen to me in the last year. The first was a mission trip to Poland with my church. Our team worked alongside an IMB missionary couple in Krakow who involved us in various activities. These activities included a baseball team that evangelized young men (and one young lady) through sports, as well as crafts and cooking classes to reach young women with the Gospel, and teaching English as a second language to adults. We even worked with their local church to share the message of Christ through street evangelism in Europe’s largest medieval market square. I have to admit that the language barrier proved to be a challenge, but through all of these experiences I came to a fresh realization that we all serve the same God, no matter where we are.
4 G E N E R O S I T Y Fall
2015
The second event occurred just recently as I met with a church in Troy, Michigan. Evangel Baptist Church is a group of believers that are attempting to reach the Muslim people in the Detroit area. Through this meeting, I came to learn that the Detroit metro area has the largest Muslim population in the world aside from the Middle East. Ninety percent of the people attending are from Iraq and ten percent are from Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. And, Evangel is one of the largest churches of its kind in the United States. Even more impressive is that of those similar chuches, Evangel is one of only three that owns its property. The church was requesting a loan from the Foundation to build a new sanctuary in response to the tremendous growth they’re experiencing. Pastor Amgad Alfi Beshai told me that at the last Christmas and Easter services, their current sanctuary (seating capacity of 100) was so full that people were literally standing in the aisles and around the perimeter walls. As he described
the scene aloud, you could see the passion he has for reaching this people group. The three men I met from the church all explained how they feel that their church is training and teaching people who will eventually be missionaries as they return to the Middle East with the Good News of the Gospel. “That, they said, is why God has placed us here, at this time.” This reminded me once again that the Foundation’s Church Building Loan program is not only a vehicle through which interest earned is distributed back to countless ministries all around the world, but it is also helping churches expand their ministries to meet the spiritual needs of the people in their communities — communities of various ethnicities. The staff of The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma has at its core the desire to help people have an eternal impact on the Kingdom of God. We are excited to welcome Pastor Beshai to Oklahoma in January 2016. On January 27, he will be guest speaking at Oklahoma Baptist University’s chapel service and he will be addressing The Baptist Foundation Board of Directors at the January board meeting.
Jerry is Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. He has been with the Foundation since 2000. He and his wife, Tricia, have two children. Lauren is a missionary with the IMB and Britt works and lives in the Los Angeles area. They attend Quail Springs Baptist Church, OKC.
CHURCH BUILDING LOANS
EVANGEL BAPTIST CHURCH OF TROY
Evangel Baptist Church of Troy started in Troy, Michigan in 1986 with a small group of Middle Eastern-believing Christians whose desire was to serve the Lord among the Arabic speaking community in Michigan, where there is close to one million Arabic speaking individuals from all over the Middle East in the Metro Detroit area alone.
Share some background information about you and your ministry. I am from Egypt and married to Eman. We have three children, Vernie, Kevin, and Christopher. I’m a 1997 graduate of Arabic Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. After graduating, I served as a pastor for four years, then from 2001 -2008, I served the Lord as an evangelist. In December 2008, Evangel Baptist Church of Troy called me to be the pastor of the church. In July 2010, I started my ministry with my family here at Evangel Baptist Church.
What led you to decide to build a new sanctuary? When I came to Evangel Baptist Church of Troy, there were about 25 to 30 people in the church on Sunday morning. In the last five years, we worked hard by reaching out and evangelizing and now we have almost 300 people coming. The sanctuary has a current seating capacity for 100 people. For Sunday School, we don’t have enough classrooms for all 60 kids and we don’t have space specifically for the kids to worship. We also don’t have room for all the services we need to do.
What does this new sanctuary and growth of the church mean to the congregation? The church is happy because we have grown by 10% to 15%. They look forward to the new building because they know with the new building we can reach more people.
