Lighting the Way Forward
How innovation and a Christ-centered mission will empower MBU to shine its brightest yet.
Politicians and ministers — from John F. Kennedy to John Winthrop — have referred to Matthew 5: 14–16 throughout history to challenge exceptional people to be shining examples for Christ during pivotal times. So when MBU President Keith Ross began researching ways to illustrate MBU’s next chapter, the famous passage referring to “a city set on a hill” just seemed rather fitting.
Perhaps it was because, as the only evangelical University in St. Louis, MBU has a distinct mission to integrate faith and learning in a way that time and time again has proven transformative. Or the fact that colleges and universities across the country are in an era of turbulent change — a time when, through innovation, ground-breaking academic programs and a heightened commitment to student service, Dr. Ross is confident MBU is positioned to emerge as a leader in an exciting chapter in higher education. Or maybe it is because if MBU’s past is any indication of our future, this university is destined to shine brighter than ever.
“Much like the city that is described so vividly in scripture, Missouri Baptist University for over 54 years has been a shining light in this region. How is the University today?” Dr. Ross asked during his inaugural speech this past October. “Its foundation is strong, built on Christian principles and a biblical worldview that will stand the test of time. It’s a vibrant community teeming with students from a variety of backgrounds who are attracted to the idea of a university that will inspire them to become more than they ever thought they could be. Its gates are open wide, warmly welcoming to all those who aspire to a culture of lifelong learning. It’s a place of exceptional teaching and an entrepreneurial spirit that is a catalyst for momentum and growth.”
As the “light of the world,” we are called to facilitate the light of Christ — to be luminaries in our fields, communities, family and world. As a Christian university, we have an important crossroad of a calling — to train the leaders of today and tomorrow to shine brightly and to be a light ourselves.
It’s that Christian calling that will allow MBU to lead the way with innovation. The University is set to continue to introduce new, ground-breaking programs that will foster the ingenuity of our students so they can lead into new and emerging fields, armed with the preparation of an innovative degree and a solid Christian liberal arts core.
THE UNIVERSITY’S VISION WILL BUILD ON THE FIVE CORE VALUES THAT GUIDED THE UNIVERSITY IN THE PAST WITH RENEWED HOPE AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE. THE FIVE VALUES INCLUDE:
1 We are serious and intentional about our Christian faith.
2 We will freely and responsibly search for truth.
3 We believe in the importance and cultivation of character.
4 We strive for excellence.
5 We believe in social change through service and leadership.
As a city on a hill, we are an example for all to see. This calls us to serve God as a university and as individuals. With this responsibility, we take our role as a higher education institution and a Christian organization seriously. We will pursue excellence faithfully, and research industries rigorously to offer the most emerging programs and supportive services.
Throughout the years, MBU and its graduates have embraced the call to be the light of the world and making an impact in their communities. Today, we carry on this mission with even more fervor.
1) WE ARE SERIOUS AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH.
The Christian faith of MBU remains and will forever be the ultimate cornerstone and light of the University. This distinction separates us from the rest of the higher education institutions in our area. As time moves on, we will lean further into our Christian faith.
“We wrestle with what it means to learn in an environment that is informed by a Christian worldview and also committed to the intellectual exploration of the world,” said President Ross. “But through this process we deepen our experience of what it means to take faith seriously and live a life fully committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”
Rachel Garcia is a senior in MBU’s School of Nursing. Like many others, she got into the field of nursing to help those who are hurting. She entered MBU as a freshman knowing that a faith-based education would provide her a solid foundation for her life and career in healthcare. When she found out that she could join the first cohort of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, she realized the combination of faith, knowledge and nursing would be a perfect trifecta.
Since entering the School of Nursing, she feels called to work in the underserved area of mental health.
“During my clinicals, I realized there is so much brokenness in mental health,” Garcia said. “Through my professors, I’m learning how to use my faith in nursing, and mental health goes hand-in-hand with the restoration of the Gospel.”
It can be hard to wait when a calling feels so strong. Garcia has gotten a head start in the nursing industry working in home health. She, like many of her classmates, isn’t waiting until her nametag reads, “Rachel Garcia, B.S.N., R.N.,” to make a difference.
Building on the University’s School of Nursing, MBU is continuing to focus on developing innovative, in-demand academic programs that fill industry needs and leverage the University’s mission. The University is currently moving forward with a plan to offer a Master of Science in Social Work in the near future.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of social work will grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026. An online master’s in social work would allow students to work full-time, while pursuing their degrees.
This degree could join several other programs set to begin this fall including online undergraduate degrees in business administration, marketing and information technology. They are programs in fast-growing fields, providing MBU students opportunities to be leaders of the future.
“This will require greater innovation in the curriculum and co-curriculum and also building upon and expanding our partnerships with other educational institutions as well as the corporate and healthcare communities,” Dr. Ross said.
2) WE WILL FREELY AND RESPONSIBLY SEARCH FOR TRUTH.
A second core value that is foundational to MBU’s future is our unwavering commitment to freely and responsibly search for truth.
At MBU, students know that truth and faith coincide. With our conviction, we know that no true discoveries will disprove our faith. Students choose MBU for the ability to dive into knowledge and have the chance for serious study, honest questioning and robust engagement all within the framework of our Christian faith.
Many MBU students sit in the classroom of Dr. Keith Beutler, professor of history, before their graduation day. In his classroom he regularly recites the words of American evangelical educator Frank Gaebelein: “All truth is God’s truth.”
Beutler is an integral member of MBU’s Faith and Learning Committee, and assists with University-wide initiatives to help foster a culture on campus that promotes this critical component to an MBU education.
