Houston Baptist University and the Baptist General Convention of Texas have agreed to a “memorandum of understanding” that maintains their long-standing relationship but with reduced funding for the school.
According to Keith Bruce, coordinator of institutional ministries for the BGCT, the memorandum “clarifies the implications of the school's fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,” a conservative convention that broke away from the BGCT.
While the university will be allowed to maintain its fraternal relationship with the conservative group, it must “give priority” to ministries of the BGCT, the memorandum says.
The memorandum came about after the BGCT's Christian Education Coordinating Board created a special study committee in response to a motion approved at the 2003 BGCT annual meeting. The motion called on the board to “evaluate fully the implications of Houston Baptist University entering into a relationship with another state convention and to clarify the status of the relationship.”
Houston Baptist will maintain its fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention but will “give priority” to ministries of the Baptist General Convention, the state's largest Baptist group, the memorandum says. “Activities or programs which are directly funded or administered by BGCT, such as Baptist student ministry or in-service guidance, shall be conducted as prescribed by the BGCT and coordinated with the CECB.”
On the other hand, the Coordinating Board affirmed HBU's “desire to reach out to its entire constituency” and to engage those constituencies through programs and ministries, including the accepting of scholarships.
Associated Baptist Press