Baptist Student Ministry Spotlight

Reach the Campus Reach the World Engaging Students to Follow Christ and Transform the World.

Ongoing BSM work demonstrates that the Gospel cannot be contained

By Kalie Lowrie, Associate Director of Communications/News Director

For 100 years, Texas Baptists have intentionally ministered to students on college campuses through Baptist Student Ministry (BSM). “It started when students who were burdened for their campuses began to pray that God would move and use regular students like them,” said Collegiate Ministry Director Mark Jones. “You saw this fresh wind that blew, and God began to move. Universities started giving places for students to meet. Texas Baptists put people in place to lead these groups. Our history has always been a desire to be an impact where God has placed us.”

During the 2018-2019 academic school year, 123,664 students were reached with the Gospel through BSM, and 659 students made professions of faith, forever changing their lives. The heart of Texas BSM is to engage Texas college students to follow Christ and transform the world. Over the last five years, Jones has seen intentionality in building an evangelizing, engaging culture on campuses across the state.

“We want to map the campus well and find the areas of physical, social and spiritual culture where we can be effective. We don’t want to be a Christian club,” he said. “We want to be engaging the campus and praying for a movement of God that would involve the BSM and other Christian groups. We want to be a part of what God is doing on the campus. I’m excited as we look ahead. We stand on the shoulders of giants who have blazed a trail, but our best days are ahead of us.”

Since the beginning of March, the BSM has looked drastically different as campuses shut down and moved classes online due to the outbreak of COVID-19. But God is still moving. BSM Directors share stories daily with Jones about 24-hour prayer retreats on Zoom, virtual Bible studies, distribution of food to international students and others still living on campuses, long-distance relationship building, and students who came to faith and are now being discipled virtually by other students.

“Somehow God is using this [COVID-19]. We are thankful in everything, and in the midst, we are looking for a sense of joy and peace,” Jones said. “I come back to Paul when he was in the midst of suffering, there was this joy and contentment. The Gospel cannot be contained. God is going to be glorified.”

The following BSM stories give a glimpse of campus ministry from early Spring 2020, with updates on current ministry during COVID-19 days.