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The Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) is reviewing its relationship with Baylor University after the school hosted “All Are Neighbors,” an event featuring LGBT activists and anti-ICE protestors.

It’s not the first time Baylor has seen controversy over its engagement with LGBT ideology.

Speakers at the event included Kelley Robinson, the queer-identified president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT activist group in the U.S.

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush also spoke at the event. He described himself as a Baptist minister and “a gay man who has been with my husband for 25 years and married to him for as long as that has been legal in this country.”

The Rev. Susan Hayward, who “studied Buddhism in Nepal and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ,” was also a featured guest.

The left-leaning Baptist News Global called it a “historic first,” saying:

This is believed to be the first time Baylor has allowed an openly gay Christian advocacy speaker on campus for such an event. …

This sudden turn of events answers the pleas of LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and alumni who have sought equal representation on campus for years. The university has denied a platform for LGBTQ Christians because of its Statement on Human Sexuality that labels same-sex relations sinful.

In response, the BGCT, commonly known as Texas Baptists, announced it is studying its relationship with the school.

Baylor, the largest Baptist university in the world, was founded by the Baptist association that grew into the BGCT. The organization has over 2 million members and more than 5,300 congregations. Although the school is not controlled by the Texas Baptists, they have an ongoing relationship where the BGCT provides some funding for the school and elects 25% of the school’s regents.

BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri explained his concerns in a letter:

As executive director, I agree that hosting speakers who are Christian, identify as gay, and practice LGBTQ+ advocacy at a university-approved event is inconsistent with the convention’s long-standing views on biblical sexuality.

Guarneri said he would ask the organization’s executive board to “to initiate a study of our relationship with Baylor through our Institutional Relations Committee,” adding that he had also “heard similar concerns from some Texas Baptists about Baylor’s hosting of the TPUSA event.”

Both events took place on campus on April 22. Baylor Lariat, the school’s student paper, reported that the TPUSA event, part of the national “This is the Turning Point Tour,” featured Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, “Border Czar” Tom Homan and political commentator Benny Johnson.

TPUSA topics included the rise in faith among young men, securing the border from illegal immigrants and the influence of Christianity in American culture.

All Are Neighbors was approved by Baylor about a month after the TPUSA event. The opposing gathering was sponsored by Baylor’s College Democrats, the NAACP, Students Demand Action, Hearts for the Homeless and Texas Rising.

The Lariat noted the contrast between audiences at the two rallies, describing “an older crowd” at All Are Neighbors:

While students dominated the TPUSA crowd Wednesday evening, All Are Neighbors drew predominantly faculty, staff and members of the Waco community in addition to the students in attendance.

The student news outlet showed images of attendees holding signs like “Jesus Saves, Ice Kills” and “Stand Against Ice.”

After first describing the young children she and her lesbian partner are raising without a dad, Robinson aired her political grievances:

There’s nothing ordinary about politicians threatening our trans community just to gain political points. There’s nothing ordinary about books being banned, about history being erased, about voices being silenced.

Robinson was bemoaning efforts to protect female athletes from males in their sports, locker rooms and restrooms. She was decrying work to protect children from being sexualized by inappropriate books and curricula. And she was railing against attempts to remove racist diversity, equity and inclusion policies and critical race theory from public schools.

Baylor received criticism for launching an “LGBTQ+ and Allies” student organization, Prism, in 2022. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler criticized this shift from biblical teaching, saying:

[T]he moment you allow an officially recognized chartered student group identified with LGBTQ identity, then you’re basically saying that that identity has a legitimate place within the university or the college. …

Once you accept that identity as an official student group, that means you are basically recruiting students who share that identity.

The university also came under fire last year for accepting a $643 thousand dollar grant to foster LGBT “inclusion and belonging in the church.” After receiving criticism, Baylor rescinded the grant.

MinistryWatch, an organization which works to ensure accountability and transparency in Christian ministries, quoted a statement from university leadership about this most recent controversy, saying it was “committed to ensuring open dialogue and the robust exchange of ideas and perspectives” and it did not “institutionally endorse the views of speakers at these events or other individuals invited to speak by student organizations.”

Related articles and resources:

Baptist Baylor University Accepts Large Donation for LGBT Inclusion

Baylor University Announces New Group for ‘LGBTQ+ Students on Campus’

Baylor University Officially Launches ‘LGBTQ+ and Allies’ Student Organization

Baylor University Rescinds LGBT Inclusion Grant, But Problems Remain

Note: Baylor has since rescinded the grant that raised the following concerns. Daily Citizen has updated it’s reporting on that reversed policy.

On June 30, Baylor University announced its Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) in its School of Social Work was awarded a substantial $643,401 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to help “better understand the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.” Baylor’s official statement explains this is an academic research grant to “foster inclusion and belonging in the church.”

These dollars will fund a major study entitled, “Courage from the Margins: Inclusion and Belonging Practices for LGBTQIA+ and Women in Congregations.”Baylor’s explanation of this project is deeply concerning, as they state the project “prioritizes [LGBT] voices, giving them a safe space to share their experiences and guide positive change within faith communities.” The Baylor statement adds, “Information gleaned will directly inform trauma-sensitive training resources that C3I will develop for congregational use, providing guidance on inclusivity and institutional courage.”

As the Church Lady says, “Well, isn’t that special?” Developments like this will result in greater pressure on biblically-based church communities and individual believers to weaken their belief in and practice of God’s design for what it means to be human as male and female and for His good design for marriage, sexuality and family.

However, Dr. Graynor Yancey, Baylor’s C3I director and an endowed professor, explained in Baylor’s press release announcing the grant, “We are always so grateful for the support and encouragement of the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation for our ongoing research in assisting congregations in ministering to marginalized populations.” He explained this money will help them study “inclusionary practices of congregations with people who are marginalized in numerous ways.”

Good Faith Media, in their report on this development, explains, “As a university founded by and still associated with Texas Baptists – and one that has made strides toward becoming one of the nation’s top research institutions – Baylor has a long history of navigating issues related to LGBTQ+ inclusion.”

In 2021, Baylor started recognizing LGBT groups on campus, while simultaneously affirming that marriage is between a man and a woman. Those involved on various sides of this decision agreed that Baylor was sending mixed messages with these seemingly conflicting stances. In 2022, the university officially chartered Prism, a Baylor “LGBTQ+ and allies student organization.”

Baylor’s official mission statement proclaims, “The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” Baylor also boldly asserts on their website that their work “is founded on the belief that God’s nature is made known through both revealed and discovered truth.” They add, “Thus, the University derives its understanding of God, humanity, and nature from many sources: the person and work of Jesus Christ, the biblical record, and Christian history and tradition, as well as scholarly and artistic endeavors.”

It seems evident that the work this new large grant will fund is in clear conflict with each of Baylor’s stated sources of knowledge of God, save for the last one. We can pray that Baylor leadership will review its own mission statement and core values and reconsider this grant and very concerning research project.

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