Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) across Arkansas reported a year marked by spiritual growth, leadership development and vocational calling during the 2025–2026 school year. 

For Arkansas Baptists, the numbers represent more than ministry activity. They reflect years of prayer for a spiritual movement among college students, said Bit Stephens, who serves as a collegiate strategist for Arkansas Baptists and has spent the past two years working alongside students at Southern Arkansas University. 

"God has raised up these BCM campus ministers and church staff to equip a generation for the amazing move of God among college students that we are witnessing. What an honor and privilege it is to experience this," Stephens said. 

Across Arkansas community colleges and four-year universities served by BCM staff, 2,356 students were regularly involved in campus ministry. More than 18,000 students were engaged through campus outreach efforts, ministry events and personal invitations. BCM also reported 769 students actively involved in evangelism and 399 students and non-students who made professions of faith during the school year. 

In addition, 1,405 students participated in discipleship through small groups, one-on-one mentoring relationships and other spiritual growth opportunities. BCMs also reported 641 students participating in leadership development, 86 students pursuing vocational ministry after graduation and approximately 600 students serving through spring break, summer or semester-long mission opportunities. 

Several stories from campuses around the state illustrate the impact of BCM ministry this year. 

Little Rock BCM: ‘I just want Jesus’  

At a Student Testimony Night in Little Rock this spring, a student shared her story after attending BCM only twice. Raised in a Hindu household with a father who is an atheist, she said she immediately noticed something different about the ministry. 

“There is something different about this place and about these people,” she said. 

As students shared testimonies that evening, she became emotional when asked what she wanted apart from her parents' expectations. “I just want Jesus,” she said. 

That night, she prayed to receive Christ. Because she had never owned a Bible or been allowed to attend church, BCM leaders immediately gave her one. Within a week, she had read the first 20 chapters of Genesis. BCM staff continue to walk alongside her as she grows in her faith. 

Southern Arkansas University BCM: Student grows through friendship and faith

At Southern Arkansas University, one student arrived on campus with a mixed religious background, having been raised by a Hindu mother and a culturally Catholic father. Through friendships with BCM student leaders, he began attending Bible studies, worship gatherings and Sunday School while exploring Christianity. In January, he made a decision to follow Christ. 

He later joined the Beach Reach mission trip, a ministry focused on engaging spring breakers, where he continued to grow spiritually and began sharing his testimony. After returning to campus, he met with BCM staff and requested baptism. He has continued growing in his faith and has begun discussing his decision with family members, who have supported him. 

Arkansas Tech University BCM: From spring breaker to gospel witness

At Arkansas Tech University, a sophomore transfer student became involved with BCM during the fall semester and made a decision to follow Christ early in the term. Work obligations made it difficult for her to remain consistently involved, but she returned in the spring and reconnected with the ministry. 

She joined the worship team and later participated in Beach Reach. During the mission trip, she reflected on being in Panama City Beach the previous spring as a participant in the area's party culture. This year, she returned in a different role and encountered people she had known during that earlier trip. Instead of participating, she shared her testimony and spoke about the transformation she said Christ had made in her life. 

University of Arkansas - Monticello BCM: Growing into ministry leadership

Across Arkansas, students also took significant steps in leadership development and vocational ministry preparation. 

At the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Jude Hawkins arrived with a background of church involvement in Mississippi and continued to grow in both his understanding of Scripture and his ability to communicate the Gospel. He has preached in BCM gatherings and local church settings while developing as a ministry leader. 

This fall, Hawkins will join BCM staff while continuing to discern God's calling on his life. 

“Arkansas Baptist churches’ kingdom investment in our campuses is bearing much fruit here and around the world,” said Chris Larmoyeux, collegiate strategist for Arkansas Baptists. “This generation is not content to sit and watch. They take their faith seriously and are actively pursuing God’s work in their lives and on their campuses.”