75 Years of BMA Celebrated
The 76th annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Association of America was held at Pathway Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Texas, April 22-23. The theme of the meeting was “Send Me — A Celebration of 75 Years of Global Missions.” According to the final Enrollment Committee report, 166 churches were represented, with 332 messengers and 135 visitors registered. The total Minute & National Meeting Funds collected at the meeting was $5,255. There were no petitioning churches.
The meeting began on Tuesday night with a celebration of 75 Years of Global Missions. After worship, led by the Pathway Baptist Church worship team, a stirring five-minute video (available at vimeo.com/1078681929) was played that vividly chronicled 75 years of global missions, including being currently active across 65 countries, with over 2,000 churches and 450 active church plants, while celebrating the association’s enduring legacy of outreach and impact as we continue to embrace the message, “Send Me.” BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith then shared that while BMA Global celebrates God’s faithfulness over the last 75 years, they are focused on the future and BMA Global’s continued commitment to “make disciples, develop leaders and plant churches.”
He then led a panel discussion featuring BMA Veteran Missionaries David Dickson and Buddy Johnson, along with Former Executive Director of Missions Grady Higgs. David and Buddy shared stories of how God worked on the mission field in amazing ways, and Bro. Grady shared how he learned to go to God in prayer and when he prayed about the financial situation when he became executive director, “God just opened the windows of Heaven” and provided. Then, current missionaries shared testimonies from their fields featuring stories of individuals like Josephine in Zambia, who endured abuse to follow Christ, leading to her husband’s conversion, and Manar in the Middle East, who transformed from an atheist to a beacon of faith, now leading Bible studies.
To conclude the service, Dr. John David Smith challenged BMA churches to join the effort to double church planting partnerships to 1,000 in the next decade. He emphasized that only 62% of BMA churches currently support global missions and wondered what it would look like if every BMA church supported BMA Global’s efforts through prayer, giving or mission involvement. Bro. Jerry Kidd, former missionary and assistant director of missions, led the closing prayer. (Video of this service can be seen at vimeo.com/1079008353.)
After a short break, the first session of the association meeting began with a time of worship and the president’s message by BMAA President Charles Johnson. His message was “God’s Gameplan — New Testament Churches” from Matt. 16:13-19. He urged BMA churches to recommit to God’s plan for New Testament churches by clarifying that the church is built on Jesus Christ, not Peter, and detailed its makeup (born-again, baptized believers), mission (evangelizing, baptizing and discipling per the Great Commission) and message (a gospel of grace and glory). (Video of this service featuring the president’s message can be seen at vimeo.com/1079038445.)
After the message, President Charles Johnson officially opened the 76th Annual Meeting. He introduced the meeting’s presiding officers and Parliamentarians Wes Hulvey and Brian Sheppard. Preliminary business, including the seating of messengers, took place, and then the session was dismissed.
Wednesday morning consisted of the Women’s Conference at Heritage Baptist Church sponsored by the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary (WMA), the Pastors’ Conference, sponsored by Healthy Church Solutions and the Brotherhood meeting.
The Pastor’s Conference featured Dr. Wayne Whiteside as he shared a message from Matt. 28:18-20 concerning being “A Pastor on Mission.” He challenged pastors that “when we go, things happen.” He said, “We are not called to comfort; we are called to the Commission — to go, to love and to proclaim Christ wherever there are lost souls, even if it’s behind prison walls.” Following the main session, the national departments hosted 12 breakout sessions for attendees on various practical ministry topics.
After lunch, each director of the national departments shared their report and board recommendations. Most recommendations were approved as printed in the Reports and Recommendations (see the March 26 issue or visit BaptistTrumpet.com/BMAA2025), with the following missionaries elected:
• Creative Access Missionaries (names withheld for security) as missionaries to Asia.
• Rana Costa’s status changed to American missionary.
• Clinton Morris as a church planter to Indianapolis, Ind.
• Alberto Costales and Havier Velasquez as church planters in Lake Wales, Fla.
• Chuck Tedrow as church planter in Union, Mo., in cooperation with New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan, Mo.
