Annual Meeting
April 17-18,2026 in Oklahoma City
Welcome to our information and registration page for the 49th Annual Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship.
As you scroll down, you will find information about our event program; a listing of speakers/presentations; and the registration form. This year, we will be providing the opportunity for healthcare students to attend our sessions at no cost. However, we ask that you register and plan to attend so that we can provide enough meals. We will be offering a free banquet meal to the first twenty students who register who include the banquet option during their registration. Again, as a student, you must register below to receive this benefit so that we might have sufficient meals available.
Please remember, Registration ends on April 10, 2026.
Theme
“Exploring the Future, a Journey of Faith”
“Trust in the Lord with all your Heart and lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3: 5-6)
Contact Person
Bob Thomas
rthomas@bmdf.org
662-710-5661
Please direct any event questions to Bob Thomas.
Venue
Frontline Church Downtown
1104 N Robinson Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
Dates
Friday, April 17, 2026 (11 a.m.) and Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Hotels
As hotels require a minimum # of reserved rooms to qualify for special rates, we are asking that you make your own hotel reservations.
There are several major brands within a ten-minute drive of the venue. A good site to let you know what is available can be found by clicking here. Please note that you can probably get a better deal by contacting the hotel direct. This site is just to give you an idea of what hotels are near. The annotation on each hotel “# of miles from address” is interpreted to mean the distance between the hotel and Frontline Church Downtown and gives an approximate cost for three nights (Thursday, Friday, Saturday – Departing Sunday).
As you check hotel rates, please check on parking. Most hotels near the church will charge up to $30/day for parking.
There is a parking lot across the street from the church that has a few empty spaces each day and a parking garage right next door to the church that charges $9 for any parking over 61 minutes. (Still $9 if you stay in the garage for up to 14 hours).
PRIMARY PRESENTERS
Tom Eliff, D. Min
Keynote, Saturday Evening Banquet
Dr. Tom Elliff speaks from over sixty years in ministry as a pastor, ministry leader, and missionary. Most recently, he served as president of the International Mission Board, the global mission arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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Tom’s wife, Jeannie, passed away in 2015. He is remarried to the former Diana (Mrs. Wayne) Barber. Together they share thirty-three grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren. Tom holds degrees from Ouachita Baptist University (BA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin). He has written fifteen books on Christian family life, the urgency of revival, and the necessity of prayer.
Elbert Smith, MDiv; DMin; PhD
Bible Teacher
Elbert Smith serves as Director of the Tom Elliff Center for Missions at Oklahoma Baptist University and is an Associate Professor of Missions. Elbert, and his wife Kay, returned to OBU in February 2022, moving from Redhill, England, where he served as an International Trainer.
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The Smiths had recently completed 30 years with the International Mission Board (IMB). During those years he directed the IMB’s Field Personnel Orientation for 15 years, after having ministered in Latin America and South Asia for thirteen years with Kay and their children, Daniel, Katie, and Carissa. Kay served in various roles on the field and at the learning center as an R.N. Formerly, Elbert pastored in Oklahoma for ten years. Elbert and Kay met while attending Oklahoma Baptist University, after which he received his MDiv and DMin at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
John Gibson MD, FAAFP, DIMPH, CTropMed and Linda Gibson
Dr. Gibson received his BS from Texas A&M and his MD from UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX. He completed a Family Practice Residency at John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital, Fort Worth, TX; a Diploma in International Medicine and Public Health; and a certificate in Tropical Medicine. His overseas experience includes 20 years in Thailand as a medical missionary.
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While there he served in various roles as Director of Bangkhla Baptist Hospital, Founding Director of Thai Peoples Welfare Foundation, Director of New Lives Drug Rehabilitation Program, Director of Chiang Klang Baptist Clinic, and Chairman of Im Jai House Orphanage. In the US John has worked on the Faculty at JPS Family Medicine Residency in Fort Worth Texas, as well as Director of Global Health Education, Director of Ultrasound Training, Faculty of Surgical Obstetrics and Maternal Child Health Fellowship,. He then was appointed as UNT Health Sciences Center Assistant Dean of Rural Medical Education and retired from UNT in 2022 and was re-appointed with the IMB to return to Thailand for medical evangelism ministry through medical education at faculty at Mae Fah Luang University School of Medicine. John and his wife Linda recently returned to the US and are living in Citrus Hills Florida and are active members of FBC Dunnellon. John is planning to open a church based free clinic there in the next few months.
