Soon after C.J. Boone got involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Oklahoma State University, he felt the Lord leading him into ministry. After graduating with a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering in December 2019, he became a staff member with OSU BCM.
Boone grew up in Grove and made a profession of faith in Christ at the age of 13 at Grand Lake Assembly.
“It was during worship that I realized that nothing I could do could make up for my sins and that the only way to have a right relationship with God was through His Son,” Boone recalled.
‘On mission for the campus’
A member of First Baptist Church Delaware, he graduated from Grove High School in 2015 and started his college education at OSU.
“We are on mission for the campus of OSU, for the students to know and love Jesus,” said Boone, who is a campus missionary through the North American Mission Board.
He is the freshman recruitment coordinator for the BCM, which means he visits churches and church camps over the summer, meeting students who will be going to Stillwater for school in the fall.
“I introduce them to current students who are a part of the BCM to give them a familiar face when they come on campus,” Boone said. “We also meet students during new student orientations at OSU.
Boone said the BCM, as a whole, is constantly reaching out to students and helping them follow Jesus through discipleship, evangelism and leadership development.
“We also send students on stateside and international missions during the summer,” Boone noted. “This summer we are sending students to New York City to work with a church plant there, and a team will be going to Berlin, Germany, to work with Afghan refugees there. We also work with Oklahoma Disaster Relief when opportunities arise.”
From pizza giveaways to worship
Boone said he, along with the students he meets one-on-one, as well as many other students, often go on campus and share the gospel with students.
“We also hold large group worship and teaching services once a week and have small group Bible studies throughout the week,” he said. “We hold events to reach out to students — like pizza giveaways, volleyball tournaments, worship nights and much more.”
Boone, who is the secretary of the OSU Interfaith Council, said the ministry at OSU would not be where it is today if it weren’t for the incredible leaders who have such a heart for the campus and seeing students know and follow Jesus.
Boone and his wife, Darci, whom he met at the OSU BCM, were married in May 2021.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the gospel together.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was written by Dana Williamson, and was originally published by The Baptist Messenger, newsjournal for Oklahoma Baptists.