The BASICS OF BCM
Who We Are & How We are Supported
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Walters State is supported and supervised by the Nolachucky Baptist Association of churches. The Nolachucky Association is made up of nearly 60 Southern Baptist Churches in Hamblen County and the surrounding Lakeway area. BCM is by no means unique to Walters State. There are hundreds of similar ministries on campuses scattered across America. The BCM at Walters State is locally governed and supported, but is loosely associated with the network of BCMs across the state of Tennessee. It is a recognized and affiliated student club at Walters State with a faculty advisor, but is a separate entity from the college. The BCM property is connected to the campus and accessed from campus, but is not owned by the college or on the campus proper.
A Little History
Some form of Baptist Ministry to the students of Walters State has existed almost from the beginning point of the College itself. Students had organized a small Christian club in the first years of the college's existence. This group of students quickly became aware that there was a preexisting network of Baptist Campus Ministry in Tennessee at that time called Baptist Student Union. They transitioned into officially being a BSU and a campus minister was hired to lead the program. Through the 1970's and first half of the 1980's the BSU director and the BSU ministry worked out of a small space on campus. By the second half of the 1980's the building was completed overlooking the baseball field on the south end of the campus. In the 2000's all Baptist Student Unions in Tennessee converted to the name Baptist Collegiate Ministry. In recent years all things BCM at Walters State have also transitioned from partnership ministry between the state convention and the local association to primary ownership by the local association. Through all of those many years literally thousands of students have participated in BCM (BSU) at Walters State Community College.
The Campus Minister
Damon Billings
BCM Director
Damon has been the BCM Director for Walters State since around 2000. He has been married to his wife Shellie (Special Education Teacher) for over 25 years and they have three children all of whom are some form of teenager. He is a graduate of both Austin Peay State University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Damon grew up an Army Brat along with his older brothers. He takes great pleasure in all kinds of games (board, card, video), riding his motorcycle, and quality fiction (books, movies, etc.) He loves History, has way too many useless facts rolling around in his head, loves road trips, good food and tools (whether he needs them or not).
Partners & Friends
Nolachucky Baptist Association; This is our parent ministry and it is by the generous support of the churches of the NBA that the BCM is able to continue to minister to the students of Walters State.
SendTNmissions: This is the Tennessee collegiate missions program. In a regular year students from BCM programs across the state connect to summer missions and campus missionary positions through this programs sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
EastPoint Church: We receive great support from all the churches of the NBA, however EastPoint is mentioned here as a new church plant that actually meets at the BCM building on Sunday mornings.
