Governors Approve Institutional Diversity Statement

In addition to approving B. H. Carroll Theological Institute’s embedding with East Texas Baptist University February 6, the Board of Governors of B. H. Carroll also approved a new statement on diversity for the seminary.

According to B. H. Carroll President Dr. Gene Wilkes, the statement was necessary to satisfy the requirements of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), which accredits the institution. ATS requires the statement to be readily accessible to students, staff, faculty, and members of the general public as part of its standards on institutional integrity.

“Carroll’s statement on diversity took a specific, deliberate approach to this issue which is tearing so many institutions and denominations apart,” Wilkes said. “We wanted to approach this biblically, so we do not use the word ‘race’ in our statement. God created one humanity. That is our message.”

Wilkes also said the institution’s model, its means of operation, and its spirit has always been underpinned by a desire to maintain its doctrinal commitments, but to be as broadly charitable as possible on matters best left settled by the local church or by the individual’s conscience.

“That being said, there are still some things we cannot move on. Even then, however, we pledge to maintain respectful, open dialogue with those who disagree with us and who even reject our beliefs completely. Jesus has already broken down the dividing wall of hostility in the body of Christ. We won’t start building it again,” Wilkes said.

B. H. Carroll’s diversity statement was adopted by the seminary’s Academic Council after a lengthy drafting and editing process. It was then disseminated to a larger group of faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic backgrounds and genders for review and comment.

To read B. H. Carroll’s diversity statement, go to https://bhcarroll.edu/about/what-we-believe/.