Posted: 9/19/03

Can a university be distinctively
Baptist and academically excellent?
—Yes

By Joel Gregory

As a double graduate of Baylor University, I see my alma mater as standing at a crossroads. It is looking both ways at an intersection and will have to make a decision. That decision superficially appears to be about debt, football, a disgruntled faculty or factious regents. To limit the historic decision confronting the school to those issues trivializes its impact on 158 years of Baylor history. The controversy transcends the disparate issues raised by those with a bushel basket of beefs about the Bears.

The decision before Baylor drills down deep into its reason for existence, its very soul. Why is Baylor here, and what is it for?

To answer that question requires a view from 50,000 feet rather than the immediate battlefield. The very idea of the university in western culture grew out of the Christian faith.

Baylor's quest: Joel Gregory Ella Wall Prichard Chris Seay

The spires of the college churches loom over the famous quads at Oxford and Cambridge. The eminent English universities grew root and branch out of the Christian faith. So also did the prestigious colonial colleges. The minister John Harvard gave his library and one-half of his estate to establish Harvard in 1638. Increase and Cotton Mather, fiery preachers both, helped found Yale in 1701 as a reaction against the Deism and Unitarianism that had invaded Harvard. Princeton resulted from a Presbyterian revival when its first students gathered in May 1747. Even secular religious historians affirm that the founders of these celebrated academies were religiously motivated. Yet no one confuses them with Christian academies today. The parents of these academic icons intended to build institutions that combined the highest commitment to the Christian faith with a rigorous dedication to intellectual growth. Each desired to integrate faith and understanding. None ultimately persevered in that goal.

The synthesis between faith and learning has always dissolved in the favor of rationalism rather than religion, the academic rather than the spiritual side of the equation.

Why do such lofty spiritual aspirations fail? James Tunstead Burtchaell, a Catholic and former president of the American Academy of Religion, and a commissioner for the Danforth Foundation, the Lilly Endowment and the Fulbright Program, wrote 868 pages in “The Dying of the Light: The Disengagement of Colleges and Universities from their Christian Churches.” To say the least, he does not have a dog in our fight. Yet he has much to tell us. He chronicles the discouraging story of Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics and Evangelicals who have lost their schools to secularism, rationalism, agnosticism and, in many cases, open hostility to the Christian faith.

In detailed case studies, Burtchaell describes the stories common to all denominations founding schools to integrate faith and knowledge, and then losing those schools when they became embarrassed by the faith. Those schools moved from Christian devotion through a series of degrading steps. Some marginalized the Christian faith to a private pietism. That is, faith was considered the individual concern of privatized persons but not a lively presence throughout the academy. Students parked their brains at church and took their books to college.

Others moved to a vague religious jingoism, trumpeting their commitment to “our core values,” “ideals” or “service of humanity,” with just enough religious nuance to suggest some vague connection with an ill-defined Deity who had moved off campus but hovered somewhere nearby. Thereafter, these academies moved into rationalism and, in many instances, antagonism to the Christian faith.

Many alumni dread that a similar antagonism to the Christian faith will overtake Baylor if Vision 2012 is derailed. Some Bears do not believe that the highest aspirations of the academy can be coupled with the deepest levels of Christian devotion. For example, a former Baylor regent wrote in the Dallas Morning News June 22, 2003, “If he were a twenty-first-century century Texas high school graduate hoping to learn as much as possible about this complicated world, What Would Jesus Do? Probably go to Harvard.” Is it really impossible for Baylor to join the top 50 universities in America and confess that Jesus is Lord?

There is another option.

That is the challenge before Baylor, and it is the vision of its president, Robert Sloan. A son of Baylor, Sloan earned his divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary and his doctorate at the University of Basel. He reads theological German as easily as you read this paper. He holds the best credentials of anyone in his generation of Baylor ministerial students. He is a member of the prestigious Studiorum Novi Testamentum. He is international in his scope of learning and cosmopolitan in his urbane grasp of contemporary culture. He is no novice, beginner or sophomore in the international academy.

And he has a vision. That vision challenges Baylor to do something no other major Protestant university has ever done. He wants Baylor to join the top rank of American universities and maintain a commitment to canonical Christianity that informs every aspect of the university's institutional and intellectual life.

When you clear away all the blather around the Bear battle, this current Baptist brawl is the highest stakes game in Baylor's history. To do what Sloan wants to do requires risk, change, expense, discomfort, sacrifice and tenacity. That is, his vision demands everything most folks do not like. It is little wonder that disgruntled faculty, old alums who want the comfort of an alma mater that never changes and powerful opinionated professional graduates with their own ideas have clashed with the intensity of such a vision. He knew it going in. The wonder would be such a vision without conflict.

The other questions in the current debate wither in the light of this one great question:

Is this vision possible? There are some in the Baylor community who openly say no. They do not believe it is possible to become a university of the first rank and openly, integrally confess the Christian faith as part of the institutional life. In the final analysis, they do not believe in the possibility of an intellectual Christian who can compete in the marketplace of ideas and at the same time hold the historic faith. Bluntly, they do not think the faith can stand the heat of academic trial and the light of unfettered inquiry. Waco can never stay in the ballgame with Cambridge or New Haven. Baylor is consigned to the academic also-rans just because it adheres to the traditional Christian faith: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who rose from the dead, as has been accepted by all Christians in all places at all times for 2,000 years.

Baylor 2012's bold vision, implemented by Sloan, has attracted more money and better students, built the best facilities and attracted the most credentialed scholars than any comparative time in Baylor's history. The 2003 faculty accessions include Ph.D.'s from Princeton (2), Harvard (1), Yale (2), Cambridge (3), M.I.T. (1), Chicago (1), Duke (1), Michigan (1) and Notre Dame (2). These scholarly Christians are coming for one reason: Sloan's vision for Baylor 2012.

