Light from Baylor - January 14, 2025
Another spring semester is upon us, and it is a time of great anticipation across the Baylor campus. Faculty and staff have returned from the Christmas break and students begin classes next week. I already feel like Easter is just around the corner! But even as we embark on another year, I am reminded of how faithful the Lord was to Baylor University last fall.
We began by announcing a new strategic plan drawn from Matthew 5:14-16 – Baylor in Deeds – that will guide the University for the next five years. This new plan builds on strategic plans of the past 20 years, and it gives Baylor a unique opportunity to shine God’s light around the world. In the new strategic plan, and as always, students remain our top priority as we prepare them to lead in an ever-changing global environment.
In August, we welcomed a group of 133 new faculty that includes more Black/African American members than ever before – something for which we are grateful as we strive to make Baylor a community that reflects the beautiful tapestry of God’s Kingdom. On the heels of a record-setting year in applications, we enrolled more male students last fall, and we maintained our very strong academic profile. Again, we are thankful to our Lord for faculty and students who are called to work and study here.
Before last semester ended, I was fortunate enough to visit with a group of high school students, which is rare for me since I spend most of my time with current students and other members of the Baylor Family. The juniors and seniors at Second Baptist School in Houston welcomed me for a morning conversation about what makes Baylor so special. Their thoughtful questions and depth of knowledge were truly remarkable. I am optimistic that many of them will choose Baylor.
As you can see, the Lord showered us with countless blessings last semester, and the purpose of the Light From Baylor e-newsletter is to share some of those blessings with you – senior and lead pastors across Texas and beyond. As you read, I hope you will find a story that piques your interest or something you want to share with a pastor friend or co-laborer. Feel free to pass it along to him or her so they can sign up for our next edition in the fall.
Sincerely,
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
Faculty and Staff Spiritual Wellbeing
With a deep commitment to Christian faith, Baylor intentionally supports the spiritual wellbeing of its faculty and staff. Two years ago I established a Spiritual Wellbeing Task Force to explore the needs and opportunities that would help nurture their hearts and minds alongside local church involvement. One outcome of the task force’s work is Faculty and Staff Chapel. These services, conducted once per semester, bring a guest pastor and congregation to Baylor for a special time of worship, and they complement our Lift Up Your Hearts gatherings, which are led by members of the Baylor community.
The Spiritual Wellbeing Task Force was also instrumental in designing questions about faith that we have added to the standard Great Colleges to Work For survey. It has been gratifying to see faculty and staff report Baylor is a place where they can authentically live out their faith and we actively support their spiritual growth. One example of this support is Spiritual Wellbeing Leave, which was created last year and gives eligible staff members one paid day per year to engage in spiritual renewal. More than 67 percent of Baylor staff used this leave time last year, and our goal is to reach 100 percent.
Praying with Pastors
Spending time with members of the Baylor Family and friends is one of the most gratifying parts of my job as President, and when I get to visit with pastors – some with connections to the University and some without – it is always special. Last fall I had two opportunities to talk and pray with pastors. In August, pastors from across Waco joined me and area school principals and community leaders to pray for Baylor, Waco and students from kindergarten to college. I look forward to reconnecting with them later this spring as we seek God for the health, safety and wellbeing of the next generation.
In November, I was thrilled to reignite the Pastor Conversation Series that highlighted the beginning of my tenure. I talked with pastors in the Houston area about Baylor students, faculty and staff and the vital role the local church plays in their spiritual growth. In fact, Baylor research shows a key factor in the spiritual formation of our students is their involvement in a local church. Seeing and hearing first-hand how focused pastors are on helping current and future Baylor students is always heartwarming.
Historic Baptist Roots
For nearly two centuries, Baylor and Texas Baptists have served side by side to shine a light on God’s Kingdom. Since 1845 when Baylor was chartered by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, we have labored together. Last fall Baylor was proud to welcome the Baptist General Convention of Texas to Waco for its annual meeting with billboards across the city, and Truett Seminary offered its trademark hospitality at the convention center. Baylor hosted the Texas Baptist leaders’ spouses on campus at the Mayborn Museum, and my husband, Brad, was the keynote speaker!
Beyond campus and Waco, I am excited about new opportunities for Baylor across the world as we pursue the Pro Mundo (For the World) component of our motto in relationship with other Baptists. Last summer we were welcomed into the global Baptist family when we were accepted into the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), with Truett Seminary. This fall, our membership was affirmed in the North American Baptist Fellowship, the regional governing body of the BWA. These two partnerships will be critically important as we live out our mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.
Leaders in Faith-Based Research
Four years ago, Baylor achieved one of the highest possible heights for a university when we were named a “Research 1” (R1) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The R1 accomplishment came three years earlier than anticipated, and almost immediately the conversation about Baylor changed. Since very few faith-based universities are also top-tier research institutions, this recognition makes us quite unique, and it enables us to attract students, faculty and staff who want to conduct top level research within a Christian setting.
For example, Dr. Stephen Newby was called to Baylor to advance interdisciplinary research in Black worship. He is leading the study and preservation of this music – working with Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Program – and he was a member of the team recently awarded a $2.48 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to expand the Black Gospel Archive at Baylor University Libraries. Dr. Newby is the inaugural holder of the Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship that was established by the Prichard Family Foundation and Ella Wall Prichard, B.A. ’63, in memory of Ella’s late husband, Lev H. Prichard III. His work beautifully complements our Baptist heritage and Christian Mission, and it is wonderful to see how he and countless other faculty bring their faith to their research and teaching here at Baylor.
Faith and Sports Institute
This has been a record-breaking semester for enrollment at Truett Seminary in general and for the online Master of Arts in Theology and Sports Studies program in particular. This term’s class is the largest ever, and it includes the program’s first-ever international student. Led by Dr. Paul E. Putz, the online master’s degree is part of the Faith & Sports Institute, which strives to foster the thoughtful integration of faith and sports through theological education, compelling research and formative practices for the flourishing of Christian leaders and their communities.
The Faith & Sports Institute, recently recognized in Christianity Today, the Boston Globe and Sports Spectrum, received a $50,000 grant from the Educating Character Initiative to partner with Baylor Athletics to support faith-based character formation of student-athletes. In addition, the Faith & Sports Institute, which also continues to see growth in its online certificate and other academic degree offerings, will host the fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity this summer. This gathering will be another opportunity for Baylor and Truett Seminary to demonstrate their distinct place in Christian higher education.
Special Note: In a season full of memorable moments for the Baylor football team, the photo above shows my favorite – a spontaneous demonstration of our faith in action during the Kinder’s Texas Bowl. Although we did not secure a win on the field that night in Houston, we won off it! And as a bonus, the photo was taken by Joaquin Torre, a Baylor senior, communication specialist and journalism double-major.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.