Larry Pepper MD and Sally Pepper
Dr. Larry and Sally Pepper were appointed as IMB missionaries in 1995 to serve in Uganda, East Africa. When they were appointed in 1995, one of the things that Larry said about their changing life(he was a NASA flight surgeon for 8 years prior to heading to the mission field) was that they were embarking on a mission far greater than anything NASA could ever imagine.
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They went from high tech/access to anything to low tech/ no or very limited access. But even when things have been difficult, they have remained with the sense of peace God gave to them all those years ago. They arrived in Uganda on January 2, 1996 with their 3 children, Adam age 9, Megan age 7, and Kelly age 5. They began their career with language study and then moved to Mbarara, in SW Uganda where Larry began teaching at a government medical school and hospital, Sally started homeschooling their 3 kids, and the whole family became involved in university student ministries. In 2009, the Peppers moved to Lesotho, and after serving for two years had to leave the country. In 2011, the Peppers moved to Tanzania, where they continued their ministry at the Kigoma Baptist Hospital until they retired in 2025. The Peppers share, “ For 30 years, doing whatever God has placed in front of them has been what they have done – pretty much all of it outside of what they thought they would do when they were married almost 43 years ago and pretty much all outside of their comfort zones. BUT God has been faithful. They have been blessed to see many come to faith, to see many churches started, to see national believers take over ministries, and to help new missionaries figure out how to thrive in a vastly different setting. In mid December 2025, they retired from the IMB after 30 years and 3 months.
Tom Hicks, M.D.
Tom Hicks is a physician who has worked in international healthcare mission for 30 years. His experience is primarily in Asia working in clinical medicine, community health and medical education. He currently serves as the Director of Global Health Strategies for the International Mission Board.
Tabitha Danley, D.O.
Dr. Tabitha Danley graduated from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Medicine Residency in Oklahoma City. She pursued an OB Fellowship in High Risk and Surgical Obstetrics at the University of Washington.
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Dr. Danley is Medical Director for Innovation and Transformation and Regional CMIO for SSM Health, part of a multi-state system with 23 hospitals and 14,000 providers. Board-certified in Family Medicine, Family Medicine Obstetrics, and Informatics. She holds a Certificate in Health Care Administration and an MBA from Oklahoma City University, plus a Harvard certification in Leading Digital Transformation and AI in Healthcare. Her work focuses on delivering high-quality patient care, promoting provider wellness, and driving technological innovation. She and her husband, also a physician, have been involved in medical mission trips for the last 24 years, often bringing their children along.
Mark Steele
Mark Steele is a preeminent voice in the global technology sector and a distinguished leader at the forefront of Ethical Christian Leadership. As a high-level Executive Sales Manager at Google, Mark sits at the commanding intersection of billion-user scale and faith-based strategy. He is best known for his pivotal role in leading the strategic growth initiatives and teams supporting The Bible App (YouVersion).
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His leadership has been instrumental in navigating the complex digital landscape to help drive the platform to its historic milestone of over 1 billion users worldwide.
A true powerhouse in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Mark bridges the gap between the hyper-innovation of Silicon Valley and the foundational values of the Church. He serves as a collegiate professor of Artificial Intelligence, where he shapes the next generation of tech leaders, and holds an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma. Beyond the boardroom and the classroom, Mark is the visionary Founding President of Bright Sky Ministry, a non-profit dedicated to providing vital support to foster families—a testament to his commitment to using influence for tangible community good.
Mark’s dual authority as a tech executive and a ministry founder allows him to speak with unmatched clarity on the opportunities and ethical boundaries of the digital age. In his highly anticipated session, Mark will move beyond theory to equip Christian leaders with the confidence to steward the most powerful tools of the 21st century. He offers a masterclass on how to leverage AI—from management to ministry—to empower the body of Christ and radically impact society.
