Ben R. Sells
Why Ouachita Is Putting Its Faith in Writing
November 08, 2026Should a university that has been Baptist since 1886 ask the people who teach and work there to affirm a faith commitment consistent with Arkansas Baptists? Most people would probably say yes. Some good and faithful people see it differently, and I want to take their concerns seriously.
Christ as Our Center of Gravity
September 14, 2026A truly complete education requires a unifying confessional starting point. One where faith and learning are never compartmentalized, so that as you grow academically, you grow personally, emotionally and spiritually too.
The love of your Heavenly Father is perfect, timeless and limitless. It’s a love of an entirely different magnitude, eternal and sovereign. That realization changes everything about how you can commence from this campus.
Last academic year, Ouachita was one of the few universities to provide a fully in-person education. As we prepared for this year, we challenged ourselves to provide all the benefits of a traditional campus experience.
An adaptation of Dr. Sells' remarks from Convocation 2025, which focused on intergenerational education and learning from the Master Teacher.
Each year, we select a phrase from these statements to serve as our annual theme. "Intellectual and Spiritual Growth" has been this year's theme. It seems fitting, then, to reflect one final time on what "intellectual and spiritual growth" means.
With Convocation, we bring together new and returning students with faculty and staff to formally begin the academic year.
This year’s university theme has been “lives of meaningful work,” a phrase in our mission statement focused on one purpose of a Ouachita education. There are many dimensions to a life of meaningful work. This morning, I want to highlight one: that we’re called to be stewards in every season of life. This notion is illustrated in Scripture, and you exemplified it at Ouachita.
When I was six, my family moved into a president’s home as my father took the helm at a Baptist university. Early on, I discovered that he put loose change in his briefcase and didn’t seem to mind that I collected the coins. In time, I started reading his papers, sparking my interest in Christian higher education.
With Convocation, we formally bring together new and returning students with faculty and staff to begin the 138th year of Ouachita Baptist University.