Back in September 2010, Baylor University President Ken Starr stressed his desire to see approved a proposal of the Department of Religion to create a center for Baptist Studies.
The Baylor University Board of Regents has now approved the establishment of the Baptist Studies Center for Research within Baylor’s Department of Religion. The new Baptist Studies center will “create a vehicle for Baylor faculty to highlight the university’s Baptist heritage and enhance its contributions to Baptist scholarship.”
The regent-approved Baptist Studies Center for Research at Baylor will continue the Baptist story as part of the university’s mission , support research projects for Baylor faculty and encourage students to learn about Baptist identity, said Dr. Bill Bellinger, chairman of the department of religion at Baylor.
“We think Baylor is the logical place for this center,” Bellinger said. While some other Baptist universities house collections, “they’ve often been specifically tied to church relations or undergraduate curriculum, and there really hasn’t been something comprehensive and tied to research. We’ll have a new layer of accessibility for researchers.”
The Baptist Studies Center for Research at Baylor will create and maintain an internationally-recognized depository of significant denominational papers, serve as a resource for visiting scholars, who in return will be part of a prominent lecture series at Baylor, and promote an emphasis in Baptist studies through Baylor’s Ph.D. program in religion, the only doctoral program in religion offered at a Baptist university.
This is exciting news for Baptists who value Baptist identity and Baptist history. Kudos to the Regents, President Starr and Dr. Bellinger.
Dr. Doug Weaver has also been very involved in this effort. Weaver is the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Coordinator of Baptist Studies for Research in the Department of Religion. He will be working closely with Dr. Bill Bellinger, Chair of the Department of Religion, in assisting in the development of the newly-approved Baptist Studies Center for Research.
**Update** Baylor has posted a lengthy article about the Baptist Studies Center for Research. Read about the project here.
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