Baylor has the opportunity to do a unique thing. The vision already attracts the people and the money. Faith is sometimes faith in the face of the facts. Texas Baptists should avoid the determination that this vision cannot happen. Further, Robert Sloan should be the man who makes it happen. This vision is not transportable. It is great men who make history, not vice versa. His vision is not a file that can be handed to another without the same passion.

It is a risk worthy of Judge R.E.B. Baylor and his cohorts who in 1845 dared to found a university in the wilds of the Texas Republic. No one at Independence would have dreamed of today's huge campus with an international reputation, a $600 million endowment and 125,000 living alums. To dream that this is one place that a major university should not flinch before the challenge of giving the utmost in academics for God's highest glory is not Texas Baptist triumphalism; it is a mandate from all that has gone before.

Joel Gregory, a Baylor graduate, is publisher of Chile Pepper Magazine; he is a former president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and a former Texas Baptist pastor.

Posted: 9/19/03

Can a University be distinctively
Baptist and academically excellent?
—No

By Ella Prichard

The lists of “top universities in America” include the great public research universities; once-Christian universities, such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton; a few private institutions founded as secular universities after the German model, such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins; and a handful of elite Catholic universities.

As a student at Baylor University from 1959 to 1963, I dreamed of the day when Baylor would become a “Baptist Harvard.” Later, I came to realize the term was an oxymoron; a university can't be Baptist and Harvard at the same time. My attention turned to Notre Dame, a national Catholic university; and I began to ponder the concept of a “Baptist Notre Dame.” But Notre Dame and her sister institutions are marked by openness and freedom of inquiry, very different from top evangelical colleges, such as Wheaton and Calvin. And both those models, Catholic and Calvinist, are marked by an authoritarianism foreign to Baptist tradition.

Baylor's quest: Joel Gregory Ella Wall Prichard Chris Seay

Texas Baptists have believed in and supported higher education since pioneer days, and Baptist universities dot the Texas landscape. While mine is a Baylor experience, Baylor's issues apply to all our institutions. What is the role of the Baptist university in the 21st century?

It begins with mission. The Baylor mission statement is probably not too different from other Texas Baptist institutions: “To educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” In one statement, we find the purpose, process and culture of a Christian institution. This intent has largely remained the same since 1845.

However, one question remains unanswered: On which side will the university fall when the choice must be made between what the academy defines as “academic excellence” and faith and doctrine? Historically, Baptist institutions have chosen the side of faith. For most of the 20th century, Baylor was successful in maintaining a delicate balance on the tip of the mountain, avoiding both the slippery slope to the left, which leads to abandonment of faith commitment, and to the right, which is the route chosen by fundamentalist Bible colleges. As a student newspaper editor at the beginning of the McCall administration and as a parent and then regent at the end of Herbert Reynolds' tenure, I can testify that the administration and board were very intentional about maintaining the proper balance between faith and learning in order to nurture the kind of community that produces servant-leaders. Today we hear talk of “restoring” and “returning” Baylor to its historic purpose. Baylor, like our other Texas Baptist schools, never left.

I would like to rephrase the question, “Can a university be distinctively Baptist and academically excellent?” to “Must our Baptist universities dilute our doctrinal distinctives in order to gain academic respectability?”

Excellence is implicit in the words, “to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.” Mediocrity does not produce leaders who can impact the world. “Service” is the added value Baptist schools offer. Historically, we have sent missionaries, preachers, teachers, business people, doctors, lawyers and nurses around the world to lead and to serve. We have produced more than our share of governors and judges. An impressive number have attended the most prestigious graduate and professional schools. Excellence is proved by the quality of our graduates and their contributions to the world.

The purpose is not to add to the body of knowledge, to serve faculty and administration or to bring honor to the institution, though that is good. Students are our purpose. At our Baptist institutions, all other goals and aspirations must be subservient.

That is not to say academics are unimportant. Our Baptist schools must provide academic excellence if they are going to equip graduates who can impact the world for good. Our classrooms, labs and libraries must be comparable to those at the best undergraduate institutions in the nation. We must recruit the best faculty possible.

Can Baptist schools do this? We find a handful of once-Baptist universities among the nation's elite institutions but not a single university still affiliated with a state Baptist convention. The primary reason is lack of resources. Top universities have the top endowments. They attract gifts in the tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars. They pull in many more millions in research dollars, much from government sources.

We Baptists have the admirable goal of keeping our schools affordable for the average Texas Baptist. But look at the facts: Most of our children are going to state schools. Why? Because they are more affordable. If we want Baptist schools that are both affordable and excellent, we must individually, through our churches and through the convention, provide sufficient revenues to increase quality while maintaining affordability.

Academic excellence is only half the equation, however. Christian commitment must be our hallmark. This is far from administering religious litmus tests or keeping track of how often faculty attend Sunday School. Until recently, prospective faculty at Baylor merely needed to affirm they were Christians, “friendly to the mission.” Not just, “I can live with paying lip service to faith,” but, “I want to be in a place where academic freedom includes the freedom to express and practice faith; where honesty, kindness and the other Christian virtues are valued; where people matter.” Faculty were encouraged to involve themselves in their students' lives; they were rewarded for excellent teaching and for service. The model was academic servant-leadership, performed with excellence and with Christian integrity.

The dynamic tension between a diverse faculty, who emphasize academic excellence and academic freedom, and a Baptist administration and board, who tend to focus on Christian commitment, results in a fine balance where both faith and learning are valued.

Furthermore, our Baptist campuses offer a unique community based on Christian principles. During Baylor's sesquicentennial, church historian Martin Marty was asked about the Baylor “bubble” and painted a word picture of the environment at a Christian university. He described an old greenhouse with a few broken panes and a door that didn't fit tightly. While some of the winds from outside might seep in, the tender young plants growing inside were protected from fierce storms until they matured and were ready to be planted outside. A nurturing gardener prepared the plants for life outside the greenhouse.

