From humble beginnings in a nominal Christian family to a lifetime devoted to ministry, Pastor S. Paig has spent decades spreading the message of salvation. His journey, marked by unwavering faith and dedication, has led him to shepherd a thriving church in India and extend his mission to those in need.

Seventy-five years ago, the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) took a monumental step in its global mission work by commissioning its first missionary, Bro. Harold Morris. Little did they know that Morris’ obedience to God’s calling would not only spread the gospel in South America (and, later, in Europe) but also lay the foundation for what is now Lifeword, a thriving media ministry that continues to reach the world.

Yerevan, the capital and largest city of Armenia, stands as a historic center of Christianity. Armenia was the first nation to declare Christianity its official religion, and Asatur Nahapetyan has faithfully served there for nearly 30 years alongside his wife, Jazmine, and their four children. Through his leadership with BMA Global and as president of the European Baptist Federation, Asatur has played a pivotal role in church planting and spiritual development in the region.

I got saved when I was 16 years old. I was led to the Lord by Pastor Henry Adrias who served in the BMAP ministry led by Pastor Doyle and Ma'am Linda Moore. After I graduated high school, I studied management in a secular school, but stopped this course after two years. I felt that God was calling me to fully serve Him, so I went to the Bible college to study.

The purpose of BMMI trips is to draw a crowd. The missionary can talk to the average person on the street, in their house, and in the community. Everyone is interested in their health, so we listen to conversations. We go to support the missionary on the field to achieve whatever work he intends, like establishing a church, doing evangelism, or starting a clinic.

In the midst of darkness, pain, and tears, God continues to work, using His church to accomplish His work. We are happy to share the news that Water of Life Church in Lutsk, Ukraine, has chosen Oleg Hotsyk to serve as a youth pastor. This event is a clear testimony of God's love and power. Oleg and his wife Dasha are the fruit of many years of work by the church focused on discipleship and spiritual influence.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, Father of mercies and comfort as he strengthens us through tribulations. Though unworthy to be called his children, He chose us by his grace for this ministry. Thank you, BMA churches, pastors, and friends, who have prayed for us as you send the gospel to the nations.

Missionaries across the centuries have had the enormous responsibilities of providing the training needed to sustain the work of bringing converts to Christ and establishing churches. In fulfilling this colossal task, BMA Global missionaries over the past 75 years have founded Bible colleges and institutes in the United States and around the world.  I’ve had the distinct pleasure to teach in many of these institutions.

On December 26, 1979, my wife Shelby and I left central Arkansas headed to Marion, IL, to pastor West Boulevard Baptist Church. This is where a journey of friendship and ministry with men our tribe referred to as interstate missionaries began. These families had moved to the “fringe” areas of our association to reach people far from God and plant churches in states some refer to as unreached people groups.

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.”

I was invited by Pastor Jarede to speak for a few minutes about Pastor Rufus Crawford, but I have already encountered a major problem: how to summarize, in so few words, the life of a great missionary? Nonetheless, let's talk about some traits of Pastor Rufus and a little information about the great work he accomplished.

Life as a missionary in Brazil in the 1950s was quite an experience with travel by foot, bus, train, and riverboat to carry the gospel. But for John Elliott, seeing lives transformed by the light of Jesus was worth it. He was one of those missionaries who trusted God to provide his needs. Later, Harriet became a missionary’s wife and joined him on the mission field, together working to tell the story of Jesus.

For seventy-five years, BMA Global Missions has been a testament to God’s faithfulness, weaving a story of sacrifice, transformation, and hope across generations. Reflecting on its rich history, one cannot help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia—images of missionaries embracing foreign cultures, building bridges of trust, and planting seeds of faith come to mind.

Since we were informed that the Everlasting Smiles Christmas Shoeboxes were destined to go  to Honduras last year, we felt joy because we were going to see happy faces in our communities once again, many of them in very poor places with great needs.

In the Southeast Asian country we serve in, Christmas is generally not preceded by a whole month of festive decorations, parties and gatherings. Instead, the people that decorate might put up a few decorations only the week before Christmas Day at the earliest. Exchanging gifts on Christmas is also still a very new concept, and the people that do adopt this Western tradition may just gift one or two small presents.