Jeff Herring, Executive Editor
Since 1939, the Baptist Trumpet has faithfully connected our churches to the mission of the Baptist Missionary Association — informing, inspiring, and involving our people in the work of the gospel. Today, that mission continues across more than 213 churches and 5,400 readers each week — telling the story of what God is doing through our churches, missionaries, and ministries.
The Trumpet is not just a publication; it is a ministry. It strengthens our fellowship, preserves our history, and provides a consistent, trustworthy source of information for the people of the BMA. But this moment in our history feels different — our churches are busier, our communication is louder, and our connection to one another is easier to lose than ever before. And that difference demands our attention — and our action. Because what we don’t strengthen, we risk losing.
The Value of the Trumpet
If the Baptist Trumpet were to stop printing tomorrow, we would lose far more than a newspaper. We would lose a unifying voice — the heartbeat of our associational life and the thread that ties together every church, missionary, and ministry across the BMA.
The Trumpet is more than printed pages — it’s people. It’s the missionary on the field who knows someone back home is praying. It’s the small church that celebrates when a new mission point is planted. It’s the bivocational pastor who finds encouragement from a fellow BMA leader. It’s the student who reads about Central Baptist College and begins to see a place where God might call them to learn and serve.
Every missionary update, baptism report, and ministry story adds to our collective testimony, but more importantly, it stirs hearts to pray, to give, and to go. The Baptist Trumpet is our living archive, recording not just what we do, but who we are — a family of churches walking together in faith. That’s why the Trumpet still matters — not just for our association but for pastors who want to lead churches that stay connected to the mission God has called us to. Every issue gives pastors tools to strengthen missions awareness, deepen discipleship, and remind their people that they are part of something bigger than their own congregation.
Why It Still Matters
For many of our readers, the Trumpet is their only connection to the work of our association. They may not have email or social media, but they still pray faithfully, give sacrificially, and care deeply about what God is doing through our churches and missionaries. The Trumpet reaches where digital communication often falls short — into real lives and real moments of faith. From kitchen tables to pastors’ studies to small-town congregations, it keeps believers personally connected to the mission God has given us.
As one longtime subscriber recently shared, “The Trumpet keeps me connected to what God is doing, even when I can’t travel or attend meetings.”
For pastors, it provides a pulse on what’s happening across our churches — stories that encourage, resources that equip, and reminders that we’re part of something larger than ourselves. When your members stay connected through the Trumpet, they better understand where their missions dollars go, celebrate victories beyond their own walls, and become more engaged in your church’s mission efforts. And when your people are more engaged, your church becomes more unified and mission-minded.
While we continue to expand our digital presence, the printed Trumpet remains an irreplaceable ministry tool — connecting generations, preserving history, and sharing the gospel in tangible form.
The Reality We Face
Our current operating budget is $387,000, and we continue to serve over 5,400 subscribers each week. Though the budget remains lean, we continue to see God’s provision through faithful readers, generous churches, and disciplined management — remaining current on all bills through careful stewardship and the grace of God. Every dollar we spend keeps pastors and churches informed, inspired, and connected to the mission — multiplying ministry beyond any single pulpit and ensuring no church is left isolated from the larger work God is doing.
Our subscriber base — made up of churches just like yours — represents both our greatest strength and our greatest challenge. Nearly 90% of our readers still prefer print, and that preference matters deeply to our mission. Some assume that going digital-only could solve financial concerns, but the opposite is true. While printing costs are significant, eliminating print would cause an even greater loss in subscription income. Most readers would not transition to a digital-only format, resulting in a steep decline in both readership and revenue.
Print remains the heart of our ministry because it reaches people who would otherwise be disconnected from what God is doing through the BMA. As long as it is feasible, we are committed to maintaining the printed edition of the Baptist Trumpet — one of the most effective tools we have to keep our churches informed, inspired, and involved.
We recognize that the landscape of communication is changing — but our mission has not. That’s why we are committed to stewarding both the proven impact of print and the opportunities of digital connection. Even as we manage resources wisely, our commitment to innovation and mission remains unwavering.
The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities. And opportunities are where faith meets action.