How will this new sanctuary impact the church/community? During the past few years, our church started to grow tremendously. Now, the sanctuary building can hardly accommodate the present and future services, which the church has in its plans. The church, represented by its pastor and leaders, has a great perspective that the service will expand to the surrounding area as well as to other areas. The number of Sunday School attendees has increased to such a limit that we are unable to divide them according to age or grade. The same could be said about our only worshipping hall which is overcrowded with people, which forced us to shorten the altar stage in order to put more chairs, specifically for Sunday morning worshippers. We suffer more during the special occasions when we invite preachers from other ministries or churches. In these instances, people are uncomfortably crowded, which threatens to weaken the service.
What new opportunities will this building create? How will lives be changed/impacted? The new building will give us the opportunity to: • Open the first Arabic speaking counseling center • Help war victims and Arabic families • Produce our TV and audio ministry • Start building a strong foundation for new Arabic ministries around the Detroit area to reach the traditional Christians and Muslims • Start special meetings to reach our area
What do you see for your church in the next 5-10 years? We have a vision to make Evangel Baptist our base to serve the Michigan Middle Eastern community.
Why did you choose to work with the Foundation? Because I know they have a heart to serve the Lord and the churches.
For more information on church building loans, contact Jerry Vaughan at 1.800.949.9988 ext. 4269 or jvaughan@bfok.org.
Fall 2015
Give us some history on the church.
We can help our community and make it easy for the people to come. Our building is very old, but the church is very much alive and growing. We are excited and looking forward to the new building.
5 GENEROSITY
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma partners with several Baptist foundations across the country to provide services that other foundations do not currently provide, such as church building loans. In the past, we have worked with the Michigan Southern Baptist Foundation to provide loans to local churches. Knowing of this relationship, Michigan pastor, Amgad Alfi Beshai reached out to Jerry Vaughan, Chief Lending Officer at the Foundation in 2013.
D O N O R R E L AT I O N S
PL ANNING WITH THE PAT TERSONS by Dan Allen
Technology and how we access information has changed our
We have also created five short videos of a fictional, animated,
lives significantly. The way we buy products, conduct banking, and
multi-generational family who are going through the planning
a whole host of daily activities has moved to an online experience.
process. The videos will also guide our clients through the process and help them make the necessary decisions they will encounter.
Earlier this year, we began discussing the idea of creating an online estate planning experience. Planning your estate to protect
Not every family will choose to use the online estate planning
against an incapacitating illness or death is obviously a very
tool. We will always offer in-person estate planning appointments
personal process. When we meet with individuals and families
in our offices or your home. But a growing number of our clients
to guide them through the decisions they need to make to create
would prefer to work on an estate plan at their own pace, on their
a comprehensive estate plan, there are many discussions, as
computer, from the comfort of their own home. And we want to
you would expect. Could we replicate that type of interactive
accommodate that.
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Fall 2015
experience in an online environment? Convenient, but not impersonal — that was the task that we set out to accomplish.
To learn more about setting up an estate plan, contact
I believe we have hit that mark.
Dan Allen at 1.800.949.9988 ext. 2936 or dallen@bfok.org.
In mid-November, at the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, we will reveal and launch our online estate planning tool titled “Planning with the Pattersons.” This won’t be just filling out a form on your computer. This tool will feel more like a discussion where the families’ responses will be used to complete the traditional form.
Dan is Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. He has been with the Foundation since 1997. He and his wife, Janna, have a teenage son, Drew. They attend First Baptist Church of Jenks.
INVESTMENTS
MARKET REPORT by David Depuy
The global equity markets have recently entered a season
public equity where large swings in prices have become all too normal. Instead, we have focused our attention on asset classes that can mitigate the negative effects of increased volatility. While many of our investments are long term in nature and still relatively young, they have protected the Foundation’s portfolio very well.
of increased volatility that has put downward pressure on prices. As of the end of September, the S&P 500 Index was down 6.43 percent for the third quarter which brought the year-to-date to negative 5.27 percent. The international markets were even more volatile than the U.S. and ended the quarter down 10.24 percent. The Barclays Aggregate Index helped a little by remaining positive at 1.24 percent at the end of the third quarter and positive 1.14 percent year-todate. Simply put, it has been a rough year to get returns from the markets.
