Generosity Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

SUMMER 2017

THE BAPTIST FOUNDATION OF OKLAHOMA

How Your Giving Changes Lives at Falls Creek 100 YEARS. 2.3 MILLION STUDENTS. CHRIST GLORIFIED.

HOW YOUR SPARE CHANGE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

ENDOWMENT FUELS OBU NURSING SCHOLAR

ANNIE ARMSTRONG GIFTS GROW CHURCH PLANT

BY MARK KELLY

Falls Creek has always been family for James Robinson.

His made his first trip to Oklahoma Baptists’ youth camp as a baby on his mother’s hip when she cooked each summer in the cabin for Trinity Baptist of Pauls Valley.

Then at age 13, God called Robinson to “special ser vice” at Falls Creek and inspired a dream of preaching to multitudes like Billy Graham. The thought so captured his young heart that he sneaked out of his church’s cabin after lockdown and stole over in the dark to the tabernacle. He stood behind the pulpit and imagined what it would be like to preach there.

8 G E N E R O S I T Y Summer 2017

Almost 40 years later, the dream came true when the veteran pastor of First Baptist Church, Durant, proclaimed the Gospel to thousands of teenagers from that pulpit in 2001.

Over 60-plus years, Robinson has clearly seen the profound impact Falls Creek has made on thousands of lives: in God calling his future wife, Judy, into ministr y; as their own children made decisions to follow Jesus; as he led one youth group after another to a place where they could encounter God in an unusually powerful way; as he watched other youth stream to the altar during invitations — week after week, year after year.

In this Issue FALLS CREEK TURNS 100 2.3 million campers have come to meet God over Falls Creek’s 100 years. Learn about its impact.

PG. 8

ON THE COVER NEW LIFE —A newly baptized student emerges from the waters of the Entry Pool at Falls Creek.

She is one of thousands who make decisions for Christ each summer at the camp.

MUSTARDSEED MAKES AN IMPACT

OBU SCHOLAR SOARS

COLORADO CHURCH PLANT CHANGES LIVES

A new app, MustardSeed, rounds up your credit and debit purchases to the nearest dollar and sends that “spare change” to ministr y.

Learn how it works.

The Mar tin endowed scholarship yields over $200,000 per year, making dreams a reality for students like Hannah Robinson. Find out how your gift can make a dif ference.

NAMB missionaries Kelly and Brandi Parrish have dedicated their lives to spreading the Gospel, including the creation of Living Rock Church.

PG. 6

PG. 16

PG. 20

G ENE ROS IT Y Summer 2017

PRODUCTION

Generosity is published biannually by The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma.

To subscribe, request a copy or update mailing information, please call 1.800.949.9988 or email communications@bfok.org.

Mike Schueler | Editor Mary Criner | Associate Editor VI Marketing & Branding | Design

CONTRIBUTORS Mark Kelly Kenny Day Jim Burton

Jerry Vaughan Jeremy Scott Marcus Wehmuller

Copyright 2017.

All rights reserved.

bfok.org

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A Note from the President If I were the Old Testament prophet Jonah, the Middle East would be my Nineveh. Thankfully, God didn’t need a giant fish to get me there.

I recently flew to Detroit, Michigan, for the dedication of a new building for Evangel Baptist Church, a vibrant Arab-Christian congregation in the heart of one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States. My Uber driver was a minority who, ironically, spent most of our 45-minute drive from the airport blaming the influx of Arab immigrants for all of America’s problems. But I wasn’t really listening.

My mind was focused on Evangel, though nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience there.

Have you ever had a moment in a worship service where the Lord’s presence is almost tangible? You can feel it. That’s what it was like that day as I worshipped at Evangel. And even though I couldn’t understand a word (the service is in Arabic), the congregation’s spirit of praise was inescapably genuine.

As I struggled to sing alongside dozens of first- and second-generation Arab immigrants, I was struck by how much they value the freedom of worship, and by the fact that their handsome olive skin was much closer to Jesus’ than my own Oklahoma farmer’s tan.

Evangel’s pastor, Amgad Beshai, is an Egyptian who felt God’s call to bring the Gospel to Detroit’s surging Arab population.

The church has grown rapidly, but pressure from the local Muslim community made it difficult for Evangel to secure the funding it

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GLORIFYING CHRIST—Pastor Amgad Beshai (left) sings during the dedication service for Evangel Baptist Church’s new building, which was financed through the Foundation’s Church Building Loan program. Based in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Evangel is a growing Arab-Christian congregation that is reaching one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

needed to build a larger worship space. The Foundation was honored to finance the construction through our Church Building Loan program, and pastor Beshai loved knowing that all of the loan’s interest would be given back to Southern Baptist ministries.

In today’s world, many tend to classify Arab-speaking peoples in less-than-positive ways, allowing stereotypes to paint an entire group. I’ve been guilty of this. Which is why it was so moving for me to experience God’s work through Evangel Baptist Church.

This is one of those rare times when the Foundation is given the opportunity to step out on the front lines of the Great Commission, and seeing Jesus change lives first-hand is exhilarating.

