Throughout 2019, Dallas Baptist University opened its doors, stage, and heart to several guests whose outlooks challenged and inspired students, faculty, staff, and guests.
From the DBU Center for Service-Learning, here is a small peek at how DBU students have lived out their calling to serve others this decade.
Belén Ramírez’s testimony of one incredible answered prayer for healing followed by several more that went unanswered for a long time illustrates a valuable spiritual lesson: “We are not God; we do not decide when God heals and when He doesn’t. You have to always ask for His will. And His will be done.”
Mark David prays every day that he can be a light in his corporate settings, demonstrating excellence in service to others to the glory of God and by extending a friendly smile and words of encouragement to people of different backgrounds who are experiencing the painful loss of a family member.
For every anxious or drifting student who walks into Dr. Mary Nelson's office, ready to withdraw from their programs at any moment’s notice, she sees an image her younger self knew all too well.
Dallas Baptist University honored Sam Johnson as the recipient of the 2019 Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award during the annual award dinner that was held on Monday, November 25, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
November 18-23 marked DBU's Homecoming celebrations for faculty, students, and alumni. Throughout the week, students enjoyed the first-ever Mr. Patriot, an annual male talent competition, as well as the faculty Chili Cook-Off and a Pepsi Break on the Quad. Patriots crowded the Burg Center when the doors finally opened, with students and faculty alike cheering on DBU’s basketball team as they defeated Arlington Baptist with a score of 88-57.
Dallas Baptist University hosted its annual Herb Robbins Research Symposium in the Great Hall on November 1 and 2. Dr. Robbins, a Piper Professor of the Year recipient, served as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at DBU from 1979 until 1994.
After living in the U.S. for the last 40 years, DBU alumna Elaine Saba felt called by the Lord to return to her childhood home of Liberia, prompted by the urgency of an educational crisis facing this struggling nation.
We asked Susan Mogish, one of our December graduates, to share with us a little about her journey and experience in the MAGL program.
“I hate textbooks!” high school teacher and DBU alumna Rachaele Tarrant says. Her students at OD Wyatt High School in Fort Worth agree. In a school where 88.2 percent of students are “at-risk” and 92.9 percent are “economically disadvantaged,” textbooks and traditional teaching methods aren’t going to cut it.
It was a big decision, and it called for a family meeting. DBU Alumnus Brance Barker, then a fourth-grader, hopped on his parents’ bed and sat next to his sister, wondering why a family meeting had been called. His father, Dewain Barker, who had been leading a homeschool co-op at the time, shared he was feeling led to pioneer the concept of the “University Method of Education." And so Brance’s young life changed significantly.
Before she ever attended her first missions class at DBU, the Lord had already been working in Brindley Taylor's heart to help her see every lost person through the eyes of His redemption.
The Graduate School of Ministry came together to celebrate 15 wonderful years of service to the kingdom of God by hosting our inaugural GSOM Alumni and Student Networking Dinner.
On October 21-22, following on the heels of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Faith and Education Coalition and NHCLC hosted its 10th anniversary National Hispanic Education Summit on the campus of Dallas Baptist University.
At a recent Fall Convocation chapel service on the campus of Dallas Baptist University, Dr. Stephen Mansfield, Former CEO and President of Methodist Health System of Dallas, was awarded the honorary doctorate of humanities. The special convocation service was also an opportunity to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the opening of Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel in 1999.
Over fall break, DBU students spanned out all over the map, from learning about America's founding leadership in New England to serving alongside the growing church in Cuba.
The theme of senior Connor Torre’s story can be told in the one realization he has constantly faced the last four years: “God is directing my steps.”
DBU’s Master of Educational Leadership program was selected as one of only nine from universities state-wide to partner with public districts and charter schools on the Texas Education Agency 2020-2021 Principal Residency Grant, Cycle 3.
DBU’s pre-nursing program, which prepares students for admittance into the LHSON, has steadily grown to now serve approximately 100 students. This past spring, 14 students advanced to the LHSON, and this summer, another 40 incoming freshmen will begin the program at DBU.
Topics such as this led the discussion during DBU’s inaugural Tech Symposium on October 8. The conference centered around the theme of “Disrupt the Disrupters” and addressed the need for “smart cities” that engage with emerging technologies such as BlockChain, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence to improve civic infrastructures.
The world is full of art—from nature made by God to masterpieces created by mankind, creation is inescapable as we are constantly surrounded by both the fingerprint of God and of humanity. But more intimate is the work that is created out of a passion, not only for art but for the Creator who instills a love for artistic expression.
The Lord has given Shermain many experiences that have prepared her for her current role at DBU as the Director of Financial Aid.
