Around the State: Inauguration at HPU; Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty launched

Howard Payne University recently concluded a week of celebrations held in conjunction with the presidential inauguration of Cory Hines as the university’s 20^th president. Events included various receptions, a prayer breakfast, a cookout with students hosted by HPU’s first family, a chapel service and the special ceremony officially inaugurating Hines as president. The week’s festivities culminated with an HPU preview event for prospective students and a tailgate lunch at Gordon Wood Stadium for the extended HPU family. “I wanted the week to not just be about me but to celebrate HPU and God’s faithfulness throughout our institution’s 130-year history,” Hines said. “I am so grateful for the participation of all who took part and look forward to continuing to grow these relationships as together we move forward into the bright future God has for us.” A native of Gainesville, Hines earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in religious education from HPU in 1997. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Christian education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy in leadership studies-higher education at Dallas Baptist University, where he held several administrative posts. He and his wife Melinda have two children, Mackenzie and Caleb.

The Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor University announced Sept. 30 the official launch of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, an umbrella entity that will bring together efforts to address hunger in Texas and beyond. Jeremy Everett, founding executive director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, and Kathy Krey, assistant research professor and director of research and administration, will lead the collaborative. Since its founding in 2009, the Texas Hunger Initiative has provided technical assistance to more than 25 states and plays a prominent role in Washington, D.C., in developing scalable solutions to address hunger and poverty nationwide. The Texas Hunger Initiative will continue to exist as a project under the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, representing the work being done at the local and state level improving hunger and poverty outcomes for Texans. For example, a newly announced $2.6 million grant from the Walmart Foundation will enable the Texas Hunger Initiative to expand its statewide role in supporting communities to assess local hunger, evaluate barriers to food security and find long-term, community-driven solutions to hunger and poverty. The collaborative also will integrate research and practice through projects such as the Research Fellows program, the Global Hunger and Migration Project and the Hunger Data Lab, among others, and will continue to conduct interdisciplinary hunger and poverty research with local, state, national and global relevance.

Kay Warren, international advocate for orphaned and vulnerable children and for people living with mental illness, will speak at Houston Baptist University’s Founders Day at 11 a.m., Nov. 6, in the Dunham Theater on the HBU campus. With her husband Rick, Warren is cofounder of Saddleback Church in Southern California. After their son Matthew took his life in 2013, she devoted much of her energy to encouraging the faith community to understand and support individuals who live with mental illness. She is a board member of the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention and a noted author and Bible teacher. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Her address will be streamed live here.

Family members of East Texas Baptist University students visited the campus in Marshall Sept. 20-21 for Family Weekend. Visitors met faculty and staff, and they participated in social activities such as Lunch on the Lawn and Family Tailgate, as well as a Tiger football game and the Tiger Serve Saturday community service project. This year, the campus community and guests donated, packaged and delivered 2,251 pounds of canned food and other non-perishable items to Mission Marshall.

Costi Hinn, author of God, Greed and the (Prosperity Gospel): How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies, told students in a chapel service at Dallas Baptist University he brought a view of Christ distorted by wealth and success with him when he arrived as a student at DBU in 2008, rolling onto campus in a black Hummer. The nephew of televangelist Benny Hinn grew up in a family that preached the “prosperity gospel”—and profited from it. “We travelled the world, packing out stadiums, promising people the American Dream. … Jesus and the gospel were like a footnote to my already great life,” he said. “The goal was me. The purpose was me. The center of the world, my view of Christ, was me.” Hinn described his experiences as a student-athlete under DBU Baseball Coach Dan Heefner as the time when “someone faithful planted seeds” that later led to a turning point in his life. Hinn, now a pastor in Arizona, challenged students to respond to a question: “Are you all in for yourself, or are you all in for Christ?”

Five Howard Payne University students enrolled in the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy program have been selected as Sumners Scholars—Conner Faught, a junior from Brownfield; Lexie Hobby, a junior from Burleson; Lucy Manning, a junior from Fort Worth; Sierra Ross, a junior from Galveston; and Lauren Piper, a sophomore from Early. Acceptance into the Sumners Scholar Program, created by the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, is based on an assessment of academic excellence, a sense of civic responsibility and leadership potential. Students are selected for the competitive four-semester program, after an in-depth application and interview by the trustees of the Sumners Foundation. The foundation provides a $7,500-per-semester stipend for its participating students to be used for tuition, fees, books or room and board. Sumners Scholars are also provided with opportunities to attend annual leadership and policy analysis conferences to supplement their learning and expand their growth potential.

Bob Marley, athletic trainer for the Houston Texans and UT Health, will be the keynote speaker at the annual fall luncheon sponsored by the Houston Baptist University School of Nursing and Allied Health. The event, supporting the school’s scholarships and programs, is scheduled 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the River Oaks Country Club. Luncheon honorees are The Dunn Foundation, the Hamill Foundation and Toni Cotton, recipient of the Margaret Newman Outstanding Alumni Award.

Anniversaries

100^th for Port Caddo Baptist Church in Marshall. Timothy Pierce is pastor.

10^th for Jeff Addison as pastor of Ridgemont Baptist Church in Abilene.