A Vision for the Future
While print will remain the cornerstone of our ministry, the future of communication is increasingly digital. To reach new generations and expand our audience, we are developing a digital expansion strategy that will complement — not replace — our printed ministry.
• Phase 1: Strengthen partnerships and visibility. Collaborate with ministries that excel in digital communication to strengthen our online presence and broaden our reach.
• Phase 2: Maximize impact through repurposed digital content. Using AI tools to repurpose Trumpet content into short-form videos, graphics, and posts, allowing us to multiply impact with limited manpower.
• Phase 3: Collaborate with Central Baptist College. Partnering with CBC students in communications and ministry through internships that help expand our digital footprint and engage younger audiences.
• Phase 4: Offer premium digital content. By developing digital-only features, videos, and special series for subscribers, expanding our reach, and connecting new readers to the heart of our mission.
This approach allows us to stay rooted in our heritage while preparing to engage the next generation of BMA members — those who might never hold a printed paper but still need to be connected to the mission. This strategy positions the Trumpet not merely to adapt, but to advance — connecting both long-time readers and the next generation to God’s mission. Each digital connection is another opportunity to share what God is doing and invite new generations into the mission. Every digital effort will still point back to the same message — the gospel work God is doing through our churches.
We’re not abandoning what’s worked — we’re expanding what’s possible. The next chapter depends on whether we maintain or multiply — and that will require innovation for the future and faithfulness to the past.
A Legacy Worth Continuing
The cooperative spirit that birthed this association still drives us today. They didn’t just want to print a paper — they wanted to unite a people. The same cooperative spirit that has sustained the Trumpet for more than 70 years now depends on pastors who still believe we’re stronger when we work together. When the Publications Committee was first formed in 1954, their vision was clear: “That the pastors of each local association select a man to promote the Baptist Trumpet in his association under the slogan, ‘The Baptist Trumpet in Every Home Represented in the Membership.’” Their vision was bigger than paper and ink — it was about unity and shared purpose.
Now, over 70 years later, that same vision still drives us. Their vision built the foundation — ours must carry it forward. The tools have changed — ink and paper now share the stage with screens and social media — but the mission remains the same: to connect every home, every heart, and every church in our association to the work God is doing through the BMA.
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. They built the foundation, and we are called to build the future.
We Are Better Together
Our future will depend on how we unite around that same cooperative spirit today. One of the great strengths of the BMA has always been our cooperative work — autonomous churches choosing to labor together for the sake of the gospel. Yet in recent years, many pastors and churches have become less engaged in associational work at every level — local, state, and national.
The Baptist Trumpet exists to bridge that gap by strengthening the bonds between our churches and keeping our shared mission front and center. Each week, readers are reminded that they are not alone in the work of the gospel. Every article, report, and testimony connects pastors, missionaries, and members who may never meet in person but are united in purpose. When we stay informed, pray for one another, and celebrate what God is doing across our association, our fellowship grows stronger, our faith deepens, and our collective witness shines brighter.
When a family in a small rural church reads about a missionary serving on the other side of the world, they don’t just read — they pray, give, and stay connected. A bivocational pastor finds encouragement in an article written by another leader, and it lifts his spirit. A young person reads about Central Baptist College or a missionary who once sat in those same chapel seats, and a seed of calling is planted that could grow into a lifetime of service. A senior adult sits at her kitchen table and prays through each name and ministry she reads about, knowing her small church is still making a global impact.
When your members read about what God is doing across the BMA, they’re reminded that their prayers, giving, and service have eternal impact. Every issue of the Baptist Trumpet reminds us that the story God is writing through our churches is one story — His story — and we all have a part in it.
For pastors who are weighing every ministry investment, I would encourage this perspective: connecting your people to the larger mission always pays off in ministry health. The investment you make in connecting your people will return lasting dividends in unity, understanding, and spiritual growth. An informed member is an involved member. When our people are connected, our churches and our association are stronger.
That’s the mission of the Baptist Trumpet — to connect, to encourage, and to remind us that we truly are better together. Together, we make sure no church, no pastor, and no missionary ever feels alone in this work.