As shown in the graph of year-to-date returns through September, the Foundation’s investments are slightly negative by 0.42 percent compared to the S&P 500 Index of negative 5.27 percent. Our returns have been much less extreme than the index and have resulted in outperformance. Over the trailing five years, the portfolio is positive 6.18 percent compared to the public market benchmark of positive 4.92 percent. Even better, these returns have also been realized with approximately two-thirds of the benchmark’s risk, as measured by standard deviation.
While it is impossible to predict what the market is going to do, many believe this downturn in prices is temporary. This is due to the continued, although very slow, improvement in the global economy. Improvement can be seen especially in the U.S. as the unemployment rate and the real growth (GDP) rate both continue to improve slightly. Everyone would like to see improvements happen at a faster pace, but at least they are improving. Unfortunately, the increase in volatility of asset prices will continue until growth and interest rates normalize.
If you have any questions about Foundation investments, please contact David Depuy at 1.800.949.9988 ext. 4222 or ddepuy@bfok.org. David is Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Office for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. He has been with the Foundation since 1996. He and his wife, Andrea, have two children, Ryan and Kassidy. They attend Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee.
The Foundation has purposefully designed its strategic asset allocation to perform well in uncertain times such as these. Our objective is to produce a dependable, predictable stream of income to clients now and in the future by remaining less than perfectly correlated with the volatile markets. As a result, we have intentionally stayed away from a high exposure to BFO Endowment versus S&P 500 Index Returns
BF O E N DOW M E N T VS . S & P 5 0 0 I ND EX RET U RNS 8.00%
5.75%
6.00%
4.00% 2.33%
2.10%
2.00% 0.63%
-‐0.03%
-‐0.42% -‐0.94%
-‐2.00%
-‐1.58%
BFO ENDOWMENT
-‐1.46% -‐1.94%
-‐2.41%
S&P 500 INDEX
-‐2.47%
-‐3.00% -‐4.00%
-‐5.27%
-‐6.00%
-‐8.00%
-‐6.03%
Jan-‐15
Feb-‐15
Mar-‐15
Apr-‐15
May-‐15 BFO Endowment
Jun-‐15 S&P 5 00 Index
Jul-‐15
Aug-‐15
Sep-‐15
YTD YTD
Fall 2015
0.36%
0.00%
7 GENEROSITY
0.94% 0.96% 0.24%
1.29%
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
K AT H R Y N H I G H F I L L O B U G R A D U AT E G I V E S B A C K
In the fall of 1952, Oklahoma Baptist University opened
It wasn’t long before Kathryn was introduced to Leela’s
the OBU College of Nursing, the first baccalaureate nursing
cousin, Alvin Highfill. The two eventually married and settled
program in Oklahoma. Ten students were invited into the
down in Woodward, Oklahoma, where Alvin owned a carpet
program, among them a young woman named Kathryn York.
store. Kathryn practiced nursing 30 years before retiring so she could help Alvin at their store. “I wasn’t a very good
“I shall never forget the thrill my heart felt with the
bookkeeper and sales lady, but I did the best I could,” she says,
reality of attending OBU, my chosen Christian College,”
laughing. Even after retiring, Kathryn continued to use her
Kathryn recalls.
nursing degree by volunteering at local hospitals and clinics.
Kathryn, who described her student nursing experience as
Years later after they had sold the carpet store and started
wonderful, fearful and mystifying, always had a desire to be in
a cattle business, the couple began contemplating their
the nursing profession. “Nursing has always meant a lot to me;
financial legacy. After discussing it with her husband, it was no
the idea of taking care of people and meeting their needs.”
surprise that Kathryn wanted to leave a gift to OBU and the nursing program that had meant so much to her.
Being a part of the first nursing class meant she and her fellow classmates were the pioneers for generations to come. “[We were] explorers and victims of experimentation at times,” she remembers with a smile.
