University trustees declare autonomy

HOUSTON — Houston Baptist University trustees have declared their autonomy from the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) in an effort to stop the removal of some trustees who attended churches that “did not meet the threshold requirements of being a BGCT cooperating church.”

University President E.D. Hodo told Baptist Press the 33-member board voted unanimously May 16 to protect its trustees and assure a broad-based representation among current and future board members.

According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, the BGCT’s decision would have had an adverse affect on minority trustees. “Some mainly minority churches cannot afford those contribution requirements to the state convention,” Hodo told the Chronicle.

Hodo said the board currently has two African-American trustees, two Asian Americans and six women. Nearly 50 percent of the 2,300 students at the school are minorities, and Hodo said the BGCT’s action would have had a negative impact on the racial makeup of the board.