The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

By Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma


I just marked my ninth year serving the Foundation. I can hardly write that without pinching myself. For the first time in the Foundation’s history we have more than $300 million of assets under management, $119 million more than nine years ago. I’ll admit, I’m not without pride and hubris and sometimes sit back and say, “Wow, we really are accomplishing something.” But you’ll be glad to know that I do catch myself and ask God’s forgiveness because it is simply by His grace and blessing that this organization has grown. I’m reminded of the Scripture in 1 Chronicles 29:14 where King David acknowledges the abundance in his life and asks, “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this?”

I’m very blessed to work with a dedicated staff and our staff is very blessed to stand between donors with capacity to give and beneficiaries with need. They are able to see those gifts accomplished. Who am I and who is our staff that we should be so blessed?

I have met some of the most interesting people in this line of work—donors who make sacrifices so that they can leave a portion of their income to Kingdom causes. A particular family comes to mind. They are dealing with health issues but are making sacrifices to leave a gift to a Baptist ministry that means a lot to them. It’s serious to them. It’s serious to us. I meet people like this often, people I might have never run across and I am humbled. Who am I and who are these donors that we should be so blessed?

The Foundation has a board of directors who are successful in their areas of responsibility and who take seriously their role of overseeing the work of the Foundation. They dedicate a lot of hours preparing for and attending board meetings. They know that for the benefit of such ministries as Oklahoma Baptist University, Disaster Relief, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, and Baptist Village Communities, that it’s important to ask a lot of questions—that there are no stupid questions and that it’s their responsibility to make sure we do our job correctly so that the ministries we serve never be negatively impacted by mistakes. I have a great deal of respect for these men and women who hold us accountable. Who am I and who is this board to be this blessed?

Our daughter recently graduated from OBU. We dropped her off at college four years ago and just recently we moved her to Fort Worth where she will soon begin a new job as a critical care pediatric nurse, using her nursing skills to minister to sick and dying children. She and so many students throughout the years, my wife and I included, have been afforded a special opportunity—the integration of faith and learning and then the opportunity to go out and serve. Who am I and who is my family to be this blessed?

The last sentence in 1 Chronicles 29:14 particularly stands out to me because it’s a humbling and comforting reminder of the source of our abilities, our blessings, our responsibilities—professionally and personally. King David acknowledges the Lord, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”


Understanding this source and defining our ministry at the Foundation by this will allow us to continue to say, “Who am I and who are my people that we are so blessed?” 

 To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.bfok.org.