Tulsa native Eric Ramsey started February 2020 as executive director-treasurer for the 221 churches in the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists. Both he and his wife Gaye—they met at Tulsa’s Cooper Elementary School—are “PKs,” children of pastors.
His father Cliff Ramsey in the 1970s pastored what today is known as Tulsa, Ridgecrest. He also served other churches in Tulsa and Claremore. Gaye’s dad Tom Cox pastored Tulsa, Plainview before he became an evangelist for 50 years.
Thwarted because of the COVID pandemic in his first-year desire to meet people across the state, Eric Ramsey said his 2021 plans included traveling widely in West Virginia, meeting with pastors in small groups and in a six-stop outdoor event tour for pastors.
“I have been touring the state with a large smoker trailer and doing Brothers Bibles and Barbeque events,” Ramsey said. “These are specially designed to help pastors come together, encourage one another, learn to trust one another and begin an intentional process of leadership multiplication.”
Ramsey started vocational ministry as a student pastor in Tulsa. In time, with background in church planting and cross-cultural communications, North American Mission Board (NAMB) called on him to oversee church planter enlistment and sponsoring church enlistment nationwide. Ramsey worked at NAMB for nine years.
“More than ever in North America, we must focus on raising up a generation of Gospel-centered leaders,” Ramsey said. “We must not rely on teaching time-honored methods and models but raising up and launching young, godly leaders who trust the Gospel as the ‘power of God unto salvation.’
“I am especially grateful for Oklahoma Baptist pastors, in addition to my dad, who deeply invested in my life – especially as a teenager,” Ramsey said, naming Bob Green, Scott Morie and Phil Dietz.
“We are leading in places no one has ever been before, in our lifetime,” Ramsey said. “It’s daunting, humbling and exciting. We’re praying for wisdom and seeking God’s guidance at every turn.”
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Eric Ramsey was featured in the 2021 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. To see Executive Director Ramsey’s prayer requests, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp
