Anti-Gay Baylor Univ. refuses and returns 2/3 million dollar grant for LGBTQ church inclusion.
Many Texas Baptist church leaders wrote to Baylor asking the money be rejected.
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$643,401 Grant to Baylor Univ. to study LGBTQ+ inclusion rejected by Baylor and denounced by Texas Baptist Pastors.
At first Baylor was proud of getting the grant. Then they deleted it from the Internet.
This post was on the website for their Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, then it was pulled. It was saved at the Internet Archive.
June 30, 2025, “Courage from the Margins: C3I awarded research grant.”
The Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) has been awarded a $643,401 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to foster inclusion and belonging in the church. Through academic research, this grant will help us better understand the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.
However, this webpage wasn’t taken down.
https://socialwork.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2024/baugh-foundation-resilient-congregations
I made sure it was saved at the Internet Archive. Sometimes the Internet Archive takes a minute, they have 946 Billion webpages saved so far.
It got reported in the Baptist press and the Baptists had a caniption fit.
Christian Post, July 4, 2025, “Baylor University receives $643K grant to foster LGBTQ+ inclusion in churches: 'Not at all surprising'“
Other articles reporting on the grant and rejecting it will be in a section towards the end.
Baptist pastors wrote to Baylor denouncing the move. I am posting this article out of chronological order to list the pastors denouncing the grant and their churches.
Baptist Standard, July 11, 2025, “Baylor grant decision draws support, disappointment.”
More than 60 Texas Baptist pastors and church leaders endorsed an open letter of support for Baylor University’s decision to return a grant for the study of the “disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA + individuals and women” in churches, while the grant-issuing foundation issued a statement expressing disappointment.
These are the pastors who signed the letter endorsing the Baylor rejection. Some of which this newsletter has already done reports.
Jay Abernathy from First Baptist Church, Woodville; Stan Allcorn from First Baptist Church in Stamford, Adrián Amézquita from Red Pastoral, Houston; Howie Batson from First Baptist Church, Amarillo; Jeff Berger from First Baptist Church, Conroe; Chad Bertrand from South Park Baptist Church, Alvin; Steve Bezner, formerly of Houston Northwest Church and now at Truett Seminary;
Duane Brooks from Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston; Trevor Brown from First Baptist Church, Amarillo; Collin Bullard from First Baptist Church, Longview; Sam Bunnell from First Baptist Church, Henrietta; Chad Chaddick from First Baptist Church, San Marcos; Ross Chandler from First Baptist Church, Marble Falls; Stacy Conner from First Baptist Church, Muleshoe;
Bobby Contreras from Alamo Heights Baptist Church, San Antonio; Al Curley III from Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington; Craig Curry from First Baptist Church, Plano; Russell Cravens from Neartown Church, Houston; Daniel Crowther from South Main Baptist Church, Pasadena; Kenny Dean from The Bridge Fellowship, Sugar Land;
John Durham from Highland Baptist Church, Waco; Hugo Gallegos from First Baptist Church Duncanville en Español; Brent Gentzel from First Baptist Church, Kaufman; Jeff Gravens from First Baptist Church, Sulphur Springs; Mark Hartman from Sugar Creek Baptist Church, Sugar Land;
Brian Haynes from Bay Area Church, League City; Jim Heiligman from First Baptist Church, Bryan; Kyle Henderson, formerly pastor of First Baptist Church in Athens and now with the Baptist World Alliance; Brian Hill from First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi; Kay James from First Baptist Church, Kaufman;
Chris Johnson from First Baptist Church, San Antonio; Pablo Juarez from First Baptist Church Kaufman en Español; Paul Kim from Forest Community Church, Plano; Josh King from Valley Ridge Church, Lewisville; Juan Lambarria from First Baptist Church, The Woodlands en Español;
Ronny Marriott from First Baptist Church, Richardson, current president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas; Gregg Matte from First Baptist Church, Houston; Jordan McKinney from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Cedar Hill; Dwight McKissic from Cornerstone Baptist Church, Arlington;
Chris McLain from First Baptist Church, Bandera; Juan Moreno from First Baptist Church, Athens; Roger Patterson from West University Baptist Church, Houston; Matt Richard from First Baptist Church, Llano; Moses Rodriguez from First Baptist Church, Cotula; Mark Rotramel from First Baptist Church, El Paso;
Will Rushing from University Baptist Church, Houston; Lawrence Scott from Harvest Point Church, Pearland; Kris Segrest from Cross Church, Wylie; Joshua Sharp from First Baptist Church, Chappell Hill; Ross Shelton from First Baptist Church, Brenham; Nichole Sims from First Baptist Church, Marble Falls; Meredith Summers from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, Abilene;
Jeff Warren from Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas; Bruce Webb from First Baptist Church, The Woodlands; Jeff Wells from Woods Edge Community Church, The Woodlands; Bruce Wesley from Clear Creek Community Church, League City; Hunter Wheatcraft from First Baptist Church, Athens; John Whitten from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, Abilene; Dennis Wiles from First Baptist Church, Arlington; and Darin Wood from First Baptist Church, Midland.
Joining the Texas Baptists who signed the letter were Stephen Allen from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton, Ga.; Will Dyer from First Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga.; and Jeff Raines from First Baptist Church in Shreveport, La.
https://baptiststandard.com/news/texas/baylor-grant-decision-draws-support-disappointment/
After the Baptists being in an uproar the grant was rejected.
Christian Post, July 10, 2025, “Baylor cites sexual ethics code in returning $643K LGBTQ+ grant; liberal group calls reversal 'chilling'“
Baylor President issued this statement.
Notice all the loving language as a cover for this rejection and the President of Baylor has a concept of academic freedom that defys logic. The President of Baylor wants people to know they are still anti-Gay.
