BY: DM
Published 5 hours ago
Baylor University has voluntarily returned a $643,000 grant intended to fund research into the inclusion and belonging of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within church communities. The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation awarded the funding to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. However, university leadership later rescinded it, claiming certain grant-related activities strayed beyond Baylor’s institutional views.
The original project, according to the now-removed announcement on Baylor’s website, promised to “help us better understand the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change. ” The university has returned the grant, leaving some students confused. Here’s a look at what Baylor said about its decision.
Baylor University claims the grant did not align with its views.
Baylor University is standing by its decision to return a $643,000 research grant. President Linda Livingstone framed the decision as an exercise in principle rather than a rejection of academic inquiry. “As we reviewed the details and process surrounding this grant, our concerns did not center on the research itself, but rather on the activities that followed as part of the grant,” Livingstone wrote. “Specifically, the work extended into advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality.”
Provost Nancy Brickhouse and Dean Jon Singletary supported the move, saying it was “the appropriate course of action and in the best interests of Baylor University.” While Livingstone reaffirmed Baylor’s commitment to academic freedom, her statement left many on campus and beyond scratching their heads.
Critics of the reversal argue that the university caved to pressure rather than embracing an opportunity to lead in inclusive faith research. Among the most vocal critics is AB Waters, a Baylor Social Work graduate who identifies as queer.
“It is disappointing to see that yet again Baylor is choosing to further rupture that relationship, or practice institutional betrayal and cause further harm to the LGBTQIA+ community, instead of taking this opportunity to allow folks to practice research with academic freedom and integrity,” Waters told the Texas Tribune.
The decision has stirred mixed reactions across the Baylor community.
A coalition of more than 60 Texas Baptist pastors praised Baylor’s decision to return the grant. Lead Pastor John Durham of Highland Baptist Church in Waco commended President Livingstone for “thoughtful, prayerful discernment reflected in her actions.” According to the Texas Tribune, Durham joined others who signed an open letter praising the University’s decision.
These conservative voices had painted the original grant acceptance as a sign of Baylor drifting away from its Christian foundations, and they celebrated the return as a reaffirmation of the university’s Baptist identity.
“I stand in opposition to those things that would try to persuade the church to leave clear biblical foundations,” Pastor Ronnie Holmes of the nondenominational Church of the Open Door told the Texas Tribune. “For example, the embracing of redefining what sin is, watering down the truth that actually goes and, as Jesus said, sets people free.”
What message does this decision send to LGBTQIA+ students and alumni at Baylor? Comment below!
