Baptist secretaries share ideas, joys
By Staff
CAMDENTON—The Baptist Secretaries Association of Missouri (BSAM) recently converged on First Baptist Church of Camdenton for their annual meeting, leaving churches all over the state counting down the days until they were all back in their respective places.
BSAM is a 40-year-old organization under the umbrella of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) which exists to encourage, equip, and edify ministry assistants in the state of Missouri.
Serving in a church office is unlike any other profession due to the unique demands placed on assistants requiring both clerical and administrative skills along with the unusual demands of assisting in the church’s ministry and mission. The mission of BSAM is to assist in equipping assistants for their God-given role in the church office by continuing education in the technical areas of their roles. BSAM also seeks to help equip assistants in their roles which reach far above the technical aspects of their responsibilities.
Many times the church assistant is called upon to provide leadership in women’s ministries or other areas in the church. Just as pastors must guard against burnout, so must ministry assistants. That’s where BSAM can make a huge impact. The annual meeting is a mixture of spiritual enrichment combined with the opportunities to take advantage of many skill shops.
Host Pastor Bob AuBuchon expressed his support for the group.
“BSAM is a source and means of real encouragement to ministry assistants that serve in the local church who then turn around and encourage pastors, ministers, and the church body,” he said. “I always encourage our assistants to attend, even though it leaves a gap in our local office. Ministry assistants do so much—really a lot more than just answer phones, work on scheduling, or funnel information. The average church person doesn’t see the amount of work done.
“I’ve been blessed by being able to watch the annual meeting of the Baptist secretaries as they’ve been in our church these past three days. It has been a time for the assistants to be encouraged, to be fed in their Christian walk, and also a time of accountability for them. They’ve also been able to share professional ideas, practical tips, and just enjoy each other. In fact, I wouldn’t call the BSAM group an organization; I’d call them a ministry.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting this year’s BSAM meeting. The only down side to it is that next week I’ll be asking my staff, ‘Where are all the good snacks?’”
The 2009 conference is tentatively set for First Baptist Church, Branson. Discount certificates for the meeting may be purchased before Dec. 31. For more information, go to the MBC website (www.mobaptist.org search word: “secretaries”) or call 800-736-6227, ext. 202.
