Around the State: HPU students return from Beach Reach ministry

Nineteen Howard Payne University students offered free breakfasts and the gospel to South Padre Island beachgoers during spring break. Marking its 35th year, the Texas Baptist Beach Reach ministry drew hundreds of student volunteers from Texas college campuses. 

A youth worship leader camp featuring musicians David Crowder, Robbie Seay, Shaun Groves and Leslie Jordan will be held concurrently with this summer’s Alleluia Conference at Baylor University. Deadline to submit an audition video for the camp, hosted by Baylor’s Center for Music Studies, has been extended to Good Friday, April 3. The Alleluia Conference and youth worship camp will be held July 21-24 on the Baylor campus. Final selections will be made April 15, with 100 slots open and a registration of $300 per student, which includes room and board. No audition fee will be charged. The camp is geared toward young aspiring worship leaders and instrumentalists—ninth grade through graduating seniors. Applicants are asked to send a 45-second video clip displaying their musical ability. For more information, click here. 

Hope Clinic in Garland, a nonprofit faith-based community clinic, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for its new location April 17 at 11 a.m. at 800 South 6th Street. The clinic serves almost 2,000 economically disadvantaged patients. Care is free, but donations are accepted. Prescription assistance last year totaled $500,000. The clinic has 13 paid staff, including a full-time and part-time physician, supported by a network of 48 volunteer physicians who provide free medical care across a variety of specialties.

East Texas Baptist University presented the Gerald Nissley Jr. spoke during the East Texas Baptist University chapel service, where he received the Ward Walker Award for the integration of faith and learning.2015 Ward Walker Awardto Gerald Nissley Jr., assistant professor of psychology. The award honors a faculty member who pursues the integration of faith and learning within his or her academic discipline. He helped establish the ETBU Counseling Center, which provides low-cost services to the ETBU community.

Ed Spann was Dallas Baptist University’s featured speaker for the George H. Gallup Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series. He spoke on the contents of his book Presidential Praise: Our Presidents and their Hymns, which he wrote with Michael Williams, DBU professor of history. Spann highlighted the Christian faith of several U.S. presidents and the effect hymns had on that faith. He and his wife, Jan, are members of First Baptist Church in Duncanville.