Earlier today, Dallas Baptist University Police received a phone call regarding a coordinated bomb and armed threat on the DBU campus. Following an extensive search, no bomb was discovered on campus. In consultation with the DBU Police and Dallas Police Department, an all clear was issued for individuals to return to campus. Normal activities will resume tomorrow morning, Wednesday, October 16.
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford visited Dallas Baptist University on October 2 and delivered a Chapel message that touched a central theme close to the hearts of many DBU students – choosing who to follow.
More and more students over the age of 25 are returning to college, but the biggest challenges for working professionals are often time and money. So how do you make your dream of receiving a college education a reality?
Now serving as executive pastor at Lake Church in Arlington, David's life path has been anything but simple and uncomplicated. Having begun his higher education at community college in Weatherford in the mid-1990s, he looked for a place to complete his bachelor's degree.
Since 1898, DBU has been dedicated to providing a genuine, Christ-centered community and education. The result has been generations of servant leaders who transform lives for Christ.
In 2018, Refuge Church was strategically planted in North Irving , which is currently one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in all the United States.
Hayden’s heart and calling to serve students with disabilities developed while studying missions and completing his master’s degree in global leadership at DBU. In particular, it was his realization that these students, who often experience exclusion and neglect, are an unreached group right in our own backyard whom God desires be included fully in the body of Christ.
SWAT 2019 kicks off with a bang as new students arrive on campus to make the transition to life on University Hill.
Pam Hall had enrolled in DBU’s Adult Education program for professionals in 1989. After completing two years of college at Texas Wesleyan, her funds had run short so she had gone to work for American Airlines and quickly rose in the ranks. DBU’s degree program designed to accommodate a professional’s schedule proved a good fit and enabled her to complete her business degree only months before her husband’s job uprooted the family and landed them in the recovering war zone of 1991 Kuwait.
We are overjoyed to see how the MAGL is attracting new students from diverse educational backgrounds. Three of them are highlighted below. Welcome to the first semester!
DBU kicked off its fall 2019 semester with a special DBU Night of Worship, led by Aran Puddle, Creative Director of Hillsong College, along with DBU students and other worship leaders from Hillsong.
Sierra’s interest in international missions began in her youth. These cultural experiences gave her an up-and-close view of unspeakable poverty and human suffering, developing within her a passion to learn how her faith could be put to work in the law field and help bring transformation.
This fall ten faculty members will join the DBU family coming alongside current faculty and staff as they teach and mentor in various fields – equipping students for their respective callings.
DBU’s Master of Science in Learning Technologies is a 30-hr, STEM degree program designed to prepare students to be successful servant leaders in the education and corporate sector. “Graduates will apply knowledge that promotes the success of every student by ensuring that each of those students understands and harnesses the power of computing and integrating technology in their personal, academic or professional lives,” says Karla Hagan, program director of DBU's new M.S. in Learning Technologies.
With the value of higher education being challenged in the media in recent years, not to mention the heavy costs often associated with a private education, what makes pursuing your education as an older adult student at a Christian university a wise choice?
Our MAGL students and alumni continue to amaze us with how they serve the Lord in their spare time. Here we highlight the MAGL Family around the world.
Some of this year's SWAT Color Leaders wanted to give advice to incoming students on what to bring to college. Check out what they had to say to new Patriots!
As the summer gives way to the start of a new fall semester, DBU asked faculty member Carter Willis to lend advice to incoming Patriots.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported that in 2014-2015, business was the most popular major among the almost 1.9 million college graduates, with almost 20% receiving bachelor’s degrees in business. Similarly, at Dallas Baptist University, more students seek majors in business than in any other program. But why is business so popular?
To provide insight into MAGL, we asked Madison Houston, one of our new students, and Addison Zody, one of our Spring 2019 graduates, some questions regarding our program.
DBU is home to hundreds of international students representing more than 60 countries, and each with their own story. Dorcas Bakiono, a Burkinabé student, lived in three different countries before coming to the United States: Burkina Faso, Togo, and Kenya. Then, in the fall of 2016, she moved to Texas and started DBU’s Intensive English Program.
For many years, DBU has provided travel opportunities for students through mission trips and classroom experiences, yet this spring, DBU launched a new initiative to develop a centralized approach to these trips as a part of DBU’s Global Studies Program, headed by Dr. David Cook, Dean of Global Studies and Pre-Professional Programs.
This May, a group of DBU students traveled to Hungary to minister to local schools throughout the country allowing faculty, staff, and students to build relationships with the Hungarian community as they served.
This year, one of DBU's own Ph.D. in Leadership Studies graduates, Dr. Brent Hutchinson, was recognized for outstanding leadership in his community and received the distinguished honor of being one of only twenty others around the world to be awarded a fellowship by the Obama Foundation.
