Around the State: Texans on Mission deploy to Fredericksburg and Missouri

Texans on Mission is deploying disaster relief teams to Fredericksburg and Missouri. A shower/laundry unit is deploying to Fredericksburg to serve first responders working to contain the Crabapple fire. In Missouri, Texans on Mission will run a full chainsaw recovery site in Butler County in response to deadly tornadoes that ripped through the state. Texans on Mission is deploying chainsaw, volunteer feeding, shower/laundry, electronics, asset protection, electric, assessors andincident management teams this week. The destruction in both locations is severe.

STCH Ministries received a charitable grant of $20,000 from the Valero Benefit for Children last year thanks to the Valero Texas Open golf tournament and associated events. “We are grateful for the generous support of Valero Benefit for Children. … Homes for Children is a haven of healing, restoration and transformation, and this donation is a lifeline—helping children, from newborns to college students, experience security, love and hope,” said Greg Huskey, vice president of campus ministries at STCH Ministries. Through the grant, STCH Ministries will provide essential food and household supplies for the commissary on the Boothe Campus, ensuring that children in its eight cottages have access to staple items like fresh meat and produce, canned goods and household and cleaning supplies. For many of the children in STCH Ministries’ care, stability and nourishment are new experiences. With consistent access to nutritious meals and daily necessities, they can focus on school, build healthy relationships and develop trust and confidence. These funds will help create an environment where children feel safe, supported and able to thrive. The 2025 Valero Texas Open and Valero Benefit for Children will be held in San Antonio, on April 3-7. Funds raised are distributed to agencies across the United States, supporting the work of hundreds of charities in communities where Valero operates, including STCH Ministries.

Dallas Baptist University announced Ambassador Rashad Hussain has joined the Institute for Global Engagement as a Distinguished Senior Fellow. Hussain brings to IGE a wide range of domestic and international public service experience in diplomacy, law and national security. He recently concluded his tenure as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, a role in which he led U.S. efforts to work with governments and civil society to monitor and advance global religious freedom. Hussain was confirmed overwhelmingly by the Senate and is respected across the political and faith spectrums for his consistent approach advocating for all faith groups and countering all forms of hate. Prior to this role, he served as director for partnerships and global engagement at the National Security Council and as senior counsel at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. He has also held key positions in the White House and the State Department, including as U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, U.S. Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications and associate White House counsel. He serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, and master’s degrees in public administration and Arabic and Islamic studies from Harvard University. As Distinguished Senior Fellow,Hussain will provide strategic insights and thought leadership on global engagement efforts, contribute to research and policy recommendations, and engage with key stakeholders to advance IGE’s mission.

The Dallas Baptist University Dorothy M. Bush College of Education has received approval from the Texas Education Agency to offer an Alternative Superintendent Certification program. This new certification pathway provides a flexible and accessible option for educators who have already earned a master’s degree and principal certification, enabling them to advance their careers and pursue a superintendent role. The program is specifically designed for working professionals, allowing them to complete their certification in just two semesters, one in the fall and one in the spring. This condensed schedule makes it easier for educators to balance their professional responsibilities with their educational goals. For more information on the Alternative Superintendent Certification program and how to apply, visit the DBU Dorothy M. Bush College of Education website.

The first graduates of Houston Christian University’s Doctor of Ministry program presented their final research projects to fellow students and faculty on March 6. The program’s first graduates—Laurien Hook, Marc James, Hannah McGinnis and Brandon Webb—produced projects that “considered issues related to church growth and leadership, how to recapture the biblical story in our teaching and preaching, and how to minister to those touched by cancer,” explained Jason Maston, associate dean of HCU’s School of Christian Thought. The DMin program, offered through Houston Theological Seminary, currently enrolls 42 students across three cohorts. The program provides a kingdom-focused education that empowers pastors, chaplains and ministry leaders with the advanced knowledge and credentials necessary to engage culture with the gospel. To learn more about HCU’s Doctor of Ministry degree program, visit https://hc.edu/houston-theological-seminary/dmin/.

The American Southwest Conference announced a 10-year agreement that ensures the stability, strength and growth of the conference, which includes four Texas Baptist universities. With the return of McMurry University and Schreiner University, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the ASC’s membership is solidified. After a year of evaluation and collaboration to secure the long-term future of the conference, the ASC moves forward with a united membership of six anchor members. The agreement underscores the commitment of all member institutions to providing a faith-based collegiate environment that values a challenging academic and spiritual experience enriched by athletic competition. The ASC members are East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, McMurry University, Schreiner University and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. For more information about the American Southwest Conference, visit https://ascsports.org/.

Stark Seminary will host a training for current and aspiring ministers on its McAllen campus March 27 at 10:30 a.m. Ira Antoine, Texas Baptists director of bivocational ministries, will present “Preparing for Your Next Assignment: Navigating the Path to Ministry Success,” offering practical strategies to maximize ministry impact. Antoine is a pastor, preacher and leader with 37 years of ministry experience. In addition to director of bivocational ministries, he pastors Minnehulla Baptist Church. Passionate about equipping leaders, he specializes in church growth, strategic planning and ministry development.

Doug McIntyre has been appointed as the new dean of Hardin-Simmons University’s Kelley College of Business and Professional Studies, where he holds the Charles and Pauline Brinkley Endowed Chair of Business. He officially will step into this role in June 2025 and will succeed Robert Tucker, who will transition to the director of the Julius Olsen Honors Program. McIntyre, who earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, has been a faculty member at HSU since 2000, initially serving as an adjunct professor while balancing a full-time career in banking and financial services. After 23 years as a banker, McIntyre shifted his focus to full-time education in 2006.

For the fourth time in recent years, a team of Wayland Baptist University students coached by Jason Geesey has emerged as a top-ranked competitor in the Business Strategy Game, an online simulation designed to emulate the competitive landscape of the global athletic footwear industry. Celerity Footwear, a mock business led by WBU students Landon Womack and Jocelynn Barlow, clinched the No. 1 ranking among 4,657 graduate and undergraduate teams from 199 universities worldwide at the conclusion of their seven-week competition. Womack and Barlow are online students who have never met their professor in person. Womack, a senior business administration major from New Deal, and Barlow, a senior applied science in management major from Alaska, competed against thousands of students from major universities, demonstrating mastery of strategic decision-making in areas such as production, marketing, finance and corporate social responsibility. The Business Strategy Game challenges student teams to manage virtual companies that compete in a simulated global market, akin to industry giants like Nike. Performance is assessed based on stock price, return on equity and earnings per share—metrics that reflect a company’s strategic efficiency. Throughout the simulation, Womack and Barlow were tasked with making more than 100 critical business decisions each week, all while overseeing operations in four global regions. Their efforts culminated in a perfect weighted average score of 110—an elite achievement in the competition.

Anniversaries

First Baptist Church in Gustine celebrated 125 years on March 16. Emmanuel Jimenez is pastor.

First Baptist Church in Temple celebrated 150 years on March 16. Joe Loughlin is lead pastor. All four of the church’s prior lead pastors who are still living attended: Jerry Carlisle, David Crosby, Ronny Marriott and Martin Knox.