By definition, research universities focus on graduate work. Their faculties direct research of graduate students who, in turn, teach undergraduates. These institutions do not nurture undergraduates like our fine Baptist colleges, with their strong teaching faculties and emphasis on undergraduate education. Our Baptist schools tend to be much smaller than regional state universities, and community life on these campuses is another added value.

Here our Baptist distinctives can make a difference. Our legacy of soul competency, priesthood of the believer and freedom of conscience demands that members of the community respect one another's beliefs and convictions. We do not demand adherence to any narrow interpretation of faith and practice.

The Apostle Paul's admonishment to the Corinthians to be a body, valuing everyone's unique gifts, is appropriate for the Christian institution as well as for the church. As a preamble to the “love chapter,” Paul writes, “And now I will show you the most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

The late Abner McCall, Baylor president from 1961 to 1981, said it best in a 1985 article, “Why Baylor,” published in the Baylor Line:

“Our Baptist universities and hospitals should in all respects be as good as educational and health-care institutions as the secular state or private universities or hospitals. The Christian characterization and emphasis should always be an added extra dimension.

“Further, when we designate our institutions as 'Christian,' we profess that their services are rendered in a Christian manner–with respect, concern, compassion and love for those serving and those served. The Scriptures clearly and repeatedly proclaim that the sine qua non of Christian living and service is love for each other. …

“Do our university trustees, administrators, teachers and other employees have such respect and compassion for each other and for every student?

“If this be true, we can rightfully claim that our hospitals and universities are 'Christian' institutions.

“If it is not true, no matter what rules, policies or declarations of orthodoxy are adopted, our institutions are not 'Christian.' There is no substitute for Christian love in our institutions. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, without love, we are nothing.”

Ella Wall Prichard, a Baylor graduate, is a former member of the university's board of regents

Posted: 9/19/03

The Baptist Standard asked three Texas Baptists to write from differing perspectives on one of the questions at the heart of the current debate over the future of Baylor University:

Can a university be distinctively Baptist
& academically excellent?

By Joel Gregory	By Ella Wall Prichard	By Chris Seay
As a double graduate of Baylor University, I see my alma mater as standing at a crossroads. It is looking both ways at an intersection and will have to make a decision. That decision superficially appears to be about debt, football, a disgruntled faculty or factious regents. To limit the historic decision confronting the school to those issues trivializes its impact on 158 years of Baylor history. The controversy transcends the disparate issues raised by those with a bushel basket of beefs about the Bears. More…	The lists of “top universities in America” include the great public research universities; once-Christian universities, such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton; a few private institutions founded as secular universities after the German model, such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins; and a handful of elite Catholic universities. As a student at Baylor University from 1959 to 1963, I dreamed of the day when Baylor would become a "Baptist Harvard." More…	As I travel the country speaking to pastors, I get a lot of questions about my commitment to our denomination. I believe denominations are quickly becoming dinosaurs. So, many wonder why I invest my time and resources as a Texas Baptist. I tell them straight up that the Baptist General Convention of Texas is more like a family than a denomination. More…

Posted: 9/19/03

City Core Initiative targets four Texas cities

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

The Baptist General Convention of Texas City Core Initiative will focus on spiritually and economically reviving the historic hearts of Tyler, San Antonio, Dallas and Abilene.

Local Baptist association leaders in all four locations agreed to partner with the BGCT in gathering information about the people, population shifts and ministries in the city cores of their respective areas. Local leaders also will help connect initiative organizers with existing ministries and networks.

The cities were chosen because they offer variety in how the city cores have changed as well as bringing geographical variations, according to Tommy Goode, BGCT City Core Initiative consultant.

With this mix of cultural diversity, he said, “whatever we learn can be applied to all cities.”

The cities also were chosen because of their locations near major interstates. I-20 runs through Tyler, Dallas and Abilene, I-35 through San Antonio and Dallas

“Change and population shifts tend to occur more rapidly along Interstate corridors,” Goode explained

The initiative also includes collaboration with community, church, network and denominational leaders in hopes of finding a way to build on the strengths of ongoing ministry and develop new ministries where needed.

Goode said he hopes to do at least one model project in each of the four cities. Projects would be designed to bring local groups together to unite and impact their communities.

An interdenominational dialogue of Dallas-area leaders has started between the BGCT, the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The BGCT and the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church have committed to surveying the Dallas city core for on-going ministry and ministry needs.

Goode cautions that it takes more than excitement and an effective strategy to spiritually revive city cores. It takes Christians acting out of their faith.

“There is a spiritual warfare in place for us to reach our world for Christ,” he said. “We're wise to keep in mind that to reach the city is more than a good strategy. It's to do spiritual battle with Satan and evil.”

Posted: 9/19/03

Crossover Lubbock planned

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

LUBBOCK–The Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session is still seven weeks away, but plans to share the gospel in the host city already are under way.

Churches across Lubbock Baptist Association kicked off Crossover Lubbock Sept. 13 with training sessions and dinner. Congregations plan block parties, door-to-door evangelism, Bible and tract distribution, alternative Halloween activities and inner city efforts to spread the gospel in the region through Nov. 9.

The BGCT annual session will be held in Lubbock Nov. 10-11.

Baptists also will share their faith during weekend Old Mill Trade Days and the South Plains Fair, which is attended by more than 200,000 people.

Local churches will follow up on visitations and newly established relationships and bring prospects into congregations, said Judy Edgmon, chairwoman of the steering committee for Crossover Lubbock.

Leaders of the outreach effort want to connect people with churches to help them grow in their faith, not just lead them to make faith decisions and abandon them. Larry Jones, director of missions for Lubbock Baptist Association, said he would like to see baptisms increase 15 percent in the region as a result of the Crossover work.

“The potential for seeing those who are saved baptized in our churches should be greater than when we had the Franklin Graham crusade,” Jones said. “I hope to see people baptized in our churches. I know we will see people saved.”