This summer, DBU Senior Spencer Hamilton secured an internship in Washington, D.C. working for Colorado Senator.
Once again, Dallas Baptist University has been recognized as one of the top teacher education preparation programs in the country by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a nonpartisan, non-profit research and policy organization.
Teaching Jesus is why Grace Community School exists according to Dr. Jay Ferguson, who since 2003 has been serving as Head of School at what is now the largest private school in East Texas and one of only two private schools in the state to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education at both the high school and elementary levels, in 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 respectively.
DBU Alumnus Fred Ndavi was raised in Kenya in a community that experienced poverty and educational hardships. After earning an MBA in International Business, a degree many in his community have no opportunity to achieve, he went on to be the founder and executive director of Inspire Spaces—an international non-profit organization that focuses on education in Kenya.
DBU Alumnus Michael Smith completed his Master of Education in Kinesiology in May 2018 after playing for the LA Angels. Since his graduation, he began a job at Lake Ridge High School in the Mansfield Independent School District.
Here’s everything you'll need to know if you want to keep up with the latest events and news from DBU.
Congratulations to our graduates! We are so proud of all the hard work you have put into furthering your education. We are praying for you and the future God orchestrated for you. It has been a joy to see you progress from applicants to graduates. Many of you have benefited from the MAGL community and we encourage you to utilize those same skills to create an environment that you would be proud to call your own.
Dallas Baptist University celebrated its 652 graduates receiving their degrees during the spring Commencement Services.
Each spring, our Student Government Association provides selected students with the opportunity to present an informative, TED Talk type of lecture based on their specific field of interest. Through each discussion, student speakers captivated the audience as they spoke on these areas.
This past week, Dallas Baptist University hosted its 22nd annual Memorial Day Service to honor the men and women who have given their lives for our country. Before the service, a reception was held for veterans allowing those in attendance to thank these individuals for their service.
Dallas Baptist University held its inaugural Giving Day on May 3 to honor the faithfulness of the group of men and women who gathered in southern Dallas in 1964 for the groundbreaking of then Dallas Baptist College. Over 50 years later, DBU continues with the same mission to produce the next generation of servant leaders.
Dallas, TX – Dallas Baptist University honored Dr. Bill and Bobbie Pinson during the thirteenth annual Tom Landry Leadership Award Dinner, held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, on the DBU campus. The annual event recognizes the lasting legacy of one of North Texas’ most famous citizens, Tom Landry.
Dallas, TX – April is filled with exciting events for the DBU community, events that allow students and faculty to step back from the busyness that marks the end of the semester, such as the DBU Music Business Showcase. Each year, DBU music business students have the chance to showcase their musical talent for their peers, students such as freshman Amethyst Patrick, a second generation Patriot, who performed two of her original songs.
This years College of Fine Arts Art and Design Show highlighted the creative talents of DBU students and faculty in a variety of categories, including photography, illustration, graphic design, drawing, and painting. Over 70 participants entered artwork for the University to view this April.
“The doctor says I have cancer,” Dale Braswell’s father blurted out as they packed up his dorm room in Lange Hall on the Dallas Baptist University campus. Dale’s roommates had just taken a few boxes of out to the car, and in this brief moment alone, Dale’s dad dropped the bombshell. His father’s eyes welled up. “We’re gonna try to figure this thing out,” he said.
Wilame and Erica, after much prayer and counsel, left the comfort of their home and profitable jobs as a banker and lawyer in order to pursue the Lord. They took a leap of faith, trusting God would provide, and moved from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Dallas, Texas
Dr. Jodi Grimes passionately serves in a variety of roles on campus. As an English professor, an academic advisor, and a co-sponsor for programs like Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, and DOXA Literary Circle, she invests both time and energy into each area of service.
The diagnosis looked grim. Although Patricia had battled cancer and won, a new problem emerged-kidney failure. For two years she spent her mornings, driving to her dialysis clinic, sitting through the process, and knowing that in a couple of days it would start all over again, four hours at a time.
The sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee is the perfect motivation for a groggy mind that clings to bed in the morning. And the incentive of coffee’s scent is second best only to the promise of coffee’s taste. It is this same coffee-instigated impetus to wake up in the morning that becomes an aid for the focus of mind in class later on. Either the same cup, or a fresh one is adequate company in the classroom.
Kayla Askey, a recent DBU MAGL graduate, encourages first-semester students in the program to hold the perspective that every course is presently equipping students with tools in life.
DBU international students, under the direction of Adjunct Professor Russell Chun from DBU’s Intensive English Program (IEP), make that happen every month. The bevy of international students along with some mission-minded Americans form a reverent circle inside the clubhouse, and prayers like incense begin wafting to heaven:
DBU Alumnus Dr. Dionel Waters currently serves as a principal in Arlington, Texas.