As my Uber pulled up to Evangel’s new building, the driver noticed the Arabic letters on the church’s sign and asked somewhat incredulously (given his anti-Arab diatribe) if I was going there on purpose.

“Yeah,” I answered without hesitation as I exited the car. “These are my people.”

Robert K. Kellogg President & CEO bfok.org

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#BecauseYouGive

LIFTOFF Carleigh Neal reaches for the sky during the triple jump event at Oklahoma Baptist University’s (OBU) Early Outdoor Invitational.

She placed second at 39.19 feet. #BecauseYouGive, OBU students like Neal receive a nationally ranked education grounded in a Christ-centered worldview.

Visit bfok.org/give to donate.

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OBU photo by Jeremy Scott.

THROWN

A rider in the annual Boys Ranch Town Rodeo takes a tumble during the “buck out” competition. In May 1953, a $545,000 donation from the Johnson family started Boys Ranch Town. #BecauseYouGive, Boys Ranch Town provides caring Christian homes for boys age 7 through 18. Donate today at bfok.org/give.

A MOTHER’S LOVE In addition to caring for children, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) provides a refuge for teenage mothers facing an unplanned pregnancy. #BecauseYouGive, Courtney and her daughter, Anessa, are receiving the help they need to live independently.

Support OBHC at bfok.org/give.

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+ 0.40

+ 0.83 + 0.17

MustardSeed App Rounds Up Your Spare Change for Ministry

BY MIKE SCHUELER

T he spare change jar: It’s a ubiquitous albeit humble fixture in households across the United States.

But what if all those dusty pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters were meant for something greater? What if your spare change could change the world?

That’s the idea behind MustardSeed, a new app that makes it easy to give to ministries that are making a Kingdom impact.

MustardSeed works by rounding up users’ credit and debit purchases to the nearest dollar and sending that change to the church or ministr y of their choice. Think of the app like a Salvation Army Christmas bell-ringer collecting pocket change, but instead of waiting outside your favorite store, MustardSeed is waiting on your smartphone. All users need to do is live life — buy groceries, get gas, grab lunch with friends. There’s no need to sign in or swipe your phone each time you make a purchase because MustardSeed is designed to make giving effortless.

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The app sets up in moments, after which MustardSeed runs quietly in the background, virtually rounding up purchases and keeping a digital tab of the total. Each time a user’s round-ups reach $5, the app deducts that accumulated spare change from the user’s bank account or credit card and donates it to the church or ministry they’ve chosen to support. And it all happens automatically.

Imagine a $1.25 coffee providing $0.75 to help fund a church plant that brings the Gospel to those who’ve never heard. A new T-shirt for $10.80 could send $0.20 to drill wells for clean water in Sudan. And $30.55 of groceries could provide $0.45 to train the next generation of leaders at Christian colleges and seminaries.

MustardSeed was developed by The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma to engage a new generation of givers. The app’s name comes from Christ’s words in Matthew 17, where Jesus speaks of mustard seed-sized faith that can move mountains. Foundation President Robert Kellogg says he was inspired by similar apps that round up

purchases to help people save money. He wanted to turn that idea on its head and use round-ups to help people give money.

“We call the app MustardSeed because it’s about small actions that add up to big changes,” Kellogg explains.

“A few cents here and there may not seem like much, but when your gifts join thousands of others, you become part of something bigger — making a collective impact that moves mountains for God’s glory.”

MustardSeed is free for donors and the ministries they support. Operating costs come from a small percentage taken from each donation.

What’s most impressive is how fast that spare change adds up. The average monthly round-up is about $23.

With just 100 users giving to a single church or ministry, that’s more than $1,900 per month (after fees). At 1,000 users, round-up gifts would top $19,500. And at 5,000 users, round-ups would exceed $97,000 — per month!

Kellogg stresses that MustardSeed is not an online giving system or a replacement for tithing. Instead, it’s a way for Christians to extend generosity beyond their tithe.

“Many people feel like they simply don’t have enough money left at the end of the month to give, but all of us can afford to donate our change,” he says. “Most of us don’t because we believe it’s too little to make a difference. MustardSeed proves otherwise.”

MustardSeed provides users with flexibility to help manage how much they give. During a tight month, they can pause round-ups with a click and resume them when they’re ready. Users can also set a monthly giving limit.

More than 3,300 churches and ministries are already available on MustardSeed, including all Oklahoma Baptist churches (BGCO affiliated), Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, Oklahoma Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Falls Creek, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Oklahoma Baptist University and Baptist Village Communities.

National Baptist ministries include IMB and NAMB, as well as Southwestern, Midwestern, Southern, Southeastern and Gateway seminaries. Kellogg says the list will continue to grow as the Foundation works to bring MustardSeed to other state Baptist conventions and like-minded evangelical ministries.

You can learn more about MustardSeed and create an account at MustardSeedApp.org. iPhone users can download MustardSeed in the App Store. Android users can access MustardSeed’s web app through their phone’s web browser; an Android version of the app will be available on the Google Play store later this summer.

