BUA Launches
Seventh Decade with Maciel
as Seventh President
|
With the portrait of former BUA President Joshua
Grijalva
looking on, newly elected President René Maciel
poses
with his wife Sabrina and daughters Brianna and
Carmen. |
May 31, 2007
-- It seems almost scripturally
ordained to launch the seventh decade of ministry with the
seventh president in its history, but that is exactly what
Baptist University of the Américas is experiencing when René
Maciel assumes leadership of the sixty year old university this
fall.
Click here to
learn more . . .
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Join BUA for a
6oth Anniversary President's Reception at Hispanic Convención,
June 25th
June 18, 2007
--
The 60th
Anniversary celebration of Baptist University of the Américas
will continue with a special dessert reception at next week's
meeting of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas in Austin.
The reception will be held after the Monday evening session
(9:00 p.m.) in the Fellowship Hall of Hyde Park Baptist Church
located at 3901 Speedway.
President Rene Maciel will be on hand to meet and greet Convención
guests as part of the anniversary celebration.
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Piper Student
Village Goes Vertical
.jpg)
President Rene Maciel surveys
construction on the five new apartment buildings
that comprise Piper Student Village
June 18, 2007--The
construction of Piper Student Village, a 65-unit housing project
is 30% complete as the framing of five apartment buildings now
rises from a field of sunflowers on the new 80-acre campus.
Once framing is complete in the next few weeks, roofing will
begin and the interior walls constructed in preparation for the
interior phase of the project.
On a recent tour of the project, President Maciel commented,
"This is so exciting, every Texas Baptist needs to take pride in
what we are accomplishing together." According to Charlie Wedge,
Vice-President for Finance and Administration, the student
village when fully occupied will house 48 families in one and
three bedroom units, 128 students in four bedroom
semi-independent living units designed for single adults and an
apartment for the manager.
Though
slated to open to students in January 2008, university officials
will also be seeking ways to provide surplus housing to
volunteer mission groups, continuing education students, and
attendees of religious conferences and training events in San
Antonio. Housing inquiries may be addressed to Sylvia Trujillo
at
strujillo@bua.edu.
Click here to find
more construction photos on the photo
gallery page of the BUA web site. . .
Click
here to learn more about how you can join the
Crossing Over
Together
capital
campaign and help BUA claim a new era
of
cross-cultural
ministry.
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60th
Anniversary Dinner Celebration Gathers Alumni Across the
Generations
Alumnus Santiago Garcia enjoys the 60th
Anniversary
celebration with his wife and friends
May 11, 2007--
When alumni
and friends of BUA gathered for the 60th Anniversary
celebration, you could see the school's rich sixty year history
on the faces of the generations who joined in the evening.
Santiago Garcia, Jr., a retired pastor and alumni of the
first-ever graduating class of El Instituto, was on hand with
his wife and a few friends.
From the
following decades were representatives Bill and Sara Ibarra,
(BUA '55), Jose and Margarita Mancera (BUA '60s), Manuel and
Olivia Lerma (BUA '79), and Mr. & Mrs. Fernando Charles (BUA
'89), just to name a few.
Rolando
Rodriguez (BUA '94), recently named Director of Hispanic
Ministries for the BGCT, shared his testimony of how BUA had
been instrumental in his journey from first hearing about Christ
on the border from "los americanos with their cookies and VBS"
to becoming a pastor active in global mission and now a leader
in denominational ministry.
Many graduates from the class of 2007 joined in the celebration,
filling out the gathering to over 330, the largest BUA dinner
ever.
Though the anniversary photos that served as the evening's
backdrop illustrated how much may have changed over the years,
the alumni's love for the school seems to remain the same from
generation to generation.
Click here
for photos from
the 60th Anniversary Dinner
. . .
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Alumni
"Decree" Offered All Graduates
May 11, 2007--
Part of BUA's unique history is that the institution has had
four names in sixty years, but its graduates are all part of one
alumni family.
Whether our alumni graduated from Mexican Baptist Bible
Institute, Hispanic Baptist Seminary, Hispanic Baptist
Theological School or Baptist University of the Américas
they all share in the same rich cultural heritage of their
beloved school and are unified in the cross-cultural ministry
vision that has always been the school's soul.
 To
bridge the generations in this 60th anniversary year, a special
Alumni
Decree
is being offered all graduates which gives tangible recognition
of this unity in our heritage. The attractive decree will be
personalized with the graduate's name, as seen below, and is
suitable for framing and display.