While the evangelistic outreach will run through the weekend prior to the BGCT annual session, Edgmon prays the effort will be the start of a larger spiritual movement as people from around the state get involved.

“We would like to think this is going to set the tone. It is my hope and prayer this is the beginning of revival,” she said. “It is such a neat thing to see what other churches are doing. I'm hoping people will come here and get their appetite whetted and take it back to their churches.”

Planning for the event is bringing churches together, one of the purposes of the work, according to Wayne Shuffield, BGCT local church evangelism consultant.

“I see Crossover as a way to help churches partner together for a common goal to share the gospel and be the presence of Christ,” he said.

For information on how to get involved, contact Edgmon at (806) 791-4442 or Shuffield at (888) 269-3826.

Posted: 9/19/03

Dawson family protests Beckwith's
appointment to Baylor institute

By Marv Knox

Editor

WACO–Twenty-nine members of the J.M. Dawson family have called on Baylor University to remove the associate director of the institute that bears Dawson's name.

In an open letter dated Sept. 11, Dawson family members question the appointment of Francis Beckwith as associate director of Baylor's J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies.

However, two of Beckwith's key colleagues have claimed the protest is misguided, affirmed Beckwith's qualifications and championed Baylor's right to select a diverse faculty.

Dawson was a 1904 Baylor graduate who served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Waco 32 years. In retirement, he became the first executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs in Washington. His 1948 book, “Separate Church and State Now” is considered a landmark treatise on church-state separation and religious liberty.

In an open letter dated Sept. 11, Dawson family members question the appointment of Francis Beckwith as associate director of Baylor's J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies.

In their open letter, the Dawson family members say they have asked Baylor President Robert Sloan to remove Beckwith as associate director of the Dawson Institute and reassign him to “another, more appropriate, position.”

Matt Dawson, J.M. Dawson's son and a retired Baylor law professor, and Alice Cheavens Baird, a granddaughter from Waco, signed the letter. Including that pair, the letter carries the names of one child, 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Fourteen of them are Baylor graduates.

The letter accuses Beckwith of holding church-state positions contrary to the strong stand for separation advocated by J.M. Dawson. Therefore, he should not be a leader of the Dawson Institute, it notes.

“We are troubled because Dr. Beckwith is a fellow of the Discovery Institute. The activities of this organization are widely recognized in the academic community as engaging in political activities that contravene the fundamental principle of the separation of church and state for which J.M. Dawson stood,” the letter says.

“The Discovery Institute works to get the concept called 'intelligent design' into the science curriculum of public school textbooks, claiming that intelligent design is a scientific, not a religious, concept. In our judgment and in the judgment of the scientific community, this is a ruse for getting a religious notion into the public schools–clearly a violation of the separation of church and state.”

Intelligent design–a theory that counters evolution by advocating a rational plan behind creation–is not a new controversy at Baylor. The university's faculty, particularly science and religion professors, protested more than three years ago, when President Sloan created the Michael Polanyi Center, intended to focus on whether mathematical and scientific formulas can prove an intelligent design behind creation.

“The vast majority of scientists view intelligent design as the latest version of creationist theory, though the Discovery Institute works tirelessly to refute this fact,” the Dawson family letter says.

It cites several articles in scientific and church-state journals that claim intelligent design actually is a religious theory rather than a scientific endeavor. Consequently, since intelligent design advocates attempt to introduce the theory into public school science classrooms, they violate longstanding principles of church-state separation, it adds.

“We … ask the question: Is Baylor University going to maintain its commitment to the separation of church and state? Is the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies going to remain committed to its mission? How can it possibly do so if an associate director is a fellow of the Discovery Institute, an organization that violates the church-state separation principle?” the letter asks.

In response, both Baylor Provost David Jeffrey and one of Beckwith's colleagues in the Dawson Institute, Barry Hankins, affirmed his fitness for leadership in the institute. The Dawson Institute's director, Derek Davis, was out of the country and unavailable for comment.

Beckwith topped the list of candidates for the Dawson Institute during a national search, Jeffrey said. Among Beckwith's credentials, Jeffrey cited his academic accomplishments, including a doctorate from Fordham University and a master's degree in juridical studies from Washington University, as well as publication of articles in numerous scholarly periodicals, including the Dawson Institute's own Journal of Church and State.

He has been a research fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and he is a fellow in the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute. He has held full-time faculty appointments at Trinity International University, Whittier College and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

His latest book is “Law, Darwinism, & Public Education: The Establishment Clause and the Challenge of Intelligent Design.” Other books include “The New Mormon Challenge: Responding to the Latest Defenses of a Fast-Growing Movement,” “Do the Right Thing: Readings in Applied Ethics and Social Philosophy,” “Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air,” “The Abortion Controversy 25 Years After Roe v. Wade,” “Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Reverse Discrimination?” and “Politically Correct Death: Answering the Arguments for Abortion Rights.”

“He's nuanced in some of his opinions, but we try to have diversity on the faculty here at Baylor. He's a proponent of separation of church and state,” Jeffrey said. “He was the strongest candidate.”

The Dawson family's protest reflects a double misunderstanding, Jeffrey surmised.

“First is the actual nature of his (church-state) views,” the provost said, noting Dawson Institute Director Davis holds the same views.

“Second is the climate of intellectual freedom we want to have here at Baylor. At Baylor, we're vigorous proponents of freedom of conscience and academic inquiry,” he added, noting the faculty represents a broad spectrum of views on their various disciplines.

The challenge to Beckwith, “apparently on the basis of his having received a grant and fellow status from an institute that specializes in intelligent design theory,” is dismaying, added Barry Hankins, associate professor of history and church-state studies in the institute.

“Frank's views on the constitutionality of teaching intelligent design in public schools, however debatable, are scholarly and reasonable,” Hankins said. “I have found him a scholar of integrity and one who is always prepared to listen and dialogue about important matters.”