START CHANGING THE WORLD WITH

YOUR SPARE CHANGE.

Round up your everyday purchases and support a ministry you believe in. Download the app or sign up at MustardSeedApp.org. Don’t see your ministry listed?

Let us know.

info@mustardseedapp.org

888.480.6191 MustardSeedApp.org

bfok.org

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Celebrating a

CENT

of Kingdom impact at Falls Creek

BY MARK KELLY

Falls Creek has always been family for James Robinson.

He made his first trip to Oklahoma Baptists’ youth camp as a baby on his mother’s hip when she cooked each summer in the cabin for Trinity Baptist of Pauls Valley.

Then at age 13, God called Robinson to “special ser vice” at Falls Creek and inspired a dream of preaching to multitudes like Billy Graham. The thought so captured his young heart that he snuck out of his church’s cabin after lockdown and crept in the dark to the tabernacle.

He stood behind the pulpit and imagined what it would be like to preach there.

8 G E N E R O S I T Y Summer 2017

Almost 40 years later, the dream came true when the veteran pastor of First Baptist Church, Durant, proclaimed the Gospel to thousands of teenagers from that pulpit in 2001.

Over 60-plus years, Robinson has clearly seen the profound impact Falls Creek has made on thousands of lives: in God calling his future wife, Judy, into ministr y; as their own children made decisions to follow Jesus; as he led one youth group after another to a place where they could encounter God in an unusually powerful way; as he watched other youth stream to the altar during invitations — week after week, year after year.

U RY WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED—Tens of thousands of students meet in Falls Creek’s massive indoor “Tabernacle” each summer to hear speakers like pastor H.B. Charles Jr. (above) proclaim the Gospel and offer practical advice for leading lives fully surrendered to Christ. bfok.org

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SOUND OF SALVATION—Students prepare to ring “Big Bertha,” a Falls Creek icon given to the camp by First Baptist Church of Davis in 1931. Each evening, the bell is rung to signify the number of students who committed their lives to Christ that day at camp.

FALLS CREEK’S 100TH SUMMER As Falls Creek Baptist Camp and Conference Center enters its 100th year of service this summer, approximately 2.3 million campers have come to meet God in south-central Oklahoma’s Arbuckle Mountains. From the first assembly in 1917, when 273 young people met under a tent and two were saved, Falls Creek has grown to become the largest religious encampment in the world. Today more than 65,000 souls have come to Christ there, among 262,000 total decisions registered.

Thinking about all the decisions made at Falls Creek and the multitudes serving in ministry positions because of the camp, longtime Falls Creek preacher John Bisagno once estimated more than 100 million people had been saved because of the camp’s influence.

That wave of commitments to Christ’s kingdom has swept literally all around the globe, says Andy Harrison, student ministry leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) and Falls Creek’s program director.

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“God has called more Southern Baptist missionaries at Falls Creek than any other place,” Harrison says. “The very first missionary called there was Rosalee Mills Appleby, who served almost 36 years in Brazil, even though her husband died the first year they were on the field.

“It’s remarkable what God has done at Falls Creek over the years,” Harrison continues. “Falls Creek is a place where student leaders can bring their kids and see them go from darkness into the light. I get to stand on the stage for 32 nights each summer and watch 2,500 students give their lives to Christ. It’s a total affirmation of what God is doing at Falls Creek — and has been doing since it began 100 years ago.”

REJUVENATION AND RENEWAL Watching teens flood to the altar after a Falls Creek invitation is “the most remarkable, humbling and overwhelming experience,” says Anthony Jordan, the BGCO’s executive director-treasurer.

CUT LINE HERE -

INVESTING IN FALLS CREEK FOR ETERNAL IMPACT: GIFT ANNUITY “I was a red-headed 14-year-old boy from Skiatook when God’s Holy Spirit spoke and called me to full-time Christian service,” Jordan recalls. “I never dreamed that call would include the rejuvenation and renewal of the Falls Creek campus.”

Jordan cast the vision for Oklahoma Baptists to transform the aging summer youth camp into a year-round conference center that could host a wide variety of events for all age groups. Over the past 16 years, more than $55 million was invested in Falls Creek to revitalize existing facilities and infrastructure and construct new buildings.

For those who grew up attending Falls Creek, perhaps the most notable change was the demolition of the 75-year-old, open-air tabernacle in 2004 to make way for a 4.5-acre, airconditioned worship space that seats 7,500 people.

Jessie Willsie retired from the pastorate after more than 60 years in ministry. His Falls Creek story began in 1958, when he led a group from Seiling, Oklahoma, that bunked under a canvas tarp.

Though serving as a pastor is not the most lucrative career path, Jessie was diligent in managing the Lord’s provision, and in 2011 he and his wife, Linda, established a sizeable gift annuity through the Foundation that generates income for them while they live and will benefit Falls Creek after they pass.

Both of them are sold on Falls Creek. “It’s a wonderful place for kids to go and find Jesus,” Linda says. Jessie adds: “We felt like Falls Creek was a good investment.