If you completed a program of study at Baptist University of the
Américas anytime during its sixty year
history, you are invited to order your Alumni Decree by
contacting Roxane Lopez at
rlopez1@bua.edu.
We will be happy to recognize your academic achievement and
timeless status as a valued alumnus.
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Alumni
NewsBriefs
Baldemar
Borrego (BUA '84),
President of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, was
invited this spring to join in a special Cinco de Mayo
celebration in the nation's capitol. Borrego traveled as part of
a delegation with Concerned Hispanic Evangelicals.
Jaime
Masso (BUA 2007),
has accepted a
pastorate in Mayfield, Kentucky.
Abraham &
Margarita Garcia (BUA 2007)
have relocated to
Kaufman, Texas upon graduation to continue their Hispanic
ministry begun in a Barnabas Project with First Baptist Church,
Kaufman.
Fernando Caballero and his father Samuel
Caballero (BUA alum),
have helped launch two
new Baptist Bible Institutes (BBI) extension centers in
Colorado. According to Javier Elizondo, "They
have 30 students at their extension centers for the first
semester. They see what we are doing together as a major thrust
of their ministry for Colorado and critical to the future of the
Lord’s work there."
Viviana
Triana
(BUA
2004)
and husband
Carlos Charco
(BUA
2003)
recently received a grant from the Christ
Is Our Salvation Foundation to fund their newly formed
immigration ministry in Waco, Texas.
Joel Gomez-Bossio (BUA 2005)
has planted a new church in
Columbus, Indiana named Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida. His wife
Gabriela is serving as an administrative assistant in the state
WMU office.
Joel Leon
(BUA 2005)
is charged with leading
Hispanic ministries in the Mississippi/Arkansas border region in
a partnership project of the two state conventions.
Victor
Perez (BUA 2006)
sends a link to photos of
their work at First Baptist Church, Knoxville, TN found at
www.fbcknox.org;
Patricia Perez (BUA
2006) has become
Director of the church's thriving ESL program.
Jorge Camacho (BUA 2007)
has accepted a new church planting assignment with
Riverchase Baptist Church in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of
Birmingham. According to the U.S Census Bureau, the Hispanic
population in the metro Birmingham area has grown 600
percent since 1999.
Johnny Sangoquiza
and wife Leonor Alava (BUA 2007)
have accepted a church
planting assignment in Orgeon.
Luis Sura
(BUA 2005) and Laura Sura (BUA 2006)
have accepted a pastorate in Nashville, Tennessee
Antonio
Santillan (BUA 2006) and wife Martha (BUA 2007)
are engaged in
church planting with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Ulysses
Flores (BUA 2007)
will be
attending Truett Seminary in the fall and his wife Esther
Flores has received a teaching position in the Baylor School
of Social Work.
Mary P.
Ramavathu (BUA 2006)
has finished a
year of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in women's
ministries with Dr. Nora Lozano, and will be returning to
her native India in July to establish a new ministry project
teaching healthcare skills to rural Banjara gypsy women.
Email your alumni updates to
rlopez1@bua.edu
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New Trustees
Bring Valuable Expertise to Board
May 15, 2007-- The
most effective board of trustees, according to higher education
experts, are those that represent a diversity of skills required
to lead and govern the institution.
The board of Baptist University of the Americas has been greatly
enhanced this year with the additions of two new trustees, Dr.
Hal Bass of Arkadelphia, Arkansas and John R. Slimp of San
Antonio.
 Dr.
Hal Bass is currently Professor of Political Science and Dean of
the School of Social Sciences at Ouachita Baptist University in
Arkadelphia. He is a graduate of Baylor University (B.A.,
Political Science) and Vanderbilt University (M.A., Ph.D.,
Political Science). His career academic focus has been on the
American presidency and political parties.
Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Dr. Bass is richly
knowledgeable of South Texas and Texas Baptist church life. His
higher education experience will bring valuable insight into the
development of BUA's academic program. Dr. Bass is a member of
First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
 John
R. Slimp is a San Antonio native who has been a licensed Texas
attorney for thirty years. Having served as legal counsel with
leading San Antonio corporations, including Sigmor and its
successor Tetco, Inc., The Gambrinus Company, and Zachry
Construction Corporation, Slimp returned to private practice in
2004. John is a specialist in business, commercial and personal
transactions, construction contracts and related issues.
