“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” George MacDonald
Early in 1979, I made the rounds at the Baptist Building in downtown Oklahoma City, at that time the home of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (Oklahoma Baptists). I went from department to department introducing myself and showing my portfolio. Having recently studied for the youth ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Religious Education Department was the first to embrace me. I designed the logo for the 1979 State Youth Evangelism Conference. I also designed promotional materials and led a graphic design workshop at a Youth Vocations Conference in October.
Soon, more projects for the convention and its entities came my way from the Church Music Department, Baptist Foundation, Baptist Messenger and others. For 10 years, beginning in 1998, I designed promotional materials for the State Missions Offering, twice winning awards from the Baptist Communicators Association. Beginning in 2011, I spent five years creating materials promoting the Cooperative Program. Later, I designed fundraising materials for the Falls Creek Centennial Campaign and the construction of the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief facility in Okarche and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry building on the campus of OU. Almost $14 million was raised for these three projects which were all completed debt-free.
In recent years, I designed three books for the convention (two of them First Place award winners) and materials for the Worship and Music Department promoting the concert seasons for its five music groups.
Here are some favorite projects through the years.
The theme logo for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s 1979 Youth Evangelism Conference was the first project I did for the convention.
The logo for the Church Music Department was designed in 1982.
An inside spread from the 1986 Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma’s Annual Report.
Cover of a Baptist Foundation brochure for church building loans designed in 1991.
The Oklahoma Baptist Messenger redesigned from a magazine to a newspaper format in 1996.
For 10 years, I designed the printed pieces associated with the annual Oklahoma State Missions Offering. The 2004 campaign received a First Place Award from the Baptist Communicators Association. Click the image to see examples from all 10 years.
The Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention is how its thousands of independent churches work together to increase their global impact. From 2011-2016, I created materials to promote CP in Oklahoma.
From 2014-2016, fundraising materials were designed to "Complete the Journey" for the Falls Creek Centennial Campaign.
In 2015, fundraising materials were designed for the Oklahoma Disaster Relief Ministry to build a facility to house its equipment and function as a training and operations center.
In 2015, fundraising materials were designed for a new Baptist Collegiate Ministries building on the University of Oklahoma campus.
In conjunction with the 100 Year Anniversary of the Falls Creek Conference Center a coffee table-size book was designed in 2016.
To celebrate and chronicle the first 60 years of The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma an oversize book with a detailed history, inspirational stories and more than 450 photographs was designed in 2020.
Programs and press kits were designed for Oklahoma Baptists Worship & Music's five music groups to promote their 2022 through 2024 concert seasons.
As I reflect on my 45-year relationship with Oklahoma Baptists, I can’t help but be eternally grateful for their continuing trust in me.