I couldn’t think of a better place to give part of our retirement savings.” bfok.org

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FAITH AND FUN—Whether riding a zip line, beating the heat with an Icee, worshipping in the Tabernacle or spending time alone with the Lord, Falls Creek offers a Christ-centered student experience unlike any other in Southern Baptist life.

ENSURING FALLS CREEK’S FUTURE That transformation of Falls Creek’s facilities opened the door for many more lives to be radically changed, but Falls Creek’s future is supported by a $790,000 endowment fund that, as it grows, will ensure the camp’s ministr y continues.

Administered by The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, donations to that fund will provide resources to care for urgent needs that arise with facilities and allow ministry programs to expand.

“Giving to the Falls Creek Endowment secures the future of Falls Creek,” Jordan says. “This fund translates into lives that will be changed by the Gospel and marriages that will be transformed. It will impact Anglo, Native American and Hispanic children and will undergird everything Oklahoma Baptists do through the Cooperative Program.

“Dollars are essential to do ministry, but dollars are only powerful as they are translated into changed lives,” Jordan adds. “The Kingdom impact of Falls Creek is recorded in the lives of people who have gone out to be committed servants in the local church, as deacons and Woman’s Missionary Union leaders, as Sunday school teachers and pastors, as youth leaders and music leaders and as people who have served on the mission field.”

CALLED—Students respond to an altar call during an evening worship service at Falls Creek in 1979. The Holy Spirit has moved in the lives of tens of thousands of young men and women since the camp began in 1917, leading many to full-time ministry as missionaries, pastors and church leaders.

INVESTING IN FALLS CREEK FOR ETERNAL IMPACT: CHURCH ENDOWMENT First Baptist Church of Clinton, Oklahoma, never has to turn away a Falls Creek camper who can’t afford the cost — or have to ask the church for scholarship money — because of an endowment fund established through the Foundation more than 30 years ago by a local doctor. In 2017, the fund distributed $1,781 that the church used to provide camper scholarships.

And thanks to the multiplying power of endowment, the doctor’s gift will continue to pave the way for FBC Clinton’s students to attend Falls Creek far into the future.

“Tell a student it will cost them $110 to go to camp, and they may not go,” says Chris Fields, the congregation’s senior pastor. “But if you tell them it won’t cost anything, or be a minimal charge, that’s a different story. The church’s Falls Creek endowment has an immediate impact on the life of a student because they are able to go to camp.

“But the fund has an eternal impact too,” Fields adds.

“Although we have a lot of fun at Falls Creek, it isn’t a fun camp. The primary reason for Falls Creek is for lost youth to come to know Christ.”

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For Foundation president Robert Kellogg, being part of that legacy is humbling.

“When you consider the sheer number of lives impacted with the Gospel through Falls Creek, it is truly a privilege to know the Lord used the Foundation to help make that possible,” he says.

Today, the Falls Creek Endowment distributes $35,000 annually to the camp, but that number will continue to increase as new gifts are made and the economy grows.

“What is so remarkable about the multiplying power of endowment is that a gift left for Falls Creek, perhaps decades ago, continues to provide for the camp today, and will continue to do so until Christ returns. It’s the kind of forward-thinking giving that will impact generations to come.”

But Kellogg is quick to point out that the Foundation’s support is only possible because of the generous spirit of Oklahoma Baptists.

Kellogg saw the impact Falls Creek made in the lives of his own daughters, Samantha and Andrea, whose faith was reinforced during their summers there. Today, that’s come full-circle as both daughters, now grown, are involved in youth ministry at their churches, helping take a new generation of students to Falls Creek.

“Falls Creek is a treasure unique to Oklahoma that is worthy of our support,” he says. “There is simply nothing else like it anywhere in Baptist life.”

ENSURE FALLS CREEK’S FUTURE FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS. Giving through the Falls Creek Endowment Fund multiplies your donation and provides long-term financial stability. The Foundation’s planned giving experts make it easy and can help minimize potential tax burdens. Support Falls Creek today.

“People give because they encountered Christ at Falls Creek, and they want that same experience for their children and grandkids,” he says.

give@bfok.org 800.949.9988 800.949.9500 bfok.org/give

FALLS CREEK BY THE NUMBERS REACH In 1917, 273 young people met under a tent in the wilderness.

From that humble beginning, Falls Creek has grown to become the largest religious encampment in the world.

40,000+

Students Each Summer

2.3 Million Students Since 1917

SUPPORT

Oklahoma Baptists’ generosity provides the funding needed to support Falls Creek, including gifts made to the camp’s endowment through The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma.

$790,000

$735,000

($35,000 distributed annually)

(Distributions double $790k principal approximately every 20 years)

Endowment

Distributed Since 1999 *Assumes 6% growth.

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LIVES CHANGED Falls Creek supports local churches as they work to reach lost students with the Gospel and raise up new generations of believers who walk with Christ and actively share their faith.

