Around the State: Wayland honors Joachim Foundation

Wayland Baptist University presented its highest award to the Fred and Louise Joachim Foundation during the Pioneers of Excellence dinner Oct. 22, honoring a legacy of generosity that has provided more than $1 million to support the university. The Joachims, who had no children, established the foundation through a bequest to support religious and educational projects. Their commitment to education has continued through foundation gifts benefiting generations of Wayland students. Additionally, Clifford Trull received the Keeper of the Flame award and Carolyn Baker and Mark Jones were welcomed into the Founders Society. The Keeper of the Flame award recognizes donors whose lifetime giving has reached $100,000. The Founders Society recognizes individuals who include Wayland in their estate plans or make other planned gifts.

Howard Payne University will welcome Doug Weaver, the Barbara Jo Beard Driskell Professor of Historical Studies and chair of the Department of Religion at Baylor University, as the keynote speaker for the Dr. James Shields Speaker Series. Weaver will deliver a public lecture at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, in Grace Chapel. The lecture will focus on the preaching of John Claypool, who was known for his confessional preaching style, storytelling, and theology of grace. Weaver co-wrote and edited, with Aaron Weaver, the 2022 book Claypool, examining the preacher’s ministry. Weaver also will speak at 10 a.m. on Nov. 4, during HPU’s chapel service in Mims Auditorium. Admission to the public lecture is free, but reservations are requested. For reservations or more information, contact Haleigh Clevenger in HPU’s School of Christian Studies at [email protected] or call 325-649-8403.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor announced an anonymous donor has offered a $2 million challenge grant to support the construction of the university’s new science lab facility. The challenge requires the university to raise an additional $2 million by May 31, 2027, to receive the grant. The new facility will be completed in time for classes beginning in fall 2028. The new $50 million three-story facility will feature 13 science labs, conference rooms, and student gathering and study spaces designed to support hands-on learning, teaching, and research. It will serve students in biology and health science programs, as well as students completing the university’s general education laboratory science requirement, making it a resource for the majority of UMHB’s undergraduate student body.

East Texas Baptist University and B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary mourn the passing of William A. “Budd” Smith, a founding faculty member of B.H. Carroll whose work in theological education helped establish the seminary in 2004. Smith was among four educators who helped establish B.H. Carroll with a vision for making graduate theological education accessible to pastors and ministry leaders. The seminary was founded to equip men and women for Christian ministry while allowing them to continue serving in their local churches and communities. Before helping establish B.H. Carroll, Smith served for more than two decades on the faculty of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He taught in foundations of education and directed the seminary’s Oxford Study Program from 1987 to 2003. He also held the J.M. Price Chair of Religious Education beginning in 1997. Thomas Sanders, ETBU provost and vice president for academic affairs, shared how Smith’s approach to teaching reflected his commitment to investing in others. Even in large classes, he made an effort to know his students and affirm their gifts. “I often hear today’s students describe the impact of a faculty member who ‘sees me.’ That phrase perfectly captures my experience with Dr. Budd Smith,” Sanders said. Smith’s influence extended beyond the classroom and into the lives of fellow ministers he mentored and encouraged. Diane Lane, who served alongside him at East Meadows Baptist Church in Fort Worth, recalled the impact he had on her faith and ministry. “Dr. Smith was the interim minister ofeducation at the first church I served,” Lane said. “He was the perfect example of a minister of education because he understood and supported all areas of Christian education. … He mentored the younger ministers, so we understood the importance of actual learning taking place. He was present and valued everyone he encountered. From the older to the younger individuals, Dr. Smith knew and demonstrated God’s love to them. Dr. Smith had a deep, profound impact on my life as a believer, a spouse, and a minister because he lived out his calling to be Christ’s example to all.” B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary became part of East Texas Baptist University in 2024, continuing its mission of preparing leaders for service in the church and the world.