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Running head: BAPTST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Baptist Campus Ministry: How it Benefits Students and Compares to Other Religions
Jill Troc
University of Kentucky

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Abstract
The Baptist Campus Ministry is on organization at the University of Kentucky that provides
students a place to worship. It is an organization that welcomes students off all religions to join

them in different events throughout the year. The BCMs main goal is to point students to a local
church that fits their needs. This organization is unique from any other organization on campus.
This essay explains the different events hosted by the BCM and the various mission trips they
attend and what impact it has on students. It also contrasts the religious views between the
Baptist community and Catholicism. The information obtained for this essay was through two
conducted interviews with a freshman member of the BCM, and the current president of the
BCM. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader of the benefits of the BCM as well as
how it differs from other religions and organizations.

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Baptist Campus Ministry
The Baptist Campus Ministry is an organization on campus that helps students find the
way of God. The BCM itself is not a church, the main goal through this organization is to help
students find a local church (D. Weathers, personal communication, October 13, 2014.). The
University of Kentucky Baptist Campus Ministry was founded in 1931 when one student heard

about a campus ministry starting at Eastern Kentucky University. She began asking local pastors
to volunteer, until one of them agreed to join her in starting the organization here on campus.
Throughout the years, the BCM has grown in size and reputation; the organization currently has
about 150 students involved, with around 35 of them being freshmen (D. Weathers, personal
communication, October 13, 2014.). The BCM hosts many different events that all benefit
students here on campus. Members find themselves engaged in their faith through the strong
base on religion provided by the BCM that is unique from any other religious organization.
History of the Baptist Religion

The Baptist religion is one of the largest of protestant Christian denominations

(Buschart). It has over 100 million members worldwide and dates back to 1609 CE. There are
many different subdivisions of Baptists, but they all have a similar outlook on faith and values.
The Baptist church was founded by John Smyth; he did not agree with the Church of England
and fled to the Netherlands (often where other church congregations fled) to create his own
church with fellow members. In 1609, Smyth performed the first baptism on himself, and then
other members. One of the members, Thomas Helwys, brought the idea back to London around
1611, where he created a congregation through Smyths ideals (Buschart). These actions that
began the religion are still heavily respected in modern day values.

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Members of the Baptist church believe that all human beings are created good, but are
now corrupt with sin (Buschart). This leads them to believe heavily on the idea of salvation; in
order to be saved you must repent sins and become a follower of Christ. One way to show
absolute devotion to God is to be baptized, this comes when an individual has complete
obedience for God and realize that Christ is the savior. Baptists morals include living to love,
worship and serve God in thought, word, and deed (Buschart). These values align with the
Baptist Campus Ministry here at UK, they believe in what the gospels say about loving God
completely and loving others (D. Weathers, personal communication, October 13, 2014.) and
working to glorify His needs. Each week the BCM worships as a group, and follows the reading
presented to them; together they talk through the meaning of the scriptures and how it pertains to
their lives. They are a very well put together organization that believes strongly in helping one
another to find faith. Through the different events they host, members believe that together they
can find the meaning of salvation and guide each other in their faith.
Weekly Events: How They Benefit Students
The BCM hosts several different events during the week; on Tuesday nights, members
meet for Elevate, which is a group worship. The night opens up with the band playing a few
songs to welcome members and begin worship. Later into the event, the campus minister, John
Barron, or a guest speaker will preach to the students about a gospel specific to the topic they
will be discussing that night. For example, a topic will focus on suffering and members will
discuss how through suffering, we can find God (C. Knott, personal communication, October
10, 2014.). After the speaker, the students and minister have a group prayer, where they pray for
varies reasons regarding themselves and others, and close with group worship (D. Weathers,
personal communication, October 13, 2014.). This event involves all members of the BCM and

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

helps them relate to each other. Elevate is a great way for members to interact with each other
and have a chance to be engaged in each others lives.
Another event is held on Thursday nights and
differs between freshmen and upperclassmen. The freshman
are grouped together for Freshman Focus, which is an
opportunity for freshman to get to know each together and
grow as a class (D. Weathers, personal communication,
October 13, 2014.). Having them altogether gives the
students a chance to really understand each other on a
different level than just school, being at the BCM gives the
student something to relate to. Together they listen to a

guest speaker, who is usually an upperclassmen, preach to

The UK Baptist Campus Ministry.

them about a specific gospel that will relate to that topic

for the night. Freshmen will then break into small groups
which have an upperclassman leader who will guide them

[Untitled photograph of the BCM].

