“Faith and Foster Care: Impacting God’s Kingdom” is the theme for the upcoming Missions Celebration on Mon., Nov. 14, at Oklahoma City, Quail Springs.

The afternoon celebration and symposium is hosted by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) Women’s Missions and Ministries Office and is an annual event held prior to the BGCO Annual Meeting.

Carisa Wilsie Family

Carisa Wilsie Family

The event begins in the Chapel at 2 p.m. and will feature the Oklahoma Baptist Children’s Choir and James Hunt, pastor of Guthrie, First Southern. It will be followed by a symposium and panel discussion beginning at 3:15 p.m. in the same room.

Hunt has been instrumental in helping churches develop a heart for foster care and adoption, including the foundation of Karis ministry, a non-profit organization he serves as chairman of the board. Karis helps Christian families with the funding of adoption care. Since its inception, more than $230,000 has been donated to the fund. He and his wife, Ali, have adopted four children from the  Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

The symposium will include Hunt, as well as Teri Blanton and Carisa Wilsie. Blanton is the Foster Care Coordinator for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children. Wilsie is a licensed psychologist and a faculty member at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She also works as the Director of Orphan Care Ministries at Bethany, Council Road.

Teri Blanton

Teri Blanton

During the symposium, panelists will encourage people on ways to be involved in orphan care ministry, either as adoptive parents or support to those who are fostering or adopting in the local church. There is no cost to attend either event.

In addition to the afternoon event, missions and missionaries will be celebrated by two meals. The first is the Missionary Parents Fellowship Luncheon and the latter is the Missionary Appreciation Dinner. Only parents of IMB personnel are invited to the luncheon, but the Missionary Appreciation Dinner is open to anyone. The cost for the dinner is $15 per person unless you are a current, past, or emeritus IMB employee. Interested persons may register online at www.bgcowomen.org, or contact the BGCO Women’s Office at 405/942-3000, ext. 4318.