Some Historical Perspective and a Correction

In my Blog post about Lifeway doing away with the college ministry leadership position, I was not accurate in my dating of the beginnings.  I mistakenly said, "leading and serving college ministry was assigned to Lifeway by a vote of the Southern Baptist Convention around 1970."

A friend sent me some information from the Baptist Student Union Collection by Taffy Hall, Archivist at the Southern Baptist Historical Society Library.  It stated that Baptist Student Union officially became a mission of the Baptist Sunday School Board (now named Lifeway) in 1921.  The first national leader was Dr. Frank Leavell, who first opened an office in Memphis, Tennessee.  In 1950 Broadman Press published a book entitled, "Dr. Frank; An informal biography of Frank H. Leavell, leader of Baptist Youth" by Claude U. Broach.

From 1968 to 1970,there was a two year study by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention as to the leadership role of college ministry.  At the conclusion of it, "the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention concluded oversight would remain with the Baptist Sunday School Board."

Where did Baptist Student Union begin is always an interesting discussion.  Dr. Charles Ball, Professor of Missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, made a motion at the Texas Baptist State Convention in 1914 to establish The Baptist Student Missionary Movement.  Following that, at the Southern Baptist Convention in 1915 a committee was appointed to further consider this movement as a ministry to the United States and Canada.  Some have argued that the earliest beginnings of this ministry was in Mississippi.  One favorite story told is of Marion Leavell,who sat in an open vehicle at Ole Miss in the 1920's with heated bricks wrapped in newspapers to stay warm.  From this "office" she counseled students and loaned books.

Southern Baptists have long had a heart for college ministry and the need to impact young lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The question should not be, will we keep doing it.  The question must be, how will we BEST keep doing it?  In these earliest discussions with the changes at Lifeway, there is some feeling that this ministry must establish a very separate and independent office. That way it would not be affected by changes not related to college ministry.

Yet, others feel it must continue to be officially tied to the organization of the Southern Baptist Convention with the kind of visibility and support that goes with a national ministry that reported more than 489,000 students impacted last year.  Is now the time for Southern Baptists to back away from leadership in young adult ministry or to double down?

Pray for our State Student Directors Association officers who are working to fill the void left by the loss of the Lifeway leadership role and pray for the right ministry role for Bill Noe for the future.

Arliss Dickerson is a college ministry coach, blogger, and author.  His new book, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT COLLEGE MINISTRY, is available at amazon.com.  Type in his name or the title.