October 1, 2026
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Beverly Skinner has stepped down from her role as the Collegiate Catalyst of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, leaving with gratitude for the past and confidence in the future of ministry to college students across the state.
Skinner, who began serving with the GBMB in February 2014, said she is grateful for the opportunity to have served Georgia Baptists and to have been part of a ministry that is seeing growth on campuses across the state.
Skinner first joined the GBMB as the young women and women’s ministry consultant for Georgia Baptist Women. Before that, she had spent years serving in Baptist Collegiate Ministry and said she was glad to apply what she learned from working with students in a different ministry context.
“However, my original calling to collegiate ministry never faded,” Skinner said. “I was thankful when God opened an opportunity for me to return to collegiate ministry in 2022 as the collegiate ministry catalyst for GBMB.”
Since then, Skinner has helped lead Georgia BCM through a season of transition, changing staff structures, expanded volunteer-led ministries, and renewed emphasis on the mission that has guided collegiate ministry in Georgia for more than a century.
“The mission of BCM to reach, disciple, and send students has not changed in the last 101 years of ministry in Georgia,” Skinner said. “Yet, with every changing generation, there is a need to clarify and communicate the mission with relevance.”
Skinner said she invested significant time in articulating BCM’s priorities and goals in a way that brought clarity to the statewide team.
“I am proud that we have remained faithful to our priorities of evangelism, discipleship, missions, church involvement, and leadership development,” she said.
The ministry has seen measurable growth in recent years. Over the last four years, average weekly attendance at BCMs across the state has increased by 21%, Skinner said. The number of students coming to faith in Christ is up 37% this year compared with four years ago. The number of students serving with Send Me Now missions has increased 69%, and attendance at Confluence (the annual BCM conference) has doubled.
BCM also has been part of the sale and redevelopment of three campus ministry buildings. Skinner said the new facilities will create significant new opportunities for ministry and serve students for generations to come. Georgia Southern University BCM opened its new facility this semester, drawing more than 300 students to its first worship gathering in the space. Other redevelopment projects are underway at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.
Skinner said one of the most meaningful developments during her time in the role has been the continued commitment of Georgia Baptists to ministry on college campuses. “Georgia Baptists across the state understand the Kingdom-critical importance of Baptist Collegiate Ministry and remain fiercely committed to on-campus ministries,” she said.
That commitment is evident on some of the state’s largest campuses through investments in new facilities, she said, but it is not limited to those campuses.
“On every campus where we have BCM, we are seeing growth in the number of students engaged, students sharing their faith, students surrendering to Christ, students serving in local churches, and students going on mission,” Skinner said. “As I retire, there is nothing that brings me more joy than the confidence I have that Georgia Baptists are committed to ministry on all Georgia campuses. I am very optimistic about the future of Georgia BCM!”
Skinner’s leadership also came during a time when the BCM staff structure shifted across the state. She said there are fewer full-time staff members than there once were, but there has been an increase in volunteer campus ministers and campus missionaries serving on the team. “We’ve expanded our volunteer-led ministries and have been able to add a contract consultant to work specifically with those volunteer campus ministers,” she said. “Her consistency with those volunteers has made all the difference in growing this strategy.”
Mark Marshall, senior lead strategist for church strengthening for the GBMB, said Skinner’s leadership strengthened both the BCM team and the campuses it serves.
“It has been an honor to work with Beverly and to see her unmatched passion for BCM,” Marshall said. “Beverly brought her best to work every day. Her leadership of the BCM team and this ministry has been a valuable asset to the entire Church Strengthening team, and certainly to the campuses served. She will be missed.”
Campus ministers across the state said Skinner brought stability, humility, and clarity to the role.
David Williams, BCM campus minister at Valdosta State University, said Skinner stepped into the position at the right time.
“When I think about Mrs. Beverly, I think that God put her in the role for ‘such a time as this,’” Williams said. “She stepped into a role that required the balance of a strong hand with a gentle touch, which she fulfilled gracefully. I am grateful for her leadership in GBMB BCM.”
Keith Wade, BCM campus minister at the University of North Georgia, said Skinner led with grace and humility while pushing the statewide team toward excellence.
“She knew the responsibility was immense, and she wanted us to strive for excellence in everything we did, whether it was for Confluence, Send Me Now, or on our campuses,” Wade said. “She encouraged us to always give our best.”
Skinner cared deeply for campus ministers, not only in their work but also in their personal lives, Wade said. "In the end, she made us all better campus ministers because she truly understood the world we navigate every day. She led with humility, grace, and a constant push toward excellence.”
Tommy Fountain Jr., BCM campus minister at the University of Georgia, said Skinner's background and skills made her the right leader during a season of major transition. “We needed someone who not only understood the history and intricacies of the world of BCM but also communicated and executed clearly the vision of our state office,” he said.
Skinner understood both the role of campus ministry and its connection to local churches. "We needed someone who understood not only the important role of our ministries on our campuses," he said, "but also emphasized our role in strengthening our local churches and connecting church-based and campus-based ministries to encourage and strengthen one another."
"We are better as a statewide collegiate ministry because of Beverly,” Fountain said.
Skinner said the “abundance” of the past year stands out as one of the most memorable parts of her time in the collegiate ministry role. In the last 12 months, BCM has seen record attendance at Confluence, the largest group of Send Me Now missionaries in many years, and the largest group of campus missionaries in quite a while.
“These are all indicators of God’s blessing on the work of BCM,” Skinner said, “and I will always be grateful to have been a part of it.”
Skinner said the decision to step down came after prayer and discernment with her husband, who has been retired for several years.
“Quite simply, the Lord has shown my husband and me this is the time for me to step down,” she said. “It is our desire to continue to serve together, and we look forward to exploring how and where God will lead us.”
Skinner said she hopes people focus on what God is doing through Georgia BCM. “I am just grateful to have been a part of this work and am honored the Lord would use me this way over these years.”
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