One More Word About HBU's Name Change

I have written extensively, both here and in other places, about the Board of Trustees appointing a 14 person committee to look into possibly changing the name of Houston Baptist University. It clear from what I have written that I am opposed to any name change. Today's posting will be my final word on the subject until a decision on the name change has been reached.

I have two intentions in writing today. One is to commend and thank the Trustees on the committee exploring the possibility of a name change and second to offer a suggestion if they do.

Today I want to begin by saying a word of gratitude to Mark Denison and his committee for the hard work, time and energy they have invested working on this assignment. I am pretty sure none of these Board members woke up one morning and said, "Let's think about changing our name."

I am also aware that they were not obligated to announce what they were doing let alone hold a couple of Town Meetings. These meetings were on relatively short notice and held on the HBU campus making it difficult for many of us to physically attend. However, we were able to participate via a live Internet stream of both meetings.

Already the The Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal have already picked up the story. You can actually cast an opinion vote on the Collegian's, the University's campus newspaper, website.

I am pretty sure that no one in their right mind would voluntarily take on such a hot button issue. There is no doubt in my mind that this came from the University's administration and is connected to one of the pillars of their "Ten Pillar" Vision statement.

In my view the word "Baptist" promptly displayed in the name on a sign serves to daily remind us who we as an institution. It is bad logic and thinking to draw from having the word "Baptist" in one's name that the University is for Baptists only. The same is true of the conclusion some have that it speaks of a "Bible" School. Based on a blog by a member of the school's marketing department this seems to be the view the school's marketing department has adopted. Their job is not to recommend the easiest way for them to do their job. It is to take who we are and market it. They seem have forgotten that the fundamental job of marketing is to raise awareness of our enterprise so that the public will not simply know our name but (1) know that we exists, (2) know what we offer in the way of a products and/or services, and (3) why they should attend or support us. Public Relations does much the same except (1) it is inexpensive and (2) it is weighted on physically being in the community through as wide a range of civic and community groups as possible. This includes, Rotary Clubs, Lion's Clubs, Chamber of Commerce meetings, churches and church groups, and a thousand others. This is where you utilize you alumni. We are the door to many of these groups. I don't know about you but I graduated 43 years ago and the only thing I have ever been asked to do is write a check. I wonder how many of the 15,000 plus alumni have had the same experience. If it is to work in the long haul we must be clear, open and honest about who we are. Today we declare we are no longer a Baptist School. How long before we declare we are no longer a Christian school? I know this IS NOT the intent of the present action but it might just be an unintended consequence of a name change.

If the University is to work over the long haul we must be clear, open and honest about who we are. By removing the name Baptist from our name, documents and our literature we are by omission declaring that we are no longer a Baptist School. How long before we declare we are no longer a Christian school? I know this IS NOT the intent of the present action but it might just be an unintended consequence of a name change.

When Mid-Continent Bible College changed its name to Mid-Continent University the President at the time, Dr. David Jester, came up with the idea to create two major divisions. One, the Baptist College of the Bible. This was the old Bible college. The other thing he did was to create the Baptist College of Arts and Sciences. This was done in an effort to keep "Baptist" in the forefront of who the school was theologically. while recognizing other realities. As this transpired they also strengthen their by-laws to clearly state that (1) the University's world view was distinctively Christian and that (2) that all Bible college professors must be Baptist. However, the real kicker in their action was that they adopted a "death star" provision in their by-laws that stated that if the school ever strayed from those principles, it would shut down and sold off.

I am NOT suggesting they should change its name. To the contrary, I oppose it at virtually every level. And, I am certainly not suggesting that adopted a death star provision. I do believe there should be a "fail-safe" provision that will preserve both our Christian and Baptist heritage and core.

However, if the name is destined to change then the University owes it to that hundreds and thousands of Baptist who have invested their lives in the school to preserve it's Baptist heritage. This could be done through something as simple as expanding the present Department of Christianity to College status and calling it the Baptist College of Biblical Studies or something like it. It is not enough to preserve the heritage in footnotes and documents of the past or a museum display. Our Baptist heritage should not be just acknowledged with a nod of the head.

Our Christian core values must permeate the entirety of the University an our Baptist heritage must be enshrined through some major ongoing education element. A Baptist College of Biblical Studies would go a long way in doing that. You could even do it without changing the names of the Atwood Buildings.

I also believe that such an announcement should be made at the same time as a name change is announced. By the way in coming up with a name you might want to consider that the name Morris adorns at least one other college in Texas already . . . Lon Morris. Not to mention a number of institutes and public schools. Let's Keep Houston Baptist University just that Houston Baptist University.