Hey y’all! As a campus ministry, we get asked a lot what it means to be a “Baptist” group. Does that mean we only welcome Baptists? Do people need to convert to join Bible studies or worship nights? Great question.

The answer is—absolutely not! One of the core Baptist principles is “soul competency.” This means we believe every person has the freedom and ability to interpret spiritual matters for themselves without coercion. Faith is highly personal.

That’s why we welcome diversity at our gatherings and events. You don’t have to be Baptist or even Christian to belong here. I wanted to articulate 10 reasons we open our doors wide to students of all backgrounds:

1. We respect spiritual seeking and questioning. We’ve all been there!
2. Students need a judgment-free place to process doubts and explore what they believe.
3. Our role is to love and listen first and advise and correct second.
4. Exposing students to Scripture benefits even those unsure of what they believe.
5. We appreciate hearing perspectives from various religious traditions and cultural worldviews.
6. Students of all journeys have insights to share if we take the time to understand them.
7. We dialogue to discover truth together, not just dictate beliefs.
8. Jesus dined with all people, so we choose openness too.
9. Stereotypes dissolve when we engage students different from us.
10. Unity with fellow image-bearers matters more than demanding conformity on secondary issues.

Of course, we unapologetically hold an evangelical Christian worldview. But we aim to represent these beliefs with gentleness, empathy, and respect—the way Jesus did.

You may still have questions about Baptist doctrine or our denomination’s stances on key issues. Please ask away! We love transparent, candid dialogue. At the end of the day, we want this place to feel like home for every student finding their way.

So come check us out anytime. You are wanted here and will find an affirming community to do life with. Let’s learn from each other as we figure out how to best love God and love others well!