By Lindsey Williams
Writing specialist
For the first time in six years, Royal Ambassadors held an exciting RA Day and “RA Racers” tournament at Garaywa Camp and Conference Center in Clinton.
Royal Ambassadors, better known as “RAs,” is a missions-focused program for boys in grades 1-6, under the wing of the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), alongside Girls in Action (GAs) and Mission Friends. The goal of RAs, GAs and Mission Friends is to teach kids how to live on mission for Christ.
Royal Ambassadors, however, is diminishing within the state. Of the more than 2,000 Mississippi Baptist churches, only about 80 have an RA ministry. Justin Craft hopes to change that.
Last October, Craft jumped on board this relaunch effort as the first part-time RA and Challengers consultant with the WMU and Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB). Craft is senior pastor of Trinity Church in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and has had a heart for discipleship since his youth, when he aided his RA leader with teaching the younger boys in his home church, Dry Creek Church in Magee.
“RAs is a great and needed ministry,” said Craft in his session at the 2025 Equipping Leaders Conference. “It’s where I learned about missions and began to receive my call to be a pastor.”
The problem, Craft explained, is a lack of male leaders and material. In the past, curriculum could be confusing and complicated, but the national WMU team has worked to create and update the material to be practical and adaptable to the strengths of each RA group and its leaders.
Craft acknowledged that the task of leading these ministries can be daunting, but RA leaders are not expected to hold Ph.D.s in biblical studies. They are simply required to be godly men who love Jesus. The everyday man can show boys how to live for Christ every day.
“My preaching professor in seminary said, ‘When you get up there to preach a sermon, you are your own editor,’” said Craft. “That’s the same for our RA leaders. Learn about missions, pray for missions, support missions, do missions. It’s all about Jesus. But how you carry those lessons out is your ballgame. Live it out and take ownership of it.”
RA leaders are encouraged to adjust the details of ministry to fit the personalities and interests of their boys. The “extreme” level of RAs functions like a “Christian Boy Scouts.” Boys receive a vest and earn badges as they learn about missions and take action. Most boys learn by doing and being active; Craft urged leaders to lean into that and center lessons around activities and turn those activities into living illustrations.
Doors to discipleship
Craft encouraged RA leaders to take a page from his own story. “Just like my RA leader did, bring other young men alongside you and mentor them. If they show leadership skills, equip them. Equipping someone means giving them the right tools to do the job.
“Use your RA ministry as a springboard to teach these young boys about missions. Allow and show your boys how to serve. Our RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends program at Trinity takes the kids to help in nursing homes, collect donation items, prayer-walk, do yard cleanups, build birdhouses to sell for mission offerings, and things like that. Service is going to look different for each RA ministry, based on your context and community, but think outside the box about what missions look like.”
RA Day at Camp Garaywa
This September, RAs competed with their carefully crafted and daringly decorated RA Racers — wooden cars that Royal Ambassadors piece together, paint and prepare for the track.
“We went into this day with the mindset of, ‘This is the first one we have had since 2019, so the sky is the limit!’” said Craft. “It was a great turnout, a lot of excitement, and a lot of fun.”
The RAs had four opportunities to earn badges during the day: building their own racer, learning to tie a knot, joining a scavenger hunt, and meeting and listening to a guest missionary from Guatemala. Craft also led a breakout geared toward encouraging the RA leaders in their ministry.
The plan in motion is to continue hosting an RA Day every year.
“We hope with each year to improve the event and increase the attendance,” Craft said, “but this RA Day generated a lot of excitement, and everybody had fun, which is what we wanted. Over time, we are looking to rebuild RAs in our state and encourage our RA leaders as we do so. Sometimes leaders get stuck in a rhythm and just need a little spark of excitement and to hear they’re doing a great job.
“Biblical masculinity is under attack in our country. People need to see godly men who love the Lord. Our RA leader, Nick, is a maintenance guy who loves Jesus and loves his family, and he does a good job at what he does. Kids need to see that.”
