For many students, the Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) on their campus might be the place where they meet future roommates, spouses and lifelong friends. For others BCM is the place where they first found faith or where they first were discipled and equipped in that faith. And then there are those who experienced callings into ministry and affirmations of that call through BCM such as University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) senior Stephen Long.
Long first felt a calling into ministry near the end of his sophomore year through his involvement with BCM. By sitting down and “talking it out” with campus minister Bill Morrison, Long was able to process the calling and think through next steps.
BCM also gives some students, like Clint Knight, a place where he could meet older students who would mentor him. He said the impact of having “senior guys, faithful to be a part of the campus ministry throughout their college years” make the effort to disciple younger students and “give advice on things from practical stuff [from] studying to hanging out, to fellowship and comfort” made a big difference in realizing his calling to church planting.
A secular university can be a hard environment for students who want to pursue a vocational call to ministry. BCM can serve as a haven in the face of criticism, a place of affirmation, encouragement and networking.
Importance of networking
Morrison recognized the importance of networking for such students, which prompted the creation of the Vocational Minister’s Roundtable. The Vocational Minister’s Roundtable provides opportunities for students called into ministry to regularly meet and share a meal. The fellowship is important but it’s the opportunity to dialogue with a guest minister that really pulls students in.
Long describes the discussions as “a window into the life of someone who has been in the ministry … who can really answer those questions for us, tell us what to expect, what we should be doing — it’s been more than helpful.”
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama State Board of Missions, was a recent guest at the roundtable. The students met with Lance for a few hours and were able to ask him a host of questions.
Knight said it was helpful to hear Lance talk about the stress that ministry can put on “family, friendships and all relationships.”
Knight explained, “[Lance] wasn’t trying to paint a perfect picture or pat us all on the backs and tell us we’re awesome. He was there to talk through the hard stuff with us. Just him being humble, honest and truthful with us was awesome.”
The roundtable includes current seminary students like Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School student Wesley Douglas. Douglas remains actively involved in UAB’s BCM and provides additional insight at the meetings as a seminary student preparing for ministry through talking with students about their future steps and seminary decisions.
Douglas has found much encouragement at the roundtable in the midst of ministering to other students.
“Seminary can be very daunting,” he said. “[I could] spend a lot of my days wondering if it’s really worth it. I need people like Dr. Lance and Bill Morrison — to hear their knowledge and wisdom and years of successful ministry. That really puts three and a half years of seminary into perspective.
“It’s always a luxury to get to sit around and talk about ministry practically … and openly admit your shortcomings or that you don’t understand some things … to receive encouragement from peers and [have] opportunities to meet people like Rick Lance and share years of wisdom that we can only dream of having.”
The roundtable would not be possible without Morrison. Actively involved in mentoring students who feel called to vocational ministry, Morrison has led and mentored 60 people involved in vocational ministry who were rooted in UAB’s BCM.
Adam Marsch, a freshman involved in the roundtable, shared about the impact Morrison has had on his own calling.
Faithfully preach the Word
“He’s shown me the importance of doing faithful ministry … (of) being called to be faithful and to faithfully preach the Word,” he said.
Marsch said he made a decision to invest in BCM after seeing Morrison’s care for and involvement with the local church, which was very important to Marsch. “I saw in [Morrison] that he cared about the church and I thought, ‘If I am going to be involved in … campus ministry, I want to be involved in a place that cares about the global and local church at the same time,’” Marsch said.
The Vocational Minister’s Roundtable is a sign of the good work God is doing in the lives of students through organizations like BCM and campus ministers like Morrison.
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