About Collegiate Ministry

About Us

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Christy Carley joined the state office staff as associate director effective January 1, 2007. For the past eight years she served as director of the BSU at Mississippi College. Her additional experience includes serving as director of Holmes Community College BSU, Goodman, and as intern for the Arkansas State BSU, Jonesboro. Kelly Wheat assumed the BSU director position at Mississippi College June 25, 2007. Kelly’s experience includes serving as the college minister at Adaton BC, Adaton, and most recently, as a church planter for the past six years in Colorado. Additionally, he served as an intern at Virginia Tech University BSU, Blacksburg. Additionally, Heidi Cheatham became the first full-time associate director for the BSU program at Mississippi College, effective in October 2006. Heidi had previously served as Director of Student Activities for Mississippi College. Prior to her working at MC, she served as BSU director at Southwest Mississippi Community College, Summit.

BAPTIST STUDENT UNION STAFF, PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES

• Department Director
• Department Associate Director
• Department Ministry Assistant
• 26 full-time Directors & Associate Directors
• 5 part-time Directors & Assistant/Assoc. Directors

• 2 Interns
• 2 International student coordinators
• 5 Volunteer Directors
• Coordinator, African-American Ministries

Currently, there are 31 local Baptist Student Union programs of ministry, and 20 Baptist student centers in the state; Mississippi Baptist Convention Board holds title to 15 of those centers, while 5 are owned by the local associations and churches.

BAPTIST STUDENT UNION 2006-2007 HIGHLIGHTS

• Total local expenditures for all BSU programs....................................$1,131,993
• Students reached through BSU programs..................................................20,982
• Students involved in BSU programs............................................................4,276
• Students in preparation for church-related vocations.......................................486
• Churches assisted..........................................................................................443
• New units (churches or BSU programs) campuses helped start..........................9

STATE CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION – Students attending major conferences:

• College Student Conference.........................................................................897
• Leadership Training Conference...................................................................658
• African-American Retreat............................................................................195

DISCIPLESHIP/ BIBLE STUDY – Students involved in personal growth:

• Numbers of Bible study groups....................................................................260
• Students in Bible study groups...................................................................2,651
• Students in Discipleship groups.................................................................1,166

EVANGELISM – Results of students sharing their faith:

• Numbers of evangelism projects..................................................................150
• Students involved in witness training.............................................................482
• Student conversions....................................................................................108
• Other conversions.......................................................................................710

ACTS 1:8 INITIATIVE

The Acts 1:8 initiative challenging all Southern Baptists to be “on mission” was a central goal among our BSUs across Mississippi. The following results were recorded:

• BSU summer missionaries – 195 students from 19 colleges. One hundred thirteen served in 24 international mission regions; 82 served in 20 of the United States. There were an additional 15 students serving in other summer missions assignments, for a total of 210 BSU students serving from Mississippi.
• Four students served as semester missionaries.
• BSU summer missions program expenditures – $108,073.54; total raised was $160,515.
• Summer missionaries reported 1,182 total decisions: 836 accepted Christ; 188 re-commitments to Christ; and 158 baptisms.
• Students involved in community and local missions numbered 746.
• 550 students were involved in short-term missions projects with $420,407 raised.
• There were 50 short-term projects sponsored by our BSU programs.

• Total students involved in all missions........................................................1,510
• Total expenditures for all missions.......................................................$580,188

College student involvement in state camps and conference staff positions:

• Central Hills – 38
• Garaywa – 39

MISSIONS HIGHLIGHT – Philippines Nehemiah Summer Missionary Teams

Mississippi Baptist Student Union helped send 14 students to serve in the Philippines during the summer of 2007. There were a total of 29 students serving, 15 of which were from other states. Here is what God did through these students:

• Areas visited for witnessing: 43
• Homes receiving a gospel witness: 992+
• Tracts distributed: 12,487
• Evangelistic videos distributed: 524
• New Testaments distributed: 1,367
• Evangelistic film showings (home or community): 48
• People attending film showings: 462
• Community presentations (drama, testimonies, etc.): 29
• People attending presentations: 7,132
• Home Bible studies conducted: 237+
• People attending home Bible studies: 1,201+
• People indicating a decision for Christ: 122
• New believers baptized: 34

College students continue to be a key part of Mississippi Baptist strategy to reach our world with the Gospel.