Statement of Affirmation

In March 2026, the Ouachita Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a covenant for its own members and asked President Ben Sells to gather campus input on a separate statement of affirmation for faculty and staff. In June 2026, the Board unanimously approved that statement, which will apply to all employees beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.

Faculty and staff are asked to affirm a statement of historic Christian belief, agree to uphold and not undermine the university’s statements on sexuality and on race and Christian community, and affirm Ouachita’s relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Only faculty in the Pruet School of Christian Studies, along with the president and vice president for academic affairs, are expected to be members of an Arkansas Baptist church.

Ouachita joins many Christian colleges, including John Brown University, Wheaton College, Oklahoma Baptist University and Union University, in setting clear expectations for its employees. The statements of affirmation are below, and Ouachita’s Statement of Faith and related statements are available at obu.edu/whoweare.

Statement of Affirmation for Faculty and Staff

As a member of the faculty and staff of Ouachita Baptist University, my signature affirms my belief in and support of the University’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith, and reflects my agreement to uphold and not act in ways that undermine the university’s Statement on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage, and Statement on Race and Christian Community. I affirm the university’s historic and enduring relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which established Ouachita in 1886. With my signature, I accept these responsibilities as a condition of my service and commit to acting with integrity and fidelity.

Statement of Affirmation for Pruet School of Christian Studies Faculty

ALSO SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

As a member of the faculty of Ouachita Baptist University’s Pruet School of Christian Studies, my signature affirms my belief in and support of the university’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith; the Statement on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage; and the Statement on Race and Christian Community. I acknowledge the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as the university’s doctrinal guide and support Ouachita’s commitment to live out its principles in both spirit and practice as I seek the kingdom of God through personal allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ in character and action, scholarship and teaching, and faithful service in a cooperating ABSC church.

Board of Trustees Covenant

As a trustee of Ouachita Baptist University, my signature affirms my belief in and support of the university’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith, and reflects my agreement to uphold and not act in ways that undermine the university’s Statement on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage, and Statement on Race and Christian Community.

I affirm the university's historic and enduring relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which established Ouachita in 1886. I acknowledge the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as the university’s doctrinal guide and support Ouachita’s commitment to live out its principles in both spirit and practice. I further recognize that trustees are called to be “sensitive to the expression of the Convention's will in all matters.”

In signing this Covenant, I accept these responsibilities as a condition of my service and commit to stewarding Ouachita Baptist University with integrity and fidelity.

frequently Asked Questions

Ouachita has been a Christ-centered, Baptist University since the Arkansas Baptist State Convention founded it in 1886. In 2026, the Board of Trustees created a Board Covenant for its members and approved a Statement of Affirmation for faculty and staff. These are questions we have heard most often about it. The full text of Ouachita’s Statement of Faith and related statements is at obu.edu/whoweare.

What is the Statement of Affirmation?
A short statement that will be included in employment agreements in which faculty and staff affirm their belief in and support of Ouachita’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith; agree to uphold and not undermine the university’s Statement on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage and its Statement on Race and Christian Community; and affirm Ouachita’s relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. The Board of Trustees approved the final language unanimously on June 11, 2026.

Does it require anyone to change churches? Is this an oath?
No. Faculty and staff commit to Ouachita’s Christian mission and the statements that define it. No one is asked to pledge allegiance to a person, a political party, an administration, or a policy, to agree with every decision the university makes, or to stop asking hard questions. And no one is asked to change churches. The university-wide statement affirms Ouachita’s relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which founded the university. Many of our employees are active members of Arkansas Baptist churches, but that is expected only of Pruet School of Christian Studies faculty, the President, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Why does Ouachita ask faculty and staff to sign it?
The families, churches, and donors who support Ouachita trust us to be what we say we are. A signed affirmation removes ambiguity about what that means for the people who work here. In March 2026, every trustee signed a Covenant of Affirmation before the Board asked anything of faculty and staff, and President Sells and the Vice President for Academic Affairs sign the fullest version of the statement. Many Christian colleges set similar expectations for their employees, including John Brown University, Wheaton College, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Union University.

Who signs, and what does it ask of them?
It will be included in employment agreements for all faculty and staff, beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The university-wide statement will apply to most employees, which asks them to affirm Ouachita’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Statement of Faith and to uphold and not undermine the Statements on Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage and on Race and Christian Community. Faculty in the Pruet School of Christian Studies sign a more detailed statement because they teach Scripture, theology, and ministry. The President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs sign that same, more detailed statement.

Does it require being Baptist or joining an Arkansas Baptist church?
For most faculty and staff, no. The university-wide statement asks them to affirm Ouachita’s relationship with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. It doesn’t ask anyone to change churches. Membership in a cooperating Arkansas Baptist church is expected only of Pruet School of Christian Studies faculty, the President, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Did faculty and staff have a say?
Between March and June 2026, President Sells and others met with all four shared governance groups and held 18 listening sessions with faculty and staff. The most frequently requested addition from those sessions, the Statement on Race and Christian Community, was written into the final affirmation. The Pruet School of Christian Studies had input in their own statement. Not everyone got the outcome they wanted. The input was heard, weighed, and reflected in what the Board approved.

When does it take effect?
With the 2027-28 academic year. New employment agreements are issued in early April each year as part of the annual contract process. The Board set the timeline on purpose, so every faculty and staff member would have significant time to read the statement, ask questions, pray, and decide.

What if a faculty or staff member decides they can’t sign?
The affirmation is a condition of service beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, so someone who concludes they can’t sign it is choosing not to continue in their role after this academic year. We respect that choice, and those conversations happen privately through Academic Affairs and Human Resources.

Does this apply to students?
Students aren’t asked to sign any statement of faith, though most students at Ouachita profess a Christian faith. Students are asked to respect Ouachita’s Christian mission and values. Academic programs, financial aid, housing, campus life, and student support won’t change.

What happens to a program when a faculty member leaves?
Faculty transitions happen at every university, and Ouachita handles them with care. When a faculty member leaves, the department leads a search for the right person to carry the program forward, and students often meet candidates during campus visits. Programs continue. We know students build real bonds with the faculty who teach and mentor them, and those relationships don’t end when a role does.

Is this about sexuality?
One section of the statement includes language on sexuality, gender and marriage. Ouachita’s commitments on marriage, sexuality, and gender are rooted in Scripture and in what Christians have taught for two thousand years. We seek to speak with grace and truth, to treat every person with dignity, and to love our neighbors, including those who see these questions differently.

Does this limit academic freedom?
Ouachita remains committed to rigorous liberal arts education and serious inquiry. Academic freedom at a Christian university operates within the institution’s mission and faith commitments, as it always has at Ouachita.

Where can I learn more?
The Statement of Affirmation, the Statement of Faith, and the related statements are at obu.edu/whoweare. Faculty and staff with questions about the process may contact Academic Affairs or Human Resources. Anyone else may reach the President’s office at [email protected].