Overview
- Texas Baptists, which oversee the Baptist General Convention of Texas, disclosed in a Friday email that they have begun a formal study of their 140-year tie to Baylor over a university‑approved student event featuring LGBTQ+ Christian advocates.
- Following Wednesday’s dueling programs, Baylor hosted the Turning Point USA stop at Waco Hall and a student‑led “All Are Neighbors” counter‑event with heightened security and coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies.
- TPUSA limited its event to Baylor students and barred press access, with 438 students checking in, while the group publicly blamed the university for blocking thousands of non‑student ticket holders.
- Baylor’s vice president for student life said the school had told organizers from the start the event was for students, faculty, and staff with 125 invited guests, highlighting a clear dispute over who set the access rules.
- Donald Trump Jr. dropped off the TPUSA lineup and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke instead, a switch that drew attention because Paxton is a current U.S. Senate candidate and Baylor policy typically bars giving campus platforms to active candidates; the broader dispute follows earlier friction over Baylor’s LGBTQ+ group PRISM and the convention’s influence through naming a share of regents.