Eighty volunteers participated in a cleanup and prayer walk at the proposed site of the new Buckner Family Hope Center at Bachman Lake in Dallas. The adults and children cleaned the property and then broke into groups to pray on each of the four corners of the property. They prayed for the community—its health, its children and for its people to find hope. 

The Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor University received a $3 million grant from the Walmart Foundation. The institute will use the grant to build coalitions for hunger-free communities across the state, continue child nutrition program outreach and conduct research to evaluate its effectiveness. 

Caprock Plains Baptist Area and Amarillo Area Baptist Association will sponsor the sixth annual West Texas After-Easter Pastor Retreat, April 17-18 at Plains Baptist Camp and Conference Center. Retreat leaders include Howie Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo; Bobby Dagnel, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lubbock; Clinton Lowin, dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy at Wayland Baptist University; and Robert Black, minister of music at First Baptist Church in Muleshoe. For a registration form, call Susan Barkley at (806) 296-2751 or email caprockplains@nts-online.net.

The National Association for Professional Development Schools granted an Exemplary Professional Development School Achievement Award to the partnership between Baylor University’s School of Education and Midway Independent School District. The award—given to only three partnerships this year—recognizes collaborations that “shape educator leadership and practice.” Three schools in the Midway district—Midway High School, Midway Middle School and Spring Valley Elementary School—are designated as Baylor Professional Development School campuses, where undergraduate teacher candidates are placed in classrooms with mentor teachers to learn best practices. Baylor’s School of Education also partners with four other elementary schools and two intermediate schools in the district. Last fall, the Midway district hosted 97 Baylor teacher candidates. Of those, 58 were senior-level Baylor students serving as teaching interns and co-teaching in classrooms for the full day Monday-Thursday during the entire academic year. Midway also hosted 39 junior-level Baylor students as teaching associates who conduct small-group and full-class instruction in the schools each morning Monday-Thursday.

Six Dallas churches—Park Cities Baptist, Friendship West Baptist, Concord, Fellowship Dallas, Highland Park Presbyterian and Prestoncrest Church of Christ—and the nonprofit Dallas Leadership Foundation will lead the Transform Dallas citywide community day of service, April 8. Organizers expect more than 4,000 volunteers from at least 100 churches, corporations and community organizations to work on about 250 projects, including painting and repairing homes, feeding the homeless, visiting hospital patients, reading to children and clearing debris. Leading up to the event, nearly two-dozen Dallas pastors will swap pulpits March 26 to strengthen dialogue and relationships across denominational, racial, ethnic and socio-economic lines.

Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing raised more than $1 million at its sixth annual Going for the Gold Gala, Feb. 25. Proceeds will help renovate the new nursing school facility—located in the former Baptist Building in Dallas—and provide scholarships. Keynote speaker was Derek Haas, a Baylor graduate who is co-creator and executive producer of the Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med and Chicago Justice television series. Two graduates of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing were recognized as Going for the Gold Champions—Jessica Haas and Annie Young, school nurses in the Richardson Independent School District who saved two lives last fall.

Corbin Young The Fellowship of Christian Athletes appointed Corbin Young, a Howard Payne University graduate, as men’s athletic chaplain at Texas Tech University. In his new role, Young will serve the university’s seven men’s sports teams. Young earned both his bachelor’s degree in practical theology and his master’s degree in theology and ministry from HPU, where he was a four-year letterman in football and collegiate national championship qualifier in Olympic weightlifting. He previously worked with FCA as area director in Brownwood and Midland and is former pastor of First Baptist Church in Tarzan. He and his wife, Kandace, have a 4-year-old son, Kensler, and a second child due in August.

Members of the Howard Payne University Alumni Association’s newly created El Paso Chapter are (back row) Blanca Gamez and Priscilla Macias and (front row) Roxanne Jurado and Iban Torres. The El Paso Chapter of the Howard Payne University Alumni Association held its inaugural chapter meeting recently. Four alumni from the university’s El Paso Center elected as chapter officers are Blanca Gamez, president; Iban Torres, vice president; Priscilla Macias, secretary; and Roxanne Jurado, treasurer. To learn more about HPU’s El Paso Center or to get involved with the El Paso Chapter of HPU’s Alumni Association, call (915) 533-8500 or e-mail hpuelpaso@hputx.edu.