Retrieved October 23, 2014, from:
http://sweb2008.uky.edu/Student
Orgs/BCM/

through a study of the gospel they are discussing (C. Knott, personal communication, October
10, 2014.). The leaders help the freshman through their first year here at the University of
Kentucky and really become invested in their lives. The main goal of Freshman Focus is to bring
the freshman class closer together as students, and guiding them closer to their faith. Having an
upperclassman lead freshmen in this worship gives them someone to look up to. The
upperclassmen serve as mentors and role models for younger students to ask questions and have
someone to completely trust to guide them through their first year at school.

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Also on Thursday nights, the upperclassmen get together into family groups. Students
who are sophomores, juniors, and seniors, are split into small groups of their own and discuss

gospel separate from the freshman. In groups of about five to seven people, these students study
Gods word and hold each other accountable for living and talk about whatever theyre going
through (D. Weathers, personal communication, October 13, 2014.). These groups are an open
discussion that student can confide in each other and look for guidance from their peers. Unlike
Freshman Focus where one student leads the group, they all lead each other in their faith and
invest in each others lives. This allows students to have a safe place to go, surrounded by people
they can trust. The upperclassmen also relate to each other in a way different to the freshmen.
They have all had at least two years on campus and are closer as a class then the freshmen.
Besides events that happen during the week, the BCM
attends mission trips throughout the year.
Mission Trips: How They Benefit Students
During the year, the BCM goes on a few
Freshman Road Rules mission trip
2014.
[Untitled photograph of students
participating in Road Rules].
Retrieved October 23, 2014, from:
https://www.facebook.com/UKBCM/p
hotos_stream?tab=photos_stream

different trips and retreats; the most recent trip would

be the fall retreat, which they attended in September.
The fall retreat is a weekend trip to a local comradery
where students come together for worship (D. Weathers,
personal communication, October 13, 2014.). During

this trip, the students get to know each other outside of the university setting. They listen to a
guest speaker and play different character building and team bonding games, this allows students
to bond on a one-on-one basis while enjoying each others company. Members are allowed free
time which is an opportunity for freshman to create a deeper bond with the upperclassmen, rather

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than being split up into groups compared to usual week activities. One of the main mission trips
that takes place is Road Rules. This trip is when some of the upperclassmen take the freshman to
an unknown location to do service work over spring break. The upperclassmen do not reveal the
location to participants, they are only told how to pack for this trip; they will give some clues but
usually never reveal the location until they have arrived. Time spent the bus allows for the
freshmen to, again, grow together and build relationships with one another (D. Weathers,
personal communication, October 13, 2014.). Once they get to their final destination, they will
do mission work for that town and visit local churches.
The BCM has a few different mission trips every year, besides Road Rules which is
strictly for freshmen, mission trips include in-country trips that take place once a year. In-country
mission trips are when students go to a city within the United States and do service work for that
specific town while spreading their faith. This year, the BCM went on a mission trip to Nashville
where they spent the weekend at a church, assisting people within that community. One night
they attended a refuge complex and brought supplies for the residence there. Members also
visited a facility for women who have abused alcohol or drugs and encouraged them in their fight
(Knott). The students prayed for these women and heard their stories about addiction and abuse
and pointed them to God.
These mission trips allow student to get out of their comfort zone and meet new people.
Being together with all new people allows students to grow together and learn more about each
other on a deeper level (Knott). Not only did students meet new people within their organization,
but also within the community they were aiding. These trips also give students a different
perspective on life and allow them to think about how they are living the life of God. Through
these trips, students realize the work they put in and how much they can do to help others and

