Justin Romaine is proof that if you just show up and ask how you can help, God will use you in amazing ways.
Although he was saved when he was 12 years old, it was during his college years at Rogers State University in Claremore that Romaine began to grow in his faith and take the call to follow Jesus seriously.
“I grew up in a solid Christian home, where I learned about Jesus from a young age,” he said. “But once I started reading my Bible consistently, I saw that God continually chose to use ordinary, broken and messed up people to carry out His mission. I figured if God could use these people, then He could, and wanted to, use me too.”
Romaine said when he sensed God calling him into ministry, he began seeking out every opportunity he could to learn from older, wiser people who were already in ministry.
“This led me to get involved in the college ministry at my local church, Claremore, First,” he said. “I just kept showing up and asking what I could do to help, hoping to contribute in some small way and learn from my leaders along the way.”
Romaine said he started out sweeping and mopping floors after college gatherings, but before long, he was given opportunities to lead small group Bible studies, play in the worship band, and even speak at large group gatherings.
“Before long, I was brought on staff at the church as an intern, where I got to work alongside other pastors and learn from their experience,” he said. “By the time I reached my final semester in college, I was asked to serve in the church as the college pastor, where I worked four years ministering to RSU students.
“I knew very quickly that God had given me a heart to invest in college students,” Romaine said. “After God had done so much in my life during my college years, I wanted to help other students experience God during their college years as well.”
When God called him to help plant a church in Enid, he said he knew he wanted to stay involved in campus ministry as much as he could.
“All in God’s timing, the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) position opened up at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) in Enid around the same time I planned to move there,” Romaine said.
Since 2018, he has served as BCM director for NOC and associate pastor for Enid, Open Door.
Romaine said when it comes to missions, he wholeheartedly believes in starting right where people are, in their own communities.
“Before I lived in Enid, I brought groups of both youth and college students on trips to serve with local organizations there,” Romaine remembered. “Therefore, I was already aware of many of the needs.”
Romaine said during his time at NOC, he has focused mostly on local missions and serving alongside local partners.
“At least once each semester, we partner with a local organization to help serve our community,” he said. “We have helped serve in the homeless shelter and food pantry, and have assisted in a bar ministry. During the height of the pandemic, in the spring and summer of 2020, we volunteered weekly with a food pantry to hand out food. However, we hope to begin getting involved in missions outside of Oklahoma.”
The NOC BCM does a lot of outreach on the college campus, hosting a weekly lunch where they meet new students and aim to have gospel conversations with them.
“We also set up on campus every Monday morning to give away free drinks/breakfast as students go to class,” he noted. “We use this to meet students, develop a relationship with them, and invite them to come to our large group, the free lunches or small group Bible study where they will get a chance to hear the Gospel. We also work hard to equip our students to share their faith with their peers on campus. We train them in listening evangelism and also teach them how to share their story and the Gospel. Lastly, we focus on building relationships with the coaches and administration on our campus.”
Romaine said being at a small, two-year school, they have learned that getting to know the coaches and administration opens a lot of doors for them to meet and interact with students.
“After four years at NOC, I believe that the BCM is seen as a staple of campus life,” he said. “On our campus, roughly 90 percent of the students who live on campus are either athletes or a part of the President’s Leadership Class (PLC). Therefore, our ultimate goal is to reach the teams and have at least one student leader from each athletic team and PLC who will continue to reach their peers for Christ.”
Romaine and his wife, Elizabeth, who works for Integris Bass Baptist Hospital, welcomed their first child in 2021.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Justin Romaine is featured in the 2022 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. To see more information about his ministry work with Baptist Collegiate Ministries,, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp