 by
Dr. Albert Reyes, President
Design for the Future
EDITORIAL NOTE: On November 15, 2006 Dr. Albert Reyes announced
to trustees that he has accepted a new position as
President of Buckner Children and Family Services,
effective January 1, 2007.
Click here for complete story.
Over the past 7.5 years I have had the extraordinary privilege
of serving as president of Baptist University of the Americas.
My specific assignment has been to design
a theological university with a missions passion that will
develop future generations of cross-cultural leaders. My work
has been that of an architect and designer using apostolic gifts
to develop BUA as a bridge to the exciting future God is
creating. The apostle Paul spoke of his role in the 1st
century church saying “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it,
but God made it grow…By the grace God has given me, I laid a
foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on
it.” (1 Corinthians 3:6, 10 NIV). I would like to reflect on BUA
as a design for the future.
BUA is
cross-cultural! BUA holds a
unique position in Christian higher education as a
cross-cultural theological
 university.
We see ourselves with built-in cross-cultural competency at the
core of our identity. We are cross-cultural and we have learned
to think, live, and function in a multi-cultural community of
learners and leaders. Our students universally bring more than
one cultural experience with them when they arrive on campus and
they learn to negotiate additional cultures within the
multi-cultural Hispanic community as well as Anglo, Asian, and
African American cultures. Our faculty and staff also represent
a bi-cultural identity and cross-cultural competency as well.
BUA is a leader!
BUA is a leading organization. Our primary
task is forming cross-cultural leaders from a predominantly
Hispanic context. As a leading organization, we develop leaders
after the pattern of our faculty and staff who are leaders in
their own right. I have dreamed that our students would imitate
the lives of our faculty and staff much like Paul encouraged
others to imitate the Christ in him. We have faculty and staff
that are Jesus followers, bilingual, bicultural, and hold the
highest academic credentials reflective of a world-class
university. Our faculty members are professor-practitioners;
leaders and scholars. Our students emerge as leaders because
they connect with leading faculty. Our students emerge as
leaders because they connect with outstanding staff leaders.
Leadership is taught and caught at BUA.
BUA is a bridge!
BUA has become a bridge to the future of
Christianity and Baptist life. BUA has also become a bridge to
the personal futures of her students. Our students are confident
of their ability to cross the bridge over any barrier they
encounter on their way toward a destiny in leadership. We have a
proven track record of multiple crossings to a brighter future.
We are also a bridge to pastors, congregations, denominations,
and Christian institutions who seek to cross their own cultural
barriers to a future in redemptive history.
BUA is a faith laboratory!
The students, staff, faculty, trustees,
donors and friends of BUA have come to know this university as a
place where dreams are born and faith is developed. BUA has
recovered the gift of dreaming, imagining, and creating as a
gift from God. We have believed God for the impossible realizing
we could only please him with faith. We have seen and continue
to see countless miracles and visitations from the Spirit of
God. BUA has become a faith laboratory and a field of dreams.
My heart’s desire
has been to design a university that would develop Kingdom
leaders capable of crossing cultures, leading the way to the
future, becoming bridge builders, and becoming faith-filled
dreamers for God’s purposes. The design has been set, the seeds
have been planted, and the foundation has been laid. The Lord of
Redemptive History will send a leader to build BUA and God will
make her grow!
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here to learn more about how you can join the
Crossing Over
Together
campaign and help BUA claim a new era of cross-cultural
ministry.
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BUA Trustees Plan Transition
NOVEMBER 15, 28, 2006--
While trustees of Baptist
University of the Américas met recently to formally receive the
news of Dr. Albert Reyes' departure from BUA to serve as the
newly appointed President of Buckner Child and Family Services,
they made definite plans to ensure that the operations and
growth of the university continues its upward course during the
transition to new presidential leadership.
 Topping
the agenda were the nomination of a presidential search
committee, invitations to a slate of search committee advisors
and approval of a construction contract for BUA's new student
housing village.
Amidst a host
of affirming words for their outgoing president, trustees
recognized Dr. Reyes' legacy of a strong institution who’s every
key indicator validates its ability to grow through the
transition and fulfill the vision that has been steadily
gathering momentum in recent years. "While BUA cannot replace
Dr. Reyes," said Chair Debbie Ferrier "as never before we offer
an opportunity for another emerging cross-cultural leader to
stretch their wings at the helm of a growing institution with a
wide open future."
The trustees'
first action was to name a search committee that will nominate
an interim president to lead the university while a more
expansive national search process is conducted for a future
president. Tapping those on the board whom had served previously
as either a board chair, committee chair, or search chair, the
board chose a search committee consisting of trustees Teo
Cisneros (Chair), Debbie Ferrier, Francis Barrera, John Bobo,
and Doug Diehl. The search committee expressed a desire to
enlist an interim president before Dr. Reyes' conclusion date of
December 31.
