By INGRID MALDONADO
Senior Reporter
Jasmine Gonzalez had a vision her freshman year and she was set on making it happen. It wasn’t until her junior year things started to fall into place. The first Baptist Collegiate Ministry’s outdoor worship night at the intramural was cold and Jasmine was unsure if anyone would show up. Around 170 students came out for the event, turning her vision into a success.
Many students go to the BCM to meet people, have fun, learn about the Gospel and not realize it may change their life. Many students attend their events from worship night, Noon Day, to even their other events like basketball tournaments. What people do not realize is how impactful the BCM is to students and what goes on to make it successful. BCM stands for Baptist Collegiate Ministries.
Their motto is “every campus, every life.” Their mission is to help students follow Jesus in their college life.
The BCM in Alva was established in 1933. Whether a student is a transfer or a freshman they hear about the BCM right off the bat. The BCM hands out donuts every Wednesday morning during the first few weeks of school. They also have an extra worship night the first couple of months in the first semester meant for only transfers and freshmen. “I started going to the BCM whenever I was a freshman and so straight off the bat, I was already a part of something,” said Edna Garcia, who is a junior studying psychology at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
BCM Growth
The BCM has grown in the past five years. Daniel Riojas, a senior who is studying health and sports education and is an intern at the BCM has been involved with in it for five years. In those five years, he has experienced and seen the drastic changes it has gone through. “My freshman year there were around 15 to 20 people come into the building,” Riojas said, “We had like four rows of chairs, this year we had to go buy some new chairs.” From only 20 people showing up his freshman year, 200 showed up for the most recent on campus outside worship night at the intramural field. Riojas said that the BCM gets around 140 students on Wednesday nights. Leadership at the BCM has greatly impacted the growth, he mentioned.
“I’ve been here when we didn’t have any leadership, I’ve been here when we didn’t have any teams and I’ve been here when we didn’t have a director and it’s hard when you don’t know what you’re doing, when you don’t have specific things to do,” Riojas explained.
Leadership
The BCM has students in leadership and in leadership there are specific teams. There are seven in total, evangelism, media, event, worship, welcome and prayer team. The BCM is not run by just a director but by multiple students in leadership. “It takes people to make it work,” said Miles Harris, the current director of NWOSU’s BCM campus location, “So, if it’s just like anything else, if you want something to be done and done well, you invest in your people and then they invest in- I don’t like using product, but that’s what I kind of have to, but it’s investing in people who have invested into the ministry and we have moved from you know, averaging 30 to now averaging 130.” Miles Harris has been the director of NWOSU’s BCM campus location for three years now. Before the BCM, Harris was a youth pastor for five years. He explained that he was on the back of a golf cart when the director of BCM called and asked him if he was interested in the NWOSU BCM campus position. “It actually just happened to be the right place the right time,” Harris said, explaining when he got offered the job.
Many students are involved in the BCM and put their full efforts into the mission of the BCM. The building is made for students to grow in their relationship with Christ and to spread the Gospel. That is not the only thing the BCM provides though as told by many students. Friendships
“They’re the people I would always eat lunch with, hang out with outside of classes, like that just became like my family here,” said Jack McCoy, a senior studying health and sports science and who is a part of leadership. McCoy explained one of the impactful parts of the BCM in his life was the first leadership meeting his freshman year. He did not have to worry about knowing no one the first day of school because those he met in leadership became his really good friends. Those friends instantly became his people.
“My freshman year, we went to a basketball tournament, and we were up super late at IHOP and sometimes when I’m up super late, my system breaks down and I start to cry,” said Lainey Morse, who is a sophomore studying psychology explaining her favorite memory at the BCM “And so we’re at IHOP and it’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m just bawling my eyeballs out because people were making me laugh so hard that I just burst into tears and then I just kept crying and we were all still laughing and having a good time so it wasn’t sad at all it was just super fun.”
Morse is a part of leadership and is an intern as well at BCM. Morse explained that the BCM creates life-long friendships. She explained how she can go up to anyone in leadership, have a conversation, or ask a favor without any awkwardness. Andrew Scott, a freshman studying political science, explained that without the BCM he would not have the social circle he has currently. The BCM has brought him many new connections. When Scott first went, he explained how the people were welcoming and how he realized how genuine everyone was.
Christ in College
“It does take my stress away and it is something to look forward to and it keeps me motivated, and it makes it easier to talk to God” said Arturo Diaz, a transfer who is working on getting his master’s in psychology at NWOSU. The BCM is a place where people come to meet Jesus or get to know more about him. Harris gives a short sermon every Wednesday night. Students in leadership are also advised to share the Gospel to other students. “It’s to provide a community where people are just eager to know more about God, to learn more about Him, to worship Him, and to tell others about Him,” said Jasmine Gonzalez, a senior who is studying elementary education. Gonzalez is a part of leadership, and she stressed the importance of not only personal growth but helping others grow and leading them in their relationship with God. Something my church says back home is, ‘our purpose is to love God, love others and help others know and love God,’ and I think that that is so evident here in this place,” Gonzalez said.
Harris explained that a lot of the impacts have been in students understanding the Bible and wanting to understand it more. He said the purpose is letting students get to know God and how to get to know him more. “While the events are kind of what everybody knows us for, you know, the tournaments, Noon Day, especially Noon Day, everybody knows about Noon Day,” Harris said, “Of course, we want to help people wherever we can, but our ultimate goal is to share Christ and to make him the Lord of everything.”
Behind the BC
The BCM often holds events with free food and free snacks. Around 140 students attend the BCM, and all of this is offered for free. Who should students be grateful for providing them with the BCM?
Every Wednesday lunch is provided to students at no cost. Harris explained those lunches are provided by local Baptist churches. He said there are around 14 to 15 churches that bring a meal each semester.
Harris’ salary is paid through the Oklahoma Baptist, which is the Baptist convention of Oklahoma. Harris explained that everything else in the ministry is all provided by local churches. There are three associations, Salt Fork Baptist Association, Cherokee Strip Baptist Association and Northwest Baptist Association. Harris explained that there is a church in each of those associations that give to the ministry of the BCM. When students get free snacks, free pizza, etc., all of that is provided by those local churches.
The building itself is owned by the Oklahoma Baptist. “Since we’ve increased in size, the budget has gone up astronomically. So, I budget for probably 28,000 to anywhere from 28,000 to 35,000 a year to, you know, for nine months,” Harris said
The BCM is a free experience for any NWOSU student. It provides relationships, lifelong friendships, a stronger relationship with God and it is a place any student can be a part of. It is a building where anyone is welcomed and a place they will be known.
“If you’re just feeling like you’re not good enough for this place or that you have shame and can’t walk in the door just disregard that because we don’t care. We’re not judging you,” Morse said, “We all have our own crazy testimonies and things that we’ve done that we’re not proud of, but Christ atones for our sins you know, and so Christ, like I said, asked you to come as you are, and we also want you to come as you are. You are welcome here anytime.”
“It’s to provide a community where people are just eager to know more about God, to learn more about him worship him and to tell others about him.”
— Jasmine Gonzalez