Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

MS Baptists launch multicultural ministries department

  • March 18, 2023
  • Mississippi's The Baptist Record
  • Church Life, Latest News, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas
Paula Smith (right), director of the multicultural ministries department at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, talks with department ministry assistant Janet McIlwain in their office in Jackson.
(Photo courtesy of The Baptist Record)

MS Baptists launch multicultural ministries department

Paula Smith has been settling into her job as the first director of the newest department at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) — the multicultural ministries department.

The department will work cross-culturally throughout Mississippi to touch lives with the gospel message.

“My thoughts for this department are to strengthen the churches that we have now — African-American churches, Hispanic churches, Chinese, Korean, Choctaw churches,” Smith noted, “and start new churches hand in hand with the [MBCB] church planting department.”

Ministry goals

One of Smith’s immediate goals is to plant a church for the deaf. Another goal is to utilize the department to help the predominantly “Anglo” churches of the Mississippi Baptist Convention minister to other ethnic groups.

“How do we reach out and welcome internationals? What is an effective multicultural ministry? We will focus on raising up multicultural leaders,” she said. “Looking at five-year periods of time, we’d like to have these measured goals.”

Such work is not new to Smith, who formerly served as a career missionary to Uruguay with Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board. “What I’m doing now, I had actually been doing out of my house,” she said. “I was working with what was called the Intercultural Fellowship, which was started by a man from Iran.

“I started having meetings in my house on Friday nights. There was a little network of people in their 20’s and 30’s who just got together to pray. We’d invite people in our ESL classes, college students, just whoever. That’s what God was calling me to do,” she said.

In April 2022, Smith was invited to serve as a ministry assistant in the new multicultural ministries department. She had worked previously at the convention board in the Mississippi Woman’s Missionary Union and the graphic arts department.

The multicultural ministries directorship seemed like a natural fit to Smith when Shawn Parker, MBCB executive director-treasurer, approached her about the position.

“I’d be doing this if it wasn’t my job,” she noted.

The department will be providing resources and strategists to assist churches in those ministry areas as well as for special needs adults and Chinese and Korean churches.

Smith is a graduate of William Carey University in Hattiesburg and Clarke College, and she received a master’s degree in religious education as well at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

She served as minister of education at First Baptist Church Greenwood; First Baptist Church, Water Valley; minister of education/youth at Flowood Baptist Church, Flowood; and minister of youth at North Carrollton Church, North Carrollton.

She also participated in summer missions to Israel, Massachusetts, Texas and at Garaywa Camp and Conference Center in Clinton and Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.

“God called me as a missionary when I was 12,” Smith said. “It’s a delight for me to serve in this role. It gives me pure joy.”

For more information, Smith can be contacted at psmith@mbcb.org.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tony Martin and originally published by The Baptist Record.

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • First person: Working through seasons of change
    First person: Working through seasons of change
    July 18, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Sports for the Nations uses recreational gifts for the gospel
    Sports for the Nations uses recreational gifts for the gospel
    July 18, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Illinois Baptist summer camps set record with 2 camps remaining
    Illinois Baptist summer camps set record with 2 camps remaining
    July 18, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

First person: Working through seasons of change

Nothing is scarier than change. Well, maybe spiders are scarier, but I digress.

Sports for the Nations uses recreational gifts for the gospel

“We believe that sports are a gift from God to reach others,” said Alejandro Lopez.

Illinois Baptist summer camps set record with 2 camps remaining

This week, Michael Awbrey, Illinois Baptist State Association’s leadership development director, recently announced IBSA Summer Camps have set a record high attendance level — and the summer camp season isn’t even finished.

Memories of closed theme park open ‘floodgates’ for music minister

When Joseph Hudson was called as minister of music at First Baptist Church in Cleveland, S.C., in 2010, he wanted to get to know the members of his new congregation.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel