Our Staff

Mitch and his wife Cindy have been serving at Miner Baptist Church since June of 1997. During that time, Mitch has also served as President, Vice President, and 2nd Vice President of the Missouri Baptist Convention and Cindy has served two terms on the Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention. In addition to being the Senior Pastor’s wife, Cindy also serves as a part time secretary in the church office. They have 3 children. Sarah is married to Kevin Overcash and lives in Collierville, Tennessee. Sarah and Kevin have blessed Mitch and Cindy with three grandchildren, Jackson, Gracie and Cannon. Luke is married to Kayla and serves as Sr. High Pastor at Central Church in Collierville, TN. Their youngest Joshua is married to Cailey and also lives in Collierville, TN.

Since 1997 Miner Baptist has grown to become one of the larger Churches in the State of Missouri. Miner now has four full time Associate Pastors, one Bivocational Minister, two full time Ministry Assistants, a part time secretary and custodians. Miner has become a soul winning Church and has been the leading Church in the Charleston Association in baptizing new believers. Miner has also become actively involved in outreach ministry and become a missions minded church that sponsors a number of mission trips each year.

Mitch answered God’s call while a member of Lynnwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. At age 18, he was licensed to the Gospel Ministry and ordained at the age of 20, both by the First Baptist Church of Delta. Mitch attended Southeast Missouri State University and graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis in 1977. He then attended The Southern Baptist Seminary and received his Master’s in Religious Education.

Mitch served as Minister of Music and Youth at the 1st Baptist Church of Delta, Missouri while attending college. It was at Delta that he met Cindy and they were married on December 17, 1976. He served as Minister of Music and Youth at Salem Baptist Church in Brandenburg, Kentucky while attending Seminary. After Seminary Mitch moved his family to serve as Minister of Music and Youth at 1st Baptist Church in Union, Missouri. After 7 years at Union he was called to serve as Minister of Music and Youth at Anna Heights Baptist Church in Anna, Ill. Mitch spent 5 years at Anna and it was here that the Lord called him into another direction as a Pastor preaching the Good News. His first Church as Pastor was in Ava, Ill. He spent from 1992 to June of 1997 at Ava shepherding a growing flock and winning souls. Miner Baptist Church and Sikeston Missouri have been home since then.

Jim and his wife Karen have been members of Miner Baptist Church since September of 1998. Jim joined Miner after serving as a Bi- vocational Pastor since 1980 in Southern Illinois and Charleston, Mo. Jim spent those years working also selling Life Insurance and Mutual Funds.

In the fall of 2000, Jim was asked to come on staff part time to help in hospital visits and in the Spring of 2002 came on staff full time as Associate Pastor with responsibilities as Church Administrator, Missions Pastor, and Education Director.

Jim is very active in Missions. He leads or directs several Mission trips annually as well as has served as one of the trustees for the International Missions Board of the SBC. Jim is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a B.A. in Political Science, a graduate of Andersonville Theological Seminary with a Masters Degree in Theology and is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary.

Jim and Karen have two beautiful daughters. Jessica is a traveling ICU Nurse and lives in Jacksonville, Florida. Kari is a private banker in the music industry for Regions Bank in Nashville, Tn.

Over the past 38 years I have served in churches in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Missouri and Georgia.

Other ministry positions – Music, Education, Senior Adults, Single Adults, Pastoral Counseling, Director of Performing Arts and Drama and Pediatric and General Chaplain (St. Francis Medical Center, Monroe, Louisiana)

Ordained and Licensed to Ministry – February 1992

Clinical Pastoral Education Certification (McFarland Institute) – February 2003

Certified ASIST Counselor – (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Counselor)

