STUDENT MINISTRIES DIVISION’S MISSION

ENDEAVOURS

INTRODUCTION
The Baptist Student Fellowship, an arm of the Student Ministries Division of the Nigerian
Baptist Convention is an offshoot of Mission endeavours of Missionaries from Southern
Baptist Convention and International Mission Board. The Mission endeavour of, ‘Student
Ministries of Nigerian Baptist Convention, which was conceived by a missionary from the
Southern Baptist Convention, Miss Mary Frank Kirkpatrick was birthed in 1956 when she
began ministering to secondary school students of Boys College Ibadan, Apata and Ibadan
Boys High School, Oke-Bola, Ibadan.1 Mary Frank Kirkpatrick arrived in Nigeria in 1956
with the mandate of the Southern Baptist Convention to work with the Church Training
Union. This, she did until 1964 when she was appointed to serve as a pioneer Student
Worker.2 This move was as a result of her passion to minister to students from the inception
of her missionary career. She had deep-seated call and passion to reach students with the
gospel that they may live for Jesus, and possibly, to steer their hearts towards academic
excellence. Hence, she was engaged in ministering to students even while working with the
Church Training Union arm of the Convention.

She gave her whole life passionately to ministering to students and impacted positively on the
lives of many students who are doing well in their different professions today. All these
students are referred to as her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Some even
called her ‘Mama of Baptist Student Fellowship’. Miss Mary Frank Kirkpatrick served the
Student Ministries Department of the NBC faithfully and the period of her service covered
between 1956 and 1977 when she left Nigeria for the United States of America. 3 Therefore,
Student Ministries Divion, involvement in mission is an important aspect that cannot be
overemphasized. This, therefore, has contributed immensely to the beliefs and values on
mission that the SMD holds on to, as well as practiced.

The Great Commission mandate is to evangelise the whole world as commanded by our Lord
Jesus Christ, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew
28:19-20).4 This great commission instruction spurred the Student Ministries Division of the
Nigerian Baptist Convention to outline Missions as one of its five aim and objectives which
state thus, “To involve them in the Study and Practical Participation in Mission for Kingdom
Expansion.”5 The Student Ministries Division is well known for total commitment to
practical Missions. One paramount pursuit of the Student Ministries Division is its first
aim/objectives which is “To lead students to commitment to Jesus as their Saviour and
personal Lord.”6 And the students that are saved are then commissioned to work at seeing
how others will be saved.
PRACTICAL ENGAGEMENT IN MISSIONS
This Mission is drive by the Student Ministries Division is geared towards:
1. Creating Mission Awareness among Students
Awareness on Missions is often been done during Fellowship and major gatherings of
Student Ministries Division. The necessity of Missions is made known to the
Students. This is done to trigger the passion for Missions in the hearts of the Students.
This usually is the beginning point of enrolling Christian Students in Missions.

2. Mobilising Students for Missions

The Students are also being Enlisted for Missions based on interest in Missions. This
enlistment is done to ascertain those that would be sent to the Mission fields.

3. Training Students for Missions

Mission Training is often being done within 3-4 days. This is d9ne to help the
Students have deep understanding of what Missions entails. More so to give the nitty-
gritty of how to carry out Missions of various forms. Furthermore, they are made to
know the dose and don’t of Missions.

4. Engaging Students in both Rural and Urban Practical Missions

The Students are always been sent to embark on Missions. They are guided on
engaging in urban and rural Missions.

5. Committing to praying for Missions/Missionaries.

Students are encouraged to be committed to praying for the unsaved people groups
around the world and also for the Missionaries working in different Mission fields
across the globe.

FORM OF MISSIONS ENDEAVOURS

The Student Ministries Division has been very much involved in Missions at all levels. There
is barely a week that Baptist Student Fellowships won’t embark on Missions. The Student
Fellowship at the Local Baptist Churches, Associations Campuses and Conferences regularly
embark on Missions Weekly. In fact, it is important to note that Baptist Student Fellowship
engage in mission activities. Several Campus-based BSFs organize village outreaches that
span between three to seven days (or more in some instances) during their semesters. Some
campuses make use of the period immediate after their exams to visit various villages for
mission activities.7
In the same way, some Association-based BSF plan for outreaches during the holidays in
fulfilment of the Great Commission. Almost every BSF of the various Conferences of the
Nigerian Baptist Convention plan for, and observe village outreaches on yearly basis. Some
of these activities are carried out in consultation and involvement with the various
missionaries that are in the localities the students visit under the supervision of the SMD
coordinator domiciled in the area. During each outreach, there have always been various
reports of testimonies about the Lord’s doings in various dimensions. 8 The Mission
endeavours of the Student Ministries has been carried out as thus:
1. Short-Term Missions
Students are always been engaged in Missions as Short-time Missionaries. This form
of Missions has been done within 1-3 weeks and 1- 3 months within and outside the
shores of Nigeria. Students have gone on Missions in Baptist home and international
Mission fields. In other cases, Students have been engaged in Missions in other places
outside Baptist Mission Locations.9 The Short-Term Missions is been done in these
forms:
a. Hostel Evangelism
b. Campus Evangelism
c. Street Evangelism
d. Hospital Evangelism
e. Market Evangelism
f. Police Cell Evangelism
g. Prison Evangelism
h. Orphanage Home Evangelism
i. Vehicle Evangelism
j. Rural Mission

2. Long-Term Missions
Students have been involved in Missions for more than one year in some instances.
Students who have enrolled for this form of Missions endeavour were those whom
were available for the period of one year and more. Hence, they were willing to spend
the time on the Mission field. Furthermore, some have some Students have
continually been doing Mission work alongside their Studies and even after they had
left school.10 In addition, some of the products of Baptist Student Fellowship are now
full time Missionaries.

