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Minister of Students Jaymi Blankenship
Jaymi
Blankenship has been the Minister of Students here at Mayfield Road
Baptist Church
since May 2007. He was involved in
student ministry at Connell Baptist Church
in Fort Worth, Texas, before coming here. He has also been on staff at Third Street
Baptist Church
in Arkadelphia, Arkansas as the Family Life Center
Director.
Jaymi
was born in Peoria, Illinois,
and lived in Alaska
until his junior year of high school.
He graduated from Malvern High School in Malvern, Arkansas
in 1994. Jaymi spent a year at Ouachita Baptist
University before transferring and
completing his bachelor degree in Church Recreation at Henderson State
University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He is currently pursuing his Masters of
Divinity with a concentration in Student Ministry from Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Fort Worth,
Texas, and is hoping to
graduate by May 2009.
Jaymi
has said that his salvation experience was a life-changing event.
On September 16,
1994, I hit the lowest point in my life.
I had been stripped of all my dignity. Without my knowledge I had a friend who
was praying for me. God took the time to make sure that in my lowest point
I would cross his path. This friend
confronted me and pointed out that God was not in control of my life but
the world was. God just wanted to be
in control; all that I had to do was pray.
This was my prayer: I admit to God that I am a sinner completely disobedient
to His word, then I proclaim that Jesus Christ died for me, and now I
commit my life to God in completeness to love God with all my heart in turn
to love others the same and to go make disciples of all nations.
When
asked about his call to ministry Jaymi said,
During the summer
of 1996 I was working as a staffer for Super Summer Arkansas. Each evening I had the privilege of
listening to Louie Giglio speak.
During the Wednesday evening service he was discussing the call of
changing other people’s lives and how that important for all believers to
accept and do. The next morning in
my devotional time my passage of scripture was 1 Peter 2. In the verses 9-25, it became very
apparent that I was called to the ministry.
As all believers have a roll in God’s ministry.
Jaymi
felt that it was very obvious that God was calling my wife and I to Mayfield Road Baptist
Church during the
interview process. He was confident
that there was a clear agreement of biblical understanding. Jaymi said he was encouraged that the
idea of student ministry reaching students, parents, and equipping others
in student ministry was important to the church. He also knew there was an overwhelming
sense of God being able to use his family at Mayfield Road
Baptist Church.
Jaymi’s
favorite scripture is Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ;
and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave Himself up for me.” His
favorite biblical passage is the story of the prodigal son in Luke
15:11-32.
Jaymi
says that the 2nd best day in his life was the day he married
Kara on May 20, 2006 at First Baptist Church
in Decatur, Arkansas. They currently have no children.
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