Abe Jaquez, president of Baptist University of the Américas, and Larry Floyd, executive director of El Paso Baptist Association, signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in offering accredited undergraduate theological education in Spanish. The partnership, designed to equip Spanish-speaking pastors for Texas Baptist churches, will involve recruiting students for BUA’s Bachelor of Arts in Biblical/Theological Studies degree, offered online entirely in Spanish. The fall cohort begins Aug. 22. For more information, click here.
Dallas Baptist University students traveled this summer to England to learn about events in intellectual, political and religious history where they occurred. DBU President Adam C. Wright, Vice President Blake Killingsworth and Mary Nelson, director of the Ph.D. in leadership studies program, led 41 doctoral students from three cohorts. Undergraduate students were led by Mark Cook, assistant professor of leadership and biblical studies; Michael Whiting, assistant professor of Christian history and leadership; and Nick Pitts, an alumnus of the Cook School of Leadership. DBU students visited the home of C.S. Lewis, attended evensong service at Oxford’s Christ Church, and explored both Cambridge and Windsor Castle. They also participated in historical tours of Blenheim Palace, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Churchill War Rooms in London.
During the Baptist World Alliance annual meeting, Texas Baptists participated in a panel discussion on immigration and ministry along the U.S./Mexico border. Julio Guarneri, senior pastor, Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, provided the biblical rationale for ministry to immigrants, including the command to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 10 to remember when they were aliens and sojourners in Egypt. “Everybody’s a stranger sometime,” Guarneri said, quoting Joel Gregory, professor at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. Calvary Baptist in McAllen worked in cooperation with Texas Baptists, Buckner International, Texas Baptist Men and BCFS, formerly Baptist Child and Family Services. George Solis reported on the work of Texas Baptists’ River Ministry, and Jorge Zapata described Fellowship Southwest’s immigrant relief ministry.
Albert Reyes, president and CEO of Buckner International, won an award for Leadership Excellence in the category of mega nonprofit at the D CEO’s Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards on July 21.
Anniversary
175 for First Baptist Church in Gonzales. The congregation and guests will celebrate with a potluck meal following the morning worship service on July 31. Josh Breslaw is senior pastor.
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