65,351

Professions of Faith

35,377

Called to Ministry 1917 - 2016

CALLED TO MISSIONS AT FALLS CREEK On a humid summer day, temperatures under the old Falls Creek tabernacle could soar toward 110 degrees. With 9,000 people packed shoulder to shoulder on the wooden benches, even massive exhaust fans barely stirred the air.

But none of that mattered to Chris Carr as he listened to Rod Masteller, longtime pastor of Putnam City Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, preach a powerful sermon.

God’s spirit was speaking to Carr’s young heart: “I want you to follow Me wherever I lead.”

When the crowd rose to sing Falls Creek’s classic invitation hymn, “Wherever He leads, I’ll Go,” Carr couldn’t make his way down the aisle quickly enough.

Carr’s parents, Gary and Darla, cried when he told them about his decision. While Darla was pregnant with Carr, God had told her in a dream that their son would be “a preacher, pastor and missionary.”

Later, when Carr took his Wanette First Baptist Church youth group to Falls Creek, God refined that calling in a

dramatic way. Speaking separately to Carr and his new bride, Eileen, the Lord confirmed His will for them to serve as missionaries overseas.

The Carrs obeyed, working through the International Mission Board (IMB) in Russia for 16 years, and returned in 2015 to serve at Oklahoma Baptist University, where they challenged students to live a missional lifestyle, regardless of their career path. Now the Carrs are preparing to move to Toronto, where they will find ways to get the Gospel to thousands of unreached immigrants in that city of eight million souls.

Carr speaks for thousands of others who have answered God’s call to missionary service at Falls Creek when he says, “God has used that Arbuckle Mountains setting to impact so many lives. The renovations at Falls Creek even better position us to work with the Lord in a place where young people are found by God and changed forever. I don’t think we could ever pour too much money into Falls Creek.

It’s worth every penny.”

FAMILY ON MISSION—Eileen and Chris Carr (center) were called to missions at Falls Creek, and recently completed 16 years of service in Russia with IMB. Their children are (left to right) Stephen, Seth, Heather, Tim and Nathan. bfok.org

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OBU’s Hannah Robinson: Seizing the Blessing of Opportunity

BY KENNY DAY | PHOTOS BY JEREMY SCOTT

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But there is more to OBU than a good education. Robinson believes the university’s Christian worldview is also shaping her future in powerful ways.

Hannah Robinson wanted to be a doctor.

At least she did, until the day the freshman set foot inside Stavros Hall, the state-of-the-art facility that houses Oklahoma Baptist University’s (OBU) College of Nursing.

“A Christian college education is so important because it equips you to be a disciple of Christ in every aspect of your life — from your career to your hobbies,” she says. “We are called to be witnesses to all, and that can’t be accomplished when we limit our faith to Sundays in church.”

Outside the classroom, Robinson is active in the Student Nurses Association, Theta Sigma Chi (an OBU social club), and helping with worship nights on campus. She also loves the outdoors.

Impressed by the cutting-edge simulation labs and professionalism of the professors, Robinson “fell in love” with all things nursing. She knew this was why God had opened the door for her to attend OBU on a full scholarship, and she was determined not to waste a moment.

“My friends and I really love to hammock on campus,” she said. “Even if it’s a little chilly outside — we just grab some blankets and go. It’s my favorite way to study or relax.”

Robinson grew up in small-town Oklahoma. While preparing for college, she attended an OBU recruitment dinner and learned about the LeRoy & Zula Martin Memorial Scholarship, a full-tuition academic scholarship open to citizens of the Choctaw Nation.

“The level of community at OBU is what has surprised me the most,” she says. “You’ll always have a friend wherever you go, even if you’ve never met that person before.”

The Martin scholarship is made possible by its namesakes, the late LeRoy and Zula Martin, Choctaw members who gifted their estate to The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. The endowed scholarship yields over $200,000 each year to ease the financial burden of higher education for qualified OBU students.

Robinson applied and was awarded the scholarship based on her high school academic achievement. Now a rising sophomore, Robinson says the university’s outstanding academics and facilities were not the only things that impressed her.

“I chose to come to OBU for many reasons, but the biggest factor was the personal attention I receive from the professors and staff,” she says. She credits Dr. Contessa Edgar, assistant professor of biology, for making a profound difference in her college experience thus far.

“Professor Edgar has really made an impact because of her passion for what she teaches,” Robinson says. “She has shown me what it looks like to love what you do, and helped me to solidify my decision to be a nurse, because I see that same passion in myself.”

That comradery has made a lasting impact on her, too.

Robinson is humbled by the knowledge that none of these experiences — high-tech nursing labs, a Christ-centered education, caring professors and deep friendships — would be possible without the generosity of people like LeRoy and Zula Martin.

“I am beyond grateful and so blessed to have this scholarship,” she says. “Without it, I would constantly worr y about being able to afford college. Instead, I have financial security that allows me to focus on my studies and enjoy this experience.”

“Knowing that others have sacrificed their time and money to allow me to receive a Christian education gives me the motivation to excel in everything I do here at OBU,” Robinson adds. “I’ve been given such a great opportunity by very generous people, so the last thing I want to do is waste it.”

