Baylor University announced today that the Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) has been awarded a grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation “to foster inclusion and belonging in the church,” with an emphasis on understanding “the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.”
The Center for Church and Community Impact is a research center housed within Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.
According to C3I Director Dr. Gaynor Yancey, “The grant will focus on the lived experiences of emerging adults,” and “will assist us in filling out the bigger picture of congregations’ practices that result in an environment of belonging.”
The $643,401 grant will utilize interviews, focus groups and surveys of university students. The findings will then be used to develop trauma-sensitive training materials for churches.
Dr. Jon Singletary, dean of the Garland School, lauded the work of the Baugh Foundation, noting their support “allows C3I to deepen its work at the intersection of faith, justice and community and is both timely and essential.” He added, “Congregations have the potential to be spaces of healing and belonging, yet too often they become sources of exclusion and harm. This grant equips us to listen deeply, study carefully and partner faithfully with churches seeking to become more just and welcoming communities.”
As a university founded by and still associated with Texas Baptists—and one that has made strides toward becoming one of the nation’s top research institutions—Baylor has a long history of navigating issues related to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
As recently as a decade ago, Baylor’s student code of conduct prohibited “homosexual acts,” placing them in the same category as rape and incest. In 2015, the year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage rights, Baylor replaced that language with a focus on “marital fidelity,” while still defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
In 2014, former Baylor women’s basketball star Brittney Griner drew national attention for writing about the challenges of being part of the LGBTQ community at Baylor. Griner rose to prominence after earning multiple national player of the year honors as a student. She also led the team to a national championship and a perfect 40-0 record in 2012.
In her memoir, “In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court,” she wrote about the lack of resources for gay students at Baylor and about being asked by her coach, Kim Mulkey, to hide her sexuality. In 2022, the university received criticism from faculty, students and former students for its lack of vocal support for Griner during her nearly yearlong imprisonment in Russia.
In 2024, under the leadership of Baylor’s current coach, Nicki Collen, Griner’s jersey was retired in a pregame ceremony.
In 2022, Baylor officially chartered Prism, its first LGBTQ student organization, after nearly a decade of similar groups seeking recognition. Prism’s goal is to serve as a safe space for LGBTQ students and to act as a liaison between students and the administration. However, the organization is still required to operate in accordance with the university’s code of conduct regarding “marital fidelity.”
According to Baylor’s statement announcing the C3I grant, “Social work values and competence through the ethical integration of faith and practice prompt C3I to constantly and consistently nudge faith-based organizations to be proactive in establishing institutional courage.”
More information on the grant’s goals and the work of C3I and the Garland School of Social Work can be found here.
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