Ouachita Stories

The following is adapted from President Ben Sells’ annual report to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention at the 2025 annual meeting.

It’s an honor for Ouachita Baptist University to partner with our agencies and institutions to serve Arkansas Baptist churches. And it’s a privilege to host thousands of Arkansas Baptists for Super Summer, Joy Works and Praise Works, where so many life-changing decisions are made.

This is my 10th report to you. For someone who didn’t grow up in Arkansas or attend Ouachita, thanks again for how you’ve worked with me.

I was raised in the small town of Bolivar, Missouri, where my father served as president of Southwest Baptist University. Lisa grew up in the small town of Commerce, Oklahoma. We both came to faith at our hometown First Baptist churches.

During our senior year at Southwest Baptist, the Lord moved profoundly, leading us to make a deeper commitment to following Jesus. Through the influence of a Ouachita alumnus, that commitment led us to become among the first International Mission Board personnel to return to China in 1986 and later to serve for several years with the IMB.

At age 63, I’m reflecting on how American society has changed over time and what’s required to be a university that’s effective as an institution of higher education and faithful as a Christ-centered Baptist university.

Impact You Can See

Here are a few examples of your university’s effectiveness. 

• Ouachita’s fall enrollment is 1,889 – the highest in our history.

Two-thirds of our students come from Arkansas, and what we’ve done together attracts students from 26 states and 22 countries. Ouachita enrolls hundreds of students from Arkansas Baptist churches and what we’ve done together also attracts students from other evangelical churches.

• In May 2025, 442 students received diplomas – the highest in our history.

Ouachita is tied for the highest graduation rate in Arkansas among all universities, demonstrating exceptional student success.

• Our growth reflects responsiveness to the state's needs.

Over 500 students are pursuing degrees in new undergraduate and graduate programs in areas like nursing, engineering, criminal justice, cybersecurity, counseling, and the leading treatment for autism.

• Through Cooperative Program gifts, institutional growth and financial stewardship, Ouachita works hard to offer a top-level Christian education that’s in reach for Arkansas families.

For example, when high school seniors in this state compare us with the University of Arkansas, they and their parents will discover how affordable we really are and that the out-of-pocket cost is comparable. We’re also a leader in the state in awarding financial aid and we just committed to increasing our scholarships for next year.

Faithful as a Christ-centered Baptist University

Ouachita is also faithful as a Christ-centered Baptist university.

Across our nation, many Christian universities have drifted from their founding churches and biblical convictions. To illustrate, there are now fewer than 200 Protestant institutions like Ouachita and Williams that have remained faithful to their mission.

Ouachita’s fidelity is rooted in our 140-year relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. This relationship doesn't just happen. It reflects God’s providence and considerable effort by Arkansas Baptists and Ouachita Baptist in every generation.

It requires even more effort today as much of society grows increasingly antagonistic toward the Christian faith. Working with our Board of Trustees, we continually seek to strengthen Ouachita's fidelity to our Christ-centered mission.

Drawing upon our Arkansas Baptist relationship, our university’s rich Christian tradition and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, last year we added a Statement of Faith that’s clear and concise in articulating the foundational biblical beliefs of Ouachita to students, faculty and staff.

We consistently look for ways to help students integrate Christian faith with learning across every academic major. We’ve created a Christian foundations co-major that allows any student to take additional Christian studies courses and still graduate in four years.

We’ve spoken more directly on our long-standing commitment to biblical marriage, gender and sexuality. Much in the world has changed in my 60-plus years, but the truth doesn’t change when the world says it does. And my commitment is stronger than ever for Ouachita to be a place where we do not conform to the ways of the world but are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The theological center of our mission is the cross. At its September meeting, Ouachita’s Board of Trustees approved the construction of a cross in the heart of campus. This cross will serve as a symbol reminding all who walk our campus of God’s love and grace, of our calling to be a Christ-centered learning community, and of the free gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

In these changing times for higher education, I believe we must be unapologetic about being biblical and unashamedabout being Baptist. And we must prepare students to be bold while loving and reaching the lost.

Call to Ministry

While we’re seeking to honor God as a Christ-centered Baptist university, like many peer institutions, we are seeing fewer students who have declared a call to ministry. This is concerning, especially as church staff needs increase.

Working together and benefiting from the Convention’s ministry scholarships, we must encourage and support more men and women in discerning the Lord’s call to ministry.

And we must be intentional in preparing more men whom God is calling to serve as pastors. I'm optimistic this is possible because of people like you, and like our alumni serving around the world in churches and on the mission field. And I’m hopeful because of recent young alumni who are in the pipeline for the International Mission Board, going to seminary and who invested time as interns in Arkansas Baptist churches.

Would you join me in praying Matthew 9:38 — that God would send even more workers into the harvest field, that he would call out young men and women, and that schools like Ouachita would foster in them a love for His church.

 

By Dr. Ben R. Sells, Ouachita president

 

 

 

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