Baylor University announced Wednesday it has returned a $643,401 grant from a liberal nonprofit meant to foster “inclusion and belonging in the church” for LGBT individuals after receiving backlash from the university’s supporters.
In a now-deleted June 30 announcement, Baylor said the grant, awarded by the left-leaning Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, would “help us better understand the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.” The Christian university is now saying it has entirely rescinded its acceptance of the grant after witnessing “concern and confusion” from the school’s community, partners and supporters.
“We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all – including our LGBTQIA+ students – because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to educate our students within a caring Christian community,” the university’s Wednesday announcement reads. “As we reviewed the details and process surrounding this grant, our concerns did not center on the research itself, but rather on the activities that followed as part of the grant. Specifically, the work extended into advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality.”
The Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation “supports progressive, inclusive, nonprofit organizations that reflect the love of Christ,” according to its website. The grant was intended to go to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact.
The foundation did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
The study funded by the grant, “Courage from the Margins: Inclusion and Belonging Practices for LGBTQIA+ and Women in Congregations,” prioritized LGBT and female voices and provided “a safe space to share their experiences.” The research would have been used to guide policies “such as the adoption of more inclusive language” in order to make churches more welcoming to LGBT individuals, according to the original press release.
Baylor did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Baylor’s own policy states that it affirms “the biblical understanding of sexuality as a gift from God,” including the belief that marriage is “between a man and a woman.”
“Temptations to deviate from this norm include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior,” Baylor’s Student Policies & Procedures states. “It is thus expected that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.”
The handbook advises students struggling with temptations contrary to biblical teachings to seek support through the Spiritual Life Office.
“Please be assured that Baylor’s institutional beliefs and policies remain unchanged,” the university wrote on Wednesday. “Our commitment to our Christian mission and our historic Baptist identity continues to guide our approach to academics, student life, and spiritual formation. We affirm the biblical understanding of human sexuality as a gift from God, expressed through purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman.”
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