Texas Baptist Missions Foundation celebrates God moving through Baylor BSM

Bolstered by student and staff testimonies, the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation celebrated the work of God on Baylor University’s campus through the Baptist Student Ministries program at its luncheon held at Truett Seminary during the 2022 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting.

“I absolutely love my job. I love that I get to work with students and see them find God’s call on their life for the first time. I get to see freshmen start walking in maturity,” said Baylor BSM Director Will Bowden. “I get a new group every four years, and we get to walk into discipleship together. I get to see them walk from death into life.”

Bowden shared the organization’s mission statement of “Equip Baylor, Engage the World” is lived out in communitas, defined as a community with a purpose. The community is providing a fertile group to prepare students to go into the world trained to be ministers in whatever field they choose.

“We have some of the most trainable, sendable students,” Bowden said. “I know that because our ministry has tripled in the last three years, and it’s been very encouraging. We wanted to be a student-led discipleship organization, and that is happening.”

One example is the prayer movement on campus known as FM72, where students come to pray in a large tent on campus for 72 straight hours for revival. Ministry has restarted at McClennan Community College, and Bowden said three student leaders have come forward. But there is a need for staff members there as well as a new BSM building on the Baylor campus to accommodate the growing ministry happening.

Campus missionary Alex Criswell, a 2021 Baylor grad who served on the leadership team, noted the growth has come from the ministry adopting an outward focus “to the campus, to Waco and to the world.” He also credited a shift away from an overall focus on weekly gatherings to a segmented focal group, with others focusing on reaching the campus and the city of Waco with other opportunities.

Campus missionary Alex Criswell, a 2021 Baylor grad who served on the leadership team, noted the growth has come from the ministry adopting an outward focus “to the campus, to Waco and to the world.” He also credited a shift away from an overall focus on weekly gatherings to a segmented focal group, with others focusing on reaching the campus and the city of Waco with other opportunities.

Junior sociology major Becca Terrill mentioned the sense of community and unified purpose she found when getting involved with BSM as a freshman.

“I grew up Christian and have tried to share the gospel, but I always felt like I was alone in that. BSM was the first time I felt like I was stepping into a group that was about the same work,” said Terrill, who plans a career in foreign missions after spending a short stint in Asia. “The Lord is definitely on hand, and it’s been incredible to watch. BSM does an incredible job at equipping students, and I’ve probably received more in my two years of leadership than in my entire Christian life.”

Junior Nicko Henderson added his testimony from the pioneering team, which works creatively to reach those on campus who may not attend a Christian gathering. A weekly basketball game on campus is used to connect with new people and has grown from 10 to 150 participants. He noted that the BSM has “raised the bar on what it looks like to be a Christian every day.”

Mark Jones, director of collegiate ministry for Texas Baptists, encouraged continued support for the work BSM is doing statewide. He noted a visit to his son on the Baylor campus and encounters with students that gave him hope for God’s hand in college work.

“I was so humbled and grateful for the way God has worked and is working now. But what a great opportunity we have moving forward,” Jones said. “Where is it God calls us next? There’s not a more important time for campus ministry and for churches to lead out in collaborative effort with this.”