Can you tell us about your call to ministry and where you have served? Also, about your family.

I grew up in Skiatook and attended Immanuel Baptist Church. This church family made a huge investment in my life through its children and youth ministries, providing mission trip opportunities and sending students to Falls Creek each summer. It was at Falls Creek in 1985 that I surrendered to God’s call to ministry, specifically to be a pastor. I preached my first sermon during a youth-led revival at Immanuel. After graduation in 1987, I attended Oklahoma Baptist University. I’ve been privileged to serve as pastor at Agra, First; Bowlegs, First; Atoka, Harmony; Holdenville, First; and most recently, Glenpool, First, covering 32 years.

Vickie and I have been married for 34 years (that relationship started on a Sunday morning at Skiatook, Immanuel in 1986). We have two grown daughters – Breanna (and husband Mikey) and Katlyn. Currently, we have one granddaughter, Ruslynn, and a second scheduled to arrive in late April/early May. The kids live in Mounds and attend Glenpool, First. Vickie and I moved to Oklahoma City when I started working for the convention. We are members at Cherokee Hills. Vickie works for Casady School as a teacher assistant

Jason, can you talk about your role with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief?

In January 2023, I began my role as the state director/ ministry partner for Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR). As I shared about my call to ministry to pastor back in 1985, the Lord also confirmed this call to serve in this capacity with the state convention in the Fall of 2022. I won’t forget that Sunday morning, sitting on the front row preparing to preach and tears just start streaming down my face. In those moments, God gave me a release from pastoring and a clear call to pursue this role for Oklahoma Baptists.

As director of this ministry, I have the privilege to lead the best group of volunteers in responding to disasters whenever and wherever they occur. I see my role as one that seeks to enlist people to serve, provides opportunities to equip volunteers to serve, empowers them to serve, and encourages them while they serve.

We can’t do what we do in disaster relief without the local church and association. So, traveling our state speaking in churches and at association meetings allows me to share our DR ministry opportunity and how we can help the local church advance the Gospel through disaster relief.

What are some of the recent deployment activities of Oklahoma Baptist DR?

Oklahoma DR volunteers have been busy. In 2024 we were deployed in response to a disaster for 220 days (that’s over 7 months of the year). Our state experienced fires in western Oklahoma, floods in the panhandle and tornadoes/wind events across widespread areas. Volunteers traveled out of state to New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Our most recent responses were during hurricane season this past Fall where we utilized all facets of our ministry – incident command, showers, laundry, feeding, chaplains, assessing, chainsaw, feeding, flood recovery
and our new box ministry. Teams spent three weeks in Louisiana cleaning up after Hurricane Francine. Following that we deployed teams and resources to Georgia and North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene. These were difficult days for our volunteers who served. Many who traveled to Swannanoa, N.C. said it was the worst disaster they had seen, but knowing they were bringing help, hope and healing to the residents gave them the strength to carry on.

What are some of the current needs, such as volunteers or donations?

Volunteers are the core of this ministry and there is always a need for more folks to say ‘yes’ and become a credentialed and trained volunteer. Our statewide Spring training event will be from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., March 29 at our Team Center, 7180 Northwest Expressway, Okarche. Registration is available online at okdisasterhelp.org.

If you have a knowledge and expertise in maintenance and repairs, especially related to vehicles, trailer and equipment and/or would help drive equipment to disasters we can use your help. Our state equipment is housed at the Team Center in Okarche and volunteers work every week to keep our resources ready to deploy and then transport to where it is needed.

Churches that have the required space and availability to serve as a disaster response site are another need. Would your church be willing to serve in this capacity – allowing us to set up in the church for all our volunteer and response needs – housing, feeding, showers, laundry, incident command, etc.?

Oklahomans are faithful to financially support this ministry and for that we are grateful. We plan to always say ‘yes’ when the need arises, to respond in faith and trust the Lord to provide through His people. Donations can be made with confidence knowing that every dollar is used to keep the ministry ready and able to respond when disasters strike.

How does Oklahoma Baptist DR make a Gospel impact?

According to Scripture our marching orders are to advance the Gospel and as we do that throughout the year, we get the privilege to prepare a few thousand meals, do some chainsaw work, and clean-up mud, debris, and ashes of those impacted by a disaster. When we meet a person where they are and minister to their physical needs, their hearts often become open to why we are there. It is then that we get to tell them about Jesus and His love. It is my desire that Oklahoma Baptist DR would serve impacted communities in such a way that the door is always wide open for the local church to continue to minister to and help those impacted individuals and families.

Here are some numbers to paint the picture of our Gospel impact. In 2024, DR volunteers served more than 44,000 hours; gave more than 400 Bibles; had more than 3,400 ministry contacts; had 375 Gospel Conversations that led to 30 professions of faith! I often say, “Oklahoma Baptist DR is advancing the Gospel one disaster at a time.”

What’s new or on the horizon for Oklahoma Baptist DR?

Volunteers need to renew their credentials every three years at one of our in-person training events, but starting this Spring current volunteers can go to the website and renew through our completely online option.

Our office has a new resource for the local church available titled, Ready Church. It is a tool that will help a church come up with their unique plan for how to respond to crisis or disaster – large or small; how to involve the church family with training and various roles; how to minister and evangelize during a crisis or disaster; and how to be the light of Christ beyond the disaster. This is a strategic plan to aid churches to prepare, connect and respond in times of crisis or disaster. Churches interested should contact me to set up a time for me to come and help a group from the church to walk through and think about what becoming a Ready Church looks like.

For more information, you can email me at jyarbrough@oklahomabaptists.org.