Baylor's Distinctive Role

Baylor University stands in a place occupied by few other institutions — set apart by an unwavering Christian identity, an enduring dedication to transformative education, and a strong and growing commitment to research. Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a relentless retreat from Christian commitment transpired on the part of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious universities. Baylor, however, has persisted in the belief that not only can its Baptist heritage inform a vital approach to life in general, it can also inform the life of the mind specifically. We hold firm to the conviction that the world needs a preeminent research university that is unambiguously Christian — where such a commitment does not imply a lack of scholarly inquiry, but rather requires scholarship and creative endeavors at the highest levels of quality to complement and inform its teaching and service.

The foundation for Baylor’s position in higher education is articulated in its mission — to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community — and is further illustrated through its foundational assumptions, core convictions, and unifying academic themes. These commitments motivated the founding of Baylor and have guided the university at every point in its history. Together with Baylor’s motto, Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, they continue to define Baylor’s exceptional character, purpose, and vocation in the world of higher education.

We strive to prepare students to make a difference in our world as citizens and leaders who have the faith and integrity to do what is right in the face of competing pressures and to have a passion to apply their knowledge to ends that transcend mere self-interest. As a Christian university committed to scholarship of the highest quality, we offer a distinctive voice to global conversations about crucial issues — such as social responsibility, health care, economic growth, human rights, poverty, diversity, and sustainability — in a way that few others can. To these ends, we exercise care in hiring and developing faculty and staff who embrace our Christian identity and whose lives of faith manifest integrity, moral strength, generosity of spirit, and humility in their roles as ambassadors of Christ.

Baylor University remains a place where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is embraced, studied, and celebrated. We love God with our heart, so we are compelled to care for one another and to address the challenges of our hurting world. We love God with our soul, so we are called to worship Him and to serve Him in building His church. We love God with our mind, so we are called to instruction, research, scholarship, and creative endeavors that truth may be discovered and disseminated, beauty revealed, and goodness honored.

Against this backdrop we look back, giving thanks for all that Baylor has been, and look forward with great expectation to the promise — and purpose — that illuminates the institution’s destiny. We launch Pro Futuris, therefore, in humility and gratitude, and from a position of strength: a strength that is measured in the form of traditional outputs, such as student ability and research productivity, as well as the strength of our Christian faith reflected in our people, our programs, and our campus.