Christian apologists and authors William Lane Craig, Mike Licona and Mark Mittelberg—all from Houston Baptist University—will be keynote speakers at an (Un)Apologetic Conference May 5-6 at First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Speakers at the event—sponsored by the Great Commission Team of the Baptist General Convention of Texas—will address current ways to remove obstacles to evangelism. Cost is $35 for adults and $20 for students through April 20. After that date, cost is $45 for adults and $30 for students. Fore more information or to register, click here.

Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing achieved several top rankings in the U.S. News & World Report‘s listings of 2018 Best Graduate Programs in nursing. Its doctor of nursing practice program ranked 47th, and the master of science in nursing program is listed at 56th. The nurse midwifery program was named the 10th-best for the fourth consecutive year. The Herrington School’s master of science in nursing leadership and innovation online degree program ranked 39th in the 2017 rankings..

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, challenged students at Dallas Baptist University to overcome obstacles of fear and apathy and demonstrate the light of Christ in a dark world. Rodriguez, founding pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, Calif., spoke in chapel at DBU.

The B.H. Carroll Theological Institute recently received notice from the Association for Biblical Higher Education its full accreditation has been reaffirmed for the next 10 years.  The institute also holds candidacy status with the Association of Theological Schools. The ATS board of commissioners has reviewed the school’s self-study, and it will send an evaluation team to visit March 27-30.

George Foreman Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman will present the 2017 McLane Lecture at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Foreman, who became an ordained minister in 1978, founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston and is pastor of The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston. The lecture will be held at 11 a.m. in the arena of the Frank and Sue Mayborn Campus Center on the UMHB campus in Belton. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not necessary, and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The McLane Lecture—made possible by Elizabeth and Drayton McLane Jr. of Temple—brings internationally recognized speakers to UMHB each year to share their experiences and insights about leadership, government, business and faith.

Researchers from the SoulPulse Study are recruiting churches to participate in research on the interplay between Christians’ daily activities and their awareness of God. Blake Kent, a graduate fellow and Conyers Scholar in Baylor University’s department of sociology, is working with author/pastor John Ortberg and sociologist Brad Wright of the University of Connecticut to conduct the project, funded by the Templeton Foundation. “We’re hoping this is a project that gives us important new information on spiritual experiences and everyday life, but it also should help local congregations understand themselves and their congregants better,” Kent said. Participating churches will receive an exhaustive anonymous report on their members’ responses. Pastors of churches with 50 members or more who are interested in their congregations’ participation may contact Kent at Blake_Kent@baylor.edu or (360) 393-2153.

ISAAC—the Immigration Service and Aid Center, a ministry associated with the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission—will offer a 40-hour summer institute on basic immigration law June 5-9 at Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio. The training is designed for individuals who wish to apply for accreditation with the Board of Immigration Appeals, which allows nonattorney staff of nonprofit and religious organizations to offer legal services to immigrants. Experienced immigration attorneys and accredited representatives will teach the sessions, providing a comprehensive survey of immigration law and procedures. Registration cost is $495 through March 15 and $600 after that date. In addition, participants will purchase a required textbook for a discounted rate of $270 plus shipping. For more information, contact Jesus Romero at jesus.romero@texasbaptists.org, call (210) 326-3273 or click here.

Wayland Baptist University’s Lubbock Lights Scholarship Gala will honor the life and legacy of Jon Randles, with all proceeds from the event going to endow the Jon Randles Memorial Scholarship. The gala will be at 6 p.m., April 18, at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock. Randles, a former adjunct professor of religion at Wayland, was a pastor, evangelist and director of evangelism for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He died in April 2015 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Tickets for the scholarship gala are $125, with table sponsorships starting at $1,000. For more information, contact Bobby McCloud at (806) 438-3876 or bobby.mccloud@wbu.edu.

