Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s new worship studies facilities in Mabee Fine Arts Center have been named in honor of Larry Grayson, instructor and chair of the university’s Department of Worship Studies. The suite, which includes a lab-style worship space and a multipurpose lobby area, was officially dedicated in a ceremony on April 24.

A Ouachita graduate and native of Camden, Ark., Grayson has been serving in worship ministry since he was 18. He earned a master’s degree from Samford University and engaged in additional studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Having worked with congregations in four different states, Grayson spent 10 years as a music and worship consultant with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention before returning to Ouachita as a full-time faculty member.

Equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, the Larry Grayson Worship Studies Lab was designed to prepare students to lead worship, per Grayson’s motto, at “any church, any style, any size.” The project was made possible by generous donors seeking to honor Grayson’s lifelong dedication to ministry.

Terry Peeples, vice president for Development, welcomed attendees to the ceremony and offered an opening prayer. Worship studies students then took the stage to lead a worship song. Caroline Taylor, dean of the School of Performing Arts, followed with an overview of the worship studies lab project. She recalled that Grayson agreed to chair Ouachita’s new worship studies program during the fall of 2020 – a time when bands and choirs were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beginning with just seven worship studies majors, Larry Grayson did what Larry Grayson does best,” Taylor remembered. “He built a community: a community of young men and women who made the decision to follow God’s calling on their lives to minister to others.”

That community has now grown to more than 40 students majoring in worship studies. In June 2023, Taylor had a conversation with colleagues about the possibility of creating a worship studies space in the lower level of Mabee, where students could rehearse and develop as leaders.

“We looked around, and one of us walked out into the hallway,” Taylor said. “We started opening doors to storage rooms, a couple empty offices and a copy room, and we imagined the possibilities. Needless to say, that space is no longer my office but this beautiful worship studies lab.”

In addition to donors, designers and construction workers, Taylor thanked Ouachita faculty, staff and administration for bringing the project’s vision to life. Jackson McDonald, a senior worship studies major from Little Rock, Ark., also reflected on the importance of their contributions as well as the space itself.

“This lab is the fulfillment of many years of prayers,” McDonald said. “With this facility, worship studies students will be able to prepare to serve the church like never before. They will walk away from this program being able to plan and lead worship services because they’ve had the opportunity to do so in this room.”

Ben Sells, Ouachita president, extended his own thanks later in the ceremony. He also noted the significance of the occasion and Grayson’s service to Ouachita.

“Over time, we see names on different places at Ouachita,” Sells said. “As a university that’s been here since 1886, there’s all kinds of names, and there’s a story behind every name. They’re stories of stewardship, and they create this great cloud of witnesses on our campus. We need to tell stories of God’s faithfulness and stewardship. Today, as we dedicate the Larry Grayson Worship Studies Lab, we’re telling one of those stories.”

Before the ceremony’s closing, Grayson provided a response to the suite’s dedication in his honor.

“This is not something I would have ever conceived in this wild imagination of mine,” Grayson said. “I wanted to resist, but instead, I’m just grateful. The simplest and purest response I have on my heart today is ‘thank you.’”

“It feels like the provision of this lab completes the circle of the foundation of the worship studies degree,” he continued. “God has now provided a place for incredible growth and maturity for those who are willing to dedicate themselves to the call. A call to serve is a call to prepare. May we do that to the best of our ability here.”

Ouachita’s worship studies program prepares students to follow their calling and lead in a wide variety of worship settings. With vocal, keyboard, instrumental and guitar emphases, students are equipped not only with superior musical skills but also with a biblical foundation for ministry. For more information, contact Caroline Taylor at 870-245-5139 or [email protected].

Lead photo by Joshua Rhine

• Tags:
• Alumni
• Development
• School of Performing Arts