HOUSTON (ABP) — Robert Sloan, new president of the Houston Baptist University, says he doesn't expect the school to abandon its ties to the traditional Texas Baptist convention in favor of its competitor, the fundamentalist Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Many of Sloan's critics feared he would turn Baylor into a fundamentalist school and now suspect he will steer HBU the same direction. But Sloan insisted he wants to strengthen the school's ties to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which funds the school.
“I love the BGCT,” said Sloan, who was elected Aug. 8. “I love the Baptist family. I am Baptist from the heart and by conviction.”
HBU has a $35 million annual budget and 2,300 students. In contrast, Baylor has a $350 million budget and 14,000 students.
During former president Doug Hodo's tenure, HBU loosened its historic ties to the Baptist General Convention of Texas and established a fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, a fundamentalist group that broke away from the mainstream state convention.
The BGCT continues to elect one fourth of HBU's trustees and provides about $550,000 annually to the school. While some SBTC-affiliated churches support HBU financially, the breakaway convention does not.
Sloan expressed hope that he can strengthen ties to the BGCT, although he does not anticipate any change in HBU's relationship with the SBTC.
“I hope it affirms that [relationship] and that it deepens and extends it,” he said. “I long for the day when we can work together with all Texas Baptists. I am committed to cooperating with all those of like faith and commitment.”
Underscoring his desire to reach out to varying constituencies in Baptist life, Sloan said he hopes HBU can focus on its mission and “go beyond labeling and the things that divide us and to be as inclusive as possible.”
After his term as Baylor's president, Sloan said he never thought he would want to lead another university. Instead, he considered exploring business possibilities and even entering politics.
“For the longest time, I didn't think I ever would want to be a college president again,” Sloan, 57, said. “For a while, I really thought I might return to the pastorate. But I realized the deepest passion of my life is still Christian higher education.”
During Sloan's decade at Baylor, the relationship between the president and many faculty members was severely strained. But faculty leaders at HBU voiced nothing but optimism about their new leader.
Biology professor Brenda Whaley, former president of the HBU faculty assembly, served on the presidential search advisory committee. “We were very impressed with his honesty in talking about some of the things that went on at Baylor,” she said. “We saw a lot of integrity and character. And he was very affirming of the role of faculty.”
Sloan as “one of the best teachers I ever had,” said David Capes, chair of HBU's Christianity and philosophy department. “Sloan knows how to learn, how to teach, and how to love students.”
So far, Sloan has offered few specifics about his plans for HBU but said he will so a lot of listening.
Trustees are “not looking for a cookie-cutter plan” like Sloan's ambitious vision that drew so much criticism and praise at Baylor. This is a different type of university in a different type of city,” said search committee chairman Ray Cox. But, he added, they felt HBU is “well-poised for that type of vision.”
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