Buddy Hunt, who has been serving as Oklahoma Baptists’ Southeast Regional Ministry Partner for the state convention, has announced his forthcoming retirement. Hunt will conclude his tenure with Oklahoma Baptists on September 30.

Throughout his ministry career, Hunt served two separate stints with Oklahoma Baptists (1991-1997 and 2020-Present) as a state convention ministry staff member. He also served in youth ministry and the pastorate in a significant number of Oklahoma Baptist churches over several decades of ministry.

Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Fisher offered words of admiration and appreciation for Hunt.

“Buddy has been a tremendous encouragement to me and to many pastors in our state,” said Fisher. “A great minister of the Gospel, Buddy has served in an exemplary way during his time as a minister and pastor in our state, as well as both times of service for Oklahoma Baptists. He will be greatly missed in his role, yet he is leaving our state convention and churches stronger, thanks to what the Lord has done through him.”

‘Wherever He leads, I’ll go’

Hunt’s ministry career has spanned decades and included an array of ministry assignments. But one common factor has been this: God’s calling.

Hunt first sensed a call to ministry as a 13-year-old attending Falls Creek.

“When I surrendered to the ministry at 13, I just said, ‘God whatever you want me to do—wherever you want me to go—I’ll go.’ I was nothing special. Nothing outstanding. It’s been amazing what He’s allowed me to do. I want to be found faithful.”

Since putting his “yes” on the table, the Lord has taken Hunt many places to serve.

A native of Shawnee and a graduate of Shawnee High School, Hunt went on to attend Oklahoma Baptist University, where he graduated in 1978. He and his wife Michell were married in 1980, and she has been the consistent encourager by his side and partner in ministry.

Hunt earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Southern Seminary. After graduating, he took his first ministry role as youth ministry at Clinton, First. Then he served as youth minister at Duncan, First.

“These times in youth ministry were wonderful,” Hunt said. “Many of the students in our youth ministry are now serving. It was joyful.”

Hunt didn’t necessarily want to leave youth ministry but felt the Lord compelling him to another work. “God called me back to Clinton, First, to serve as Associate Pastor in Education and Administration.”

After productive years of ministry, Hunt felt the Lord’s prompting to the pastorate.

“It was time, and I knew it was time,” he said. Hunt went to serve as pastor at Spiro, First. His heart was for discipleship, evangelism and being part of the ministry of the local church.

Moving into State Convention Ministry Work

Buddy Hunt’s first job title with Oklahoma Baptists (then known as the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma or BGCO) was Associate Director in the Religious Department.

Then-Executive Director-Treasurer William Tanner brought Hunt on staff, where he also worked closely with Bill Haggard, Director of the Religious Education Department.

With his characteristic energy and enthusiasm, Hunt provided leadership and help in the areas of youth ministry, youth Sunday School, youth discipleship and family ministry. He also served summers at Falls Creek on the program staff.

“These years, we saw the Lord really move in our state,” said Hunt. “God moved in our midst and reached many for the Lord.”

Hunt served from 1991-1997 at the BGCO.

“All of the experiences God gave me in the local church, I was able to bring to this role to try to help other churches,” he said. Toward the end of his tenure, Hunt served in Men’s Ministry and helped navigate the transition from Brotherhood Ministry to Men’s Ministry in churches.

“Whether it was advancing family ministry, marriage retreats, Christian arts festivals, helping direct Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, or serving in other ways, it was a joy to serve and support the local church,” he reflected.

“Just getting to travel the state to assist churches in ministry, that was so rewarding.”

Back to the Local Church

Toward the end of his first tenure with Oklahoma Baptists, Hunt felt the call back to the local church. God opened a door for him to become pastor of Alva, First (1997-2000), followed by Perry, First (2000-2005).

“These were great years, where we saw many come to the Lord and be baptized,” he said.

Hunt also served as pastor at Duncan, Immanuel, a community he knew well. Then he felt called to Tahlequah, First.

“God gave me a dream of being a pastor to the community. I became police chaplain, and I got really involved in our community. The people were wonderful and this was a great 11 years of ministry,” he said. “We even were able to experience a lot of ministry with Native American churches. We held joint worship services with Native American churches, which was powerful.”

Throughout his ministry career, Hunt kept his calling in focus. God would surprise Hunt by calling him back to serve on the Oklahoma Baptists staff in 2020.

‘Dream job’ with Oklahoma Baptists as Regional Ministry Partner

Hance Dilbeck, who was then serving as executive director-treasurer for Oklahoma Baptists, was leading the convention to have regional ministry. Dilbeck and Oklahoma Baptists Senior Associate Executive Director Joe Ligon helped craft a strategy to deploy Regional Ministry Partners to different areas of the state.

Buddy Hunt prayed about the opportunity to serve as a Regional Ministry Partner for the east side of Oklahoma, where he and his family lived. Hunt accepted the role and began in his characteristic enthusiastic manner. He served with James Swain, who at that time led the Ministry Partners Group with Oklahoma Baptists.

Since 2020, Buddy Hunt has served pastors and churches in eastern Oklahoma as they work to advance the Gospel, driving thousands of miles every month to connect with churches on a local level.

In his role, Hunt served his region, which included some 400 churches affiliated with Oklahoma Baptist associations and 40 Native American churches in areas ranging from Miami to Poteau to Idabel, over to Durant, McAlester, Muskogee and Vinita. More recently his region was adapted to include churches south of I-40, including Tishomingo, Madill, Ada, up to Seminole. Hunt also served as interim pastor at multiple locations.

“This was in many ways a dream job for me. Not only do I get to encourage pastors and churches, I get to use the ministry experiences the Lord has given me to build up local churches,” he said.

He has served churches by helping with discipleship, deacon training and evangelism and by serving as a transitional pastor as needed. He is particularly blessed to help churches find God’s man to serve as their pastor and to encourage pastors and their families.

Words to Live by

All along the journey, Buddy sought to be a godly family man. He and his wife Michell have two grown daughters (Hilary and Ashley) each of whom are married; they have four grandchildren. Hunt feels grateful to the Lord for his family—and also for his church families through the years.

Hunt believes what he was taught as a young man. “God deserves our best,” he said.

In my role with Oklahoma Baptists, I kept a busy schedule, but I always tried to leave room for the Lord to guide it. “I ask the Lord, ‘Take me where you want to go.’” Several times, Hunt would make unplanned stops to see pastors, who said his visit was divine timing and just the encouragement they needed at a moment of discouragement.

As he comes to the end of his “dream job” tenure with Oklahoma Baptists, Hunt reflects on lessons he has learned.

One common thread to his storied ministry career has been, “Whatever you do, do it with excellence.”

He said, “In life and your career, give it your best. My motivation has been to do everything to the fullest. My desire has always been to please the Lord. Honor and glorify him. God never wants our second best; He wants our very best.”

As he will soon enter a new phase of career—retirement—he knows the Lord has things in store for him.

“I want to congratulate Buddy and his wife Michell on this retirement occasion and pray the Lord blesses them on the next chapter of their ministry,” Todd Fisher added.

If the next chapter of life is anything like the prior ones, it will be busy but blessed.