The leadership team at the BCM is here to serve you! Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or ideas that you have. The leadership team meets every Sunday after Sunday Supper, and the meetings are open to everyone.
Ben Beck
Position: BCM Director
E-Mail: beckb@purdue.edu
Cell Phone: (765) 490-3048
Major: Masters of Arts in Christian Education
Year of Graduation: 2001, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas
Major: Bachelor of Science in Technology, Wood Technology
Minor: Industrial Business and Safety
Year of Graduation:1996, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas
Other school activities or clubs: President — University Religious Leaders
Hobbies: Riding bicycle, playing racquetball, playing disc golf, camping, woodworking, video games
Favorite Things: Spending time with my wife Nettie, my two girls, Michaela and Breanna, and with friends.
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
When I was in college I got involved with the BCM and even served 3 years on leadership. I also was called to full-time vocational ministry and God gave me a love and passion for college students. I love helping students in their spiritual journey through college whether they have been a Christian for many years or know little or nothing of Christ. It thrills me to see students grow and when they get done with college become the spiritual leaders of a church.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your students?
College is more than just studying and a degree. It is preparation for the rest of your life. You are making decisions now that will affect the rest of your life. The most important life decision is having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Nettie Beck
Position: Associate Director
Email: nettie@purduebcm.org
Phone: (765) 490-3060
Major: Bachelor of Business Administration
Year of Graduation:1996 Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas
Other school activities or clubs: Lafayette Southeast MOM’s Club, Seeder for Moms Like Me, and Administrative Assistant for the Wabash Valley Baptist Association.
Hobbies: Volleyball and Basketball
Favorite Thing(s): Spending time with my family and friends
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
God used BCM in college to call me back to Him and I learned how to have a deeper relationship with Him. He called me to full time college ministry and more specifically to minister to college girls. I know I would not be where I am today without God using the BCM to mold and shape me. I want to spend the rest of my life mentoring and helping students grow closer to God, learning to share their faith on a regular basis whether they chose vocational ministry or serving the Lord in the work place.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your students?
Never forget God called you to Purdue to glorify and serve Him first. He called you to get an education second. Don’t ever reverse the order.
Justin Coons
Position: Associate Director
Email: justin@purduebcm.org
Phone: (765) 430-2115
Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
Year of Graduation: 2006
Hobbies: Golfing, swimming, camping, archery, and working on cars
Favorite Things: My daughter Faith
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
Coming in as a freshman, the BCM helped keep me on track. I was able to grow and learn more about God. Before coming to the BCM, I had never shared my faith with anybody; the BCM gave me the knowledge and experience to share my effectively. Without having the BCM in my life keeping me on track with God, my life would have turned differently and for the worse.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
Always keep God first in your life and serve Him. When you do this nothing can go wrong.
Jacob Bacon
Email: jbacon@purdue.edu
Phone: (812) 550-2566
Major: Agriculture Education
Year of Graduation: 2012
Class: Sophomore
Other school activities or clubs: Indiana Association of Agriculture Educators — Purdue (IAAE)
Hobbies: Horseback riding, hunting, fishing, camping, working on the farm, and hanging out with friends.
Favorite Things: Reading the bible, the BCM, my major, my family and friends.
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
At first it was just a way to get out of my dorm and to try to adjust to college life and meet new people, but pretty quickly I decided that this was a ministry group that I wanted to really get involved with. There are many people who are more than willing to help students grow in their faith as well as succeed in school. Through the BCM I have been able to grow more in my faith more in one year than I have since I was saved.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
First and foremost, build a strong relationship with God. College can be very hard, especially while adjusting your freshman year. If you have a strong relationship with God, He will help you get you through the hard and stressful times through your colleger career, as well as the easier times. Secondly, get involved. Try to join clubs that interest you. It can keep your mind off of the fact that you are away from your family as well as give you a chance to meet new people. For me, joining a club other than the BCM allowed me to have a way to share God’s word with others who may not have a relationship with Him.
Curt Bougher
Email: cbougher@purdue.edu
Phone: (502) 693-3084
Major: Chemistry
Year of Graduation: 2012
Class: Sophomore
Hobbies: Running, Swimming, Math, Chemistry, Explosions, and Music
Favorite Things: Favorite Man: Jesus, Favorite Artist: Juan Luis Guerra,
Favorite Color: Green, Favorite Dead Singer: Michael Jackson
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
Don’t skip tests! It’s a Bad Idea! 
Michael Meier
Email: mdmeier@purdue.edu
Phone: (405) 550-8614
Major: Physics (Undergrad: Engineering Physics)
Years of Graduation: 2007 from Oklahoma, 2013
Class: Second-year Graduate
Hobbies: soccer, basketball, watching college football (OU and Purdue), video editing, watching TV
Favorite Things: watching Oklahoma beat Texas, playing Xbox 360
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
The BCM is a group of students focused on developing relationships with one another and most importantly with Jesus Christ. The BCM strives to provide opportunities to grow spiritually, to learn to teach others, and also has an outward focus on missions and reaching people with the Truth.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
My advice is to be faithful in the small stuff and always be a learner by having the right attitude and really using opportunities to grow.
Shonna Short
Email: smshort@purdue.edu
Phone: (314) 229-8475
Major: Management
Year of Graduation: 2010
Class: Senior
Other Activities or Clubs: MIS club, Thai Students
Hobbies: Baking! Working out (to balance out the baking :D), hanging out with friends
Favorite Things: Warm weather, summer, swimming, pineapple (though you will more commonly hear me referring to it as suppalote… long story, I’ll tell you about it if you ask, and probably even if you don’t :P), coffee, laughing, good food (I’m rather picky), bright colors, bubbles, bright shiny things… I’ll spare you the rest…
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
When I first came to Purdue, the BCM gave me a place to be held accountable in my faith by people that cared about me as well as living life to its fullest and I now know that God has placed me here to offer the same encouragement and friendship that it has given me!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
Keep your priorities straight. You may be at Purdue to study, but God created you to glorify him. This should always be first and foremost: glorifying God. School should never be your priority, glorifying God (including in your life, in your relationships, and school) should be your priority. Honor God with your time and He will bless it. (You probably should study for at least a little bit though…) If you want a personal testimony or two, just ask me, I learned/continue to learn this lesson the hard way.
Josh Speciale
Email: specialj@purdue.edu
Phone: (325) 212-7076
Major: Electrical Engineering
Years of Graduation: 2008 & 2010
Class: Graduate
Other Activities or Clubs: Eta Kappa Nu
Hobbies: Listening to music, watching soccer (I’d play more often but I’m terrible), video games, making fun of most everything, and nerding it up in general.
Favorite Things: Being in Texas, being from Texas, talking about Texas, sarcasm and most things absurd, sleeping in, good music, and football game days.
Why the Baptist Collegiate Ministry?
College is a time and place where you have a lot more freedom than ever. Deciding early how you’re going to use that freedom will shape the rest of your life. If you want to be serious about your faith, the BCM is a tremendous place to start down that path. On top of that, in my experience, no group of people at Purdue has shown me the same amazing magnitude of love and friendship as has the BCM.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your fellow students?
I was serious about your “college freedom” before, but make sure you’re also using that to challenge yourself, do new and exciting things, and have fun! If you keep yourself open to other people and other ideas, you will learn a lot not only in your studies, but about yourself and God. Oh, and go to class, will ya?