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relate that back to school and how they can help each other when they return (D. Weathers,
personal communication, October 13, 2014.).
Contrast between Baptist and Catholic Beliefs
The Baptist religion differs from Catholicism in many ways; one major difference is the
baptism ceremony. Catholics baptize an infant shortly after they are born to be forgiven for
original sin. Parents of the child choose to have the baby baptized into the catholic religion; they
also choose two godparents for the baby, to guide them in their faith. In contrast, Baptists are
baptized when the individual chooses to accept God into their life. It is the own persons choice
and this choice can be made at any point in their life. Once the individual is old enough to
understand their faith and what it means to be a disciple of God, then they can be baptized and
begin their journey into their faith. Baptists also do not have godparents; they individually accept
the responsibility to be a part of the Baptist community.
Communion is another aspect that differs between these two religions. In the Catholic
Church, a child will make their first communion around the age of seven or eight; the child will
participate in a ceremony and accept the body and blood of Christ for the first time. This happens
when the child fully understands the Eucharist and knows the difference between regular food
and the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Young girls and boys dress in white to symbolize purity
and modesty; after first communion, communion is taken every Sunday at church. Baptists do
not believe in a first communion, and do not take communion at every church ceremony.
Baptists believe that you take communion after baptism, after whatever age that person decides
to be baptized. Communion varies from church to church on how often it is taken, some churches
take it once a month while others may take it every few months.

BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Another major difference is the Conformation; at this time the individual who has gone
through baptism and first communion, make their own decision to officially become and
individual in the catholic community. This happens when the individual is about thirteen years
old; they choose a sponsor, someone who has influenced them in their faith and go through a
ceremony that makes them an adult in the eyes of the Catholic Church. The individual also
chooses a saints name to take on as their confirmation name to represent them. In the Baptist
community, individuals do not partake in a confirmation because they have already confirmed
their decision to be a part of the church when they chose to be baptized.
BCM and CSF Differences
The BCM compares to other organizations, such as the CSF (Christian Student

Fellowship) in many ways. For example, the BCM is a much smaller organization than CSF; the
CSF has is sponsored by a church in Lexington so they can afford to put on bigger events, such
as Friday Night Flapjacks (free pancakes served at midnight on Friday nights) (C. Knott,
personal communication, October 10, 2014.). CSF events tend to be larger and better known
throughout campus. The BCM being significantly smaller, focuses more on investing directly
into the people, we make people feel welcome and that they are a part out this community (D.
Weathers, personal communication, October 13, 2014.). The two organizations have slightly
different views as well; the CSF is Christian and has more of a broad understanding of the
religion while the BCM is specifically Baptist. Although Baptist is a subcategory of Christianity,
it has more specific values and differs from other subcategories.
The events and activities through the BCM benefit students in many ways. It brings the
students together in their faith and relationship with each other. Together they guide and assist
one another through life and teach how to live through God. The BCM allows students to grow

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confidently in their faith with other members who share the same values. They form friendships
through the values they share and encourage each other in their worship (Knott). In the future,
the BCM has plans to expand their presence on campus; they hope in the upcoming years to
become a bigger organization and exist in other organizations such as fraternities and sororities
(D. Weathers, personal communication, October 13, 2014.). The Baptist Campus Ministry here
at the University of Kentucky has made an impact on many students throughout the years
through the different events they have. It allows them to grow relationships with each other as
well as God.

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BAPTIST CAMPUS MINISTRY

Reference

Baptist Beliefs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from

http://www.christianbaptists.com/baptist-beliefs/
Buschart, D. (n.d.). Religion Library: Baptist. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Baptist/
Catholic vs. Baptist Church Services. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from
http://www.catholicbaptist.com/
McBeth, L. (1979, January 1). Baptist Beginnings. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from
http://www.baptisthistory.org/baptistbeginnings.htm
[Untitled photograph of the BCM]. Retrieved October 23, 2014, from:
http://sweb2008.uky.edu/StudentOrgs/BCM/
[Untitled photograph of students participating in Road Rules]. Retrieved October 23, 2014, from:
https://www.facebook.com/UKBCM/photos_stream?tab=photos_stream