Members of the Oklahoma Baptist Historical Commission were updated Sept. 29 on activities in the J.M. and Helen Gaskin Archives, which are housed at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU). Meeting at Baptist Village in Oklahoma City, the Commission heard a report from Joshua D. Mackey, OBU Archivist.
“As reported last spring, the Gaskin Archives has received a great deal of attention this year,” Mackey said. “All the materials sent to the archives during the move from the Baptist Building at 3800 N. May Ave. to the WatersEdge Building in Bricktown has been catalogued at a box level, as have a handful of boxes previously unprocessed in the collection. We also have vertical storage in place for framed pictures and plaques, and thumbnail photos taken of each shelf’s contents. An inventory of this part of the collection will be forthcoming.
“This summer, I had extra help in the Gaskin Archives to assist with an up-to-date shelf-by-shelf inventory, checking the boxes in each collection. We are doing this for two upcoming projects; first, we are preparing to create finding guides for each collection, to be shared with staff and researchers. These guides will introduce that collection and provide a brief explanation of what can be found therein; the second is a condition inventory, evaluating the state of the boxes and media. We are flagging boxes that are falling apart and need to be replaced, and film showing signs of decay to prioritize digitizing as soon as possible.
“Finally, my Gaskin student worker is carrying out preliminary research on an exhibit revolving around Brotherhood (Men’s Ministry), Royal Ambassadors (RAs), and Camp Hudgens. He is currently gathering information and putting a rough draft together for me to evaluate. His project proposal for this exhibit is as follows: The Baptist Brotherhood was a ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), created with the goal of teaching and equipping laymen to do missions work and evangelism. They did this to move away from the idea that that evangelizing work was only for their vocational ministers, and toward the idea that all men should be witnesses of Christ.
“The Baptist Brotherhood’s place in regional Baptist life was also visible on OBU’s campus, as its largest men’s dorm bared the organization’s name until it was changed in 1998 in honor of the late President Bob Agee.
“As an extension of the vision of the Baptist Brotherhood, the SBC created the RA program which persists today. This program helps to teach and equip grade-school boys with the skills they need to be good witnesses for the Kingdom of Christ. The RAs did this through structured chapter meetings and activities that engaged boys in active ministry and important life skills.
“One of the ways the RAs were most involved in Oklahoma was through Camp Hudgens, located near McAlester. This campground was used by the Oklahoma Baptists’ men’s ministry to create an environment to teach, disciple, and witness to young boys. Boys from ages nine to 17 could attend the camp, where they would build tents, study missions, attend breakouts and worship meetings, boat and swim in the lake, and do various handcrafts.
“The Baptist Brotherhood’s history is important, not just for Oklahoma Baptists, but also for Baptists nationwide to help them remember the great need for men to have a good, supportive ministry that not only seeks to make them evangelize better, but also to give them godly fraternal love. The RAs also should remind Baptists of the importance for their older church men to be good examples for their young boys so that they have godly examples on how to lead a good life. These programs are also important for Oklahoma because of the great impact Baptists have had on the state, highlighting the importance of training up and discipling men of all ages, and keeping the tradition of those who have come before us.
