Trustees of Hardin-Simmons University in West Texas have adopted a new statement of faith that focuses on “two genetic sexes” and marriage as “a life-long, covenant relationship between one genetic male and one genetic female” as articles of faith.
The new doctrinal statement — which is silent on many other issues Southern Baptists include in their statement of faith — comes just as the Baptist General Convention of Texas is being asked to adopt a separate statement that also emphasizes strict views on gender and sexuality.
Exactly how the new faith statement will be applied and whether faculty will be required to affirm it is not yet clear. Information available on the university website does not answer the question, and the designated spokesperson for the university did not return a detailed inquiry sent from Baptist News Global.
Some alumni and donors of Hardin-Simmons have protested actions over the last few years that appear to position the Abilene, Texas, school in an ever-more-conservative direction. Those actions include closing Logsdon Seminary and terminating the employment of certain faculty.
Among Texas Baptists — Hardin-Simmons is affiliated with the BGCT — beliefs about gender and sexuality have come under close scrutiny as more conservative pastors in the state have pushed to deny the reality of transgender identity and same-sex attraction, echoing the political campaigns of the state’s Republican governor who recently declared medical care for transgender children and teens to be “child abuse.”
Eric Bruntmyer
In a May 31 message to university faculty and staff, President Eric Bruntmyer announced the adoption of the faith statement by trustees nearly two weeks earlier, reportedly with no faculty input or awareness.
“Our board of trustees as part of their regular May board meeting approved a Statement of Faith to memorialize HSU’s sincere historically held religious beliefs,” Bruntmyer wrote. “The board spent over a year in prayer and collaborative meetings to develop the Statement of Faith, and we are grateful for their commitment to the stewardship of the Hardin-Simmons vision and mission.”
He encouraged employees to access the document on the university website and “take time to read and meditate on it.”
He encouraged employees to access the document on the university website and “take time to read and meditate on it.”
The university’s Personnel Handbook and Student Handbook will be updated to include the faith statement, he said, but did not address how the statement will be applied. He said there will be “discussion opportunities in the fall.”
The new faith statement includes 10 articles — compared to 17 articles in the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message 2000. It addresses Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit, Scripture, humanity, salvation, the church, sexuality, marriage, and kindness and respect. It says nothing about the family, the end times, grace, evangelism, the sanctity of life, the ordinances of the church, religious liberty, stewardship or social justice.
“We believe in Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh, fully God and fully human, who died for us and was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. Christ’s return will complete God’s redemptive mission. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity,” the first article declares.
An article on “God” affirms the Trinity: “We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is all powerful, all present, and all knowing. God will rule forever. God is love.”
On the matter of Scripture — a highly contentious topic among Baptists — the university statement steers clear of words such as “inerrant” or “infallible” or “sufficient.” The statement asserts: “We believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired authority for life and faith. The Bible is God’s word and accomplishes his purpose, does not return empty, and will stand forever.”
Nor does the statement address specific theories of the atonement, saying that humanity “disobeyed God and fell from a sinless state when tempted by Satan,” is “sinful” and “separated from God” and in need of “rescue and redemption.” Further, God provided a means of salvation through “the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
A separate article explains that “salvation is a gift that comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Among the faith statement’s 10 articles, two are devoted to strict statements on gender and sexuality.
Among the faith statement’s 10 articles, two are devoted to strict statements on gender and sexuality. The first says: “We believe that God created the human race with two genetic sexes as defined by karyotype, male and female.” The second says: “We believe that marriage has been established by God to be a life-long, covenant relationship between one genetic male and one genetic female. We also believe that sexual activity is intended by God to be expressed solely in the context of a loving marriage between one genetic male and one genetic female.”
The word “karyotype” refers to the complete makeup of a person’s DNA.
The statement concludes with an article on “kindness and respect” that says “every person has been fearfully and wonderfully made by God and should be afforded love, kindness, compassion and dignity.”
Meanwhile, the faith statement currently proposed for adoption by the BGCT is itself a stripped-down document compared to the Baptist Faith and Message. Among its 13 articles is one that declares “gender is a gift from God who creates every person of every race male and female in the Divine image and likeness” and one that asserts that “biblical marriage is one man and one woman in a covenant relationship with the Lord and with one another.”
Faith-based universities often refer to their doctrinal statements as justification for requesting exemptions from federal laws that prohibit discrimination against students or employees based on race, gender or sexuality. Baylor University, also a Baptist-related school in Texas, is among two dozen universities named in a current class-action suit against the U.S. Department of Education. That suit claims it is not legal for schools that discriminate against gay, lesbian or transgender students to receive federal grants.
This concern spills over into university athletics as well, due to conservatives’ fears about transgender student athletes.
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