An interview with Regina Ogden by Emily Johnson

Can you tell us about your journey into nursing and the path your career has taken you over the years?

My interest in nursing began as a young teenager. I was encouraged to think about a future career by one of my teachers at school. I always loved caring for others and had an interest in different types of medicine. When I was fourteen, I became a Candy Striper at a hospital and loved being in the atmosphere of health care and healing. Although my responsibilities were to fill water pitchers, deliver cards and flowers, and transport patients to therapy, it made me as confident as an open-heart surgeon! That summer showed me my future and that God was leading me into nursing.

How did you first become involved with Baptist Nursing Fellowship?

In 1997, while I was a nursing student, I attended a WMU event at Shocco Springs and met Wanda Lee. She did a breakout session about BNF and the opportunities available through membership. I knew then that God had placed me at the conference for that session. The opportunity to serve on mission trips, fellowship with other Christian nurses, and the educational opportunities sold me. I joined BNF as a student nurse and have been involved ever since. 

For members who may not be familiar with the Leadership Recruitment Team, what is its role within BNF? 

The Leadership Recruitment Team works alongside the Executive Team to recruit support members for the other Team Leaders, and to develop a slate of candidates for election to open positions on the Executive Team. The Leadership Recruitment Team meets by Zoom and communicates by email, text, and phone calls.

My team has become like sisters to me. Our times of communicating and sharing have led us to become great prayer warriors for one another. We have learned about each other’s families, heartaches, challenges, and celebrations.

The most rewarding part of serving is knowing that you never serve alone, and God will provide everything you need in His own way and in His own time. You don’t need to be concerned about being equipped or knowledgeable enough, because when you surrender your heart to serve on the BNF team, He carries you. Serving on the Executive Team will not only bless you, but you will grow in your faith, love, and understanding of His purpose.

My “lean-on” verses are Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” These verses have guided me in my service on the BNF Executive Team.

Can you share a moment when you felt especially encouraged or blessed by someone you served alongside in BNF?

When I became BNF President, I was not only inexperienced but also not very knowledgeable about WMU and its ministries. That same year, Kristy Carr was elected as the Executive Director of BNF, and she pretty much set the footprint for me to follow. I love BNF and felt a strong desire to serve, and I knew that if I was elected, that God had that same desire.

Kristy made sure I was knowledgeable about all the WMU functions and led me through my term like a parent leading their child into the kindergarten room. She modeled leadership, grace, tolerance, and joy for me to mirror.

I also want to share that I was touched by Barbara Owen, who led the first mission trip I went on to Ecuador. Wow, she was a woman of service, sacrifice, and surrender. She was an honorary BNF nurse, but she was willing to lead a group of nurses across the world to serve. She was so instrumental in developing my love for missions. I still use her term F.A.T.—Flexible, Adaptable, and Tolerant.       In life, work, and on mission, we have to be all of those. Flexible, adaptable, and tolerant are traits we exercise daily.

As you look toward the future of BNF, what is your hope or prayer for its leaders and members?

“My hope is that more members will surrender to service. There is always an opportunity to give of yourself. We are all equipped with different gifts from the Holy Spirit.”

The devil will never allow you to feel comfortable saying “Yes,” but Jesus will take your “Yes” and use it in ways unimaginable. The BNF leaders have all said “Yes,” and we are so blessed to have them and their commitment of gifts and talents—and, most of all, their surrender to what God has for their service and for BNF.

My prayer is that they continue to lean on Him and each other and receive the gift of sisterhood He has given them in each other. Also, that the Lord would give them the footprints to follow, and when they feel they can’t follow Him, to allow Him to carry them.