“The urgent task of faith and learning integration in my classroom is never as simple for me or my students as peppering lectures or discussions with soothing affirmations of whatever historical suppositions are most current in American or even in American-evangelical culture,” Beutler said. “It involves looking with care at as much available, relevant academic evidence as possible. Simultaneously, we strive to exemplify the Christian virtue of humility, taking care not to confuse our own academic hypotheses with received Biblical writ, or to wall ourselves off intellectually from academic colleagues within and without this university.”
It is through such methodologies that MBU students will not only learn, but also experience the responsible exploration of knowledge and truth even after they graduate.
“MBU’s commitment to intellectual inquiry and academic excellence will empower students whose lives will become not narrower, but broader; not more limited, but more boundless; not more regulated but more abundant,” Dr. Ross said.
It is courses like the one Dr. Matthew Bardowell is teaching this spring focused on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien that encourage this type of distinct learning. In this course, Bardowell will teach his students to dive into the texts and analyze writings of the Oxford Christians or “Inklings,” alongside modern literary and Christian culture.
MBU will additionally focus on providing engaging, innovative learning spaces. These spaces will not be merely new and beautiful, but reimagined to serve our students of today and tomorrow.
The first project is already underway: the book collection of the Jung-Kellogg Library is being reduced by 90 percent to make way for an entirely reimagined library, which is set to open next fall. As part of the project, the University is working to develop a modern approach in creating more functional open space areas, to address technology needs and to identify innovative furniture concepts that support today’s student learners. The new library will include collaborative workstations, small group meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the MBU “Makerspace” and smart classroom spaces that can be easily and quickly adapted to various group sizes and purposes.
Included in the space will be the University’s Career Development and Alumni Engagement suite. The heightened visibility will allow MBU students to more readily access resources for them to gain meaningful internships, build networks and land their first jobs in the career of their dreams. Now that Career Development is paired with Alumni Relations, students will be paired with alumni and industry like never before.
“By pairing career services with alumni services, our students will be prepared to excel in their careers from day one,” said Ashlee Johnson, executive director of University Advancement. “Our students will be mentored and matched with alumni who are the best and brightest in their industry.”
3) WE BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE AND CULTIVATION OF CHARACTER.
Our third core value underscores our belief in the cultivation of character. As a Christian liberal arts university, we have the distinction of developing and preparing the whole student for success. Here, we foster appreciation for literature, music and theater, and we recognize the Creator from whom these gifts flow.
Take, for example, students like junior merit scholar Daniel Dilworth, who is pursuing a double major in communication studies and theatre. He spends his days juggling classes, work, theatre, chorale and helping out his friends.
“Daniel is a student that is fully immersed in every subject that he studies, and I see that especially in theatre,” said Kasey Cox, director of MBU theatre. “It is students like him who I see grow, and come in and further develop this outstanding character. They are able to handle situations and conflict with grace and are a blessing to all who interact with them.”
By further exploring our liberal arts foundation, our students will learn to passionately convey big ideas and to do so in a manner that elevates respectful dialogue and honors civility.
“As a Christian University, it is our great opportunity and great responsibility to model for our students, one another, and the world how to engage in civil conversation and to welcome the reasonable exchange of ideas, even when we disagree,” said Dr. Ross.
4) WE STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.
A fourth focus is to further pursue excellence in a way that drives us not to settle for “really great” but to instead pursue God’s true calling.
“MBU has a long-standing tradition of striving for excellence; this core value is what stretches and inspires us daily,” said Dr. Ross. “I am confident that doing all things well — from the classroom and fine arts to athletic competition — creates a culture of high expectation where students, faculty and alumni flourish.”
One way we are doing so is by pursuing additional accreditations.
This spring, MBU’s School of Nursing will seek accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The University is also pursuing accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. This fall, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) granted MBU’s educator preparation program accreditation for all initial licensure programs, effective now through 2025.
And when we pursue excellence for the glory of God, the world notices.
The Wall Street Journal has recognized MBU as a top school for peer-to-peer inspiration, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch has named MBU a top workplace in the region for the past six consecutive years.
5) WE BELIEVE IN SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP.
A hallmark core value of MBU is our calling to equip our students to affect social change through service and leadership.
“Millions in this world are hungry and many more long for healing; still others who live in a repressive society seek justice,” said Dr. Ross. “These great needs are met by leaders who possess a servant’s heart and skills that a Christian liberal arts education offers.”
MBU yearns to prepare leaders to address these needs. One way students are able to do so is through a new service-based study abroad trip to Ghana, which launched in 2018 and is led by Dr. Amy Harrison, MBU assistant professor and director of the higher education leadership graduate program.
Students serve with organizations such as the First Step Academy, which was cofounded by Brinkley in 2015.
“By combining study abroad and service, these students are able to have a rich experience and knowledge of the culture,” said Harrison. “They no longer are tourists or observers; they join the culture and are able to serve and lead in ways that would not be possible otherwise.”
We are also preparing students like Skylar Weston to lead in ministry even before she graduates. Weston recently led her first women’s retreat on her grandparents’ property.
As Dr. Ross said in his inaugural address, MBU’s gates are open wide, warmly welcoming all those who aspire to a culture of lifelong learning. It’s a place of exceptional teaching and an entrepreneurial spirit that is a catalyst for momentum and growth.
It’s a grace-filled, caring community that creates proud, self-confident graduates. And a place where alumni always know they will be welcome home.
With a strong foundation built on Christ, MBU is poised for success. However, MBU’s story does not end here; it is only the beginning.
With a vision that will not tarry and a University dedicated to serving God’s will, Christ will illuminate the path so we can shine even more brightly than before.
“The promise of Missouri Baptist University beckons us forward, acknowledging what we’ve achieved in the past, and calling us to our bright future,” Ross said. ■