C. Stephen Evans, university professor of philosophy and humanities at Baylor University, will present four lectures on “God and Moral Obligations” 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., April 6, at Wayland Baptist University-San Antonio. The event, made possible by a grant from the Society of Christian Philosophers, will be held at Callaghan Tower, 8023 Vantage, Suite 300 in San Antonio.  For more information or to make reservations, email craverb@wbu.edu or call (210) 590-5609.

At a dinner marking the 50th anniversary of Texas Baptist Men, the missions organization recognized three individuals who have been involved since its beginning—Bob Dixon, longtime executive director of the organization; Joe T.  Lenamon from Fort Worth; and Bryan Finley from Kerrville. The three received an award named in Dixon’s honor, the Robert E. Dixon Service Award.

Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau won the debate championship at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association spring tournament. Team members (left to right) Sidni Kirby, Braxton Clark, Reagan Grisham, Isabelle Stahrfisher, Gabrielle McWhirter, Morgan Ashmore, Isaac Sommers, Madison Neal, Christopher Freeland, Haylee Williams, Tyler Olin, Brooklyn Britton, Erin Haley and Aimee Orozco are pictured with their coach, Julie Welker. Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team won the debate championship at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association spring championship tournament, held at Blinn College in Bryan. Braxton Clark, a senior from Southlake, and Isaac Sommers, a senior from Boerne, were the top parliamentary debate team at the tournament. The HPU team won second place overall in debate sweepstakes and second place overall sweepstakes, competing against 24 schools from Texas and Louisiana.

Anniversaries

George Nelson, 20th, as pastor of Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Brenham.

Retirement

Bobby Broyles as pastor of First Baptist Church in Ballinger March 5 after 14 years at that congregation and 41 years in the ministry.

Larry Davis as pastor of South Garland Baptist Church in Garland after more than 26 years at that congregation and 48 years in the ministry. His last Sunday as pastor will be Easter, April 16. A dinner honoring Larry and Marilyn Davis will be held at 5 p.m., April 9, at the church. To make a reservation, contact the church office at (972) 271-5428.

Stephen Giles of North Dallas won Best of Show for his 1957 Buick Roadmaster at The Heights Church annual car show in 2016.The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson will hold its 10th annual car show, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 8, with proceeds to benefit the Network Food Pantry of Richardson. In nine years, the show has displayed 2,423 cars and donated $47,720 and 6,405 pounds of food to Richardson-area food pantries, show organizer Brian Ratcliff said. Last year, the show featured a record-setting 425 cars, and this year, the display area in the church parking lot has been expanded to accommodate up to 500 cars. Judges will award 46 trophies in 22 classes. To enter the competition, registration is $20 per car or 20 canned food items. There is no cost to attend. For more information, click here. 

Buckner International’s Shoes for Orphan Souls ministry is seeking to collect 5,000 athletic shoes for Guatemalan boys and girls sizes 1-5 and men sizes 7-8 by April 3. Many of the vulnerable children Buckner serves in Guatemala depend on the ministry to provide new shoes when they outgrow or wear out a pair. Unless the children have shoes, they will not be permitted to attend school. Mail new shoes to Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, 5405 Shoe Dr., Mesquite, TX 75149 or contribute financially by clicking here. 

Texas Baptists’ River Ministry is asking churches, groups and individuals to donate seeds for community gardens and family gardens along the Rio Grande. River Ministry coordinators will distribute donated vegetable seeds to churches along the Texas/Mexico border in time for spring planting. Churches use the garden ministry to develop relationships that create opportunities for them to share the gospel in their communities. A $25 donation of seeds can provide enough for one community garden. Specific seeds requested are tomato, jalapeno, watermelon, lettuce, squash, carrot, pinto beans, cantaloupe, green beans, cilantro, spinach, bell pepper, chili pepper, corn, cucumber, garlic, okra, cabbage and onion. Seed packets should be mailed before March 31 to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Attn. River Ministry, 7557 Rambler Road, Suite 1200, Dallas TX 75231-2388.