• Vlad Bleckley as a church planter in Pensacola, Fla., in cooperation with Parkview Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
• Jason Goodwin as a church planter in Ruston, La.
One session that has become a highlight of each annual meeting is the Legacy Missionary Service. The 2025 Legacy missionaries are the late Harold and Lois Morris, the BMA’s first missionaries, James and Jennifer Crews and Robert and Ruth Isaacs. This session was interrupted during BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith’s introductory comments when John Morris, the son of Harold and Lois, had a medical emergency. Many of our BMA family reacted promptly to provide medical care, including CPR and the use of an AED, while waiting for the arrival of the ambulance. The afternoon session did not resume.
In the evening session, the service began with an announcement that John Morris was at the hospital and was awake, conscious and talking after suffering a cardiac arrest from a complete heart block. After a prayer of thanksgiving, James and Jennifer Crews, along with their children and 7 of their 13 grandchildren, were recognized for their many years of faithful service (see article on page 1).
Dr. Gary O’Neal, senior pastor of Oak Park Baptist Church in Little Rock, delivered the annual message from Rom. 12:1-2. He challenged BMA churches to run their race with endurance, cast off every hindrance and faithfully pass the mission of the gospel to the next generation by keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.
(Video of this service featuring the legacy missionary recognition and annual message can be seen at vimeo.com/1079097063).
Following the message, officers were elected for 2025-2026. All current officers were reelected to their positions of service — President Charles Johnson, First Vice President Dr. Gary O’Neal, Second Vice President Dustin Wisely and Recording Secretaries Randy Murphy, Greg Medenwald and Randy Shepherd. Asher “Ashraf” Sara, BMA Global’s Arabic People ministry coordinator in the United States, was elected to bring the annual message at the 2026 meeting, and Tony Crocker was elected to serve as the alternate. This final session concluded with a prayer commissioning the newly elected missionaries.
The 2026 National Meeting is scheduled for April 21-22 at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway. I encourage every pastor to plan to attend this meeting, help celebrate what God is doing through our associational work, and make decisions that bring honor and glory to God.
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75 Years of Global Missions Celebrated
By Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
The 76th annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Association of America was held at Pathway Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Texas, April 22-23. The theme of the meeting was “Send Me — A Celebration of 75 Years of Global Missions.” According to the final Enrollment Committee report, 166 churches were represented, with 332 messengers and 135 visitors registered. The total Minute & National Meeting Funds collected at the meeting was $5,255. There were no petitioning churches.
The meeting began on Tuesday night with a celebration of 75 Years of Global Missions. After worship, led by the Pathway Baptist Church worship team, a stirring five-minute video (available at vimeo.com/1078681929) was played that vividly chronicled 75 years of global missions, including being currently active across 65 countries, with over 2,000 churches and 450 active church plants, while celebrating the association’s enduring legacy of outreach and impact as we continue to embrace the message, “Send Me.” BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith then shared that while BMA Global celebrates God’s faithfulness over the last 75 years, they are focused on the future and BMA Global’s continued commitment to “make disciples, develop leaders and plant churches.”
He then led a panel discussion featuring BMA Veteran Missionaries David Dickson and Buddy Johnson, along with Former Executive Director of Missions Grady Higgs. David and Buddy shared stories of how God worked on the mission field in amazing ways, and Bro. Grady shared how he learned to go to God in prayer and when he prayed about the financial situation when he became executive director, “God just opened the windows of Heaven” and provided. Then, current missionaries shared testimonies from their fields featuring stories of individuals like Josephine in Zambia, who endured abuse to follow Christ, leading to her husband’s conversion, and Manar in the Middle East, who transformed from an atheist to a beacon of faith, now leading Bible studies.
To conclude the service, Dr. John David Smith challenged BMA churches to join the effort to double church planting partnerships to 1,000 in the next decade. He emphasized that only 62% of BMA churches currently support global missions and wondered what it would look like if every BMA church supported BMA Global’s efforts through prayer, giving or mission involvement. Bro. Jerry Kidd, former missionary and assistant director of missions, led the closing prayer. (Video of this service can be seen at vimeo.com/1079008353.)