Hankins also debunked what he called rumors that have surfaced since Beckwith arrived at Baylor.

“It is simply not true that Frank was forced on the department by the administration,” Hankins insisted. “He was the best qualified person for the job and in my view strengthens the department, both because of his credentials as a scholar and because of his views on various church-state matters.

“There are faculty at Baylor who believe Frank should not have been hired because of his work on intelligent design or because he could be called a 'cultural conservative.' I believe the academic enterprise is strengthened when a variety of views are represented in institutes and departments where complex and controversial issues are to be debated. We are in the business of educating, not indoctrinating.”

For his part, Beckwith noted he is “surprised and saddened that the descendants of J.M. Dawson would invoke his name as an authority in their request that Baylor University take action that is contrary to the academic and religious liberty that … Dawson stood for.”

Citing a 1964 quote from Dawson, “Most people know how sickly is mere conformity,” Beckwith added: “It is disappointing to know that some today are requiring ideological conformity for faculty at an institute that bears the name of J.M. Dawson. There can be no academic freedom if alumni are successful in their attempt to remove faculty who hold views contrary to their own.”

Beckwith, who in addition to his administrative position is associate professor of church-state studies, affirms the principles championed by the Dawson Institute, he said.

“I am a strong proponent of the separation of church and state as well as religious liberty, though in a free society such as ours, citizens of goodwill will differ on how to understand these principles in the 21st century, an era nearly a half-century removed from the time J.M. Dawson published the bulk of his work,” he said.

“For example, my scholarship on law, Darwinism and public education explores a new, important and fascinating question …: Would certain critiques of Darwinism, including intelligent design theory, pass constitutional muster if subjected to standard judicial tests?”

Beckwith's affiliations with think-tanks such as the Discovery Institute are merely affiliations, he stressed. “Think-tanks are not churches or lodges; there are no oaths or statements of faith that one must sign. …

"My work is my own, and I stand by it. However, it is inappropriate and not in the spirit of J.M. Dawson's philosophy for his descendants or any members of the Baylor community to blacklist faculty because they receive funding, however modest, from think-tanks and foundations with which other members of the academic community disagree."

Posted: 9/19/03

DOWN HOME:
A 'Marv' by any other name …

We've reached a new era in our family. My youngest daughter, Molly, calls me by my first name.

Well, not precisely my name, but an endeared version of my name. And she does it only part of the time.

Say it's almost time for dinner, and Molly's upstairs, and she needs to come down to eat. I stand at the foot of the stairs and call out, “Molly!” She's taken to calling back, “Marvie!”

MARV KNOX Editor

In my lifetime, I've known a zillion people, and Molly's the only one who's ever called me Marvie.

My real name's Marvin, but since I'm named for my dad and lived in the same house with him for almost 19 years, I've never gone by my real name.

At first, I was Little Marv, which baffled me, even as a toddler. Daddy was Marvin, not Big Marv, so why did all these people insist on calling me Little Marv. I felt So Big when they dropped the Little.

Growing up, I had a couple of family names. On Daddy's side, everybody called me Buddy. Don't know where that came from, but it stuck. At weddings and funerals, cousins still call me Buddy. Mother's dad, Popo, called me “Boy!” about half the time. It always seemed to bother Mother for him to do that, but I loved it. Something about the way he said it. “Come with me, Boy!” Or “Wanna go fishing, Boy!?”

By the time I got to junior high, I got called names because Daddy is a pastor. Mr. Barnes, the choir teacher, took to calling me Moses. Theologically speaking, that never made sense to me, but then again I didn't expect much theology out of Mr. Barnes, and at least he didn't call me Judas or Jehoiakim, although I probably would've thought Nebuchadnezzar was cool.

Soon, my friends took over, and they started calling me Rev, short for Reverend. Some preacher's kids might not have liked a nickname like Rev, but I enjoyed it. And it was loads better than some of the lockerroom names we called most of my friends.

In college, my Alpha Phi Omega nickname was Woodstein, after journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame. The moniker was too contrived, and it never stuck. My friend Mop started calling me Jack, but that's a long story.

After college, the nicknames sorta dried up. Of course, Joanna, my wife, calls me little names I won't tell you. And some readers have written to call me names I can't tell you.

But I've gotten a kick out of being called Marvie. However, I appreciate being called Daddy even more, since I adore the name because it's also the title of my favorite job.

What do people call you? One of the great things about the Christian faith is the realization that the God of the universe knows your name and speaks it with love.

Posted: 9/19/03

EDITORIAL:
Add love, grace & forgiveness to 'Baylor family' values

You don't have to live among Texas Baptists long to meet up with folks whose passion for their “Baylor family” seems stronger than their feelings for the blood relatives they see during holidays. This summer, that passion boiled over, as members of the “family” conducted a public squabble over the future of their beloved university.

This family feud has left many loyal Texas Baptists outside the Baylor fold scratching their heads, wondering if all those Bears love their school too much–or not enough.

President Robert Sloan and Baylor 2012, the university's 10-year strategy, have been the twin lightning rods of the internecine strife. (The death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy was tragic, and scandal in the men's basketball program was appalling, and they received national attention. Although these are terribly painful issues that bring great sorrow to all of us, they are not directly involved in the battle for the soul of Baylor.)

All members of the Baylor family want their school to be great. But right now, it needs to embody character-istics of Christ's family– love, grace, compassion and forgiveness.

Critics have leveled five primary charges: (1) Escalating tuition threatens to change the very fabric of Baylor's student body, pushing the university out of range for the children of typical middle-class Texas Baptists, the historic majority of Baylor students. (2) Increasing debt brought on by a building boom threatens the school's financial viability. (3) Loyal long-term faculty have been shunted aside by an emphasis on research, and this threatens Baylor's legacy of excellent classroom teaching. (4) An alleged theological litmus test required for tenure threatens Baylor's reputation for seeking truth and will turn the university into a fundamentalist school. (5) Sloan himself is not competent and trustworthy to lead Baylor.