Currie-Strickland Scholars honored by Howard Payne University are (left to right) Kindell Hill, Jordan Pitman, Daniel Palacios, Joseph Flanigan, pictured with Derek Hatch, associate professor of Christian studies at HPU. (Howard Payne University Photo)Howard Payne University recognized four students as Currie-Strickland Scholars in Ethics and Theology. They are Kindell Hill, a junior from Salado; Jordan Pitman, a junior from Bangs; Daniel Palacios, a senior from Kaufman; and Joseph Flanigan, a junior from Round Rock.

The McNeills, a musical family from Northeast Texas, will present a concert of Southern Gospel, bluegrass and country gospel favorites at 6:30 p.m. March 18 at Heart of Texas Baptist Camp in Brownwood. There is no admission charge, but an offering will be collected. Guests are asked to register in advance at by clicking here. 

Anniversary

Wingate Baptist Church in Wingate will celebrate its 125th anniversary March 19. David Hardage, executive director of Baptist General Convention of Texas, will be the keynote speaker. Bill and Ruth Jones of Merkel will present the music. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. and concludes with a barbecue lunch. Pastor Price Mathieson invites former members and staff to participate.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor board of trustees approved construction of a 46,000-square-foot residence hall on the north side of the campus. The three-story facility will offer dormitory-style housing for up to 214 students. UMHB’s strategic plan for 2011 through 2018 calls for the university to provide campus housing for at least 65 percent of its full-time undergraduate students. Plans call for construction of the residence hall to begin this spring, with the goal of having the project completed and ready for use for the fall 2018 semester.

Screenwriter, novelist and producer Derek Haas will be the keynote speaker at the sixth annual Going for the Gold Gala to benefit Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. Haas, a Baylor graduate, is executive producer of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D and Chicago Med on NBC-TV. The event is scheduled at 6 p.m., Feb. 25, at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas. For more information, click here, call (214) 808-9802 or email nursinggala@baylor.edu. 

Hannah Justice of Brownwood is the first student admitted into Howard Payne University’s new biomedical science program.Howard Payne University launched a four-year biomedical science program for students pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, biomedical engineering, biomedical research and other human-health fields. In addition to completing academic coursework, students will experience medical internships, skills clinics, mock interviews, mentorship with local health professionals and program visits to various professional schools in Texas. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and interview with an admissions committee to enter the program. For more information, click here, call (325) 649-8158 or email khutchins@hputx.edu. 

Anniversaries

Round Mountain Baptist Church in Leander will recognize Pastor Jarvis Philpot, who turns 95 on March 19.Round Mountain Baptist Church in Leander, 25th, Easter Sunday, April 16. An anniversary service will be held at the worship hour, followed by barbecue dinner on the grounds at noon and an Easter egg hunt for children. Also, Jarvis Philpot, the church’s pastor all 25 years, will turn 95 years old March 19, and the congregation will celebrate with a fried-chicken dinner that Sunday at noon. For more information, see the website, www.rmbcleander.com or call (512) 259-2362.

Eric Michael Bryant, lead pastor for Gateway South Church in Austin, was the keynote speaker for the 19th annual Christian Association of Student Leaders Conference, Jan. 26-28 at East Texas Baptist University. More than 250 students from Christian universities throughout the Southwest and Southeast attended the weekend event.

The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission will offer workshops and general sessions on public policy advocacy Feb. 28 at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. Featured speakers include Vincent Bacote, director of the Center for Applied Ethics at Wheaton College, and pastor/author Gabe Lyons. Workshop topics include religious liberty, immigration, race, payday lending and foster care. On March 1, participants will have the opportunity to meet with elected officials at the Texas Capitol. For more information, click here. 

Authors Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg are keynote speakers at a Greater Austin (Un)Apologetics Conference, Feb. 24-25 at Austin Baptist Church. The conference, sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Great Commission Team, also includes a debate between Mike Licona, Christian apologist and associate professor of theology at Houston Baptist University, and Matt Dillahunty, former president of the Atheist Community of Austin and host of  “The Atheist Experience” program on cable television and the Internet. Cost is $45 for adults and $30 for students. For more information click here. 

