Texas Tidbits

Posted: 1/19/07

Texas Tidbits

Hispanic Mission Network to debut. Leaders of Hispanic Texas Baptist churches that are engaging members in missions—along with representatives from Baptist University of the Americas, WorldconneX and Buckner International—will launch a Hispanic Mission Network at the Hispanic Evangelism Conference, Feb. 2-3 in San Antonio. Participants plan to conduct a global/local mission project within the network’s first year that could provide a model for Hispanic church involvement. About 30 Hispanic leaders and missions practitioners met at Baptist University of the Americas recently for a Plaza Global two-day event to discuss the network and explore emerging trends in global missions.

Hardin-Simmons, ETBU athletic trainers honored. The athletic training staffs at Hardin-Simmons University and East Texas Baptist University each were named by their peers as division winners of the American Southwest Conference athletic training staff of the year awards for 2005-06. Hardin-Simmons was presented the west division award, and ETBU took the east division honor. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor won the west division honor the previous academic year.

Baylor receives gift for Brooks Village chapel. Brooks Village—a new residential community under construction at Baylor University—will have its own chapel, thanks to a gift from William and Mary Jo Robbins of Houston. The university did not disclose the amount of the gift in keeping with the donors’ wishes. At 252,000 square feet, Brooks Village will accommodate 700 students in two new residential quadrangles. University officials expect the $42.8 million Brooks Village project to be completed in the fall.

Land gift yields multiplied benefits for Wayland. A land gift originally valued at $65,000 recently yielded more than $535,000 for Wayland Baptist University’s endowment. In 1958, Burton and Annie Craig gave Wayland 653 acres in Sunray. The Craigs placed the land in a trust with the Baptist Foundation of Texas with the stipulation that it would provide monthly benefits for them until their deaths. The trust has remained in investments since it was deeded. Craig died in 1962, and his wife died last October. At that point, when the trust fund came to Wayland, it was valued at $535,129.

Christian student leaders to meet at Howard Payne. Chris Seay, pastor of Ecclesia Church in Houston, Bo Pilgrim of the Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Vicki Vaughn of the Richard Jackson Center for Evangelism in Brownwood will speak at the ninth annual Christian Association of Student Leaders conference, Jan. 25-27 at Howard Payne University. The event is expected to attract more than 200 students from Dallas Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Houston Baptist University, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wayland Baptist University, as well as Hannibal LaGrange College and Louisiana College.

HPU meets fundraising milepost. Howard Payne University has crossed the $20 million mark in its Sharing the Vision capital campaign, approaching its $25 million goal. The fundraising campaign already made possible many campus enhancements and has provided funding for endowments and scholarships.