Supporters of Sloan and 2012 have responded in kind: (1) While tuition has increased, so has scholarship aid, and new students' median family income has decreased. (2) The university's debt is a small and manageable portion of its annual operating budget. (3) Classroom teaching and research both are vital, and solid researchers make strong classroom teachers. (4) Faculty at an overtly Christian university like Baylor should be able and willing to integrate faith with teaching in their disciplines. (5) Attacks on Sloan are petty, personal and, in some cases, fueled by ties to former administrations and others seeking to settle unrelated scores.

Disagreement is not unusual, particularly regarding the future of a beloved school. Especially in today's rapidly changing academic climate, university constituencies often disagree. But what makes Baylor unique is the demarcation line and depth of disagreement. Baylor hasn't pitted faculty against alumni or students against administration. Among faculty, alumni and students, both sides claim a majority, although no one knows where all parties stand on the issue. Moreover, many have taken an absolutist stand, countenancing no room for disagreement. Some equate loyalty to Baylor with support for Sloan. Others take the opposite view. And neither gives the other credence. For example, a caller last week said of a fellow Baylor alum who took an opposing view, “Well, I thought we were friends.”

Ironically, the rift has divided loyal Texas Baptists who have stood together for more than 20 years to fight fundamentalism. It has provoked many to embrace tactics they abhor in others. They have impugned the character and integrity of longtime friends. They have questioned the character and loyalty of Baylorites who have sacrificed to make Baylor great.

Sadly, both groups have resorted to power to force their will. Relying on a majority base in the board of regents, Sloan supporters have assumed if the regents vote, the issue is settled. Conversely, opponents have pointed to their strong resources to provide funds and future students and have threatened a kind of siege that could cut off and starve the administration. Neither side seems to see what is obvious to outsiders: Both sides reflect elements of truth. They have far more in common than they hold in disagreement. They need each other if they want Baylor to be great. The surest formula for doom is to refuse to reconcile this family feud.

Last week, the regents voted 31-4 to reaffirm Sloan's leadership. Since they are the only ones who can hire and fire the president, his position appears secure, at least for the short term. Regents agreed to proceed through the work of three review committees–one to study faculty relations, faculty hiring, provisional students, “Baylor traditions” and the school's relationship with the Baylor Alumni Association; another to look at finances, bonded indebtedness, tuition and the board's conflict-of-interest policy; and a third to examine pending litigation.

Although an anti-Sloan alumni group immediately denounced the regents' action, it could provide an opportunity for reconciliation, provided several steps are taken:

First, the regents need to conduct more of their work out in the open, for all constituents to observe. Texas Baptists have entrusted their institutions to boards of trustees or, in Baylor's case, regents. The regents want their process to work. For generations, Baylor's board has been comprised of regents whose reputations for trust and responsibility have been well-deserved. Texas Baptists have faith that they can solve the university's problems.

Regents must acknowledge, however, that mistrust currently prevails. The surest way for it to be restored is for business to be conducted in the sunshine of openness, so that all Baylor's varied constituents can share their dreams and visions, explore options for reaching them and hold each other accountable for progress. Of course, the board holds legal responsibility for its actions, and sometimes regents must work candidly behind closed doors. Still, in the current climate, they must realize closed doors only increase suspicion and mistrust. The review committees need to function openly. And when fiduciary duties close doors, regents must emerge with clear and public plans for proceeding and share those plans with Baylor's constituencies.

Second, the administration needs to reach out. Last week, Sloan promised to communicate and to listen. That's a great start, but it needs to extend further. The president can build bridges to alumni and faculty by offering specific steps to respond to their concerns. He does not need to abandon Baylor 2012 to alleviate some fears of faculty, alumni, students and their families. Even Sloan's opponents have affirmed many components of 2012. He has an opportunity to cement their support by responding collegially and gracefully to their fears and concerns–not only in words, but in actions.

Here's a specific step: The administration could allay anxiety and set the tone for the future by clearly explaining its faith-related requirements for faculty hiring, tenure and promotion. Sloan advocates the ideal that a university can be uniquely Christian and academically excellent. A clearer explanation of how Baylor can achieve those dual goals and how faculty can participate would be a reconciling step.

Third, the administration's adversaries need to exercise patience and allow time for progress. This does not mean accountability is ignored. But it does mean placing a moratorium on personal attacks, cordially presenting alternative views on how 2012 can be implemented without causing worst fears to come true, and acknowledging the administration and its supporters also love Baylor fervently.

All Texas Baptists need to pray for Baylor University. All members of the Baylor family want their school to be great. But right now, it needs to embody characteristics of Christ's family–love, grace, compassion and forgiveness.

–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted 9/22/03

CYBERCOLUMN:
The bridge

By John Duncan

I am sitting here under the old oak tree, wondering about a bridge. The musical duo Simon and Garfunkle used to sing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” Early this morning while biking, I stopped on the bridge near the lake not too far from the old oak tree. But the bridge I am thinking of is in Cambridge, England.

If you travel to Cambridge, you will discover a center point in the middle of the city. The “city center” as the locals call it, swirls with activity. Near the city’s center you will find a GAP, a Marks and Spencer store for buying groceries, and a market square where you can purchase fresh flowers, a T-shirt for approximately $18, and Doc Martin’s sandals for half the price you can buy them in America. Walk a short distance, and you will find Borders, Starbucks and McDonald’s. The world shrinks, and suddenly everything starts looking the same, no matter where you travel. The college students gather at McDonald’s for lunch, so you if you are hungry, you will want to beat the rush by arriving before 11:30.

John Duncan

Walk past McDonald’s and stand on Trinity Street. Look to your left, and you will find one the world’s most recognizable architectural wonders—King’s College. If you toured King’s College with a guide, you would hear about the chapel and the mischievous stories of college students who climbed the spires like rock climbers and placed umbrellas at the highest point, some 100 feet in the air.