John Slimp is a graduate of Rice University (B.A. Philosophy and
Political Science) Southern Methodist University (Master of
Public Administration) and Southern Methodist University School
of Law (Doctor of Jurisprudence). John and his wife Jill have
been married thirty three years and are active leaders in
Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio where he serves as a
deacon, class teacher, choir member and trustee.
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Staff Express Gratitude for Interim Leadership
May 31, 2007--
With the
naming of new President René Maciel, the
tenure of BUA's interim president, Dr.
Jack Green, has come to a close after approximately six months
since he was appointed in January.
Staff and faculty gathered recently to express their gratitude
and give well-wishes to Dr. Green and his wife Bobbie, as they
"re-retire" once again. In his parting words, Dr. Green
expressed his deep admiration for the work of BUA and his pledge
to be a life-long supporter of the institution now that he has "seen
from the inside, the tremendous ministry that is being done here."
Karla
Romero, Jack Green and Gabriel Cortés
share a moment
as the team in the President's Office says its goodbyes
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Students Develop
Cross-Cultural Skills in Both Hispanic and Anglo Congregations
by Katie Polcyn, Student Reporter
Whether
you are Hispanic or Anglo, how do you practically learn how
to minister in a different culture? The BUA philosophy is
"you've got to get out of the classroom and into the
churches."
In
addition to traditional pastoral internships which prepare
students for same-culture ministries, the BUA student
internship program, known as the Christian Service Program,
coordinated by Dr. Mario Ramos is also committed to
immersing students in cultures different than their own.
This spring semester several BUA students practiced their
cross-cultural skills through BUA internships with local
churches. Jeremy Carlton, an Anglo student originally from
the northwestern U.S., interned with Primera Iglesia
Bautista in San Antonio under the direction of Hno. Alfonso
Flores. Students Isaac Gutierrez and Mario Samaniego served
as interns with Crossroads Baptist Church under the
direction of pastor Doug Diehl. Cesar Casasola, originally
from Guatamala, interned with Phillip Sitton, Associate
Pastor for Worship/Administration at Shearer Hills Baptist
Church, a predominantly Anglo congregation on San Antonio's
north side.
Students readily admit
some anxiety over the inevitable cultural tensions they
experience when they begin to consistently relate to church
members in these unfamiliar environments.
Casasola
said "at first the internship was hard because I did not
know the congregation, but after all the time we spent
together I got to experience a real closeness with them."
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Signs of the Times
Visitors to the BUA campus will
find some new "signs of the times" along their way these days.
Highway exits off I-35, which have long read "Hispanic
Seminary," were recently replaced with the appropriate "Baptist
University of the Americas" designation that has been requested
since the name change in 2003.
 New exterior directional
signs have also been replaced throughout the campus under the
direction of volunteer Project Manager Jim Fowler and
constructed by the BUA facilities crew.
The new red and gold
signs proudly express the school colors and provide clear direction to
campus visitors.
Student workers April Pucket (Alabama) and
Fernando Charles (San Antonio) install new campus signs
Agape House Needs
Agape House is
a support service friends of BUA provide our students to
assist with clothing, school supplies, hygiene, and other
practical needs. Gathering donations to Agape House
can make a great Sunday School, vacation Bible school or
church-wide mission project.
Agape is currently in need of the following:
-
Laundry detergent, shampoo and conditioners, toothpaste,
toilet paper, kleenex
-
Food
items: microwavable snacks and meals; canned soups ,
saltine crackers, popcorn, instant hot cereals, eggs,
breakfast cereal, canned fruits, etc.
-
School supplies; computer paper, notebooks, binders,
pens, etc.
Those interested in coordinating
donations may contact Sylvia Trujillo at
strujillo@bua.edu,
or call 1.800.721.1396.
Muñoz
Joins University as Student Recruiter
 Raphael
Muñoz (BUA 2005) has been
selected as BUA's new Student Recruiter and will be working
out of the Advancement Office. Ralph graduated from BUA with
a Bachelors Degree in Biblical/Theological Studies and is
currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management at Dallas
Baptist University. The last eight years, Ralph has served
on staff with Iglesia Bautista
Sur San Antonio, currently as Associate Pastor.
Ralph’s wife Roseanne works for the
Social Security Administration and he is the proud father of
three children, Leah (9), Isaiah (7) and
Daniel (3). You may contact Ralph with recruitment questions
or referrals at rmuñoz@bua.edu.
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