Dear Baylor Family,
I want to provide an important update regarding a recent matter involving a grant awarded to the Center for Church and Community Impact within the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. This grant supported the Center's academic research aimed at exploring inclusion and belonging in the church, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ individuals in congregational settings.
Dean Jon Singletary and principal investigator Dr. Gaynor Yancey have voluntarily offered to rescind their acceptance of this grant on behalf of the School of Social Work and return all associated funds to the granting foundation. Provost Nancy Brickhouse and I support this decision and agree this is the appropriate course of action and in the best interests of Baylor University.
We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all – including our LGBTQIA+ students – because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to educate our students within a caring Christian community. [Boldface added.]
Baylor also continues to strongly uphold the principle of academic freedom. [Boldface added.] 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. 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.
Please be assured that Baylor’s institutional beliefs and policies remain unchanged. Our commitment to our Christian mission and our historic Baptist identity continues to guide our approach to academics, student life, and spiritual formation. We affirm the biblical understanding of human sexuality as a gift from God, expressed through purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman.
We recognize that this situation has caused concern and confusion for many within the Baylor Family and among our broader community of churches, partner organizations, and supporters. This has been a learning opportunity for many involved in this situation, and we aim to work alongside our college and school leaders, faculty, and research community, particularly during these challenging times for higher education.
Baylor remains deeply committed to its unique role as a Christian research university — one that encourages rigorous inquiry and thoughtful exploration of complex issues. We will continue to support our faculty and researchers in pursuing meaningful scholarship, while ensuring that such work aligns with our institutional processes.
I hope this communication provides clarity into what has been a difficult week for many within the Baylor Family. Thank you for your prayers and continued support for Baylor University.
Sincerely,
Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
https://president.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2025/addressing-recent-external-research-grant
The money was granted to Baylor by the Eula Maeand John Baugh Foundation of Texas.
They weren’t happy about it being rejected. Inclusion for Baptist churches is often encouraging Gays to belong and to believe they are sinners and Jesus is going to save them from being sinners. So don’t think that they are necessarily our friends.
Undated, “A Statement from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation on the Cancellation of LGBTQIA+ Research Grant by Baylor University.”
The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation Board of Trustees is deeply saddened by Baylor's decision to cancel the recent "Courage from the Margins" research grant following an online campaign of fear and misinformation. A similar project, funded by our foundation and run by the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work over the past three years, has yielded significant insights. They should be permitted to continue the trajectory of the important work they have already been able to accomplish, which focuses on research to equip congregations with evidence-based curriculum on inclusion and belonging for LGBTQIA+ individuals and women
https://www.baughfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/Baugh-Foundation-Statement.pdf
https://www.baughfoundation.org/
Baptist University is an anti-Gay university. Documentation.
Statement on Human Sexuality, from the Student Policies & Procedures.
Baylor University welcomes all students into a safe and supportive environment in which to discuss and learn about a variety of issues, including those of human sexuality. The University affirms the biblical understanding of sexuality as a gift from God. Christian churches across the ages and around the world have affirmed purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm. Temptations to deviate from this norm include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior. It is thus expected that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.
The University encourages students struggling with these issues to avail themselves of opportunities for serious, confidential discussion, and support through the Spiritual Life Office (254)-710-3517 or through the Baylor University Counseling Center (254)-710-2467.
https://risk.web.baylor.edu/public/documents/statement-human-sexuality/view
The above is the actual policy of Baylor University. Note the difference of the statement above and the language of this 2019 statement by the Baylor Univ. President. It is very much the New Homophobia where anti-Gay sentiments are buried in the language of love.
https://president.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2019/human-sexuality-baylor-university
Sexual conduct policy
Policy:
Baylor will be guided by the biblical understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity. Thus, it is expected that Baylor students, faculty and staff will engage in behaviors consistent with this understanding of human sexuality.
https://risk.web.baylor.edu/sites/g/files/ecbvkj1966/files/2023-11/031_-_sexual_conduct_policy.pdf
There is quite a lot of content at Baylor Univ. regarding homosexuality.
https://www9.baylor.edu/search/?q=homosexuality
Campus Pride had them on their list of “absolute worst most unsafe campuses.”
They are also on the worst list.
https://www.campuspride.org/WorstList
https://www.campuspride.org/wp-content/uploads/Baylor-University-Title-IX-Request.pdf
https://www.campuspride.org/tag/baylor/
Baylor University Links
https://www.facebook.com/BaylorUniversity1845
https://www.instagram.com/bayloruniversity/
https://www.linkedin.com/school/baylor-university/
https://www.pinterest.com/baylor/
https://www.youtube.com/baylor
Gays shouldn’t be led into this nasty environment.
It is time Gays have some sense of self-worth and stop trying to push themselves into a group of people who don’t want them and have entirely negative attitudes towards them.
Other news reports.
https://baylorlariat.com/2025/07/09/baylor-rescinds-lgbtqia-inclusion-research-grant-after-backlash/
https://cbn.com/news/us/update-baylor-rescinds-640k-grant-aimed-fostering-lgbt-acceptance-churches
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/6/baylor-affirms-lgbtq-inclusivity/
https://baptistnews.com/article/baylor-rejects-grant-to-study-lgbtq-exclusion-in-the-church/
https://baptistnews.com/article/crossing-that-good-ol-baylor-line/
https://baptiststandard.com/news/texas/grant-to-baylor-social-work-spurs-questions/
https://baptistnews.com/article/baylor-rejects-grant-to-study-lgbtq-exclusion-in-the-church/
To learn about other anti-Gay institutions, individuals, groups, denominations go to this directory post which has links to the Dallas Gay Liberation posts.
