Today I am traveling to Dallas on behalf of Baxter Institute, attending a meeting of the Presidential Search Committee. The work of the committee will help determine the future of Baxter, but today I am reflecting upon the past.
What we know today as Baxter became a reality in Mexico in 1963 as Brother Harris Goodwin and others prepared to receive the fisrt class of students in 1964. During some of the early years in Mexico, Brother Dan Coker served as director. In 1978, Baxter moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Harris Goodwin served as president for over 30 years until 1996. Calvin Henry served as president 1997-2003, followed by Steve White (2004-2009) and Howard Norton (2009-2012). Baxter is unique among ministry training schools because it is a four-year program, academically rigorous, and intensely practical.
The next president will begin serving in 2013 and will help guide Baxter as it celebrates 50 years of ministry training. Baxter today counts over 500 graduates who serve throughout Latin America and in numerous parts of the U.S. The extension program and Saturday leadership training program have added many more alumni who hold certificates and diplomas of various types.
Baxter exists to serve the church, but especially to serve the Latin American churches. Through the training and development of ministers, missionaries, and church leaders, Baxter continues to play an important role. The economic challenges seem to increase relentlessly with inflation, more government mandates, and increased costs. Economic uncertainties worldwide have accentuated the challenge.
I ask two things. First, I ask you to pray for Baxter and its work. Pray for our students and for our graduates. Second, I ask you to help provide financial support as you can, either personally or through your contacts or through helping us tell the story. For more information, please check us out on the web at Baxter Institute or contact me.