8 G E N E R O S I T Y Fall
2015
“We felt a sense of excitement and some fear of unknowns and great expectations for us and from us. It was a lot of hard work, but very rewarding.” As collegiate nurses in the late 50s, Kathryn and her classmates were well sought after by hospitals. After completing the nursing program in 1956, she and a fellow nursing friend, Leela Highfill, moved to Northwest Oklahoma where they began working at a local community hospital.
In 2014, after her husband’s passing, Kathryn set up the Alvin
The OBU College of Nursing has now grown to be one of
and Kathryn Highfill Scholarship in gratitude to OBU. The fund
the top-rated nursing programs in the state of Oklahoma.
provides an annual scholarship to nursing students who need
Every year, more and more young men and women have the
financial support.
opportunity to receive a Christian-centered education from caring and passionate professors at OBU.
Kathryn remembers how she relied on scholarships while at OBU and wanted to offer the same financial backing for young people who aspire to be nurses. “I want to encourage young people to go into nursing [even though] it’s getting
If you would like to learn more about endowed scholarships or contribute to the Highfill nursing scholarship, contact 1.800.949.9988 or donorservices@bfok.org.
harder and harder.” To this day, Kathryn is still closely connected to the nursing community. Even in her late 80s, she stays active by volunteering at a local clinic and at the AllianceHealth Woodward Hospital. “I love it,” Kathryn says, “[and] it gives
9 GENEROSITY
Fall 2015
me a little taste of nursing.”
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
KARIS MINISTRIES
CHANGING ORPHANS INTO SONS AND DAUGHTERS
I n the summer of 2013, a news story broke in Oklahoma City that was entitled, “Girl Locked in a Closet.” Most would remember the tragic story of a little girl that was found in 2011, locked in a closet by her own mother for two years. The little girl had been starved, weighing only 19 pounds at age five. Her body was covered in hair to regulate her body temperature. Authorities removed the little girl from the home, and OKDHS was immediately called to find temporary guardians for the victim. Enter Clint and Amanda Lile. The Liles took over as foster parents immediately as the little girl was treated in the hospital. The Liles are no strangers to fostering but this was definitely an extreme case. “She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t talk. She was on
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Fall 2015
the verge of death,” Clint Lile remembers. Four years later, that little girl is now a thriving nine year old.
“She’s our miracle.” The Liles named her Georgia, and as of June 2013, Georgia is officially a Lile. She has four siblings, three of which are also adopted. The Liles foster three other children in their home currently, making a grand total of eight kids under one roof.
“This is what God has called us to do,” Amanda Lile says
As the Blended Families Pastor of Council Road Baptist
smiling as she talks about each of her children, knowing
Church at the time, this unrest gave James Hunt a desire
three of those may not stay. “We do get attached, because
to see the people in his own church motivated. Hunt, along
every child deserves to have someone love them like that,
with other church leaders, knew they wanted to start a
so we have suffered grief and loss, but I think that someone
ministry but didn’t know where to start. Council Road
who sets out to not get attached is not doing that child a
began by bringing in the director of OKDHS at the time to
benefit.”
speak to the church about the need for foster and adoptive parents. Once the stage had been set, a group of interested
The Liles have had over 40 children in their home since
members began a book study on Orphanology, written by
they began fostering, 30 of those since moving to Guthrie
Tony Merida and Rick Morton. After the study, the group
three years ago.
decided that they wanted to be able to help fund adoptions as the expense is typically burdensome to families.