Recommendation: Rate Adjustment
To continue providing the Baptist Trumpet’s current level of service and maintain a balanced budget, we are recommending a subscription rate adjustment:
• Church Plan Rate: $67.50 annually ($1.50 per issue per member, billed monthly)
• Individual Rate: $72 annually ($1.60 per issue — $6 per month)
For less than the cost of a cup of coffee each week, readers receive 45 issues of the Baptist Trumpet every year — connecting them to news, encouragement, and ministry updates from across the BMA.
This recommendation isn’t about increasing revenue; it’s about protecting a vital ministry. This adjustment ensures continued print quality, expanded digital development, and financial stability for years to come. The Baptist Trumpet is not a luxury — it’s an investment in the unity, communication, and long-term health of our associational family. The cost of continuing the Trumpet is far less than the cost of losing it. If the Trumpet ever went silent, we wouldn’t just lose a paper — we’d lose the rhythm of shared encouragement that reminds us we’re not alone in this work.
A Call to Action
This is your ministry. To continue connecting our people to the mission, we need everyone to take ownership of this ministry. The Baptist Trumpet doesn’t belong to an office, a committee, or a staff — it belongs to every church and every believer who makes up the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas and beyond.
This is where vision meets participation. The future of the Baptist Trumpet will not be secured by one person or one office, but by many churches standing together. Your partnership ensures the Trumpet remains the voice that connects, encourages, and unites our fellowship. When your church participates through a Church Plan, your members don’t just receive news. They gain a steady flow of encouragement and ideas that help them live out their faith in your church’s ministries.
This isn’t about keeping a publication alive — it’s about keeping a mission connected. We’re not asking churches to take on another program; we’re inviting pastors to join in a partnership that strengthens every other ministry we share — because when our people are connected, every ministry grows stronger. This is about sustaining a ministry that will outlast us — one that will keep informing, inspiring, and involving believers long after our generation. When your church stays connected through the Trumpet, your members grow in awareness, prayer, and generosity toward what God is doing through the BMA.
• Pastors and Leaders — Lead your church to stay connected through a Church Plan and keep your subscriber list current.
• Churches — Include the Trumpet in your regular budget as a ministry investment, not just an expense.
• Individuals — Pray for this ministry, promote it in your church, and consider giving special or regular offerings to help sustain the work.
• Advocates — Every congregation needs at least one Trumpet Ambassador — someone who recruits subscribers and champions the importance of staying informed.
If every pastor simply kept their church connected, this ministry would never struggle — and every church would stay stronger.
Again, this isn’t about maintaining a newspaper. We don’t just publish a paper — we connect a people. This is about sustaining the ministry that keeps our churches informed, inspired, and involved — a ministry that strengthens our association and connects us to one another.
Dependence on God’s Providence
And that brings me to our most important reality — our dependence on God’s providence. While this report acknowledges challenges, it also testifies to God’s faithfulness. The future of the Baptist Trumpet does not rest solely on our shoulders — it rests in His hands. He has sustained this ministry since 1939 through the faithfulness of His people, and we trust He will continue to do so as we remain obedient to His calling.
We are not just looking for subscribers and support, but partners in the mission — people who see the Baptist Trumpet as more than a paper, but as a platform for what God is doing through our churches. Just as pastors trust God to provide for their churches, we trust Him to sustain this ministry that serves and supports those very same churches.
As we move forward, we will continue to do what we’ve always done — inform, inspire, and involve our readers in the mission of the gospel. But we can only do that together — by prayer, by partnership, and by faith.
May we each do our part to ensure 10 years from now, when someone asks, “Where do BMA churches get their news?” By God’s grace, the Baptist Trumpet will remain the heartbeat of our association — guiding, connecting, and celebrating His work among us.We believe the best days of the Baptist Trumpet are ahead — not because of what we can do, but because of what God will do through His people when we stay united on mission.
Our churches, our missionaries, and our ministries are stronger when we stay connected — and the Trumpet exists to make that connection possible. To God be the glory, for what He has done, and what He will do through us together.
May the Lord find us faithful, not just in what we print, but in how we partner. Every generation of the BMA has faced its own challenges, but when we’ve stayed united around the gospel, God has used that unity to do more than any one church could do alone. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and faithful support. Together, let’s keep telling His story — faithfully, boldly, and for His glory.