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ETBU and YWAM Tyler partner to prepare Christian servant leaders

November 9, 2017

East Texas Baptist University signed articulation agreements with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Tyler to ensure the acceptance of up to 18 hours of course credit from six of YWAM's programs, including the schools of Discipleship Training, Evangelism, Strategic Missions, the Bible, Worship, and Teacher of the Nations, to be applied to any appropriate bachelor's degrees. ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn and YWAM Tyler President Leland Paris met on Thursday, November 9 to officially enter into the agreement. 
"Today marks a milestone for ETBU in forging a new partnership with Youth With A Mission Tyler. We praise God for the Christian training of His servants through YWAM for the advancement of God's Kingdom. With this agreement, YWAM students will be able to translate their training into college-level learning toward a bachelor's degree at ETBU. We celebrate the vision of President Paris and the YWAM leadership to partner with ETBU in our shared mission to train Christian servant leaders." 
YWAM Tyler has three local campuses and has planted over 60 bases in various parts of the world. It is one of the key international training and sending centers for YWAM, currently supporting more than 2,000 missionaries, equipping over 220 ministry centers, and actively reaching out to 105 countries. The main headquarters of YWAM Tyler, housed at Twin Oaks Ranch, was founded in 1980 by Leland and Fran Paris.
"On behalf of Youth With A Mission, an international missions training and sending organization, we want to express our appreciation to East Texas Baptist University for the privilege of cooperating together and for extending themselves to us in the giving of credits for the training programs offered through YWAM Tyler," Dr. Paris said. "We are deeply grateful to Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Sanders for the opportunity this partnership creates in the training of many young people from around the world."
Given the commonality in the missions of ETBU and YWAM Tyler to integrate Christ-centered faith with learning in order to produce servant leaders, the institutions agree to jointly develop Course Equivalency Guides to assure students that courses listed are freely transferrable from YWAM Tyler to East Texas Baptist. In addition, the application fee will be waived for qualified YWAM Tyler students. 
"YWAM is synonymous with Christian global impact both for students and for those who are influenced by its ministry," ETBU Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Sanders said. "ETBU is proud to partner with a pioneer, Dr. Leland Paris, in equipping leaders for Kingdom work."
East Texas Baptist will continue to further academic opportunities and foster spiritual growth for students through additional partnerships with organizations and institutions. While the University has recently partnered with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Kilgore College, Jacksonville College, and Trinity Valley Community College, ETBU will presently sign articulation agreements with Panola College, Navarro College, and Tyler Junior College.