“This community has a great need for support.” And that is exactly what the Liles, alongside Pastor James Hunt
While Council Road had a designated fund for this
of First Southern Baptist Church in Guthrie, are doing —
type of mission, the leaders thought there had to
lending support through a ministry called Karis.
be a better way to screen families and disburse lifesongfororphans.org), a group that is in 10 countries
their first child in September of 2009. Their experience was
and manages hundreds of adoption funds. Lifesong
more than challenging, but even after their adoption was
was able to not only manage the fund for Karis but
finalized, the Hunts felt like there was more to be done.
also screen its applicants and give recommendations
“I felt a growing burden in my own heart. The more I got into
for assistance. This was a huge benefit because the
it, the more I saw, and the need is unbelievable. Then I saw
church no longer had the difficult job of deciding
the theology behind it, and I really started to understand
how much money a family should be granted for
what Jesus meant when He says, ‘I desire mercy not
an adoption. The Karis board is able to review
sacrifice.’ This whole idea of Mercy was changing me.”
recommendations and ask for an increase or a change
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Karis began after Pastor Hunt and his wife, Ali, adopted
Fall 2015
monies. Thus, Karis found Lifesong for Orphans (www.
if necessary. Karis happily partners with Lifesong in
families go through group studies together and are presently
their purpose to bring hope and joy to orphans.
doing a study on how to parent the traumatized child. Aside from the study, the group meets to be supportive and talk
Since its inception, Karis has distributed over $75,000
through issues together.
and has committed over $50,000 more to help families adopt. There have been 30 children helped in the process
Clint and Amanda Lile know the value of support groups
of adoption because of Karis.
saying, “The support group is so important because foster and
12 G E N E R O S I T Y Fall 2015
adoptive parents need people to say, ‘No you’re not crazy. It The ministry not only provides funds for families looking
is challenging. We understand.’” And really that is what Karis
to adopt, but it also hosts support groups for foster and
is all about. The ministry was birthed from a need Pastor
adoptive families. In 2011, the discussion started about
Hunt saw in the community at Council Road Baptist and that
the need for a support group, and in January of 2012,
need exists throughout Oklahoma. The foster system tends
the support group officially launched. This group started
to be multi-generational and Karis is working to break that
out meeting once a month on Wednesday nights, but the
cycle — one child at a time. Whether it is supporting local
need became so apparent that the group started meeting
families who’ve chosen to adopt, passing out Bible tracts at the
weekly. Since the support group’s inception, Pastor Hunt
local adoption fairs, or encouraging more people to become
has transitioned to be the Senior Pastor of First Southern
involved, the Hunts and Liles are continually striving to inspire
Baptist Church in Guthrie. Thus, a new support group has
others to get involved.
formed for Logan County and the original support group that started at Council Road continues to meet weekly.
Within the Christian community, adoption is a realistic picture of the Gospel. “There’s a beautiful theory behind adoption — it’s a
Currently, there are 20 families associated with the Karis
story of rescue. But there is also pain associated with fostering
ministry at the First Southern Baptist Church in Guthrie.
and adoption. Serving marginalized kids is a beautiful concept
On any given night, 10-15 families might be present. These
but it is also a bloody cross you’re choosing to pick up every day.”
There are nearly 11,000 kids in OKDHS custody in Oklahoma. In Logan County alone, there is a need for 58 new foster families. From a missions perspective, these children needing a family are an unreached group — completely marginalized and in need of Christ. Karis is working to not only reach this group but to make these orphans into sons and daughters. If you want to make a planned gift to Karis through the Foundation, contact us at 1.800.949.9988.
CO N N ECT WI T H T H E M I NI ST RY
If you are looking for a foster and adoption support group, contact Amanda Lile at 405.816.2124 (Logan County) or Carisa Wilsie at wilsie@councilroad.org (NW OKC).
If you need help starting a ministry in your own church or simply want to find ways your church can support local foster and adoptive families, contact Pastor James Hunt at 20yearsshepherd@gmail.com.
Like Karis on Facebook and help spread the word! www.facebook.com/karisadoptionfund
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Fall 2015
Shop The Gift Goes On November 10 Council Road Baptist Church, 6-9 pm All money raised goes directly to the Karis Adoption Fund.
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT
STORIE S OF HOPE & HEALING MINISTRIES OF JESUS
Last issue, we introduced to you an Oklahoma ministry that changes lives every day. That organization is Ministries of Jesus (MOJ), and in this issue, we wanted to introduce you to a few of those changed lives.
