Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, BGCT Participate in ‘Passing of the Mantle’ Ceremony
Johanna Bridges, LHSON nursing student; Dr. David Hardage, Executive Director, Texas Baptists; Dr. Shelley Conroy, Dean and Professor, Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON); Michael LoSasso, LHSON nursing student and Kendal Glendinning, LHSON nursing student. (Photo courtesy of LHSON)
Media contact: Whitney Cortner, office: (214) 820-4176
DALLAS, Texas (Aug. 28, 2015) — The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) and the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT), also known as Texas Baptists, hosted a Passing of the Mantle building ceremony Wednesday at the BGCT, located at 333 North Washington Ave. in Dallas.
Attended by more than 100 people, this very special ceremony was symbolically adapted from 2 Kings 2:9, as the BGCT passed on the legacy and spiritual impact it has made in the community while housed in the east Dallas office building with prayers for its successor, LHSON.
The event included recognition of three past BGCT executive directors and the network of retired staff, as well as a BGCT staff testimony.
Shelley F. Conroy, Ed.D., dean and of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, shared brief remarks on their gratitude to the BGCT and vision for the future along with a testimony from a nursing school student. The event concluded with a song and prayer, followed by a reception.
“Texas Baptists have been blessed by this building for close to 30 years. God has used it to positively influence the spiritual lives of many people all over Texas and beyond,” said Dr. David Hardage, executive director of Texas Baptists. “Now, with the Louise Herrington School of Nursing making use of this facility we, Texas Baptists, are confident and excited that many lives will enjoy the positive physical benefits of extraordinary nursing care from a spiritual foundation. The future is bright for Texas Baptists and for Baylor nurses.”
“The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing will be blessed to carry on the legacy of faith and good works the Baptist General Convention of Texas has provided over the years in this beautiful facility,” Conroy said. “We are humbled and blessed by the Christian symbolism reflected in this facility such as the glass support system at each end of the atrium that forms a cross; the stone floor in the atrium that symbolizes the solid foundation of our faith; and the open skylight access to our Heavenly Father. Each time we look at them we will be reminded of our mission and calling. We want to be counted worthy to carry on the good work that the Lord has begun through the BGCT in this building.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING – Dallas, Texas
The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first Baccalaureate degrees were enrolled in 1950 and graduated in 1952, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. In 1999, the School was renamed the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, who made a $13 million endowment gift to the school. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing, LHSON offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees through a Traditional program and FastBacc (one year accelerated program). LHSON also offers a new online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Leadership and Innovation program, as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs to include, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Nurse-Midwife (CNM) and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP). LHSON is one of four health-related anchor academic units in the new Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor. For more information visit www.baylor.edu/nursing
ABOUT TEXAS BAPTISTS
Texas Baptists, or the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is affiliated with more than 5400 Baptist churches in Texas and partners with various institutions, including Baylor University. Since 1886, Texas Baptists has been actively involved in education and social ministries, as well as evangelism and missions, in Texas and across the world. For more information, visit texasbaptists.org.