Jason Cox
Send Relief
Jason joined the Send Relief team as Vice President of International Ministries in January of 2021 after serving 18 years overseas with the International Mission Board. Jason filled several leadership roles with the IMB, including a senior leadership position overseeing the work of over 500 missionaries laboring among some of the least-reached peoples in the world.
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At Send Relief, Jason continues to work closely with IMB missionaries around the world to engage in compassion ministry through relief and development in ways that support IMB.
Special Greetings & Reports from:
Baptist Nursing Fellowship
Church Free Clinic Organizers
Oklahoma City Baptist Collegiate Ministries
Brent Ross
Oklahoma City CMDA Chapters
Dr. Brent Brown
Program
Friday
April 17, 2026
8:00 a.m. Board of Directors Meeting
11:00 a.m. Registration opens
1:00 p.m. Welcome; Meeting details; Student testimony (video)
1:15 p.m. Worship; Worship Leader Frontline Church, Bible Teacher—Dr. Elbert Smith
2:15 p.m. Send Relief Report– Jason Cox
3:00 p.m. Membership Committee Report—Dr. Janet Hicks
3:15 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Free Clinic Report – Bill Sisson
3:45 p.m. Student Scholarship Report—Dr. Tom Traylor
4:00 p.m. Report from Baptist Nursing Fellowship
4:15 p.m. Prayer Committee Report—Mary Clawson
4:30 p.m. Prayer Time
4:45 p.m. Fellowship Time
5:15 p.m. Dinner (catered)
6:15 p.m. Overseas Report—Dr. John and Mary Gibson (Asian Pacific Rim Peoples)
7:15 p.m. Closing remarks/Prayer for the Gibsons and Closing Prayer
Saturday
April 18, 2026
8:30 a.m. Worship and Bible Study (Worship Leader and Dr. Elbert Smith)
9:30 a.m. IMB Healthcare Strategies Report—Tom Hicks, MD
10:15 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Missions Committee Report
10:50 a.m. Greetings from CMDA—Dr. Brent Brown
11:00 a.m. Greetings from OUHSC – BCM—Brent Ross
11:10 a.m. Field Report: Dr. Larry and Sally Pepper
12 Noon Recognition of any student guests we have and Special Prayer for the Peppers
12:10 p.m. Lunch (catered)
1:15 p.m. Artificial Intelligence—The impact on Medicine, Dentistry, and Missions.
3:15 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Executive Director’s Report—Robert Thomas
3:50 p.m. President’s Report—Rick Dunbar, DVM, M.D.
4:15 p.m. Business Session; Closing Prayer at the End of the Session – Dr. Rick Dunbar
4:45 p.m. Recognition of outgoing Board members/officers—Bob
5:00 p.m. Closing prayer at Finish of Business and Fellowship until Banquet
6:00 p.m. Evening Banquet (catered)
7:00 p.m. Worship team; Introduction to Keynote speaker—Dr. Tom Eliff
8:00 p.m. Special Recognitions and closing Prayer. Bob Thomas and Dr. David Ciesla
Fees
Registration includes Friday Dinner and Saturday Lunch.
Saturday night Banquet is a separate event with a fee. Each person attending should fill out a form. One per person.
Registration Ends on Tuesday, April 7, 2026
While there is no charge for Residents, Healthcare Students, or High School students, if you are going to join us for the meals, you must Register
Conference Fees
Healthcare Professionals: (Except for Students/Residents): $250
Spouses: $100
Students: There is no charge for students but they must register before the meeting to help us with meeting preparations/meals. We will cover your meeting meals and banquet if you have registered, otherwise you will need to pay $10 for each meal.
Saturday Night Banquet (charges not included in registration – require separate registration):
Healthcare Professionals/Spouses: $40 each
General Audience: $40 each
Student: Contact Bob Thomas as listed above.
Additional donations: I would like to help cover the cost of a student attending the banquet as needed: $ 40 each