Walk to your right, and you will journey toward Trinity College. The neatly manicured Great Court fascinates. The field looks like a beautiful carpet of green. Spend two British pounds on the brochure that explains the buildings, history and the grandeur of all that is Trinity College. You will be interested in knowing movie producers filmed portions “Chariots of Fire” in the courtyard. The running scene where the two runners sprint around the courtyard enlivens the movie. When I traveled to Cambridge with my family last spring, we rented the movie. Why not rent the movie? I love that great line in the movie, Eric pleading with his sister about his duel call of missionary work and running Olympic races. He says: “God made me fast. And when I run I feel his (God’s) pleasure.” Take Cambridge slow. Find something in life to feel God’s pleasure.

Trinity College houses numerous treasures in the Wren Library—an eighth century copy of the epistles of Paul and an original manuscript of “Winnie the Pooh.” Walk beyond the library and the New Court and over the bridge where, beneath, lies the River Cam. Remember, we speak of a bridge, and Cambridge displays many bridges over the River Cam, including the historical Mathematical Bridge, originally built with only wood and a flawless design. Across the bridge you will find an ice cream truck. By all means, buy an ice cream cone. It sure tastes good!

Exit Trinity College and walk down Trinity Street to Saint John’s College. Saint John’s holds three courts. Architectural professionals refer to the Gothic design of the buildings as the “Wedding Cake.” Walk through the tree courts, and you will again stand on a bridge. Across the bridge and over the River Cam you will find what the locals call the Backs, a beautiful floral walking path that produces breathtaking postcards from behind the colleges.

As you view the Backs, look below the bridge and you will see students and tourists punting. No, punting is not football, but rather a journey on the River Cam in a canoe-like boat.

Stand on the bridge and note the Kitchen Bridge and the infamous Bridge of Sighs, a bridge modeled after one in Venice, Italy. Turn around, and you will see the River Cam and bridge after bridge, stone bridges made fixed in symmetrical form near perfection. The bridges have withstood walkers, bikers, rain, storms and the test of time. How can you cross the River Cam without a bridge?

Study the center point of each bridge. You will find a triangular stone called a “keystone.” The keystone locks the bridge into place. It holds the bridge together. Remove the keystone, and the bridge will crumble.

Today I am sitting here under the old oak tree, thinking of a bridge with its keystone, Jesus Christ. He locks my life into place, creating stability when a river of turmoil swirls in the world below. Jesus holds my life together. Jesus keeps my life from crumbling. In him, I can cross over one day into that glorious land with streets of gold and fields with carpets of green. Ah, the King will be there. And I can walk in the glory of all that is in the King’s domain. Peace fills my soul.

I think of Jesus, the Bridge, and I recall Jesus’ words, “My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

Suddenly old Augustine’s prayer comes to mind: “O Lord God, grant us peace, for all that we have is your gift. Grant us the peace of repose, the peace of the Sabbath, the peace which has no evening.”

Oh, did I tell you the sun shone high in Cambridge? Did I mention it was the middle of the day? Do you think we taste delicious ice cream in heaven? Have you stood on a bridge? Is the Bridge in you?

John Duncan is pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, and the writer of numerous articles in various journals and magazines

Posted: 10/3/03

Cowboy Fellowship ropes in more
than just cowboys in Pleasanton

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

PLEASANTON–The bumper sticker reads: “Cowboy Fellowship. It's not just for cowboys anymore.”

And now the Western heritage church in Pleasanton aims to back that up.

Pete Pawelek baptizes J.P. Meuth in a horse trough at Cowboy Fellowship. More than 90 people have committed their lives to Jesus at the church since May.

While Cowboy Fellowship intentionally reaches out to people who are interested in rodeo arena events, some church members “probably couldn't tell you what a horse looks like,” said Pastor Pete Pawelek. No matter their background, he wants them to know Jesus.

The new church, sponsored by First Baptist Church of Pleasanton, Frio River Baptist Association and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, kicked off services last spring with a crowd of 172 people in the Atascosa County Show Barn.

The group included many people who attended Bible study and roping events held in the years prior to the launch.

“Everybody thought it was good, but it was still new,” Pawelek said. “We did a lot of publicity. We didn't know how many people came because it was new.”

Some may have come because it was new, but they must have found something they liked. Attendance continued to grow as high as 440 people throughout the summer, despite no air conditioning in the metal barn. About 300 regularly attend Sunday services.

As of mid-September, more than 90 people had made professions of faith in Jesus Christ through the church's efforts. Each week, at least one person has made a profession of faith.

Baptismal services are held the first Sunday of each month, followed by a church-wide meal and arena events such as roping and barrel racing.

Pawelek sees the church filling a void other congregations in the area left untouched. Worshippers feel comfortable at the church's events as they come in blue jeans, cowboy hats and boots. Some come to church from working the fields and return to work after the services.

“When people know Jesus is going to be somewhere, and the gospel is going to be presented, and they have the opportunity to encounter God, they will do what they have to do to get there,” the pastor explained.

With a steady stream of people coming to the church and to the Christian faith, the congregation launched “Saddle-Up” seminars, one-hour classes for new members. The classes outline what can be expected from the church and what the church expects from its members. They also allow the pastor to meet each new member.

Additionally, the church recently launched a couple of small discipleship groups, where Pawelek hopes members will learn the basics of the faith and begin to grow spiritually.

“The majority of our congregation is people who haven't been to church in 10 years,” he said. “Some have never been in church.”

Posted: 10/3/03

Missions Foundation gives Cowgirl Award

By Toby Druin

Editor Emeritus

A new Texas Baptist missions award is a horse of a different color.

The first Texas Cowgirl Award was presented Sept. 16 to Eunice Chambless of Abilene for her support of the Cowboy Church movement.

The award will be presented annually by the Baptist General of Convention's Church Multiplication Center and the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation.

