Through rain and shine, the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board’s evangelism tent at the Dixie National Rodeo witnessed God’s hand working at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson.
A total of 48 Mississippi Baptists shared the good news with 229 guests, of whom 13 gave their lives to Christ.
Boys and girls roamed the sights and sounds of the fairgrounds, and many stopped by the tent to visit during the Feb. 2–10 event. One boy distributed Bibles to everyone he came across, and brought friends to help, as well. Another boy, about 4 years old, enjoyed coming and going through the evangelism tent as he pleased. His parents were content to let him go, saying, “Oh, he’s over there with the Baptists.”
RELATED: Check out more stories on missions and ministry here.
The easygoing atmosphere is not only a great environment for believers to practice sharing the gospel, but also a comfortable place for people to hear the good news.
“We had a young man come in who was about 11 years old, and his family was there,” said Don Lum, MBCB’s Director of Evangelism. “He had visited us the year before, so when he came in, Jeff Walker (Pastor of Grace Church and a coordinator of the Evangelism tent) shared with him — and this year, the young man gave his life to Christ.
“At another time,” Lum shared, “we had a family come by, and the dad was about six-foot-five, really tall guy, with two sons and his wife with him. He was probably about 35 years old. Phyllis Malone (member of First Jackson) invited them to stop by the tent. We shared Jesus with the whole family and the dad gave his life to Jesus. With his sons and wife beside him, he was saved. He was ready to make that decision for Christ, and he left the tent different, and he left the fairgrounds saved.”
Being ‘where the people are’
“Our goal is to be out where the people are, and to provide an opportunity for our churches to share their faith,” Lum stated. “I’m grateful for Linda Burris (Ministry Assistant of the Evangelism Department), as she keeps everything behind the scenes straightened up and makes contacts with all our volunteers. She comes in and decorates the tent for our guests so that we can do the job that we’re able to do.
“I’m also so grateful for the volunteers who came down to work, and those that wanted to but couldn’t make it. It was wonderful to see God at work.”
The team will be back for the State Fair, October 3–13, 2024. “It’s a great opportunity for them to share their faith,” Lum said.
“The reality of it all is that it’s only good news if they hear it in time — and our goal is to be where the people are and share the gospel with them.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Lindsey Williams and originally published by the Baptist Record.