I was adopted from Sellers Baptist Baby Home, New Orleans, LA. into the home of a wonderful pastor and his wife.  I had a Grandfather who was also a Pastor and many family members involved in ministry in one way or another.  Being raised in a Christian home, there was never a doubt in my mind that I was loved by both family and Jesus Christ, because it was modeled in everything that took place.   At age 8, following a revival meeting at our church, I knelt with my parents in the living room of the parsonage and gave my heart to Jesus Christ.  I began my journey with much support and encouragement to lay the ground work for my faith.  My family moved to North Louisiana where my Dad took a position with the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home in Monroe, LA.   It was a very difficult move for me and one that made many profound changes in my life.  After graduation I went to Louisiana College, Pineville, LA and majored in Sociology with a minor in Psychology.  My plans were to get my Social Work degree and maybe work in a Children’s Home setting, never planning to go into the local church ministry like my Dad and Grandfather had.  I moved to Fort Worth, TX. to begin working on a new degree the seminary offered in conjunction with North Texas State University which would give me a dual Master’s degree.  However, the Lord had other plans and near the end of my 3^rd semester, I was told I had to have 8 hours in Youth Ministry to complete the seminary side of education.  I could stay at seminary another two semesters and do that work or take a summer youth ministry internship and complete it with the Pastor of the church giving me the grade.  I chose option #2 and at the end of that summer, at Falls Creek Encampment, God clearly spoke to me directing me to surrender to full time ministry in the area of Student ministry.   I returned to the seminary and changed my course plans to Youth Counseling and a Masters of Religious Education.

For thirty plus years student ministry has been my passion and calling.  Most opportunities have been combined with other ministries such as Music, Senior Adults and Education.  In 1985 I had another personal spiritual epiphany as I began to feel that there was something missing in my Christian walk.  After much prayer and soul searching, I realized that although I had given my heart to Christ at age 8, I had never surrendered completely to allow Him the Lordship of my life.  I made that decision personally, but did not make a public decision because I was “afraid” of what people and my family might think.   In 1990, after counseling with a pastor friend, I made my decision public and my Dad was able to baptize me.  That settled that issue and in 1992, I was ordained into the ministry along with several men who had been in ministry a while but had never been ordained.   I have turned the corner and entered into my sixth decade of life. I know that God has new doors for me to explore and I completely trust He will guide me in the next steps to whatever the ministry may be. I am excited as to what God will do. Through the years of my spiritual journey, I have had the joy of some incredible mountaintop experiences.  I have also experienced some very trying and difficult days in ministry and my personal life.  But, I have learned that if God calls you, he will equip you, strengthen you and see you through each valley and over each mountain.  After all, God loved me so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for me and He is my Lord and Savior.

Bro. Ron Shrum has been in the ministry for over 50 years serving as a Pastor, Director of Missions, and Evangelist. He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., Western Kentucky University, and attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife Janis have four children, all of whom are in the ministry, and eleven grandchildren. Ron was a previous Pastor of Miner Baptist Church and has returned to serve Senior Adults and Outreach.

Ronald Shrum Evangelistic Association
132 Delaney Drive Sikeston, Missouri 63801
Revivals, Crusades, Bible Conferences, Winter Bible Studies, Church Growth Seminars, Camps, Retreats, Sunday School Growth Conferences

work: 573-471-3602
Cell: 314-629-5766

Personal Testimony

I was saved at the age of 14 in the Three Rivers Baptist Church near Farmington, Missouri and 1 ? years later surrendered to God’s call on my life. I have pastured Baptist churches and served as a Director of Missions for forty-nine years and now instead of retiring and “laying them up,” God has called me into another field of exciting service.
I have been married to Janis for 46 years. Not only is she a faithful help in the ministry but she is also a gifted soloist and conference leader. We have four children who are also in active Christian service. I am interested in the local church and its welfare. I am also very interested in pastors who serve faithfully in a time when it is increasingly difficult to minister as a pastor. My prayer and desire is to see churches strengthen and pastors encouraged. Most importantly, we all want to see many souls saved.

Janis, my wife is a vital part of the ministry. Not only is she an encourager and prayer warrior, she is also a gifted soloist. She also speaks at ladies conferences, prayer retreats, banquets, and other events.