Theologian Roger Olson will deliver the 10th annual Currie-Strickland Distinguished Lectures in Christian Ethics at Howard Payne University. Olson, the Foy Valentine Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, will speak on “Both-And Ethics: Reconciling Reinhold Niebuhr and Stanley Hauerwas.” The lectures are scheduled 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and 10 a.m. Feb. 24 in the Richard and Wanda Jackson Conference Room of the Paul and Jane Meyer Faith and Life Leadership Center on the Howard Payne campus in Brownwood. The lectures are free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Contact the HPU School of Christian Studies by email at currie-strickland@hputx.edu or by phone at (325) 649-8403.

Rucker Preston, a Dallas Baptist University graduate with a master’s degree from Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, was named statewide coordinator and executive director of the Texas Christian Community Development Network. Preston has been executive director of Helping Hands Ministry in Belton since 2012 and has worked with that organization since 2008. The network’s board also named Javier Perez as part-time consultant to work on outreach among Hispanics and in urban area. Perez, a former student at Baptist University of the Américas, works with Buckner International in global missions efforts related to poverty alleviation and missional engagement.

Dallas Baptist University will host its annual President’s Day Patriot Preview for prospective students and their parents Feb. 20. Prospective students will have the opportunity to tour the campus, visit with faculty and administrators, and receive information about admissions, financial aid, campus activities and other aspects of life at DBU. Guests also will hear from current students about their experiences. The event is free of charge for a prospective student and up to two guests. For more information, contact the office of undergraduate admissions at (214) 333-5360, e-mail admiss@dbu.edu or click here. 

Anniversaries

Bruce Irving, 35th as pastor at First Baptist Church in George West

Wayland Baptist University student Sarah Stinson helps sort, fold and hang clothes at the Salvation Army store as part of Wayland’s volunteer efforts during Degree of Difference Day. Wayland Baptist University installed Bobby Hall as the school’s 13th president Jan. 25. Wayland students and employees volunteered for community service projects during a weeklong celebration of service marking the inauguration. Extension campus employees volunteered at food banks, hosted blood drives, prepared meals at homeless shelters and collected school supplies for an elementary school, among other projects. In Plainview, nearly 90 employees and students worked on 14 volunteer projects for Degree of Difference Day. Many helped clean up the local parks, while others worked at various nonprofit organizations.

Gov. Greg Abbott congratulates the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders football team on their national championship.The Texas Legislature recognized the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusader football team Jan. 31 as 2016 NCAA Division III national champions. Sen. Dawn Buckingham and Rep. Hugh Shine drafted a proclamation honoring the university and the team. Head Football Coach Pete Fredenburg, members of his staff and players were present in the Senate and House galleries for the recognition ceremony.

A $2.5 million gift from Bob and Laura Beauchamp of Houston enabled Baylor University to create the Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center, located in the East Village Residential Community. The center will provide support services for students who are in the initial stages of identifying an addiction, including counseling and possible referral to off-campus rehabilitation, as well as continued support for students who have completed rehabilitation programs. It also will provide reintegration support for students who may have left school and for students who already are in recovery. 

Dallas Baptist University faculty, staff, and students walk across the quad for a time of prayer and then on to the cross between the Mahler Student Center and Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel for a recitation of the Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. (Photo / Brittany Bean)Dallas Baptist University joined Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas in serving food and water to people who attended the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. It marked the sixth annual MLK day of service involving DBU students. Later that day, DBU students, faculty and staff gathered for the inaugural MLK Unity Walk, which included prayer for peace and a recitation of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Paul MarshallBaylor University named Paul Marshall as holder of the Jerry and Susie Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom at the Institute for Studies of Religion. Marshall also will serve as a research professor in Baylor’s political science department. He succeeds former U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, who served two years as the inaugural Wilson chair. Marshall formerly was a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C. He is the author and editor of more than 20 books on religion and politics, particularly religious freedom. Marshall’s current research is focused primarily on understanding how Muslims and Christians are able to live and work together peacefully in Indonesia—the world’s most populous Muslim country. Marshall also is a senior fellow at the Leimena Institute, a Christian public policy think tank in Jakarta, Indonesia, and visiting professor at the graduate school of Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University, also in Jakarta.