J ONI ’ S STORY
Joni Moore is just one of many people who struggle with addiction. While drugs and alcohol often come to mind when we hear the word “addiction,” MOJ’s Celebrate Recovery program defines addiction as any roadblock that keeps one from God. Joni’s addiction was food. She first realized she had a problem while fasting for Lent. Her dependency on sugar was keeping her from participating in an act of sacrifice in remembrance of Christ. She knew that something had to change, so that week she visited her first Celebrate Recovery class. In the class, she also discovered that she had a narcissistic personality. “I was using food to cope with the fact that I couldn’t keep my life just like I wanted it,” Joni said. “When I lost control and felt like I was powerless, I would numb the feeling with sugar.” Through Celebrate Recovery, Joni was able to admit to the addiction and, after doing so, she was able to begin removing roadblocks. She identified food as her idol, the thing keeping her from having a closer relationship with God. “I liken it to sanctification — you’re just removing these roadblocks so you can be closer to God,” Joni said. Since beginning the program three years ago, Joni still attends Celebrate Recovery and even leads a class. To date, she hasn’t had flour or sugar for seven months — which is what she defines as her “sober.” However, Joni still recognizes that sobriety is not her greatest need — her greatest need is Jesus.
R O N D A’ S S T O RY Ronda Patterson knows all too well about the effects of addiction. During a regular Sunday morning at church, Ronda was struck by a section in the Henderson Hills Baptist Church bulletin asking for volunteers at MOJ. Ronda knew a little about MOJ and wanted to 14 G E N E R O S I T Y Fall 2015
get involved, so she signed up to volunteer in the records room at the ministry. On her first day as a volunteer, she watched as the ministry engaged in group prayer. Ronda would witness many group prayers at MOJ in the following months but never participated for fear of feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable to the pain she was experiencing. And then one day, she felt led to come out from record keeping to participate in the prayer.
Ronda shared her fear for her grandchildren. Born to an addiction-ridden mother and father, Ronda’s grandchildren were not in a stable or safe home environment. These children needed help, and Ronda did not know what to do. “My own daughter was not providing a safe home for my grandchildren,” Ronda said. “We began praying for God to rescue these children and to work in the lives of them and their parents.” Ronda’s family is now stronger than ever. She has been able to adopt her oldest grandson, and his brother and sister are in a pre-adoptive home two miles from her. The miracles and blessings are countless, and it all started from a call to volunteer. “The women and the men that serve in this ministry have become a family to me,” Ronda said. “I thought I was coming here to help them out and actually it was the opposite. I don’t know where we would be if it hadn’t been for my decision to come here and volunteer. God was planting the seeds and listening to the prayers.” Since the adoption, the Pattersons have benefitted from counseling services at MOJ. Ronda also remains a volunteer.
J ULANE’S STORY Julane Swyden, wife of MOJ Executive Director Kim Swyden, is one of two part-time counselors at the organization. Prior to her employment with MOJ, she was a teacher. Julane remembers hearing the call of God in her heart. “Kim and I heard that call at the same time,” she said. “We’d both heard it over the course of our adult lives but it really came into focus right around the time Ministries of Jesus was getting started.” Julane felt the call while also being led to go back to school. She was interested in counseling and wondered if she could use counseling to minister at MOJ. In April 2005, Julane was hired on as the first counselor. MOJ was still fairly new, so counseling was born out of a need found among the medical and dental clients. If a physician felt the client needed counseling or the patient expressed the need for counseling, they would send that person to Julane. Once the church body became aware of Julane’s position at MOJ, many of the members began to show an interest in counseling. The need for Christian counseling became very obvious. “There’s just a huge need for counseling and a lot of people don’t know how to access it in the community,” Julane said.
While the need is so great, the payment for counseling can be burdensome for people. MOJ is continually trying to decrease the payment for families or individuals wanting counseling from a Christian perspective. A gift through your estate plan or planned gift can help MOJ continue to heal bodies and save souls. To find out how you can give to the MOJ endowment, contact The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma at 1.800.949.9988 or donorservices@bfok.org.
