Wednesday, May 27, 2009
At first glance, the Latin motto of Baylor University appears to be very provincial: Pro Ecclesia. Pro Texana (For Church. For Texas).
How does that language translate into 21st century vernacular?
- 07-19-09 David Brooks, guest column: Second-guessers misrepresent '2012' designs
- 06-24-09 Charles S. Madden, guest column: 'Baylor 2012' painted as something it never was
- 06-03-09 Joseph Armes, guest column: Opportunities endless for next Baylor president
- 05-30-09 Rufus Spain, guest column: Root of Baylor's rift: Vision 2012
- 05-27-09 Kenneth L. Hall, guest column: Baylor's next president needs a Christian, global view
- 05-20-09 Henry Walbesser, guest column: BU regents should reconsider their goals carefully
- 05-13-09 Clifton Robinson, guest column: Waco's wellbeing key to next Baylor president
- 05-06-09 James G. Vaughan, guest column: Next Baylor president must be immersed in city
- 04-29-09 Patricia Pack, guest column: Our next boss at Baylor should be approachable, a listener
- 04-22-09 David Lacy, guest column: Entire Baylor family must agree on the next president
- 04-15-09 Robert C. Cloud, guest column: Baylor faculty seek 'first among equals' for top spot
- 04-08-09 Bryan Fonville, guest column: Trust issue crucial in Baylor's next president
- 04-05-09 Carlos Sanchez: We're asking: What qualities should Baylor's next president possess?
A lot has changed since the motto was adopted. For founders who chartered Baylor in 1845, “church” meant “Baptist” and Texas was its own country.
Our understanding of the church and Texas are vastly different today. While Baylor remains strongly moored to its historic Baptist roots, students from all walks of faith (and none at all) are attracted to the university because of its growing reputation for academic excellence.
And Texas, while no longer an independent nation, is nonetheless a leader in the global marketplace, boasting one of the largest economies in the world.
The next president of Baylor must bring a Christian, global perspective to the office, enabling the university to remain true to its mission while at the same time staying relevant in today’s shrinking world.
Is that possible? I believe it is.
Willingness to change
Staying relevant in today’s world means an organization must be willing to change and be quick to do so. That has not always been the case for institutions of higher learning, especially those with faith-based roots.
Critical to Baylor’s future is the creation of strategic alliances that enhance the university’s mission and keep it current. Those alliances must come from both the private and public sectors, specifically from working with faith-based organizations and for-profit businesses.
Again: For Church, For Texas.
Knowledge is changing, truth isn’t. The next president of Baylor must be a person with a passion for learning and someone who believes in the stewardship of the mind; said another way, it must be someone with high academic credentials who has seen the look in a student’s eyes when the lights come on and learning is achieved.
History is the key that unlocks the door to the future. It’s critical to all constituents at Baylor that the next president have a keen understanding of what has made Baylor one of the greatest treasures in the rich history of American Christianity, particularly the Baptist tradition.
Yet knowing the past is not enough. We must learn from it as well. That is the key to the future.
A final word: It’s hard to find a telephone booth these days. Times have changed. We all carry cell phones. That also means there is no place for Superman to emerge from.
That doesn’t mean we can’t find a new president for Baylor University. But it is a caution for everyone with an interest in this great school that we must manage our expectations.
There will be a new president of Baylor, but he or she will be a human being, and all of us must give the new president one important gift — the gift of time.
Kenneth L. Hall is president/CEO of Buckner International, a global Christian ministry for orphans, at-risk children, families and senior adults. He serves as chairman of Baylor’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee.