Gary Morgan (left), pastor of Cowboy Church of Ellis County, and Ron Nolen (right) of the BGCT present the Cowgirl Award to Eunice Chambless.

Ron Nolen, who heads the BGCT's effort to start cowboy churches, presented the award to Chambless, noting she helped him purchase a horse to use in his ministry.

The award, an acrylic representation of the map of Texas with the Cowboy Church logo, carries an inscription that reads: “Your life influence and possessions have inspired an entire cowboy church planting movement in Texas and beyond.” It was presented by Nolen and Gary Morgan, pastor of the Cowboy Church of Ellis County, who also gave her a western hat.

The award presentation was the highlight of a meeting of the missions foundation's board of advisers at Frontier Church, one of the newest of the cowboy churches, on Highway 77, just south of Waxahachie, and whose new building was financed with a no-interest loan from the foundation. Most of the meeting focused on the cowboy church movement.

Nolen challenged the 20-member foundation board and others attending the meeting to be aware of where cowboy churches are needed. Seventeen have been started to date, he said, and the goal is 10 to 20 per year over the next five years.

BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade spoke briefly to the board, noting Frontier Church where they were meeting “is a good symbol of our commitment to start churches wherever there are people who need them.”

Abe Zabaneh, director of the Church Starting Center, explained that Texas needs new churches because they are foundations for reaching the 10.5 million non-Christian people in the state. New churches also are forums for innovation, provide opportunities for new church leaders, focus on the future and are foundations for growth, he said.

Bill Arnold, executive director of the missions foundation, reported 628 people made 1,228 gifts to the foundation this year totaling $1.8 million. The foundation has $300,000 pending in loans for 10 churches from its no-interest loan fund and $492,000 pending for nine churches from its low-interest loan fund.

The foundation, he reported, has helped with funds for a new tool trailer for Texas Baptist Men, assisted in providing medical and dental care for orphanages in Piedras Negras, aided in construction of new Baptist Student Ministry buildings at Texas A&M University and Stephen F. Austin State University and in distributing 25,000 Spanish-language Bibles from Del Rio to Juarez.

The board approved three awards to be presented at the foundation's meeting Nov. 10 in Lubbock. The Pioneer Award for service in missions will be presented to Delbert and Mary Lou Serratt of Amarillo. The Innovator Award for creativity in missions will go to Shirley Madden of Lubbock. The Adventurer Award for leadership in missions will be presented to First Baptist Church of Plains, where Bill Wright is pastor.

Four people were re-elected to new terms on the board of advisers–Eunice Chambless, Ken Dupuy of Longview, Ed Finlay of Houston and Dan McLendon of San Antonio.

Posted: 10/3/03

Deacon brings Dead Sea Scrolls to life

By George Henson

Staff Writer

BLUM–Aubrey Richardson has a passion for archaeology, in particular the Dead Sea Scrolls. But the thing he wants most to bring to light is that the Bible is accurate and worthy of faith.

Richardson, a deacon at First Baptist Church in Blum, misses most of the Sunday night services there because he's usually in another church teaching about the Essenes of Qumran, the originators of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Aubrey Richardson, dressed as an Essene, leads a seminar on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

A retired engineer with Lockheed-Martin, he spent seven years in Israel. During much of that time, he devoted his weekends, holidays and vacation days to working with an Israeli archaeologist on digs, many around the famed site of Qumran.

His passion was so fueled that he led fund-raising efforts to obtain seismic and ground penetrating radar surveys of the Qumran plateau. The data accumulated from those tests influenced Israel's Department of Antiquities to reopen Qumran for archeological investigation and exploration after 45 years without new exploration.

Because of his help in the beginning stages, Richardson was invited back last year when exploration began anew. Uncovered was a 2,000-year-old kitchen, complete with a storage area and cooking vessels.

This experience has given him a knowledge base he wants to share with other Christians–a knowledge he hopes goes far beyond meeting an interest in archaeology of biblical lands.

“There seems to be quite an interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I want to broaden that interest to share about the Essenes and their beliefs and life and relate it back to the Bible,” he explained. “My goal is to increase people's faith in their Bible and to relate how God has preserved these things through all this time to attest to the Bible's accuracy.”

Richardson knows some people doubt the Bible's accuracy in some areas, but he believes what he has learned through archaeology gives scientific proof to refute such doubts.

For instance, some skeptics doubt there was a reign by a King David. But archaeological evidence now describes the armies of a King David.

“What I really want to do is build up people's faith in the Scriptures,” Richardson said.

He does that through a 40-minute presentation in which he plays the role an Essene scribe, shows a short film of Essene life and then comes back as himself to show a variety of archeological objects.

Included in his presentation are a copy of the oldest Isaiah scroll, an ancient belt or sash he uncovered in the marl just below the Qumran plateau, pottery shards, a Roman arrowhead believed to be from about 65 A.D., and his greatest prize–the Torah on a three-foot high scroll. He never has fully extended the scroll made of animal skins sewn together, but he is sure it would be more than 100 feet long.

Richardson's ministry of sharing his knowledge with churches has taken off since April. He spends as many as three Sunday nights a month making his presentations, which several pastors say have been well received.

Allan Lane, pastor of Fort Graham Baptist Church in Whitney, said: “It is indeed a sensitively orchestrated balance of archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible. The interactive venue intrigued the inquisitive minds of our congregation into further study and research.”

John Carl, pastor of First Baptist Church in Whitney, said: “His reputation preceded him, and our house was much fuller than usual for a Sunday evening. I think Brother Richardson's presentation would be well received by any church congregation that holds curiosity for the textual history of the Bible and the people of Bible days.”

Richardson's own pastor, Sammy Simmons, likewise was impressed. “His grasp of the material presented, love of the land of the Bible and personal experiences as a volunteer in archaeology offer a unique perspective,” Simmons said.

For more information, call (254) 694-5847.