News - 2026

During spring break, East Texas Baptist University’s Baptist Student Ministry sent a team of 28 students to participate in Beach Reach, a ministry outreach in South Padre Island. The ETBU students joined hundreds of fellow Christian college students to share the Gospel with those they encountered as they sought to meet their physical needs for food and transportation.

East Texas Baptist University presented the Good Samaritan Award to Marshall Economic Development (MED) and Executive Director Rush Harris during the Good Samaritan Award & Scholarship Dinner on Tuesday, February 24.

Community members, alumni, students, faculty, and friends of the University recognized MED, its Board of Directors, and Executive Director Rush Harris during the annual event designed to spotlight community leaders and celebrate scholarship support.

East Texas Baptist University recently concluded its annual Spiritual Renewal event, held on campus February 23–25. The three-day emphasis featured guest speaker Josiah Jones (’06) and centered on the theme, “No Filter: Getting Real about Faith, Hurt, and Hope.”

Throughout the week, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Rogers Spiritual Life Center for morning Chapel, with additional evening worship services on Monday and Tuesday.

ETBU's School of Christian Studies and Humanities hosted the second annual academic conference on Monday, February 23, sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta, Sigma Tau Delta and Theta Alpha Kappa. The idea for this conference was first conceived as an opportunity for students to gain experience presenting academic work in an environment that is encouraging and familiar. Although the conference is on a smaller scale, it is designed to introduce students to the structure and format they might encounter at a larger conference.

In November, East Texas Baptist University was awarded a $5,000 Shutdown Relief Grant from the Texas Hunger Offering, through the Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission, to support community members experiencing financial hardship. ETBU designated the full grant award to Mission Marshall, a local nonprofit ministry dedicated to addressing food insecurity and meeting essential needs in the Marshall community. Mission Marshall serves thousands of individuals each year through its food pantry, mobile outreach, and community assistance programs.