Baptist Campus Ministries reaches out to students

Published 5:58 am Monday, January 9, 2006

By By MARY-ALLISON LANCASTER – Managing editor
Baptist Campus Ministries is calling all those interested in hearing the gospel and eager to indulge in a home cooked meal.
Sponsored by the Escambia County Baptist Association, BCM has been holding weekly lunches at the JDCC Student Center for several years. This year, Jake Bondurant is in charge of the program.
The 21-year-old is currently the youth minister at Flomaton First Baptist Church. Prior to moving to Flomaton in November of 2004 Bondurant had been attending college in New Orleans. Now he spends most of his time trying to earn his associate's degree at JDCC while ministering at the Baptist church.
BCM is an association that partners with churches and other organizations of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
Bondurant said that he became head of the program because of his connection with Brother Pat, missions director at the ECBA. Brother Pat, Bondurant said, was his pastor when he was younger.
Anybody on campus is invited to attend lunch every Friday at 11 a.m. in the JDCC Student Center, followed by a five to 10 minute devotion led by Bondurant.
The program, though, wouldn't be without the churches and individuals involved in putting it all together. Bondurant said that the women's ministries of the ECBA are the ones who bring the food. He said that it's generally a home cooked meal.
At the last meeting held before the holidays, First Baptist Church provided the main portion of the holiday meal, which featured ham and all the trimmings. Alco Baptist Church provided the desserts, which included chocolate cake, red velvet cake, pecan tassies, brownies and several kids of cookies.
Bondurant said that he enjoys being head of the program and plans on ministering for the rest of his life. The end result of BCM, he said, is to get everyone involved in a church.
The next meeting will begin Jan. 13 at 11 a.m. at JDCC Student Center and will continue every Friday until the end of the semester.