Leslie Newbigin,[i] missionary and philosopher

Just as HBU benefits from being in a great city, so also the university is a gift to the community in which it resides. While a college performs the indispensable functions of educating students and producing research, there are other important missions as well. A university is a cultural center and a place for invitation and engagement. Athens and Jerusalem can meet on a campus in the city of Houston. 

Thanks to the Morris Cultural Arts Center, the Belin Chapel, McNair Hall, and a number of other facilities on campus, HBU offers a number of outstanding venues for events that can bring the city to our campus. Nearly as important as the venues is the overall atmosphere of the campus. A university is a place for learning. It is a place for debate and discussion. It is a place where one can see talented people offering their best work, whether that is art, dance, musical performance, or lectures. It is also a place for museums. HBU is now finishing out new spaces for three museums, including the Dunham Bible Museum, the Museum of Southern History, and the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts.

We are now holding events more frequently than ever, thanks to the establishment of a university host and our new facilities. We intend to bring the city to campus with greater frequency and with imaginative programming. Consider the following possibilities:

• Concerts (Christian, classical, world music, etc.)
• Lecture series
• Worship events
• Continuing education, leisure learning, and executive education
• Film festivals
• Political events
• Book tours
• Seminars on topics like money management, raising children, and studying the Bible
• Writers’ conferences
• Live theater

The possibilities are endless. We plan to have academic panels tied to guided museum tours. We will explore the idea of film festivals based on museum themes, holiday celebrations, historic events, academic symposia, lectures and presentations. We will enlarge our bookstore and expand the offerings so that people travel to campus to browse and shop. With this vision we are committed to bringing the city to HBU. 

What we are aiming for is to make HBU a major part of life in Houston. Visitors will want to come here. Filmmakers will preview their work on our campus. Artists will have shows in our gallery and great hall. Playwrights will bring their productions to our stage. Authors will be here for signings. Politicians will consider a stop at HBU a standard part of their Houston itinerary. During the next decade, we will be a crossroads for the city and the university experience.