CEO’s Report - March 2024

            BSSC CEO’s March 1, 2024 Report:

BSSC CEO’s March 1, 2024 PR Report:

The month of February has been a good month with everything in Texarkana going well. Recently, I enjoyed visiting with the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock for the Israel lectures. I spoke at the CABBI Seminary for Chapel time. I will be speaking at LMBIS in Minden for their Spring lectures in March. My wife and I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit and dine with Bro. Dennis Richey and his wife in South Carolina. As usual, I also have done some fill-in preaching. I enjoy getting to visit among the brethren.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of my good friend and former EIC, Bro. Larry Clements, also father to our present EIC, Bro. Mark Clements. Bro. Clements was a blessing to so many in the Lord’s work. We extend our love and prayers for the Clements family.

Work processes are on time or ahead of schedule as the Team faithfully keeps the processes flowing very well. Our editorial and Press departments have recently upgraded some computer programs and they are having to learn the upgrades but are making good progress. God has blessed us with some great folks working here and I have learned that we are blessed with folks who can and will do the needed job.

For several months, we have been notifying our customers that we would eventually be going to paperless billing. The cost of continuing the monthly mail out of statements was over $1,000 per month. As we have prepared, I decided we would make this change this coming June. Recently, however, the machine we use to prepare the mail-outs broke and we could not get parts for the machine. A new machine to continue the mail outs till June would have cost $13,000.00 by the time it was in use. Such an expense just to continue for 4 more months, something we were going to cease anyway, was not wise. Therefore, we will begin paperless billing starting in March. Customers, while not receiving a separate mailout statement, will continue to receive a billing both by Email and by invoice with their materials.

            Our finances ended fairly well for the year 2023 and we are seeing good reasons that 2024 also will be a favorable year for the finances. Our January sales in dollars are up about $45,000 over last year in January. While we have made some good changes to help our financial situation and God has been blessing, costs of operations are increasing sometimes by leaps and bounds. The insurance policies for both the building and operations also will likely rise substantially this Spring as we approach renewal. We have recently changed our insurer to Brotherhood Mutual and are hoping that they will be able to provide a somewhat better policy financially and in coverage.

            We are praying and looking into some building remodeling in the future. Much of our building has been here since 1971 and some of it is in need of repair and remodeling. Please join us in praying that God will provide the leadership and finances for this need. We are very thankful to Northern Hills MB Church in Texarkana for again hosting the February VBS Seminar. The Seminar was a success.

In Summary, all is well at Texarkana, as the Lord continues to guide us and bless us. Come visit anytime in Texarkana.

J. A. Crain