2025-26 BCA History
Meetings
- Virtual Board Meetings:
- Summer: May 30, 2025
- Fall: September 12; October 29, 2025
- Winter: January 30, 2026
- Spring: March 30, 2026
- 12th Annual Fall Forum: November 6, 2025, North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, GA
- 71st Annual Workshop: April 13-17, 2026, The Admiral Hotel, Mobile, AL
- 62nd Annual Awards Ceremony: April 22, 2026, The Oyster House, Spanish Fort, AL
Officers
- President: Brandon Elrod, North American Mission Board
- President-Elect: Kathleen Sparks, International Mission Board
- Past President: Bobby Puffenburger, Bay Leaf Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
- Program Vice President: Amanda Smith, First Baptist Church, Montgomery, Ala.
- Program Vice President-Elect: Shannon Baker, Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey
- Membership Vice President: Mitchell Bruce, Alabama State Board of Missions/The Baptist Foundation of Alabama
- Professional Development Coordinator: Sonya Singh, California Baptist University
- Treasurer: Judy Bates, JSB Business Services
- Communications Vice President: Macala Mays, Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey
- Awards Chairman: Lisa Misner, Illinois Baptist State Association
- Awards Chairman-Elect: Myriah Snyder, Lifeway Christian Resources
- Historian: Cam Tracy, Union University
- Executive Director: Margaret Colson
Lifetime Members Inducted
Workshop Recap
Baptist communicators honor history, welcome firsts at annual workshop
By Macala Mays & Alice Hobbs
MOBILE, AL (BCA) – Fences decorated in colorful beads and sprawling branches from well-seasoned live oak trees welcomed more than 70 Baptist communicators to the historic streets of Mobile April 13-17 for the Baptist Communicators Association’s (BCA) 71st annual spring workshop.
In keeping with this year’s workshop theme “Full Steam Ahead,” BCA members looked into the future of collaborative communications as they officially welcomed the Association of State Baptist Publications (ASBP) as a division under BCA, joining the two groups and their meetings for the first time.
Colson marks 46 years in Baptist communications with ‘semi-colon,’ embraces future story ahead
By Lonnie Wilkey
MOBILE, AL (BCA) – A love of writing as a teenager sparked a passion and calling which has lasted a lifetime for Baptist communicator Margaret Dempsey Colson.
Though she vows to “never stop writing,” Colson officially retired in April after a distinguished 46-year career in Southern Baptist communications.
Awards
- Arthur S. Davenport Award for Exceptional Achievement in Public Relations:
California Baptist University for "A CBU Christmas 2025" - Diane Reasoner Award for Exceptional Achievement in Interactive Communications:
Cassidy Higgins of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention for "God’s Movement Across Arkansas BCM" - M.E. Dodd Award for Exceptional Achievement in Audio-Visual Communications:
Chrystelle Thames and Emily-Kate Ford of The Baptist Children’s Village for "Baptist Children’s Village and Family Ministries Continuum of Care - Short" - Fon H. Scofield Award for Exceptional Achievement in Publication Photography:
Max Powers of the International Mission Board for "Week of Prayer" - Frank Burkhalter Award for Exceptional Achievement in News Writing:
Chad Austin of the Biblical Recorder for "Faith on the Field" - Leonard Holloway Award for Exceptional Achievement in Feature Writing:
Eric Reed of Illinois Baptist for "Ukraine: 3 years on" - Albert McClellan Award for Exceptional Achievement in Print Media and Design:
René Zimny of Zimny Media for "Ampersand Calendar"