Search
Committee Advisors Named from Across
Texas
 As
a vital aid to the presidential search process, trustees also
nominated a number of advisors from denominational and Hispanic
leadership throughout Texas. These men and women were chosen for
their trusted relationships with Texas Baptist churches and
their deep commitment to the BUA vision for cross-cultural
theological education.
These advisors include Baldemar Borrego (Hispanic Baptist
Convención President), Frank Palos (Interim Director of BGCT
Hispanic Ministries), Robert Rodriguez (Pastor, 2nd
Vice President BGCT ) Alcides Guajardo, (immediate
past-president of Convención) Robert Cepeda (BGCT Exec. Bd.
Chair of Missions, Evangelism & Ministries Committee), Alfonso
Flores (pastor), Keith Bruce (BGCT Director of Institutional
Ministries), Irma Alvarado (Hispanic WMU President), Rudy
Camacho (past president Convención), Delia Vela (President,
Convención Minister’s Wives Conference).
 While
meeting with these advisors on November 28, Search Committee
Chair Teo Cisneros underscored their significant role saying,
"As search advisors you are our ear to Texas Baptist Churches
and leadership. Your input is crucial to shaping the
presidential profile that will guide the search process.” Having
served as chair of the previous search committee that called Dr.
Reyes to BUA, Cisneros stressed the Board’s deep commitment to
making the search process a cooperative effort among all the
constituencies whom BUA exists to serve.
$ 5.4 Million Construction Contract Awarded for Piper Student
Village
 Moving
ahead with new campus development, trustees also acted on
November 15 to approve and award a
$ 5.4 million construction contract to Galaxy Builders for phase
one construction of the Piper Student Village slated to open in
late fall 2007. Interim financing arrangements were also
approved as the Board expressed its confidence that the momentum
of the university will not be slowed down during the transition
to new leadership.
With a waiting
list for on-campus housing, future enrollment growth for the
theological university will be greatly expanded as the school
triples its housing capacity with the new project.
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Cared For:
Corpus Christi Hispanic Churches
Provide Practical Support
NOVEMBER 9--For five years running,
a wonderful fellowship of Hispanic churches from
Corpus Christi named
El Compañerismo #1, has been
encouraging BUA students with special "care bags" of
much needed personal care items.
This year's
project which served over 175 students was organized by lay
woman Janie Gonzales of Iglesia Bautista El Mesías.
After worship
with the university family on November 9, sixteen visiting
ladies organized the care bag items in a festive mall display
outside the cafeteria. Students laughed and played around as
they selected personal care items, such as shampoo, toothpaste,
shaving cream and other vital necessities.
 BUA
thrives because of people like this
wonderful group who believe in our students and understand that
equipping ministers to take the gospel to the world, begins with
some practical care and support.
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Lozano To Represent
Baptist World Alliance
in Vatican Conversations
 Insight into issues surrounding faith, religious freedom, and
persecution has long been recognized as one of the greatest
contributions by Baptist thinkers to the larger church. Perhaps
that is why last March
the Vatican invited the Baptist World Alliance to start a series
of theological conversations that will promote better
understanding and cooperation between both groups.
While
both groups may still see a great divergence in some of their
doctrinal stances, many of their shared ethical values may very
well serve as a foundation for collaboration for the greater
good. Participants expect that these conversations may lead to
further action together on ethical issues related to justice,
peace, and the sanctity of life. Furthermore, it is expected
that the conversation and cooperative action of both groups will
also help promote religious tolerance in countries that practice
limited religious freedom.
After accepting the invitation,
the Baptist World Alliance appointed a group of ten theologians (eight men and two
women) from around the world and invited BUA Associate Professor
of Theological Studies, Dr. Nora O. Lozano, to be a member of
this team. This is a five year commitment that includes a
week-long meeting each year in December (2006-2010) in different
areas of the world such as the United States, the Vatican-Rome, the
Philippines, Brazil and Oxford, England.
 For Dr. Lozano, the
conversations will continue her important work exploring
theological issues and ethical concerns for religious
persecution and women. With her experience as a Hispanic woman
familiar with both Baptist and Catholic forms of faith, as well
as the experience of persecution in Latin America, the professor brings a vital voice and insight to the conversation.
Dr. Lozano joins respected theological leaders such as team
chair, Dr. Paul Fiddes of Oxford, England and Dr. Timothy George
of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.
The ultimate aim
of the conversation, says BWA General Secretary Denton Lotz, is
to "give our Baptist brothers and sisters further opportunity to
promote the Baptist principles of the separation of church and
state and religious liberty." It is also, "to encourage the
exchange of ideas concerning Biblical faith and the call of God
to personal conversion and the necessity of renewed birth."
The
inaugural meeting for this five year conversation will be held
on December 10-14, 2006 at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham,
Alabama.
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