Few, if any, of those who organized the Georgia Baptist Student Union (later renamed the Baptist Collegiate Ministry) one hundred years ago had likely ever heard of Big Timber, Montana. Nor could they imagine that it would become a part of the living legacy of BCM a century later. That legacy includes two generations of Georgians who have been nurtured and shaped by the BCM.
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Joel and Wendi Murphy were two young college students at Georgia Tech when they met at the BSU in the 1990s. They were both pursuing degrees in engineering and were married by Warren Skinner, who was serving as the BSU director at Georgia Tech at the time. After finishing their degrees, they began their careers and became active in their local church as teachers and in other areas of service. Houston Baptist Church in Calhoun, Georgia, became their home church.
The couple had three sons, and Wendi transitioned to a full-time mom. Through a missions outreach ministry of the Gordon Baptist Association, God began to speak to them about a deeper commitment to life and service.
It was what eventually led them to Big Timber.
Through the years, the Murphys have maintained contact with many of their friends from Georgia Tech. In the summer of 2024, a Tech BCM reunion was held in Montana. As the planning developed for the gathering, it morphed into a mission trip.
A crew of 21 gathered from across the nation to support the work in Big Timber.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Charles Jones and originally published by the Christian Index.
