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Wednesday, April 20, 2022
On Tuesday, President and CEO Michael Blackwell of the Baptist Children’s Homes in North Carolina left an inspiring post on BCH Blog, the blog site for the church, reminding people to celebrate hope this Easter season. Easter has come and gone, but you should celebrate hope, joy, and love every day of the year.
The Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH) is dedicated to impacting lives and supporting kids, teens, and adults of all ages. The church’s main focus is helping to heal children and broken families. In 2021, the church’s services have impacted 156,508 people’s lives. Within the past 5 years, the church has helped 691 people give their lives to Christ. Michael Clitus Blackwell has worked and served as the church’s president and CEO since 1983.
As the only child of two loving parents, Clitus Blackwell (father) and Viola Blackwell (mother), Michael Blackwell knew the value of love at an early age. In 2008, trustee Sterling Wall, in an interview, praised Michael Blackwell for his devotion and priority in helping and healing families who are suffering. By this point, Blackwell had been the church leader for 25 years. Wall expressed his support and praise by saying, “He is also devoted to healing hurting families. He has brought a lot of new programs to Baptist Children’s Homes. I hope he can stay another 25 years. He has done a mammoth job.” The organization served more than 1,500 children and 1,400 families during the year 2007 alone. Jeanne Counts, who retired in September 2007 after working with Blackwell for 19 years, honors Blackwell for his genuine good heart and concern for others. “He has a gift, and he honors that gift,” she said. “He doesn’t use it in a selfish way.” She notes Blackwell has played a vital and integral role in the history of the church and the community, saying, “Had he not been with BCH, I am not sure the agency would have moved from only childcare to the field of family services. That was a quite a move.” When asked about serving the community, Blackwell answered, “Anytime I can be with the children, donors or supporters, I love it. I love to tell the story.”
This Eastertide, Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Blackwell writes in his latest post, “Easter is about hope in Christ”, with the word “hope” in boldface. He adds an additional layer of spirituality to this already wonderful word: Happiness, Opportunity, Possibilities, Eternal. “Don’t hide your light under a basket. Let your light shine. Be a beacon of hope”, he writes. What does “hope” mean to you? Blackwell defines the four pillars of “hope” as follows:
- Hope is what you hold on to when the going gets tough.
- Hope for a better way.
- Hope for a better tomorrow.
- Hope for a better you.
He concludes his post with a much-needed reminder that God’s hand is upon us, and that we have the Holy Spirit.