Around the State: Seventeen HPU football players get baptized

Howard Payne University celebrated the baptism of 17 of their football players. Nate Penland, HPU vice president of student experience, said leading the 17 students to Christ was the result of a combination of interactions with Coby Gibson, HPU head football coach, and Cory Hines, HPU president. Hines shared the gospel at the university’s first freshman chapel, while Gibson connected with the students through a Sunday night college ministry called Genuine, handing out shirts featuring the phrase “Jesus won.” A separate service was held to baptize the student athletes at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood. A luncheon was held afterwards for participants and guests to celebrate the public statement of faith.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has successfully met the fundraising challenge for its new science lab facility, raising $5 million in new gifts ahead of the year-end deadline. The challenge began in December 2025 when an anonymous donor offered a $1 million gift plus a $4 million challenge grant to support the new science lab facility. The grant required UMHB to raise an additional $5 million in new gifts by the end of 2026. The university’s alumni, friends, and supporters have now met the challenge. Randy O’Rear, president of UMHB, said the new facility will serve as another venue for God to equip science students in a Christian environment for world impact. “This new science lab facility will be a tremendous addition to our campus, providing modern spaces designed to support learning, discovery, and academic excellence. We look forward to seeing how God uses this facility to prepare and equip students to serve, lead, and make a lasting difference in the world.” Construction is underway at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and College Street, directly across from the Davidson and Heard buildings. The new facility will be completed in time to welcome students for classes beginning in fall 2028.

East Texas Baptist University ushered in the fall season with the 15th annual Fall Festival for Marshall Independent School District elementary students on Sept. 28. Learning and Leading program students engaged with kids from Trinity Episcopal School, Sam Houston Elementary, David Crockett Elementary, Price T. Young Elementary, and Marshall Early Childhood Center. First held in 2011, the Fall Festival has grown into a longstanding tradition that connects ETBU students with children and families in Marshall. Corliss Emery, ETBU student success specialist, said the heart behind the Fall Festival is to share Christ through servant leadership. “As a Christ-centered institution, it is part of our calling to serve the Marshall community, and one of the ways we get to do that is through the Fall Festival. This annual event helps our newest ETBU Tigers engage with our community through local elementary schools while learning valuable, hands-on leadership skills they will carry with them wherever God calls them to serve in the future.”

Wayland Baptist University has been awarded a four-year $498,400 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to strengthen mental health support for students on the Plainview campus. The award will support a project titled “Pioneering Mental Health” through SAMHSA’s Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention program. The grant will help Wayland add staff and specialized expertise to its counseling program, provide advanced training for faculty and staff, and increase students’ access to crisis and mental health services. The four-year grant extends through 2030 with annual appropriations supplemented by Wayland’s commitment to match funding.

Houston Christian University will launch a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence in fall 2027, preparing students for careers in a rapidly growing field. “I’m grateful to the College faculty for designing this degree that responds to workforce needs and prepares our students to be ethical designers and contributors to AI advancements that are transforming the majority of workplace settings,” said Katie Evans, dean of the College of Science and Engineering. Students will complete an internship and senior capstone project while exploring the ethical responsibilities surrounding artificial intelligence. The program reflects HCU’s Christ-centered mission by emphasizing the responsible development and use of AI. Graduates may pursue careers as AI engineers, data scientists, and software developers.

Dallas Baptist University men’s soccer team partnered with Serve Hope International Aug. 12-17 in Siguatepeque, Honduras, as part of the university’s Global Sports Mission Initiative. The team served the community by building homes, delivering water filter systems, hosting a soccer clinic, and sharing the love of Christ through their interactions with local families. Serve Hope International, a Christian nonprofit organization founded by DBU friend Matt McMahan, welcomed the student-athletes as they prepared to invest in the Siguatepeque community. Throughout the week, the team participated in service projects that included distributing water filter systems, moving lumber, and helping complete two homes. The student athletes also celebrated with the families they served, offering encouragement and reminders they are seen and loved by the Lord.