Around the State: UMHB holds Easter pageant; commemorative windows removed at SWBTS

Students at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor presented the school’s 80th annual Easter pageant in three performances April 17. Every year, the pageant portrays Christ’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, and Christ’s trial by Pontius Pilate, crucifixion, death and resurrection. The student-led production featured a cast of hundreds of students, along with children and grandchildren of students, faculty and staff. In keeping with tradition, UMHB President Randy O’Rear selected the student director and the students who fill the two key roles of Jesus and Mary on the basis of their strong Christian faith and character. Katie Aday was this year’s pageant director, and it featured Joey Mainini in the role of Jesus and Savannah Sepulveda as Mary.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary removed from its J.W. MacGorman Chapel a controversial set of 40 stained glass windows commemorating the self-identified “conservative resurgence” in the Southern Baptist Convention. Seminary administrators stated no official reason for the removal and relocation of the windows. An April 4 letter to donors from Kevin Ueckert, then-chair of the seminary board of trustees, said, “After much prayerful consideration and discussion, we have concluded that it is in the best interest of the institution to remove and relocate the stained-glass windows.” One window included the likeness of former president Paige Patterson, his wife Dorothy and their dog. The board of trustees removed him as president last May in response to Patterson’s comments about spousal abuse and women. Although the trustees initially named him president emeritus, the board’s executive committee subsequently stripped him of all titles and benefits after new information emerged about how he mishandled rape allegations at a seminary where he served previously.

On the Sunday that followed the explosion that rocked West on April 17, 2013, First Baptist Church was unable to worship in its building, so the congregation met in a field on the other side of town, in the 800 block of S. Reagan St. The field, normally used as a parking lot for West Fest, was set up with a flatbed trailer for an altar and folding chairs for pews. Every year since then, on the Sunday after April 17, the church has met in that same field. This year, the outdoor worship service will be on Easter Sunday, April 21, and the church plans to celebrate the restoration of the community and the resurrection of Christ. The service will begin at 10:15 a.m. and will be followed by a children’s Easter egg hunt. John Crowder is pastor.

San Marcos Baptist Academy formally installed Brian Guenther as the school’s 15^th president during an inauguration ceremony at its spring convocation. Guenther became president of the 111-year-old private school last August. He joined the academy as an administrator in 2015 and was serving as interim academic dean when the trustees named him president. Ruth B. Welborn, chair of the academy’s board of trustees, presided over the convocation and presented Guenther with the school’s charter. John H. Garrison, 13th president of the academy, presented him with a school flag, and Jimmie W. Scott, president emeritus, presented him with the chain of office at the investiture ceremony.

The Faith & Sport Institute at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary is accepting applications for its second annual retreat, June 16-22. The institute seeks to train and equip high school athletes physically, emotionally and spiritually to help cultivate greatness in sports and in life. At the inaugural retreat last year, 35 student athletes from Central Texas learned how faith is a vital part of competition, made new friends from rival schools, competed against one another, and found safe spaces for discussion, reflection and care for others while developing in Christian leadership and character. To apply as a student athlete, click here. To apply as a mentor, click here.

Howard Payne University welcomed more than 200 student representatives to campus for the 2019 Christian Association of Student Leaders conference. CASL—formed in 1998 by the Texas Baptist universities—is designed to develop and strengthen college students in their campus leadership roles and relationships with Christ. This year’s event was coordinated by a student committee organized and assisted by Magen Bunyard, vice president for student life and dean of students at HPU. Sawyer Fisher of Bertram served as the conference coordinator, and Emma Reed of Arlington was president of the association.