BUILT ON PRAYER - How Prayer Has Shaped 180 Years of UMHB

PRAYER AND REVIVAL

Firmly rooted in Baptist tradition, there is evidence in the UMHB archives that revival has been an im­portant event on campus almost as long as the school has existed. One of the most notable revivals took place in 1901 and is described as “set to go down as one of the greatest revivals ever held,” with a packed house and 90 new additions to the local Baptist Church. In 1909, another revival reportedly brought salvation to every girl on campus.

Today, that revival tradition continues in a tent on the Quad, where students gather for three days of prayer and worship. When Norvell was a student, she remembers the 24/7 prayer that preceded the Reviv­al, which still takes place today.

“My slot was 2 to 2:30 a.m.,” she said. “It was led by the Baptist Student Ministry and it was just so sweet.”

This emphasis on student involvement continues with prayer committees for Revival, Easter Pageant and Mission Emphasis Weekend.

The spiritual foundation also extends to physical spaces – both formal and informal – where generations have turned to God in prayer. Some of these sacred spots include Walton Chapel, the Parker Prayer Garden and the tree by Burt Pond, which has served as a pop­ular prayer spot since the 1920s. There is also Luther Memorial, where students gather annually for the Easter Pageant, praying overnight the night before the show; and Vann Circle, the traditional site for the See You at the Pole prayer event each fall. Even the original site of the Cottage Home System dormitories, where Remschel Hall stands today, is remembered for its spiritual signif­icance. “The Cottage Home girls were required to seek the Lord on certain things,” Norvell said. “It’s a special spot that’s just rich in history.”

CONNECTING THROUGH PRAYER

For alumni, prayer is a way to stay connected to the campus, and alumni-focused prayer walks are a spe­cial way they can uplift students from anywhere in the world.

“This year, based on feedback from alumni, we wanted to have a more focused effort on what is happening on this campus,” said Director of Alumni Engagement Jeff Sutton ’07. “We put together a guided prayer so that as a collective, alumni were praying for God to move.”

Prior to Welcome Week, alumni also gathered for a prayer walk around campus, returning to spots on cam­pus that had impacted them most deeply – residence halls, academic buildings and even a favorite tree or bench. “We tracked it so that we made sure each corner of campus had someone praying on it that evening,” Sutton said.

Even for those who can’t return to campus, there’s still a way to participate.

“You can pray from your home. You can pray from the other side of the world. Our prayer walks give peo­ple a way to connect with the campus in a real, mean­ingful way,” Sutton said. "It’s an intentional time to pause in the midst of busyness to just have a focus time to pray for this place that impacted our lives. We ask God to continue to do in the lives of students what he did in each of our lives."

INTEGRATING FAITH AND LEARNING

One of the first experiences students take part in when they arrive as incoming freshmen is the Dubbing Ceremony at Crusader Stadium, where students are dubbed “Crusaders Forever” and are prayed over. But it’s the day-to-day encounters with administrators, advisors, faculty and staff who incorporate prayer into campus life to encourage an integration of faith with education that helps students and faculty see their work and studies as part of a larger spiritual purpose.

After spotting a staff member praying with his daughter and a group of seniors, one father posted on social media: "This pic is one of the many reasons we love that two of our kids attended the University of Mary Hardin- Baylor. This was simply another reminder of the blessing this university has been, and that our kids absolutely made the right choice.”

At UMHB, the sight of faculty and staff lifting students up in prayer is woven into the very fabric of campus life. Wherever you go, a willing intercessor is never far away like Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Christan Ham­monds ’99. She is among the cherished prayer warriors on campus, who care deeply not only for her students’ academic success, but also for their walk with the Lord.

“I pray for and with my students often! I pray for them before the semester even starts, as I’m looking at their names on the roster, and as I walk around the class­room on day one, before they start filling in the chairs. I pray with them before each class and before each exam. I pray with them in my office. I pray for them when I’m at home,” she said. “There is nothing more powerful than prayer! Bare minimum, it brings peace. It can also bring clarity. And it always brings us closer to the Lord and in alignment with His heart and will.”

WALKING IN PRAYER

Graduate student Anna Hoecke ‘23 imagines praying in the same spots her great-grandmother, Olive Chaffee Boggs, did when she was a student on campus more than 100 years ago.

After hearing countless stories from her family, Anna is proud to be a student where her “Mimi Olive was a prayer warrior.”

“She was strong in her convictions, and I imagine she often took the ordinary walks across campus as opportu­nities to intercede,” she said.

Anna says prayer is her direct connection with God.

“Prayer is how I include Him in my experience of this world that is ever pushing away from its Creator. I don't pray because He needs me to. I do it because He wants a relationship with me and wants space in my life to speak.”

While at UMHB, she says prayer has kept her joyful and motivated throughout her undergraduate years and now while she pursues a Master of Science in Occupa­tional Therapy.

“The depth of my prayer has directly correlated to my success in school, and I've continued to learn the value, power and peace that prayer brings.”

PRAYER IS EVERYTHING

Each Monday morning throughout the semester, as the campus stirs to life, staff, faculty and administrators quietly gather in the President’s Suite. There, in a circle of shared purpose and faith, a different voice leads a time of prayer and reflection. These moments of devotion breathe encouragement into the week ahead. It’s just one of the many ways administration continuously seeks guidance, expresses gratitude and strengthens the univer­sity’s spiritual connection with God.

“UMHB has always, from its beginning, been unapol­ogetically Christian,” said President Dr. Randy O’Rear. “The beauty of the Christian life is that we go directly to God with our requests and petitions. While God’s answer may not always be what we want or when we want it, God is faithful, and God always provides.”

In its 180 years in Christian higher education, prayer has helped cultivate a sense of unity and continues to re­mind everyone of their shared faith and purpose. Prayer also demonstrates humility in that when we pray, we are acknowledging that there is one greater than all of us, O’Rear added.

“One thing that has been heartwarming and humbling during my time as president has been the number of people who tell me they are praying for our university,” he said. “This happens almost every week. I believe God answers those prayers because I have seen it happen, and I believe that he will continue to do so for the next 180 years and beyond.”