Baylor University, a Christian institution in Texas, has voluntarily rescinded an extremely controversial grant of nearly $650,000 for research on LGBT inclusion in churches after previously accepting the funds, a decision that sparked backlash from Christian leaders.
For background, on June 30, 2025, Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work confirmed in a press release that the univesrsity’s Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) had accepted a $643,401 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation for the purpose of researching “concrete steps toward genuine inclusion” of LGBTQ individuals in churches.
However, after major criticism for accepting the grant, Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone announced on July 9, 2025, that the school had voluntarily rescinded the funding. Livingstone wrote, “Dean Jon Singletary and principal investigator Dr. Gaynor Yancey have voluntarily offered to rescind their acceptance of this grant on behalf of the School of Social Work and return all associated funds to the granting foundation.”
Continuing, Baylor’s president clarified, “We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all – including our LGBTQIA+ students – because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to educate our students within a caring Christian community.” She added, “Please be assured that Baylor’s institutional beliefs and policies remain unchanged.”
However, Linvingstone wrote that Baylor was holding to its “commitment to our Christian mission and our historic Baptist identity,” adding, “We affirm the biblical understanding of human sexuality as a gift from God, expressed through purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman.”
In addition, Livingstone added that Baylor “remains deeply committed to its unique role as a Christian research university,” going on to say that the school “encourages rigorous inquiry and thoughtful exploration of complex issues” and “will continue to support our faculty and researchers in pursuing meaningful scholarship, while ensuring that such work aligns with our institutional processes.”
Upon its initial acceptance of the grant, Baylor was criticized for partnering with the Eula Mae and John Baugh foundation, which, according to its website, “supports progressive, inclusive, nonprofit organizations that reflect the love of Christ by providing assistance to those in need, enriching the lives of children and youth, keeping faith communities informed and engaged, and guarding the wall of separation between church and state.”
Calling out the university for its partnership with the foundation, conservative Christian journalist Megan Basham wrote, “So now that the progressive Baugh Foundation has granted Baylor nearly 3 quarters of a million dollars to promote LGBTQ inclusivity, it’s worth looking at why Baylor would take this step sure to anger MANY Christian families who send their kids to school there.” She added, “Fact is, they made themselves beholden to this Left Wing org long ago.”
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