SHAWNEE—On Sat., Aug. 29, hundreds of middle and high school students attended The Call Conference at the Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) campus. This annual event, hosted by Oklahoma Baptists, is designed for those who are interested in exploring or are pursuing a call from God to ministry leadership.
The Call Conference began with worship and students hearing from Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Fisher on how to answer the inward call from God. Fisher told students his personal testimony for God calling him to ministry. Fisher said that many times God reminded him that the call that was placed on his life meant giving everything to God.
Fisher then encouraged students who are questioning if they are called to ministry that God will confirm that calling. He said that not everyone is called to ministry, and those who pursue ministry when God hasn’t called them to it is actually a bad thing. Fisher concluded by challenging students to follow their calling and solve the greatest problem in the world: lostness.
“Are you ready to step up and be the solution to the greatest problem? Or are you going to sit back and put God in a box?” Fisher asked.
In addition to main sessions, ministry leaders from across the state equipped future ministry leaders on biblical and theological topics including pastoral ministry, evangelism, leading the called, service, sin and salvation, the church, making disciples and more. God was working in the hearts of students during these breakouts. During this time, five students made professions of faith. A ministry panel of Oklahoma Baptists leaders encouraged students through personal theological and biblical reflections on and applications for ministry.
The event concluded with worship and another main session where OBU Auguie Henry Chair of Old Testament and Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Studies Mario Melendez spoke on how to answer the outward call. He started by telling students that they need to have their motivation for going into ministry right.
“You should be going into ministry not from a sense of greed, but a sense of need,” he said.
Melendez then explained that the main calling of the Church and pastors is to find the needs in the communities and answer them.
“Sometimes, you need to feed someone first before you can lead them to Jesus,” he said.
He concluded by encouraging students to always seek God and feed their spirits with the Gospel.
“The first person you need to share the Gospel with daily is you,” Melendez said.
As a partnership between Oklahoma Baptists and OBU and supported by the Cooperative Program, The Call Conference was developed for individuals who are exploring or pursuing a call from God to ministry leadership. The conference is promoted at Falls Creek and other ministry settings. It operates on a three-year rotation of topics with next year’s conference focusing on specific ministry areas.
For more information, visit oklahomabaptists.org/thecall.