Karen Bullock delivers the T.B. Maston Lecture at East Texas Baptist University. Karen Bullock, professor of Christian heritage and director of the Ph.D. program at the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, delivered the T.B. Maston Lecture in Christian Ethics at East Texas Baptist University, Jan. 23. Bullock presented a lecture titled, “Selfless, Fearless, Relentless: The People of the Baptized Way.” The ETBU School of Christian Studies and the T.B. Maston Foundation sponsored the lecture, which honors the legacy of Maston, a trailblazing 20th century Texas Baptist Christian ethicist.

Members of Howard Payne University’s Moot Court team brought home awards from the American Moot Court Association’s National Tournament at Stetson College of Law in Gulfport, Fla. Isaac Sommers from Boerne ranked fifth overall speaker out of 786 competitors. Sommers and Rebeca Puente from Waskom placed in the top 16 of 80 teams. In a competition of written arguments submitted prior to the tournament, Bailey Myler from Brownwood and Justin Harris from Fort Worth placed sixth, and Puente and Sommers placed seventh.

Mission Waco marks its 25th anniversary with a banquet, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Feb. 28 in Chisholm Hall at the Waco Convention Center. Jimmy Dorrell, founding executive director, will speak. Proceeds from the event benefit Mission Waco/Mission World programs. For details about table sponsorships or to make reservations, call (254) 753-4900.

Anniversary

Bobbie Miller, 25th as associate pastor of music and worship at South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena.

Ordination

Ryan Vanderland to ministry by First Baptist Church in Midland. He is pastor of First Baptist Church in Electra.

Jerry Hudson from First Baptist Church in Canyon Lake serves with the Bluebonnet Association chainsaw crew and other Texas Baptist Men volunteers in Perryton.More than 30 Texas Baptist Men volunteers continue to provide disaster relief for Panhandle residents affected by an ice storm. After completing work in Miami, northeast of Pampa, the crews moved to Perryton. Four chainsaw crews, two heavy equipment crews and volunteers operating a mobile shower/laundry unit are working from First Baptist Church in Perryton. As of Jan. 25, volunteers have completed more than 80 chainsaw assignments and 64 debris removal jobs, washed about 70 loads of laundry, provided access to nearly 130 showers and distributed 45 Bibles. Heavy equipment operators have logged 66 hours in the field, and TBM workers have donated 175 volunteer days.

Christian Universities Online ranked Dallas Baptist University No. 1 on its list of the 50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges and Universities. The website noted campus landscaping and colonial architecture as two areas that contributed to DBU’s first place position. Three other Texas Baptist schools also made the Top 50 listing—Houston Baptist University at No. 31, Hardin-Simmons University at No. 49 and East Texas Baptist University at No. 50. 

Effective in the fall, students in the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor pre-engineering program no longer will have to transfer to another university to complete an undergraduate engineering degree. Engineering majors will be able to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from UMHB. The new program will include coursework in mathematics and physics, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering. Upon completion, graduates may certify in general engineering or may choose to test in the more specialized areas of mechanical or electrical engineering.  

First Baptist Church in Covington will serve as host site for a Foundational Coaching Clinic, Feb. 24-25. Training is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The two-day life-coaching workshop is designed to train parents, pastors, teachers, supervisors, managers and other leaders to help guide individuals to reach their personal goals. Cost is $295, which includes all materials. For more information, contact Ed Hale at ed@QuickStepCoaching.com or call (903) 262-4955. To register, click here. 

Wayland Baptist University appointed Donnie Brown director of the Wayland Mission Center and the Koleo Program, which focuses on mentoring students to become church leaders. Brown has been director of Baptist Student Ministries at Wayland the past 15 years.

Kimberlee Norris, a sexual-abuse trial attorney and co-founder of MinistrySafe, led a three-hour training event for students and faculty at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary Jan. 18. MinistrySafe training is designed to help churches and their leaders reduce the risk of sexual abuse. For more information, click here. 

