Kenn Starr, President of Baylor is Not a Baptist!
Baylor University has announced that it wll open 25% of its Regents board member positions to Chrsitians who are NOT Southern Baptitsts.
from Inside Higher Ed, excerpted.
Baylor’s statement announcing the change made clear that the university is well aware of the sensitivity around the issue. As the Board of Regents gains some non-Baptist members, it will permit only Baptist members to vote on any future changes in rules about the religious qualifications of board members, and about any theological issues related to Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. And the same announcement from the university noted that Baylor was creating a new Baptist studies research center, and was adopting a plan to add new scholarships for the children of Baptist ministers and missionaries.
Baylor officials were not available for interviews about the shift.
The university announcement quoted R. Dary Stone, chair of the board, as saying that the board wanted to include “deeply committed fellow Christians who share Baylor’s mission, vision and core theological principles but who are not currently affiliated in their church life with a Baptist congregation.” The statement also quoted Ken Starr, the university’s new president, as saying that “Baylor maintains a strong and unwavering dedication to advancing the principles and tenets of the Baptist faith which have been and will always remain a hallmark of a Baylor University education.” (Starr was raised in Church of Christ congregations, but has attended a Baptist church since arriving in Waco to assume the presidency.)
Click on image of Ken Starr to read more about how a non baptist became President of this school.
Update: About a year ago there were rumor that Baylor School of medicine might remerge with Baylor University. A petition against this, posted at that time, has gotten few signatures and the Wiki says that there is not much enthusiasm for the idea at BSM. BU also discussed joining with the UW in the PAC 12.