After a short break, the first session of the association meeting began with a time of worship and the president’s message by BMAA President Charles Johnson. His message was “God’s Gameplan — New Testament Churches” from Matt. 16:13-19. He urged BMA churches to recommit to God’s plan for New Testament churches by clarifying that the church is built on Jesus Christ, not Peter, and detailed its makeup (born-again, baptized believers), mission (evangelizing, baptizing and discipling per the Great Commission) and message (a gospel of grace and glory). (Video of this service featuring the president’s message can be seen at vimeo.com/1079038445.)
After the message, President Charles Johnson officially opened the 76th Annual Meeting. He introduced the meeting’s presiding officers and Parliamentarians Wes Hulvey and Brian Sheppard. Preliminary business, including the seating of messengers, took place, and then the session was dismissed.
Wednesday morning consisted of the Women’s Conference at Heritage Baptist Church sponsored by the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary (WMA), the Pastors’ Conference, sponsored by Healthy Church Solutions and the Brotherhood meeting.
The Pastor’s Conference featured Dr. Wayne Whiteside as he shared a message from Matt. 28:18-20 concerning being “A Pastor on Mission.” He challenged pastors that “when we go, things happen.” He said, “We are not called to comfort; we are called to the Commission — to go, to love and to proclaim Christ wherever there are lost souls, even if it’s behind prison walls.” Following the main session, the national departments hosted 12 breakout sessions for attendees on various practical ministry topics.
After lunch, each director of the national departments shared their report and board recommendations. Most recommendations were approved as printed in the Reports and Recommendations (see the March 26 issue or visit BaptistTrumpet.com/BMAA2025), with the following missionaries elected:
• Creative Access Missionaries (names withheld for security) as missionaries to Asia.
• Rana Costa’s status changed to American missionary.
• Clinton Morris as a church planter to Indianapolis, Ind.
• Alberto Costales and Havier Velasquez as church planters in Lake Wales, Fla.
• Chuck Tedrow as church planter in Union, Mo., in cooperation with New Testament Baptist Church in Sullivan, Mo.
• Vlad Bleckley as a church planter in Pensacola, Fla., in cooperation with Parkview Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla.
• Jason Goodwin as a church planter in Ruston, La.
One session that has become a highlight of each annual meeting is the Legacy Missionary Service. The 2025 Legacy missionaries are the late Harold and Lois Morris, the BMA’s first missionaries, James and Jennifer Crews and Robert and Ruth Isaacs. This session was interrupted during BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith’s introductory comments when John Morris, the son of Harold and Lois, had a medical emergency. Many of our BMA family reacted promptly to provide medical care, including CPR and the use of an AED, while waiting for the arrival of the ambulance. The afternoon session did not resume.
In the evening session, the service began with an announcement that John Morris was at the hospital and was awake, conscious and talking after suffering a cardiac arrest from a complete heart block. After a prayer of thanksgiving, James and Jennifer Crews, along with their children and 7 of their 13 grandchildren, were recognized for their many years of faithful service (see article on page 1).
Dr. Gary O’Neal, senior pastor of Oak Park Baptist Church in Little Rock, delivered the annual message from Rom. 12:1-2. He challenged BMA churches to run their race with endurance, cast off every hindrance and faithfully pass the mission of the gospel to the next generation by keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.
(Video of this service featuring the legacy missionary recognition and annual message can be seen at vimeo.com/1079097063).
Following the message, officers were elected for 2025-2026. All current officers were reelected to their positions of service — President Charles Johnson, First Vice President Dr. Gary O’Neal, Second Vice President Dustin Wisely and Recording Secretaries Randy Murphy, Greg Medenwald and Randy Shepherd. Asher “Ashraf” Sara, BMA Global’s Arabic People ministry coordinator in the United States, was elected to bring the annual message at the 2026 meeting, and Tony Crocker was elected to serve as the alternate. This final session concluded with a prayer commissioning the newly elected missionaries.
The 2026 National Meeting is scheduled for April 21-22 at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway. I encourage every pastor to plan to attend this meeting, help celebrate what God is doing through our associational work, and make decisions that bring honor and glory to God.
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