Terry Thomas has been Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) director at Rose State College in Midwest City since August 2016. The fact that the campus is located less than a mile from Tinker Air Force Base probably isn’t lost on the director, who served in the military for more than 30 years prior to his present position, although it was the Army, not the Air Force.
He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord, Calif, and Augsburg, Germany as a field artillery cannoner from 1984-1990, and was a Command Sergeant Major with the Oklahoma Army National Guard doing recruiting, among other things, from 1990-2016.
He graduated from Liberty University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Bible/Biblical Studies.
Perhaps his Army training helps him deal with college students at Rose State, which is a public, two-year institution with an enrollment of more than 13,000 students. The campus is comprised of 25 buildings spread out over 120 acres.
Thomas said the mission of the BCM is to inspire students to love God and help them experience God’s love for themselves.
“We also want to help students begin to make choices to invest in others and allow others to invest in them,” he said. “In addition, we encourage students to live biblically, equip them to reach their peers with God’s love and send students to their world.”
Oklahoma Baptist College ministries are on 40 campuses with more than 60 staff members provided by Oklahoma Baptists, associations and local churches.
For many students, the BCM ministries are a haven for rest and fellowship between classes or in the evenings.
“Every Wednesday, from noon to 1 p.m., we meet at the Raider Room inside the Student Center for free lunch and Bible study,” Thomas pointed out. “For those interested in volleyball, basketball or just hanging out, we meet every Thursday at 7:37 in the Metro Building, which is located at 2407 N. Kentucky Avenue in Oklahoma City. It’s a great opportunity to have some fun and enjoy a little fellowship.”
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.
Terry Thomas is featured in the 2022 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. To see more information about Southern Baptist work globally, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp.