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2,200 clients in 2014 and plans to see even more this year.
Fall 2015
One by one, people started coming to MOJ for counseling and the need continues to increase year after year. MOJ saw over
NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD
HUR R I CA N E S U RVIVO R F INDS STR EN GT H by Laura Sikes
Hurricane Sandy survivor, Cecelya Morsby, faced near eviction
“We saved her from eviction at the 11th hour,” said Sandy
in March 2015 from her flooded home in Freeport, N.Y., before
Rebuild Project Coordinator Bill Johnson. “The day I called her,
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) volunteers came to her
[inspectors] had red-tagged the house.” The home was days
aid more than two years after the storm’s surge ravaged the
away from being condemned, he said.
coastal town on Long Island’s south shore. Johnson said he immediately called city inspectors, whom he Morsby’s home of 16 years was one of about 4,000 damaged
had built relationships with, to notify them that SBDR would
by ocean waters that moved inland for about one mile, flooding
begin work right away on Morsby’s house.
almost every structure in the community of 50,000. The retiree, a sales executive with a major car company,
Because of her absence, Morsby had no idea that Southern
evacuated her home and lived with her daughter in Manhattan
Baptist volunteers were serving on Long Island. SBDR
for most of the time after the storm. Afflicted with chronic
volunteers first were based just blocks away from Morsby’s
illnesses, Morsby also underwent vascular surgery. She was
home through December 2014 at Calvary Protestant
unable to tend to her home for needed repairs.
Evangelical Free Church in Baldwin, N.Y. Currently, Sandy
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2015
Rebuild works out of the New York Institute of Technology in In June 2014, she returned to live alone in her deteriorated
Central Islip, N.Y. The college has housed SBDR volunteers in its
home. Like many homeowners had done for months after the
dormitories since January 2014.
storm, she continues to live upstairs having only partial power, little heat and no hot water while waiting for repairs. Morsby
In March, SBDR collegiate teams and other volunteers from six
said she had not reached out for help early on because she
states including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma
thought her insurance would cover the damage. In early March
and South Carolina, worked on Morsby’s house. They tore out
2015, her daughter, Monisha Mapp, contacted Nassau County’s
and repaired ceilings, hung sheetrock and painted the rooms
Department of Aging for assistance and her mother’s case was
downstairs.
referred to SBDR.
One of the first teams sent to Morsby’s home was made up
“I never imagined that God would use my race like that,” she said.
of Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) students from Mercer
The team started to bond with Morsby, she said. During the
University and Wesleyan University of Macon, GA.
week, they gave her a Bible signed with personal notes and favorite verses.
Morsby seemed hesitant to answer the door when the team first knocked, said Chris Fuller, BCM Director of Macon.
Fuller said he noticed Morsby’s transformation during the students’ time with her. He said he will never forget what she
“When we showed up that first day, she had obviously lost all
told them as they left: “My house is starting to look like a
hope,” he said. “She was extremely reserved, shy and quiet.”
home again.”
The six inches of water from the storm combined with water pipes freezing and bursting had left the home’s interior in
“By the end of the week she had started to smile,” Fuller said.
shambles. Water leaks had ruined the ceilings in her living
Dressed to go to church on Good Friday, Morsby said she was
room and dining room. Students began removing china and
so thankful for the work.
glassware from large china closets on top of the soggy, moldy carpet, which they removed. Others worked cleaning the
“Everyone has been so professional and nice,” she said. “They
kitchen, even washing dishes that were piled a foot high on
worked so fast and were so diligent. I am so thankful for them.”
the kitchen counter, Fuller said. Tory Aina, 18, helped clean out the kitchen. Morsby joined them in the kitchen and started opening up and talking with them, she said. “Everything was such a mess, debris was everywhere,” said Aina. “I couldn’t believe that she was still living there on the top floor. We took it all in and got right to work. Something that seemed so minor as washing dishes really helped her. She was very thankful that we were cleaning up for her.” Aina said she felt Morsby was drawn to her because she also was African American. Morsby began sharing about her life and showed her family pictures.