YOUR GIFT CAN CHANGE A STUDENT’S LIFE. THE FOUNDATION CAN HELP. give@bfok.org 800.949.9500 800.949.9988 bfok.org/give bfok.org

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SINGLE MOM, LOTS OF LOVE “Born to be a mom,” God called Cari Crittenden to grow her family through adoption. What she didn’t know was how an estate plan could help her keep them safe.

BY MIKE SCHUELER | PHOTOS BY MARCUS WEHMULLER

T he news broke Cari Crittenden’s heart.

Working for Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services (DHS), she kept hearing reports about the growing number of children unable to find foster care. As a result, temporary shelters were overcrowded. There simply weren’t enough people willing to open their homes. So Crittenden decided to open hers.

Though single, she applied to become a foster parent. She received her first placement in 2003, a six-month-old baby boy named Chris.

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“I just love kids. I knew I was born to be a mom,” Crittenden says. “I had room for a child, I had the desire to take care of a child and I knew that’s what God wanted me to do.”

After nine months in her care, Chris was adopted by his grandfather. Crittenden was simultaneously elated and devastated.

“I cried every day for four months when that kid moved out,” she remembers. “It was the hardest thing that had ever happened to me. You get attached to them.

You’re the one taking care of them when they are sick, who feeds them and knows when something is not right.

You learn all of their quirks and their cries and what ever y funny face means. I missed him terribly.”

But Crittenden pressed on, fostering eight more children during the next five years, two of whom she was lucky enough to adopt and make her own: 13-year-old Ricky and 10-year-old Shay.

Ricky was delivered by Crittenden’s sister (a pediatrician), during a rotation at Oklahoma University Medical Center’s labor and deliver y wing. Ricky’s mother was in prison, and no one would come to claim him. She was initially hesitant, but Crittenden says God made it clear He intended her to become Ricky’s mother. Shay came about 3 years later, when Crittenden received a call from DHS about a premature baby girl whose mother was addicted to drugs.

“I was a little nervous about a preemie,” Crittenden says.

“She was really tiny, just four pounds when I got her, and had to be fed every two hours.”

Shay’s adoption was finalized in 2008, and Crittenden closed her home to fostering the next day. God had given her the family she was meant to care for.

“I went from feeling like I was their babysitter to feeling like I am supposed to protect them forever,” she says.

As a single mom of two children, Crittenden’s friends told her there was one last step she needed to take to protect her family: creating an estate plan. Initially, Crittenden put the idea off.

“Kathy made estate planning easy,” Crittenden says.

“She broke down a difficult topic so it wasn’t overwhelming.” Hatchett helped her plan out who would care for Ricky and Shay if she were to die, what would happen to her house, and even helped Crittenden leave a gift in her will to her church, Village Baptist, and to Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.

“I was relieved,” Crittenden explains. “I didn’t want to talk with my family and friends about all that, but after I met with the attorney and signed the papers, it was like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

There was an added bonus, too. Since the Foundation helps reimburse the cost of estate planning for those who leave a gift to ministry, Crittenden’s estate plan was free.

“You can’t live in the bubble that nothing is going to happen to you until your children are grown,” she says. “It’s kind of like retirement; you can’t start thinking about it when you are 60.”

“I still don’t plan on dying tomorrow, but if something happens, I know this is taken care of.”

PROTECT YOUR FAMILY WITH AN ESTATE PLAN. An estate plan is for everyone. It maps out critical end-of-life decisions like your will, children’s guardianship, healthcare directives and charitable giving. The Foundation makes it easy and inexpensive. Get started today. estateplan@bfok.org 800.949.9988 888.480.6191 bfok.org/ProtectMyFamily

“I always thought estate planning was for people with lots of money, and I work for the state — I’m poor!” she laughs. But her friends quickly debunked that myth.

Though Crittenden wasn’t wealthy by worldly standards, she was rich with family.

“I realized that if I died before my children were grown, I wanted them to stay together,” she says. So Crittenden contacted The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma and met with Kathy Lee Hatchett, who directs the Foundation’s estate planning services.

NAMB Missionaries See Dozens Come to Faith Through Colorado Church Plant

BY JIM BURTON | PHOTOS BY MARK SANDLIN

Two months after moving from their Texas home to Colorado, Kelly and Brandi Parrish sat on the living room floor with their four children lighting Advent candles. It was Christmas Eve 2013, and the Parrishes had come to a suburb of Fort Collins to start a church.

That night, the family asked God not to let them be alone again on Christmas Eve. They prayed that He would work through their lives over the next year.

On Christmas Eve 2014, the Parrishes hosted a gathering that was standing room only. By Christmas Eve 2015, that gathering had grown into Living Rock Church. It met in a lawnmower factory, and the church’s two services were attended by more than 300 people. Most were new believers or seekers who found their lives radically transformed by the Gospel. Meagan Barash was one of them. Barash is unusual for Living Rock Church because she grew up in an evangelical home and knew the Bible.

But that knowledge had not penetrated her heart.