This summer, DBU Alum Josh Dodderer enters his final year of medical school. As a current MD/MPH student, his role includes serving as a clinician in the hospital, designing a public health research project on education in surrounding border communities, and identifying areas of intervention for local organizations and schools.
Passionate about acting and the film industry, Jake began his college education at other schools, seeking training on the stage. Yet, he always felt a desire to pursue theological education in order to better connect the world of movies and the Church.
This month DBU students had the opportunity to attend Lion’s U, a three-day conference in conjunction with Lion’s Den DFW, that allowed inspiring business leaders the opportunity to learn how they can integrate their faith with their careers. Students heard from a variety of BAM (Business as Mission) leaders, including business professors, authors, and professionals in the field. Throughout the event attendees networked, interviewed, and engaged with these speakers as well as other business professionals.
Recently DBU had the privilege to host on campus Arthur C. Brooks, a nationally known social scientist whose political commentary can be found in the New York Times and through his best-selling books, including his most recent work, Love Your Enemies How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt.
Every Christmas season, the colorful shoeboxes line our churches, our schools, and our homes. For more than three decades, the work of Operation Christmas Child has become an integral part of our national consciousness, and on the DBU campus, it is no different.
DBU Alumnus Hayden Garner was first introduced to the Master of Arts in Global Leadership graduate program through one of his classes, Developing a Christian Mind.
DBU Alumnus Russel Chun graduated with an M.A. in Global Leadership and Theological Studies in 2017 and now serves as the Resource Coordinator for World Relief in Fort Worth.
DBU was honored to have Pastors Bryan Carter Concord Church, Dallas, Dr. Jeff Warren Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas, and Jason Paredes Fielder Church, Arlington on campus to speak on the topic of racial reconciliation. As a part of the Veritas Lecture Series, the night sought to encourage conversation and solutions to an important problem, one that not only causes divisiveness within the church, but within world as a whole.
The event was initially hosted in Manhattan in 2010 by Movement.org. Four years later, Movement DFW was launched as the first global expansion city of the movement after a conversation between Mac Pier, Tim Keller, and Bob Doll. Movement DFW came to fruition out of root challenges facing the city.
DBU alumnus Dr. Dionel Waters is known for a great length of educational achievements that have led and prepared him for his current role today as a principal in Arlington, Texas.
Birthed in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, a period of unparalleled development in African American art, music, literature, theater, and politics, Negro History Week (which later became Black History Month) was founded in February 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the second African American to receive a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. Woodson wholeheartedly believed that the immersive study of black history and culture would be the path to racial uplift and progress.
From the beginning of January to the middle of May 2018, DBU senior Katie Evenson studied abroad in Uganda, attending Uganda Christian University in a town called Mukono. For Evenson, this opportunity to learn in another country was something that has been on her heart for a long time.
Over winter break, DBU's campus was quiet as many students returned home to spend time with their families and prepare for the upcoming spring semester. Some, however, took the opportunity to join in DBU's global studies opportunities and travel abroad to locations such as Greece, Rome, Israel, and Spain.
Valentine’s Day serves as an annual challenge to intentionally care for those around us. Developing a servant’s heart and awareness for the needs of our surrounding community is difficult. Yet, teachers approach this task on a daily basis. Every day, teachers around the world spend hours in the classroom demonstrating love and a commitment to the development of upcoming generations.
Dr. King challenges us to recognize that it is not about what will happen to each of us, but rather, what will happen to others if we fail to respond to God’s call.
We wrote the articles, but you especially fell in love with these stories. 2018 brought so much for the DBU Family – excitement, growth, challenges, and for some, even heartbreak. Yet, through it all, God has been good to us and we have seen His sovereign hand every step of the way. Thank you for reading along with us this year, and in case you missed them, here are the top 10 most-read articles from 2018!
Every year, the DBU Department of Music fills Pilgrim Chapel with the sights and sounds of Christmas, and the 2018 performance was no exception. Making changes test.
As a part of their 2018 Christmas Tour, Shane & Shane performed at Dallas Baptist University in the Pilgrim Chapel, alongside Phil Wickham. The DBU community gathered together for the concert and enjoyed a night full of worship and Christmas songs, kicking off the start of the Christmas season.
Dallas Baptist University presented Norman E. Miller with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during this winter’s commencement. Miller, Chairman of the Board of Interstate Batteries, oversees a global company that provides power for countless vehicles and devices.
On December 5, Dallas Baptist University honored Jacque Delkus, Patty Lovvorn, and Kim Singleton at the 2018 Ruth Awards Luncheon. The event took place at the Hillcrest Great Hall of the John G. Mahler Student Center, hosted by Dallas Baptist University’s Women’s Auxiliary Board.