The National Council on Teacher Quality named Dallas Baptist University among the top programs in the nation for the preparation of elementary school teachers. DBU ranked in the 99th percentile for the second consecutive year. Hardin-Simmons University ranked in the 83rd percentile and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the 82nd percentile. The council examined and assessed 875 undergraduate elementary education programs.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis will speak on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, in the 9:15 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. services at The Heights Church in Richardson. John Wills, executive pastor at The Heights, described Ellis as “a man of integrity who stresses the importance of keeping God first.” Ten food trucks will be parked in the church’s front parking lot after the worship services to serve lunch, and guests are invited to check in at the welcome center to receive free lunch tickets.

Mission Waco broke ground Jan. 18 for an aquaponics greenhouse as the first phase of a major sustainability project, Urban REAP—Renewable Energy and Agriculture Project. The ministry received a $234,000 gift from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club to support the project. In addition to the greenhouse, it will include solar panels, a rainwater catchment and purification system, commercial composting and a training center for school groups. The greenhouse will be built next to the recently opened Jubilee Food Market, a nonprofit grocery Mission Waco launched to serve a food desert. Jimmy Dorrell is executive director of Mission Waco and its international ministry, Mission World.

Anniversaries

Dale Wells, 15th as pastor of Elliott Baptist Church in Hearne

Ricky McCall, fifth as pastor at Iglesia Bautista Calvario in Buckholts

Ordinations

Mark Hanna, Jim Hedderly, Eric Jackson, Tyson McLaughlin, David Souza and Brian Street as deacons at First Baptist Church in Belton

Wayland Baptist University named Eddie Owens executive director of integrated marketing. Owens, a 1975 Wayland graduate, will oversee the office of communications and Web services, and he will work closely with many other areas in the university including enrollment management and institutional advancement. Most recently, Owens was marketing and business development consultant with a wellness services company in Lubbock. Previous positions include senior vice president and human resources director for City Bank in Lubbock, director of communications and public relations for United Supermarkets, director of marketing and public relations for Covenant Health System and various media and public relations responsibilities at St. Mary of the Plains Hospital. He was director of development at Wayland’s Lubbock campus from 2014 to 2015, and he was director of public relations at Wayland from 1979 to 1989, after working as sports editor at the Plainview Daily Herald.

The 16th annual Baylor University Sacred Harp Singing is scheduled Feb. 4 from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Great Hall of the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Singing from the Sacred Harp, sometimes referred to as “fa so la” or “shaped-note” singing, was a method used widely in smaller Protestant churches in the South to teach church members to sing parts. Baylor’s Center for Church Music is sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Gayle Avant (254) 772-5572 or David Music at david_music@baylor.edu or (254) 710-2360.

Ordination

Stefanie Litzler ordained to ministry by Shearer Hills Baptist Church in San Antonio, where she is children’s minister. 

Texas Baptist Men’s long-term recovery program is seeking volunteers to repair flood-damaged homes in Texas and Louisiana. A “Super Week of Caring” is scheduled Jan. 29-Feb. 4, leading up to Super Bowl 2017, in the Houston area. Spring-break mission trips are scheduled March 8-11 in Brazoria, March 12-16 in Southeast Texas and March 13-17 in Jennings, La. Summer trips are scheduled June 11-16 in Brazoria, June 19-24 in Southeast Texas, July 9-14 in Houston and July 16-21 in Southeast Texas. Cost for spring-break and summer trips is $175 per person for food and lodging. Work may include hanging drywall, installing tile or trim, plumbing, roofing, debris removal, mold remediation and yard work. Projects include service opportunities for church groups—youth or adult—and Baptist Student Ministries groups. TBM disaster relief training is not required for long-term recovery work. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old, and volunteers age 18 or older who stay overnight must have a current background check on file. TBM long-term recovery seeks to serve individuals and families who are uninsured, disabled or elderly. The program works with disaster survivors throughout the long-term restoration process by partnering with congregations, associations and other recovery teams to mobilize volunteers, gather and transport donated items, provide prayer and spiritual support and raise awareness of specific needs. For more information, call Marla Bearden at (214) 537-7358 or email marla.bearden@texasbaptistmen.org or call Gerald Davis at (214) 924-6401 or email gerald.davis@texasbaptistmen.org.