3. Professional Missions
We have had some Students who have used their profession for Mission work.
Students such as Veterinary Medical Students, Teachers and among others, have
intentionally used their professional skills as a way to reach the nomadic people with
the Gospel.11

4. International Mission Activities

The Student Ministries Division on several occasions have been involved in mission
activities at the international front across the coast of Africa and the southern part of
the African continent. Students have been led from the National Office on several
occasions to some African nations such as Ghana and Benin Republic (among others)
in partnership with Baptist students and youth from those countries on mission. In the
same way, the SMD currently ministers in Uganda through one of her staff who is
partnering with the Baptist Union of Uganda in reaching out to students in the
country. It is always a great time partnering with people from other West African
countries in fulfilment of the mandate of the Father. All these efforts are aimed at
complementing the dogged efforts of the Global Missions Board of the Nigerian
Baptist Convention in reaching several people in several nations, as well as in the
country, about the message of the salvation.12
SMD-GMB PARTNERSHIP
As far back as from the 1980s, the Student Ministries has been sending students to various
mission fields of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, this is been done through the Long and
Short Mission Outreaches of the SMD. Over the years, several students have been mobilized
during the holidays to spend time on the various mission fields of the Global Missions Board.
Right from inception of the Long and Short Holiday Mission programme of the SMD,
students spend between one to three months on the mission fields depending on their various
academic calendars and availability. Some students also spend less than a month too, based
on their various personal and academic schedules.
While on the fields, all these students work together with the missionaries to fulfil the Great
Commission through various means such as day to day house-to-house evangelism,
discipleship, teaching in mission schools (primary and secondary), skill acquisition and
training for villagers, among several others. As far back as from 1984 to date, some of the
various locations and Mission Fields that students have visited and worked in through the
Student Ministries Division were: Afenmai, Batonu, Shendam, Idoma, Ishan, Southern Ijaw,
Arogbo-Ijaw, Malunfashi/Funtua, Boriya, Ohori, Ogoja, Igala, Benin Republic, Sierra Leone,
Mali, among others.
Of a truth, the SMD/BSF has been a major stakeholder with the Global Missions Board. This
is evident in the recruitment of several students who have been involved in mission activities
at various times as noted above. Interestingly, some of these students eventually became full
time missionaries with the Global Missions Board where they serve God with all their hearts.
In addition, there are various churches in the Nigerian Baptist Convention today that were
planted through the efforts of the Baptist Student Fellowship, either at the Campus,
Association, Conference, or National levels.

MISSION PARTNERS
The Student Ministries Division of the Nigerian Baptist Convention have been collaborating
in Mission endeavours alongside other Mission agencies such as:
1. Global Mission Board, Nigerian Baptist Convention
2. Bowen University, Nigerian Baptist Convention
3. Great Commission Movement
4. Africa Mission Togather13

TESTIMONIES
There are testimonies of how much the Mission endeavours of Student Ministries Division
has impacted lives positively. Souls have been won and is still being won across the globe via
the Students engagement in Missions. These testimonies are being documented in the History
Book of Student Ministries Division titled The Seed Becomes An Oak. A History of Baptist
Student Fellowship in Nigerian (1958-2019) and the Mission Report of the Student Ministries
Division of the Nigerian Baptist Convention yearly during the Annual International Baptist
Student Conference.
WRITTEN BY:
 Revd Dr Solomon Olawuyi james
 Revd Collins Olatunji
 Revd Mobolaji Oyelade
 Revd Adesola Adeyemi
ENDNOTE
1
Emiola Nihinlola, The Child Has Survived (Ibadan: Scepter Prints Limited, 2008), 20-21
2
Ibid. 21
3
Baptist Student Fellowship. 2015. Operational Manual. Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.) Limited, 1986), 133-135
4
The Holy Bible, New International Version
5
The BSF Guidebook: Student Ministries Department of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.)
Limited, 1986), 10
6
Baptist Student Fellowship. 2015. Operational Manual. Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.) Limited, 1986), 5.
7
Student Ministries Division. 2017. Mission Reports. ‘International Baptist Student Conference
Program Booklet.’ (Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.) Limited, 1986), 27-30
8
Student Ministries Division. 2018. Mission Reports. ‘International Baptist Student Conference
Program Booklet.’ 31.
9
Student Ministries Division. 2019. Mission Reports. ‘International Baptist Student Conference
Program Booklet.’ 29
10
Student Ministries Division. 2021. Mission Reports. ‘International Baptist Student Conference
Program Booklet.’ 32
11
Student Ministries Division. 2022. Mission Reports. ‘International Baptist Student Conference
Program Booklet.’ 34.
12
The Seed Becomes An Oak. A History of Baptist Student Fellowship in Nigerian (1958-2019). (Ibadan: Baptist Press
(Nig.) Limited, 1986), 177-180.
13