Through women’s Bible studies led by Brandi, Barash soon had more questions than answers. Finally, she expressed her feelings about having spent her life ser ving a “plastic” God. “I had a knowledgeable relationship, but not on an intimate level,” Barash said.

Living Rock Church now has scores of families who have dramatic salvation experiences, many after hearing the Gospel for the first time.

CHURCH PLANTING NOVICES SAY, ‘YES, LORD’ Kelly Parrish was enjoying a successful sales career in the oil and gas industry after 10 years of teaching school and coaching. He had met Brandi when they were students at Howard Payne University where he played basketball and she was a cheerleader.

SIMPLE TRUTHS—In front of a sea of children at Living Rock Church’s Adventure Camp, Brandi Parrish (center) points skyward to signify God as the true source of life. The camp included basketball, kickball, volleyball and other activities to help connect Living Rock with neighborhood children. The church plant is led by Brandi and her husband, Kelly, who serve as North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries near Fort Collins, Colorado.

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In the fall of 2009, Kelly was mowing his lawn and praying.

“I very clearly heard God calling me to full-time ministry,” Kelly said. “I surrendered to that call.”

The Parrishes had been praying for a “Yes, Lord” moment, based on the obedience of Ananias in Acts 9, when they each understood God’s assignment for their family. He wanted them to plant a church.

“We were challenged by the fact that God had something more for us,” Kelly said. “If you had asked me about church planting, I could not have told you coherently what church planting is.”

The next step was discerning where they would plant. After studying several western cities, they felt drawn to Timnath, Colorado (a Fort Collins suburb), which Kelly says is akin to the fictitious, idealized town featured in the 1998 movie, “Pleasantville.”

“If you are not incredibly in-tune, you may think that everything is fantastic and everyone is okay,” Kelly said of Timnath. But statistics show otherwise:

Sometimes, guests of honor are spontaneous. At the close of one baptismal service, Parrish felt a tap on his shoulder during the invitation. He turned to see Justin Owenby, who had become a regular attendee at Living Rock and had made a profession of faith.

Sitting through a baptism service, Owenby recalls getting “real emotional.” His family was equally surprised when he handed his keys and phone to his wife. This was something he needed to do now.

“Do you have time for one more?” Owenby asked Kelly, and was baptized on the spot.

The Parrishes are thankful for partner churches that have supported them financially, and for the Annie Armstrong offering from the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

Kelly continued in his sales job until five years of funding began with NAMB. Now the offering helps support the ministry expenses, Kelly’s salary, rent and other obligations.

LESS THAN 10 PERCENT of residents in the Fort Collins area have any connection to an evangelical church.

Seventy-five percent are COMPLETELY IRRELIGIOUS. Though most are highly educated, THEY DON’T OWN BIBLES.

Yet, most Coloradans claim a spirituality that centers on nature and the mountains. The state also has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, and that rate is growing.

FAMILY AFFAIR—NAMB church planters Kelly and Brandi Parrish and their children (from left), Noah, Zachary, Joshua and Annafaith.

LIVING ROCK CHURCH LAUNCHES

Nearly three years after arriving in Timnath, more than 400 people call Living Rock Church home. The Parrishes do, too.

From their arrival in 2013, the Parrishes and their children focused on relationships. They sponsored events to meet more people and eventually conducted Bible studies in their homes. The kids joined sports teams and made new friends. Since the launch of Living Rock Church in February 2015, Kelly says baptisms are a “big deal.”

He dedicates entire services to baptism as each person shares their story of redemption and new faith in Christ.

Afterward, the entire church celebrates with a “Fatted Calf” party much like the prodigal son experienced.

“We teach our people that baptism is something worthy of a party,” Brandi explains.

“We knew that our role was to love our neighbors well, share the Gospel and make disciples,” Kelly said. “God would build his church.”

YOUR GIFTS BRING THE GOSPEL TO CITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA. WE CAN HELP. The Foundation’s planned giving experts can multiply your gifts to support NAMB missionaries like the Parrishes through the Annie Armstrong offering. Contact us today. give@bfok.org

800.949.9500 800.949.9988

bfok.org/give bfok.org

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Church loans create double impact for Oklahoma Baptist ministries

BY JERRY VAUGHAN

Whether expanding or renovating a building, hundreds of churches rely on The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma’s loan services to finance their growing ministries.

Since 1953, Oklahoma churches have financed loans through the Foundation with the promise that 100 percent of the interest supports ministries at home and abroad. To date, nearly 100 million dollars of church building loan (CBL) interest revenue has been poured back into Kingdom-impacting ministries. Over the years, the Foundation’s loan portfolio has grown exponentially, allowing more and more interest dollars to be accumulated.

In 2016 alone, over four million dollars of loan interest was generated through church loans, and every penny will be returned to ministry.

So how does it work? When loan interest dollars are received, they are placed in the Foundation’s primary investment accounts. Then, the loan interest is given back to ministries as part of their annual endowment distribution (each January), or through the Foundation’s Ministry Funds Management program.

