2022: A Year in Review (Part 1)
Diane Spriggs
In addition to regular monthly Mission World four-page inserts from BMAA Missions, the size of the Baptist Trumpet was increased from 8 pages to 12 several times this year in order to accommodate all the information Executive Editor Jeff Herring and Associate Editor Allan Eakin needed to include. The cost and extra work involved in producing these special, expanded issues was absorbed by the Trumpet and was done to provide the best reporting possible for our readers. These two men are to be commended for their dedication to this ministry.
Although it is impossible to tell you everything that was reported in the issues produced by the Trumpet in 2022 in one article, these are a few of the highlights:
January
• Honored for 50 Years — Dr. Thom South and his wife, the former Judy Brown were honored by Eastside Baptist Church, where he serves as pastor, at a surprise “after church party” to mark his 50 years in the ministry. He surrendered to the ministry Jan. 5, 1972 and is a graduate of Central Baptist College (where he previously served as director of Online Services and currently serves as an adjunct professor), Mid-America Baptist Seminary and BMA Seminary (where he previously served as the director of the Arkansas Extension Campus and currently serves as an adjunct professor).
• CBC Homecoming activities were kicked off with a chili cook-off on Jan. 26. On Friday night, Jan. 28, a “1952 Bash” was held where everyone was treated to a night of 1950s fun. Homecoming activities concluded with both basketball teams winning and Senior Communications Major Mallory Guyton being crowned homecoming queen. Eight individuals were inducted into the CBC Half Century Club: Thom South, Judy Brown South, Gaylon King, Judy Bates Wallace, Roger Pearce, Nancy Waller La Ferney, Theresa Thurman Parker and Lynette Burch Stanley. (Other inductees were not present for the ceremony.)
February
• Two New State Missionaries — On Thursday, Feb. 10, in a called meeting of the State Missions Advisory Committee, Roberto Marcelletti and his wife, Patty, along with Bryan Clay, and his wife, Kelley, were approved as new missionaries. Bro. Roberto is planting Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace Mission) in Northwest Arkansas and Bro. Clay is planting Faith Journey in Benton. You can follow along with their weekly reports, as well as the other missionaries’ reports, in the State Missions report which appears on page 7 of each issue.
March
• New Baptist Trumpet Website Launched — In the March 2 issue, in conjunction with the beginning of the annual time of Special Emphasis for the Baptist Trumpet, we launched a redesigned website that now features all the content that appears in the paper each week. The premium content is restricted to subscribers only.
• New BMA of Arkansas Website Launched — In coordination with State Missions, CBC and Student Ministry Matters, we also launched a new website for the BMA of Arkansas — www.BMAofArkansas.com. This site was formerly the home of State Missions but has been transitioned to be a landing page to help you find links to each department and other information pertaining to the BMA of Arkansas. Note: The new home for State Missions on the web is www.bmaARmissions.com.
• Ukrainian Relief — Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and, as the war escalated, the need for relief support increased. To support fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, BMA Global Missions announced in the March 2 issue that they had set up the Ukrainian Crisis Relief Fund to receive donations. Readers were encouraged to “continue praying for churches and pastors as they minister in their communities during this horrific crisis.” Governor Asa Hutchinson also designated March 1-3 as “Special Days of Prayer for Ukraine in Arkansas.” In the March 16 issue, it was announced that special t-shirts to “show your love for Ukraine” had been designed by Toya Aultman, wife of pastor Jason Aultman (Antioch, Conway). Proceeds from the sale of the “Yellow Blue Bus” (which “sounds like ‘I love you’ to Ukrainian ears”) will go to the BMA Ukrainian Relief fund.
• Coordinating Council Report and Recommendations — The March 9 issue was expanded to 12 pages to run the recommendations for the national meeting. Chairman Jeff Swart released the recommendations after six months of working with the departments, agencies and committees of the BMA of America. The recommendations included updates to the Statement of Principles of Cooperation to correspond with changes that had been made in different departments over the years, along with some name changes to better fit new organizational structures. (An article explaining the restructuring of the Missions Office in greater detail appeared in the March 23 issue, and the recommendations from each department were listed in the March 30 issue.)
April
• CBC Scholarship Gala — Central Baptist College hosted its third annual Scholarship Gala on April 2. The black-tie optional event featured keynote speaker, Alex Kendrick, and was held at the Conway Expo Center. The proceeds of the event benefit student scholarships, and President Terry Kimbrow announced that $510,100 had been raised through event sponsorships and private donations.
• BMAA Meeting — The 73rd annual meeting of the BMA of America was held in Springfield, Mo., April 18-20. The theme of the meeting was “Preach the Word,” and the opening session featured a message by BMA President Dr. Clif Johnson. As usual, a highlight of the meeting was the final night’s Missionary Commissioning Service. This year, four “Legacy Missionary” couples were especially honored — Dr. John & Shirley Ladd, Marvin & Helen Loyd, Dale & Barbara Thornton and Don & Linda Newsom.
May
• Daniel Springs Schedule — The schedule was announced in the May 11 issue, with these highlights noted: the first camp of the summer will not take place on the Daniel Springs campus — instead, the team will go to West Texas to staff the Stand Firm Camp; a student camp and a college-age camp were added to the schedule; and Pre-Teen Camp 1 and GMA National Camp will meet on the same date, but on different sides of the campus.
• Philippine Academy Dedicated — May 19 marked “the culmination of six years of meetings, dreaming and planning, and over two years of construction and continuous prayer” as the Darlene Carey Christian Academy was dedicated. The facility was named in honor of the late BMAA Missionary Darlene Carey, who “was the epitome of self-sacrifice for the people God had called her to serve.”
June
• Van Donated — In the June 8 issue, BMA of Arkansas Executive Director Paul White announced that the family of the late Lamar Lee had donated their family van to the State Missions Department. Plans were for the van to be sold and the proceeds will go to the Revolving Loan Fund to help missionaries.
• Lifeword Groundbreaking — It was announced in the June 15 issue that “after years of praying and planning, Lifeword recently broke ground for a warehouse at the back of its present facilities.” After that project’s completion, the ministry will reclaim the present warehouse facility for the purpose it was originally intended — a video production area. This studio expansion will allow Lifeword four times more video production area and more gospel programming.
• Goodwin Honored — On June 19, Calvary Baptist Church in Warren celebrated Rocky Goodwin’s 60th year in the ministry. The church presented him with a plaque recognizing him for his many years of faithful service. He has pastored multiple BMA churches, including three in Michigan, two in Arkansas and one in Alabama, and also planted two churches in Michigan, serving as the state missionary for the Great Lakes Baptist Association. He also served as BMAA missionary in Honduras and, in 1998, became the founder and director of Evangelistic International Ministries, where he currently serves as CEO.
• Roe v. Wade Overturned — “On Friday morning, June 24, the people of the United States woke up to a country that no longer held abortion as a federal, constitutional right; and the people of God rejoiced,” said BMA of America President, Dr. Clif Johnson. On that same day, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge signed a certification that Act 180 of 2019 prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother is in full effect in Arkansas.
(To be continued in next week’s issue)