State Fair ministry leads to 494 professions of faith

By Tony Martin
Editor

Mississippi Baptists made an impact on fairgoers during the 2025 Mississippi State Fair held in Jackson October 3 – 13. During that period, 179 volunteers held 3005 gospel conversations. There were 494 fair visitors who prayed to receive Christ.

“It was in 2021 when we had our first opportunity to come to the State Fair following the COVID times,” said Don Lum, director of Evangelism at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. “We were invited to come to be a part of the State Fair ministry. We can definitely see the rewards of it in the time that we’ve been there in a number of ways. First of all, this year we shared Jesus with 3005 people, and that’s the people that filled out cards, that doesn’t include the number of times we talked to people who chose not to fill out a card.” 

The Evangelism department strategically sets up a tent on the midway where thousands of people pass by. Those that pass through the tent are asked to fill out a card and hear a three-minute Gospel presentation given by volunteers.

“We shared Jesus with a lot of people who didn’t fill out cards. We had a lot of good Gospel conversations with folks outside the tent,” said Lum. “Of course, any time we started talking with them and they then began to take the lead in the conversation or start asking questions, that three minutes can turn into much longer because they initiate that extra time.”

Volunteers came from all over Mississippi and even outside the state. 

“This is my third time to do this,” said Mike Sullivan, a member of First Church, Madison. “People need to hear this, to hear about Jesus. I’m an introvert, but I just say, ‘Are you interested in hearing about God? He wants you to seek Him. We can just go from there.”

Marty Windham is a member of Goodwater Church in Magee. He is retired military.

“I got a license for ministry at Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon in 2005,” Windham said. “I was in a position where I couldn’t commit to a lot of things. But God didn’t call me to be a pastor. He called me to be a catcher of the harvest, which is a fabulous job.

“I want to get into evangelism,” Windham continued. He stated that he had done rodeo ministry in Wyoming twice prior to the fair. 

“I just led someone to Christ,” Windham said. “His wife knew Jesus, but he didn’t. That was my second person to lead to Christ.” It was his second day serving at the fair. 

One out of state volunteer was Frank Ley from Worland, Wyoming. 

“The National High School Rodeo comes to Wyoming, Nebraska, other places,” Ley said. “We started a rodeo ministry a few years ago where we give away a four-wheeler, a side-by-side, things like that.

“All folks have to do is give us three minutes of their time,” Ley continued. “They listen to the Gospel in exchange for entering a drawing.” The same basic model is used for the Mississippi fair ministry. 

“We understand that those people are hurting,” Ley said. “They’re looking in the wrong places for hope.”

Tom Watts, from First Church, Columbia, is a fair veteran. 

“This is my fifth or sixth time here,” Watts said. “I just had a chance to share my faith. There was a man in a wheelchair here. He was here with his daughter and family. I pulled up a chair so I could be on his level. I talked to him and he was a Christian. I got through talking to him and then shared with them after praying with him. Two of the four said yes to Jesus. You should have seen their little faces.

“I guess my talent is getting down on people’s level,” Watts said. “I’m retired, but I’ve always been the guy that dressed up in the costume for the kindergartners.”

“We give folks an opportunity to come to the fair and share Jesus. Of course, we are all commanded to do that. We know that that’s what the Bible tells us. This is a way they can actually come and share their faith with people in a really good environment,” said Lum.

The fair ministry is supported by gifts to the Cooperative Program. For more information, contact Lum at dlum@mbcb.org or Linda Burris at lburris@mbcb.org.