Remembering Missionary Rufus Crawford
January 21, 2025
The Legacy of Church Planting
February 4, 2025
Remembering Missionary Rufus Crawford
January 21, 2025
The Legacy of Church Planting
February 4, 2025

A United Mission

By Emily Brantley, Lifeword

The History of Lifeword

In 1965, a visionary named Harold Morris, the first missionary commissioned by the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA), set out to change the way the gospel was spread. After retiring from his mission field in Brazil due to health concerns, Morris had a bold new idea: using media to reach the masses with the message of Christ. He launched the Harvest Gleaner Gospel Hour (HGH) in St. Louis with a clear mission—to “make Jesus known to the multitudes.” What started as a humble radio program quickly blossomed, and just three years later, HGH became an official department of the BMA with Morris as its first director.

Despite his passing in 1970, his vision remained. Leaders like A.R. Reddin and Paul Bearfield took up the mantle, expanding HGH into new languages and global territories. By 1979, the program reached the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, spreading the gospel in local languages and touching lives across continents. Under new leadership from George Reddin and Steve Crawley, the ministry evolved into Lifeword in the 1980s, better reflecting its global vision. Lifeword’s mission expanded beyond radio to include low-power international stations and local partnerships, reaching further into communities than ever before. Today, under the guidance of Executive Director Donny Parrish, Lifeword harnesses cutting-edge Cloud technology, offering gospel content in over 160 languages to a worldwide audience.

Lifeword and BMA Global

In 2005, Lifeword took a significant step, purchasing a $2.4 million building in downtown Conway, Arkansas. But the real transformation came when Lifeword and the Department of Missions (now BMA Global) began working more closely together. Under the leadership of Steve Crawley, Lifeword’s collaboration with BMA Global grew from a partnership into full integration. In 2014, the BMA Global Ministry Center was born in Conway, housing both Lifeword and BMA Global under one roof. This collaboration not only streamlined operations, sharing resources like office space and staff, but also allowed both ministries to invest more funds into reaching the nations with the gospel.

Today, Lifeword and BMA Global work hand-in-hand. BMA Global supports ChangeMakers—local missionaries around the world who plant churches and share the gospel within their own cultures. Many of these ChangeMakers are also Lifeword Content Creators, producing media (videos and podcasts) in their heart languages, sharing the gospel through the internet, radio, and social media. This unified approach has exponentially expanded the reach of both ministries, allowing them to touch lives in ways that were once unimaginable. As Lifeword and BMA Global continue to grow, we invite you to pray for the work they’re doing together, trusting that God will provide the resources needed to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.