July 19, 2025
VALDOSTA, Ga. — What began as a bold prayer turned into a movement of God that forever changed lives at Valdosta State University.
In the summer of 2023, Baptist Campus Minister David Williams began praying what seemed like an impossible prayer: that 100 students would come to faith in Christ during the academic year. "I thought it was a crazy, unrealistic prayer to pray," Williams admitted. "But God reminded me that it isn’t actually that big a request for Him."
By the end of the school year, 101 students had surrendered their lives to Christ.
"We didn’t do anything practically different," Williams said. "We just prayed specifically, and the Lord answered. Whenever God would do something incredible, we said, 'Go Jesus.' That became our motto."
Mainea Jackson, a nursing major entering her junior year, recalled being surprised by the prayer goal when it was first shared. “I thought, ‘wow, that’s a lot of people,’” she said. “I didn’t know how we were going to get there.” But as the count began rising, she saw the impact of faith-fueled prayer. “It made us rely on the God who can do the impossible and not on mere human strength,” she said. Jackson said the environment of prayer created openness to the gospel among students and deepened her own faith. “God has really opened my eyes to have compassion on the crowds, the lost, those spiritually thirsty,” she added. The experience has even prompted her to consider using her future career in nursing on the mission field.
Nathan Strom, a healthcare science major, was stirred to prayer by William’s challenge. "My first thought when David said he wanted 100 people was that I felt challenged, but I believed God was able," Strom said. "I began praying consistently for God to bring 100 students to Himself. This has encouraged me to be bold about living out my faith and sharing it."
Emma Northrip, another student leader, said the goal of 100 salvations initially felt daunting. "But seeing the impact we had on the people around campus just impacted me immensely," she said. "Our fervent prayer and active participation in going out and sharing who God is and His love for these people is what made the difference."
Northrip said her own faith grew deeper through the experience. "I’ve stepped out and learned what it means to be bold and intentional with God. I’ve felt so close to Him and seen how good and powerful He is."
Conner Knuckles, who served as a campus missionary, described her initial reaction. "I was taken aback. One hundred salvations is a large goal. But God loves when we ask for what seems impossible," she said. "I have seen lives completely changed because we took five minutes to share the gospel and gave students a chance to respond."
Outreach Wednesdays are a key part of the BCM’s evangelistic rhythm. Each week, 12 to 20 students gather to pray and go out on campus, sharing the gospel with fellow students. That consistency, coupled with a sense of mission, gave rise to a campus-wide gospel initiative.
For Williams, the emphasis was always on names, not numbers. "Though we all had our doubts, we knew we had a goal. But the number is not as important as the people—what Christ is doing in each person's life.'
The impact extended beyond campus. Students shared the gospel in restaurants and public spaces. A girl on her way to a math class was stopped and heard the gospel—she prayed to receive Christ right then and later joined BCM leadership.
For student Mark Warner, who graduated in spring 2025 with a degree in computer science, the challenge to pray for 100 salvations helped align his heart with God's purposes. He credits the BCM’s outreach-minded community and the encouragement to step outside comfort zones as key motivators for student evangelism. “It has shaped my faith by forcing me to know what I believe and why I believe it,” he said.
Williams emphasized that decisions for Christ are just the beginning, not the finish line. “It’s important when we get a new believer to hand them off to the local church,” he said. “BCM is not a church, and they need to join the church, be baptized in the local church, and grow there.” He explained that Baptist Collegiate Ministry exists to reach students with the gospel, but discipleship must continue in the context of a church family where believers can be nurtured, equipped, and sent out to serve.
Williams is already praying and preparing for what’s next. With 6,000 students on campus weekly, he’s asking the Lord for a new vision: that every student would hear the gospel at least once in the coming year.
"This is not beyond what the Lord can do," he said. "Many times, I’ve asked, 'Am I crazy?' And the often repeated verse comes to mind: 'Is anything too hard for the Lord?' The answer is no."
Williams and the students of Valdosta State BCM recognize the 101 salvations were not the result of strategy, but of the Lord’s hand. “I am in awe of all that God has done,” Knuckles said. “I still cannot believe He let me witness it and be a very small part of it.”