Kevin Kelley, assistant professor of organizational psychology at Howard Payne University, reacts after spinning the Moustache Wheel of Doom.The annual Moustache Wheel of Doom event at Howard Payne University raised more than $9,000 for Go Now Missions, the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ student missions program. Male students, faculty and staff let their beards grow throughout November and solicited funds for missions. Members of the two teams who raised the least money were subject to a spin of the “wheel of doom” that determined how their facial hair should be shaved. Options included half-beard, stripes, handlebars and the crowd’s choice.

ETBU graduate Gabrielle Besch receives the President’s Award from ETBU President Blair Blackburn. Besch graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average.Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam  delivered the charge to graduates during fall commencement ceremonies at East Texas Baptist University, Dec. 10.  Citing the biblical principles of gracious speech and love as taught in Colossians 4 and Romans 12, Callam challenged the graduates to “be respectful agents of reconciliation in our conflict-ridden world.” At the ceremony, 79 graduates received bachelor’s degrees, and 20 received master’s degrees. President Blair Blackburn presented the President’s Award to Gabrielle Besch of Bonham, who graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average and earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. Faculty select the award recipient whom they judge to be the best all-around student based on scholastic ability and development, involvement in activities, and the degree to which the student reflects the ideals of the institution in terms of character, integrity and general attitude.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor conferred degrees on 502 students at fall commencement Dec. 9, with 336 receiving bachelor’s degrees, 164 receiving master’s degrees and two earning doctorates. Seven students, each of whom graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, received the Provost Medal—Allyson Baker of Fort Worth, Marina Hanshaw of Killeen, Emily McGee of Cypress, Edgar Ortiz of Belton, Christina Sawyer of Nolanville, Kayla Shepherd of Temple and Josh Wesselius of Belton. Taylor McClintock of Round Rock and Andria Ramirez of League City each received the Loyalty Cup, awarded to the student considered most representative of the ideals, traditions and spirit of the university. Julia Brown of Temple received the President’s Award for meritorious service. She served with Student Foundation, University Singers and One Voice.

Howard Payne University’s Model United Nations team— pictured at the Potomac River making the university’s “sting ’em” gesture—received a Distinguished Delegation Award at a Washington, D.C., conference. Howard Payne University’s Model United Nations team won a Distinguished Delegation Award at a national conference in Washington, D.C. The team, which represented Spain, ranked among the top quarter of the 125 teams in the competition. Student delegates to the Model United Nations are expected to research their assigned country’s positions and debate from that perspective. They draft resolutions outlining how to solve problems, which are submitted, debated and voted upon according to UN procedures. HPU students participating were Braxton Clark from Southlake, Jimmy Abbatiello from Kerrville, Mike Hord from Montgomery, Augusta Johnson from Gatesville, Joel Justice from Brownwood, Cody Perrin from Eastland, Emma Reed from Arlington, Sydney Spencer from Georgetown, Penny Stehlik from Round Rock and Caitlin Wood from Miles.

ETBU’s Model UN Delegates receive the AMUN “Outstanding Delegations Award” in Chicago for their representation of Afghanistan at the national conference. Members of the East Texas Baptist University American Model United Nations team won the Outstanding Delegation Award for the second consecutive year at a national conference in Chicago. Team members are Sara Corley from Carthage; Zachary Smithee from Lindale; Chad Herring from Petal, Miss.; Joshua Boyd from Trinity; Catherine Clawson from Jefferson; Connor Mason from Fort Worth; Ryan Pearce from Oktaha, Okla.; Charles Quigley from Houston; and Terry Couvillion from Longview. The ETBU team served as the delegation from Afghanistan in the simulated United Nations after spending the fall semester researching that nation’s government, economy and foreign policy.