NAMB coordinates and manages Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through partnerships with 42 state Baptist conventions, most of which have their own state Disaster Relief ministries. Southern Baptists have 65,000 trained volunteers — including chaplains—and 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained Disaster Relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
17 G E N E R O S I T Y
Fall 2015
To learn how to give to the North American Mission Board through the Foundation, call 1.800.949.9988.
F O U N DAT I O N N E W S N E W S TA F F M E M B E R S
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma offers a positive work atmosphere and gives people the opportunity to make a permanent and lasting impact on individual lives. Over the last year, we have had the privilege of welcoming five new employees to our staff. With these new members on board, the Foundation now boasts a team of 29 passionate professionals dedicated to serving Oklahoma Baptists. Below are short introductions for each new staff member.
MARY CRI NER ASSISTANT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Mary Criner serves as the assistant to the director of marketing and Communications and has been employed at the Foundation since June 2015. Mary graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in May 2015, where she earned a B.B.A in marketing. She was a recipient of the Rosalee Mills Appelby Award, the highest award given to a female student each year. She is originally from Haskell, OK and now lives in Oklahoma City. Mary says she is thankful for the opportunity to work at the Foundation because it is “an organization that focuses on growing the Kingdom of God.”
STEPH ANI E K I TTS ASSISTANT CONTROLLER Stephanie Kitts has been serving as the assistant controller at the Foundation since July 2015. She is a CPA and graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She was previously employed at Angel, Johnson & Blasingame, P.C., an accounting firm in Chickasha. Stephanie currently lives in Chickasha, OK with her husband, Stephen and two year old son, Heston. Stephanie actively serves students and leads Women on Mission at First Baptist Church, Chickasha. For Stephanie,
18 G E N E R O S I T Y Fall
2015
working at the Foundation is an extension of her missional activity. She says, “I am excited to fulfill God’s calling on my life to reach the nations through my work with The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma.
AMY M O REI LLO N RECEPTIONIST Amy Moreillon joined the Foundation staff in September 2014 and serves as the receptionist. Before working at the Foundation, Amy was a labor and delivery nurse for 24 years. She and her husband, Paul, have been married for 26 years and have two children, Matthew, age 23 and Abbey, age 19. They are actively involved in the Karis Ministry at Council Road Baptist Church and have a passion for helping babies and their mothers in crisis situations. Over the past 10 years, they have cared for approximately 30 foster babies.
AMITY WALK ER FILE LIBRARIAN Amity Walker is the file librarian at the Foundation and has been employed since January 2015. As the file librarian, Amity has the vital responsibility of implementing documentation standards for the Foundation. For her undergraduate degree, Amity attended Oklahoma Baptist University, where she also received the highest award given to a female student, the Rosalee Mills Appelby Award. She then attended Oklahoma State University and graduated with a master’s degree in public history in May 2014. Amity is originally from Shawnee, OK and now lives in Oklahoma City.
J OHN YO RK DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS John York has been employed at the Foundation since July 2015 and serves as the director of information systems. John has been working in the information technology
at Unity Health Center in Shawnee for five years before creating his own IT company, York IT Solutions, in 2010. John and his wife Tasha live in Shawnee with their two children, John Blake, age 7 and Jenna Blakeley, age 5.
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certifications at Gordon Cooper Technology and served as the systems administrator
Fall 2015
(IT) field for the past 10 years. He received his computer, network, and web design
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
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3800 N. MAY AVE. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112
OKLA. CITY, OKLA. PERMIT NO. 1489
ONLINE ESTATE PLANNING IS ALMOST HERE! Estate planning is an essential step in preparing for the future and protecting your family. Through the Foundation, you’ll soon be able to complete your estate plan entirely online.
Visit bfok.org/plan to learn more, and watch the Patterson family complete their estate plan!