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The Foundation’s loan services were created to aid growing Baptist churches in Oklahoma. Previously, churches could only finance building projects through secular organizations which meant funneling ministry dollars away from the church. Foundation loans offered a way for ministry dollars to remain in an environment that serves a higher calling.

Today, church building loans can average anywhere from $5,000 to $5 million or more, though the dollar amount is of little impor tance. What matters is how the Gospel is multiplied. Whether it’s financing a multi-million-dollar worship facility to accommodate a growing congregation, or purchasing a small passenger van to transpor t senior citizens, all are Kingdomimpacting ventures wor thy of investment.

Dave Bryan, senior pastor of Chisholm Heights Baptist Church in Mustang, Oklahoma, has partnered with the Foundation for church loans on several occasions. Bryan values the unique opportunity to use an unavoidable expense — interest — to expand Baptist causes.

CHURCH LOANS THAT CHANGE LIVES. When you borrow from The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, you’re investing in more than a building.

You’re investing in eternity.

Our rates are extremely competitive, and 100% of loan interest supports ministries at home and abroad.

YOUR LOAN SUPPORTS:

Meals for Evangelism & hungry children church planting

Housing for Clean water pregnant women for villagers

APPLY ONLINE TODAY:

BFOK.ORG/CHURCHLOANS

NAMB photo by Gary Gnidovic.

LOANS FUEL MINISTRY—Every penny of interest from church loans financed through The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma is given back to Southern Baptist ministries in Oklahoma and across the nation, supporting NAMB missionaries like Garth Leno (red shirt).

“Taking out a building loan was, by definition, going to incur interest expense, regardless of what institution we used to supply the loan,” Br yan says. “Knowing that those expenses would be used to suppor t the cause of Christ rather than a secular bank made the decision much easier.”

Br yan adds his appreciation for the option to participate in ministr y activities even in common things like a building loan.

“What a great example for our people to see that every aspect of our lives has the opportunity to impact the world for Christ, if we will only be intentional,” he says.

When a church borrows money from the Foundation, they aren’t simply investing in a new building. They’re investing in Southern Baptist causes that transform lives through the Gospel. A loan through the Foundation creates a two-fold

opportunity to multiply the impact of Southern Baptist work across Oklahoma and around the world.

$100 Million Loan Interest Returned to Ministry Since 1953

$4 Million

Loan Interest Returned to Ministry In 2016 GROW YOUR MINISTRY WITH A LOAN THAT GIVES BACK TO KINGDOM CAUSES. APPLY ONLINE TODAY. churchloans@bfok.org 800.949.9500 800.949.9988 bfok.org/ChurchLoans bfok.org

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Foundation News: New Staff

WENDELL LANG

wlang@bfok.org Director of Pastoral Care

CHRISTA ROGERS

crogers@bfok.org Director of Donor Relations, Northeastern Oklahoma

FLOYD MCKEE fmckee@bfok.org Director of Donor Relations, Southern Oklahoma

Three decades in the pastorate have given Wendell Lang a unique perspective on the challenges associated with shepherding a church.

He’s led congregations of all shapes and sizes, from small country churches to large urban gatherings.

This helps Lang understand churches’ needs as he works to connect pastors with Foundation services designed to grow their ministries. “The idea of stewardship is a forgotten piece of the discipleship pie,” he says. “I want to come alongside pastors and help them multiply the financial resources God has provided to maximize Kingdom impact.” Lang also has a heart for encouraging pastors to prepare for their own futures through estate planning. “If a pastor has a question, then I want to be the one to help them find an answer,” he adds. Lang and his wife, Pamela, live in Oklahoma City and attend Surrey Hills Baptist Church where he serves as senior pastor.

The Langs have two grown children and five grandchildren.

Commitment to Southern Baptist causes and a passion for philanthropy drive Christa Rogers’ desire to help donors maximize charitable giving to ministry. “Everyone has different causes they are called to support,” she says. “I see myself as a tool to help them fulfill those goals that have been impressed on their hearts.”

Rogers received her law degree with an emphasis in nonprofit work from the University of Oklahoma.

This background allows her to help donors simplify planned-giving and avoid unnecessary tax burdens.

Rogers and her husband, Timothy, live in Tulsa with their newborn son, Charlie. They are members of First Baptist Church of Tulsa.

After 26 years as pastor of Rancho Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Floyd McKee knows firsthand how the Foundation can help strengthen a congregation’s ministry.

From church building loans to funds management and estate planning, McKee has partnered with the Foundation to expand Rancho Village’s Kingdom impact. Now, he’ll help other pastors, directors of missions and lay leaders across the state do the same.

“Oklahoma Baptists have a lot to offer,” McKee says. “But most don’t know there’s a big opportunity to give past their days on this earth.”

He hopes to educate Southern Baptists on the importance of estate planning to protect their families while supporting God-honoring ministries. “I will never try to lead people to do something that I haven’t already done, or would do,” he adds. McKee and his wife, Pamela, live in Oklahoma City. They have two adult children and three adopted children: Dallas, 14; Makenna, 13; and Serriah, 10.

bfok.org

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