100 Years of Baptist Student Union at Wake Forest

By Chris Towles, CBFNC Campus Minister at Wake Forest University

There are many like me, for whom collegiate ministry has had a meaningful impact during our formative years. Thus, I have long admired the vision of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBFNC) for emphasizing campus ministry.

Back in the early 90s my own college minister asked me questions that helped me grow spiritually and broaden my view of faith. Collegiate ministry stretched my view of faith beyond myself and my local church community to examine what it means to incarnate the mission and love of Christ.

The ministry I do now is a continuation and re-visioning of the ministry I received as a student. Through the work of CBFNC, Baptist campus ministry continues to have a presence on North Carolina college campuses as Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship and other ministries.

This year, we celebrate a milestone of Baptist campus ministry at Wake Forest University: the 100 th anniversary of the Baptist Student Union (BSU). As we are planning ways in which to mark this milestone, I reached out to some alumni of Wake Forest BSU and asked what were some of the critical issues during their time in college.

Wake Forest Baptist Student Union memories through the years as seen in past yearbooks.

Looking through the experiences of our alumni spanning from the 50s to the 2000s, it looks like the threads that tie our celebration together involve the places where our ministry has been on critical issues, the inclusivity of the group and the broader world views students gained as a part of their spiritual maturing.

Several responded back about their time when segregation was the main issue. One talked about how in 1957 a major issue was dancing, but that by 1960 the issue was WFU students’ participation with WSSU students in the sit-in demonstration at Woolworths protesting racial segregation.

This reminded me of how the late, long-time Chaplain Emeritus Ed Christman would often talk about the subversive role Baptist students played in integration at Wake.

Because the Board of Trustees at that time did not want to desegregate, Chaplain Christman and others decided to bring a student from Africa to Wake. “Surely the school could not object to a student who had been the result of Baptist missions!” Christman would say.

Edward Reynolds from Ghana was this student, making Wake Forest University the first private college in the south to integrate. Reynolds’ faith had been nurtured by Baptist missionaries in Africa so Christman arranged to have him room with Joe Clontz, who was the BSU president at the time. The other suitemates were also BSU members.

Some alumni remembered the period when Wake Forest struggled with its relationship to the NC Baptist State Convention, changes in the Southern Baptist Convention and overall Baptist identity. Others recalled how many of their conversations revolved around events such as Desert Storm, Vietnam, 9/11 and Watergate.

When I read the many responses about women in ministry, it reminded me of alumni who would tell me that they didn’t know a woman could be a minister until they’d met Becky Hartzog in the BSU.

For many alumni over the past few decades, homosexuality was a critical issue, one that we’ve seen split denominations. Even though Baptist students come from many different churches and backgrounds and often don’t agree, one thing I’ve noticed about them is that as a group they offer good pastoral care to others who don’t get a lot of good pastoral care.

While campus ministry is sponsored by Baptists, it has never been solely for Baptists. It’s a way that the Baptist church has reached out to students on campus whatever their background.

It says a great deal that people with no religious background at all or a different religious background have decided “Baptists” were their home. It also says a lot that Muslim students on campus today excitedly tell freshmen that they should check out the Baptist group.

Our big celebration of 100 years of BSU at Wake Forest will take place at Homecoming and Reunion Weekend (October 29-30). It’s not merely about celebrating the vision that Baptists had in 1921 to minister to students where they are. It’s also about the vision that Baptists have in 2021 to provide this ministry that impacts so many.

On campus, Christian students have a community in which to fellowship; a place to broaden their faith; and a chance to collaborate in ministry as they become our future leaders. Celebrating 100 years is not merely reminiscing on the past. It’s also recognizing the vision that Baptists have for the future.

BSU students from recent years.

BSU students past and present.

Dr. Christopher Towles creates environments where people can wonder, question and grow at Wake Forest University as a CBF-endorsed chaplain. Additionally, he teaches as an adjunct professor at the WFU School of Divinity and Forsyth Tech.