A New Home in Houston
Truett Seminary launched its first extension campus in Houston in 2018. As members of neighboring churches and the Baylor community came alongside Truett to make this opportunity for theological training a reality, the hope was to address the needs of local churches and those seeking to serve and support the Church at large in the Houston metro area. “A call to ministry is a call to prepare for ministry,” said Todd D. Still, PhD, dean of Truett Seminary. “Vocational ministry is a distinct calling for which one needs to prepare thoroughly and faithfully. With Truett in Houston, we aim to make high-caliber theological education accessible and affordable for those who need to stay in and around Houston as we do for those who can relocate to our Waco campus.”
“It is difficult to imagine a more suitable facility or beautiful atmosphere in which for theological education to occur than the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center in Houston.”
Dean Still
Over the course of the past five years, Truett has steadily grown a vital and vibrant student body in Houston. With evening courses offered by local scholars and practitioners in classrooms and multipurpose areas at Tallowood Baptist Church and the Lanier Theological Library, several students have been able to earn credits sufficient to graduate with Masters degrees. Meanwhile, Dean Still has been engaged in ongoing conversations with Mark Lanier, a highly acclaimed civil trial lawyer, Baylor parent, and erstwhile Truett supporter, about the prospects of Truett Houston moving its base of operations to the Lanier Theological Library upon the completion of a newly constructed 38,000 square-foot, stately and state-of-the-art learning center.
In 2010, Mark and his wife Becky opened a stunningly beautiful 17,000 square-foot research library, which they had constructed on family property in northwest Houston. The library currently houses more than 100,000 theological volumes and specializes in the areas of archaeology, biblical studies, church history, Dead Sea Scrolls, Egyptology, and linguistics. Its impressive design combines many of Mark Lanier’s favorite architectural features from libraries at the University of Oxford. In close proximity to the library is the equally impressive Stone Chapel, a well-executed replica of a ca. A.D. 500 Byzantine chapel.
In order to enable even more people to engage and enjoy the library, its remarkable resources, and beautiful grounds, the family has built and recently opened the aesthetically pleasing, highly functional, and impressively expansive Lanier Learning Center. Within the learning center, offices, common areas, and classrooms have been designated for Truett Seminary Houston to train existing and future leaders. There is also ample room to expand as additional and anticipated growth occurs.
“It is difficult to imagine a more suitable facility or beautiful atmosphere in which for theological education to occur than the Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center in Houston,” said Dean Still. “I am both overjoyed and overwhelmed by the generosity of Mark and Becky Lanier towards our school and am strongly convinced that this strategic move will enable Truett Houston to grow not only in size but also in impact. I am eager for people to connect with Truett Seminary through our new Houston campus and am, in fact, looking most forward to teaching there myself this coming spring.”
The Lanier Library and Learning Center provides an excellent environment for Truett in Houston students to engage in theological training, access abundant resources, and feel at home. A dedication ceremony is currently being planned for the spring of 2024 and will be widely advertised through Truett’s various news networks.
“Becky and I are so excited to get to play a role in Truett’s mission to educate, edify, and encourage those in the Gulf Coast region surrounding Houston,” adds Mark Lanier. “The Spirit of Christ is found on our campus in the spirit of Truett. God is glorified, humanity’s highest calling.”