Baylor’s Place in Christian Higher Education
October is designated as Christian Higher Education Month — a recognition begun in 2003 by a U.S. House of Representatives resolution. Sponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, of which Baylor University is a collaborative partner, the month-long celebration provides an opportunity each year to highlight the many ways that Christian institutions, by integrating faith and learning, serve students from across the nation and around the world in broadening their minds, developing their values and strengthening their walk with God.
The Congressional resolution that established Christian Higher Education Month read, in part, “The House of Representatives . . . congratulates Christian colleges and universities, their students, faculty and staff across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education, and for the key role they play in promoting and ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the Nation.”
When Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., spoke to the Baptist World Alliance’s Baptist World Congress this summer, she echoed those sentiments while describing how faith and spiritual growth play central roles in Baylor University’s academic enterprise. As one example of this commitment, she pointed to the recent expansion of Baylor’s motto to Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo (For the Church, For Texas, For the World) in recognition of the University’s Kingdom-growing global reach. In addition, she noted that soon after changing the motto, Baylor launched a new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, that is grounded in Matthew 5:14-16. “This scripture has become the core of Baylor’s purpose — to shine the light of Christ,” she said. “It speaks to who we are as a Christian university. We are called to be a light ‘of the world,’ not just in Waco and not just in Texas.”
Students who attend Christian colleges and universities, like Baylor, gain access to a uniquely holistic education that prepares them to serve the surrounding world with knowledge, wisdom and compassion. That distinctiveness is clearly articulated in Baylor’s mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment. For more than 180 years, Baylor has been pursuing excellence in academics and fostering a vibrant campus community grounded in Christian faith. Its founders — Baptist missionaries and leaders who had a vision for preparing men and women who would serve the church and their state — set in motion the development of a Christian university that would grow and develop to meet the needs of “all the ages to come.”
Baptist historian and scholar Alan Lefever, Ph.D., director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, offers a look at Baylor’s historic founding to students attending Line Camp, an annual program held in the summer that includes a visit to Baylor’s original campus in Independence. Lefever noted that understanding Baylor’s past is an important part of understanding what Baylor is today. “The first Baptist Association in Texas, the Union Baptist Association, at its second meeting in 1841 saw that one of the most pressing needs of the young Republic of Texas was education. They realized that if the Republic was to survive, education would be a key component, and they felt compelled to contribute to this endeavor in founding Baylor,” he said.
Today, as Baylor University’s growth as a Research 1 (“R1”) university elevates its national prominence, the Baylor Family can celebrate Baylor’s expanding horizon for serving communities around the world through excellence in undergraduate education, world-class masters and doctoral programs, hands-on engagement with obstacles to human flourishing and an unwavering dedication to the gospel of salvation through Christ.
Maintaining a focus on the importance of dynamic teaching and striving to keep Baylor accessible to tomorrow’s leaders are key components of Baylor’s success in Christian higher education, according to Todd D. Still, Ph.D., Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran DeLancey Dean and William M. Hinson Chair of Christian Scriptures in Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. “We highly value in-person, face-to-face instruction of students — whether in Waco, Houston, San Antonio or elsewhere — and strive to make our high-quality education as affordable as possible,” Still said. “By providing an education that is focused on both rigorous academic instruction and intentional spiritual and pastoral formation, Truett graduates are well equipped to skillfully, thoughtfully, faithfully and joyfully shepherd and serve the people of God.”