BUA names provost, vice president

SAN ANTONIO—Javier Elizondo has been named executive vice president and provost of Baptist University of the Americas.

“As BUA expands both its academic program and its ministry activities, it has become evident that we need Javier to carry a broader range of responsibilities,” BUA President Rene Maciel said. “We need him relating to churches, donors and potential students to an even greater degree than he already is.”

Javier Elizondo

Elizondo will continue his duties as vice president for academic affairs until BUA completes its current application for regional accreditation through the Southern Associations of Colleges and Schools, Maciel said.

“Javier was the key to getting BUA accredited by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and by the Association for Biblical Higher Education,” Maciel added.

“As much as I’d like for him to spend all his time on his new duties, we can’t afford to make that change until we are approved by SACS. But some of the academic administrative duties will be assigned to others.”

Elizondo, 53, has served BUA nine years. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas Tech University, a master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, and a doctorate in ethics from Baylor University.

He has been a pastor, a church planter, an editor with the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board and a missionary with both International Commission and the North American Mission Board.

He and his wife, Sandee, are members of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.

In another administrative appointment, Craig Bird has been named vice president for university relations.

Craig Bird

Bird, a full-time faculty member who teaches English, communications and Christian missions, was named acting head of the university relations department last spring. He will continue to teach, in addition to assuming increased administrative responsibilities.

Bird, 58, earned a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in English from Hardin-Simmons University. He has completed graduate study in communications at the University of Houston and in theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Nairobi International School of Theology in Kenya.

In addition to 10 years as a missionary and Africa correspondent for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, he has headed the communication programs for Southwestern Seminary, North Carolina Baptist Children’s Homes, Baptist Child & Family Services, Hardin-Simmons University and South Texas Children’s Homes and edited numerous newspapers and magazines.

He and his wife, Melissa, are members of First Baptist Church in San Antonio.