The BBFI Central Office was announced during the September 2022 National BBFI Meeting in Springfield, MO, and officially launched on January 1, 2023. It is the result of a multi-year strategic planning exercise completed by the BBFI Executive Committee and Entity Leaders. Randy Harp currently serves as the executive director of the BBFI Central Office.

To help understand this new office, it is good to answer a few basic questions: why, what and how.

Why Does the BBFI Need a Central Office?

The BBFI has always been led by volunteers, meaning the work of the BBFI has always been secondary to their work in their local church, as it should be. The challenge to an organization's size and scope of the BBFI being led by volunteers is that there are times when things slip through the cracks or are not followed up on as they should be. There is a need for a central office fully dedicated to serving the essentials of the BBFI as a whole.

Most everyone would agree that the greatest strength of the BBFI is the missions program. One of the reasons why BBFI Missions is the absolute best is because there is a mission office completely devoted to missionary efforts. There is a need for a central office equally devoted to helping strengthen pastors and churches here in America.

The world needs the BBFI to be healthy. There are more people in our world living apart from Christ today than at any time in history. As the world’s population grows, the BBFI missionary force is in decline. As the United States population grows, domestic church planting is near critical. As the need grows, fewer and fewer young people are surrendering to full-time vocational ministry and attending BBFI colleges. There is a need for a central office to help strengthen the BBFI.

The primary motivation for the Central Office is not the need but rather the incredible opportunity that lies ahead. As rich as the BBFI’s history is, the potential for future fruit far surpasses that of its past.

The purpose of the BBFI Central Office is to serve and strengthen the pastors and churches of the BBFI as they fulfill the Great Commission.

What Does the BBFI Central Office Do?

 The BBFI Central Office serves at the pleasure of the BBFI Executive Committee. It has no authority over any other BBFI entity. With that said, there are five specific areas where the Central Office will focus its attention. Moving forward, these areas have been identified as the greatest needs in the BBFI.

•  Working with State Fellowships

This includes onboarding new state representatives and continual training of existing state representatives. This is accomplished through bimonthly Zoom calls, an annual state rep advance (in-person gathering), and one-on-one meetings and conversations.

• Coordinating regional and national conferences/fellowship meetings

This includes organizing, promoting, and implementing regional conferences. This is both in-person and virtual conferences. This also includes working alongside the BBFI Executive Committee and host pastors to organize, promote, and implement national Fellowship meetings. 

• Assisting with church planting and church revitalization

This includes working with the BBFI 3rd Vice-President to recruit new church planters, participate in the APEX church planter assessment, and train church planters. This also includes working with the BBFI 4th Vice-President to develop resources and provide opportunities for training in the area of church development and revitalization. This also includes assisting local churches through church consultations.  

• Communicating what God is doing in and through the BBFI

This includes digital communication via multiple websites, social media, and emails. This also includes digital communication through podcasts, webinars, and Zoom calls. This also includes relaunching Tribune Publishers to provide resources written by and for BBFI pastors, missionaries, and churches.  

• Networking within and outside of the BBFI

This includes networking in three specific areas. First, the Central Office will continue to network with local churches. This includes recruiting new churches to join the BBFI efforts, working with pulpit committees to ensure a local church hires a new pastor loyal to the BBFI, and preaching in churches around the country to promote the BBFI. Second, the Central Office will network with parachurch ministries. This includes establishing relationships with like-minded ministries that align with and strengthen BBFI pastors and churches. Finally, there is corporate networking. This includes establishing corporate partners that serve the BBFI, such as Logos Bible Software, GuideStone Retirement, and Clear Price Health. Click here to see a listing of BBFI corporate partners.

Ultimately, the BBFI Central Office exists to serve pastors, churches, and missionaries of the BBFI.  

How Does the BBFI Central Office Accomplish This

The Central Office is dependent upon financial support and partnership from local churches, businesses, and corporate partners. An investment in the BBFI Central Office is an investment in pastors, missionaries, church planters, church staff, and ultimately to, every member of a BBFI church.