Any given Monday night at Oklahoma State University (OSU), a group of students can be found in the third floor lounge of Jones Hall studying the Bible together. Hayley Hitt and Wyatt McCune, both active members of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM—formerly Baptist Student Union), began this ministry last year for their fellow dorm residents.
“The BCM has really helped prepare me and equip me to lead a Bible study by showing me that I don’t have to be a perfect person to be a leader,” Hitt said. “I always felt called to lead a Bible study, but I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough. My fear held me back for years.”
Becoming active in the BCM and joining the leadership team changed her perspective. “The BCM not only gave me the confidence and community that showed me that I am worthy to do this through God’s grace and kindness, but it also gave supplemental materials to ensure we were successful and biblically sound when leading others closer to Christ.”
“We want to see students living out their faith on campus,” said OSU BCM Director Paul Lewis. “We want to see God’s Kingdom come to Stillwater and His will done in Stillwater as it is in Heaven,” he said.
Hitt and McCune are not the only BCM students working toward that aim. Levi Murphy, a junior, is one of many active members. “From the first week I stepped foot on campus at Oklahoma State, the BCM made an immediate impact on my life,” he said.
Murphy joined the BCM for their Spring Break trip last year as they participated in Beach Reach. He noted that the evangelism experience he gained on that trip, including leading someone to Christ, emboldened him to be more active in sharing his faith on campus. “This boldness happens to be just as useful in the business building as it is in the parking lot of a bar in Panama City,” Murphy said.
Likewise, senior Addie Dohnalik has led numerous outreach events on campus, from setting up tables where any student can come and receive prayer or ask questions to giving out flowers to invite students to a ladies’ event. “The BCM prepared me for ministry by giving me opportunities to do outreach,” Dohnalik said. “Because of the community at BCM, I felt encouraged to take steps of faith and do the uncomfortable things.”
Fellow senior Nate Nuthman said, “God has used the Oklahoma State BCM instrumentally in my college years.” As a freshman, Nuthman was invited into a oneon- one discipleship relationship. His mentor was on the track team and convinced his coach to give Nuthman a chance at the javelin—something Nuthman had never done before. God used that to open an unexpected door.
“I became a member of the track team and have been able to live out my faith and give all glory to God in my successes as an athlete,” Nuthman said. “The BCM has provided me with friendship and mentorship that has pushed me closer to Christ and shown me what it looks like to live out the Gospel.”
Lewis said Nuthman is one of 150 students who are currently engaged in one-on-one or focused discipleship that is geared toward “authentic, transparent relationships.” BCM also has 175 students participating in community groups and an average of 350 students at their weekly worship gathering—a number that is typically even higher during the fall semesters.
Oklahoma Baptists are currently raising funds for a new BCM building to strengthen this thriving ministry, as the former building was sold several years ago. Lewis noted that local churches have been extremely helpful during this extended transitional period, but the prospect of a new building is exciting.
“We’re probably going to have to find a new place to meet next semester,” Lewis said. “We’ve been at overflow capacity, having some of our leaders sitting in the lobby.”
Last year, the OSU BCM impacted more than 1,200 students and had 700 evangelistic encounters. The new building will accommodate their current group while allowing room for continued growth.
Cris Lowery, Collegiate Ministries Director for Oklahoma Baptists, noted that this building project has been highly anticipated, but COVID-19 and other external factors caused significant delays. In discuss- ing how the BCM has outgrown their current space, Lowery said, “They don’t have a home, but need one.”
Lewis said he does not want the new building to just be a Christian hangout space. “My dream is that the new building will serve as a launchpad for ministry—not something that takes students away from campus,” Lewis said. “Instead, I hope this building will prepare them to go live mis- sionally on campus, and they will be prepared for the rest of their lives to do ministry. It should be a place where we can equip them, challenge them and send them out.”
Junior Randall Pruitt is another example of how the BCM is already doing this. Pruitt approached the BCM leadership about his desire to explore overseas mis- sions. “They helped connect me to the right people, helped me raise support, helped train me and then sent me overseas,” he said.
With a new building, even more students like Pruitt, Hitt, Murphy, Dohnalik and Nuthman will have the opportu- nity to learn about Christ, experience true discipleship, strengthen their leadership, evangelism and outreach skills. They will be equipped for missions and ministry both now and in the future – in Stillwater and to the ends of the Earth as it is in Heaven.
To give to the OSU BCM building campaign, please visit oklahomabaptists.org/donate and select “OSU BCM Building Project” for the ministry area you would like to donate to or send a check to the address below, noting in the memo line or included with the check that it is for the “OSU Building Fund.”
