Veteran Southern Baptist journalist and communicator Margaret Colson is the new consulting communications editor for the Florida Baptist Convention. A familiar byline among Florida Baptist readers, she has served in a freelance capacity with the convention for years. She started in the new role today (April 1).
Her move follows the March 31 retirement of Barbara Denman from the position. Denman initially retired in 2017 as the state convention’s communications director and returned in 2019 to lead a network of writers across the state to report on stories of the state convention’s missions and ministry contributions.
Micah Ferguson, director of the convention’s strategic initiatives, oversees the communications team. “We know that God continues moving through the churches of our convention, and our writers continue to capture these stories every month,” he said in a March 31 article on the Florida Baptist Convention website.
Tommy Green, executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, said in the March 31 article, “Margaret Colson has been involved in telling the Florida Baptist story for many years. We are extremely confident she will continue raising the bar of excellence in sharing what God is doing through Florida Baptist churches.”
‘Unexpected opportunity’
As Colson takes the reins to lead the communications efforts in the state, she anticipates mentoring the writers as well as providing coverage of news and feature stories related to the convention and overseeing the newsroom for the convention’s annual meeting.
“God presented me with this unexpected opportunity in Florida, and I am committed to honoring Him as I move forward prayerfully to serve Florida Baptists,” she said. “I believe God has used the years of my denominational communications career and the many relationships I have developed to prepare me for this opportunity.”
Colson has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master of divinity and doctor of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She currently serves as executive director of Baptist Communicators Association (2008 to present) and executive secretary of Association of State Baptist Publications (2019 to present).
Colson also has worked in a variety of other denominational communications roles through the years including serving with the then-Home Mission Board in the 1980s and 1990s and, in recent years, with several state papers — “The Alabama Baptist,” “Arkansas Baptist News” and “Illinois Baptists.” She also served on the team that launched The Baptist Paper in May 2021.
Florida’s state paper — the Florida Baptist Witness — was dissolved by its board of directors in August 2017 and became a ministry of the state convention at that time.
“I have the utmost respect for Florida Baptist leaders, and I’m grateful that they are putting their confidence in me as I continue the tradition of Florida Baptist communications excellence,” she said.
Jennifer Rash, editor-in-chief of The Alabama Baptist and The Baptist Paper, said Colson will be a tremendous asset for Florida Baptists.
“Margaret has extensive experience in Southern Baptist journalism and communications as well as a heart to mentor and grow the next generation,” Rash said. “She’s a hard worker and brings thoughtful and creative energy to everything she does.”
