Baugh Foundation – Resilient Congregations

Through funding the Eula Mae & John Baugh Foundation, Dr. Gaynor Yancey, DSW, MSW, MRE, ACSW, Professor and Director of the Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University, led her team as they worked with selected congregations in three distinct areas: Accompaniment, Trauma Care, and LGBTQ+ Discernment. 

The C3I asserts congregations and communities can increase their sense of belonging, resiliency amidst trauma and loss, and awareness of strengths when they have an evidence-based curriculum and a confidential, peer-learning space to walk alongside them. The Baugh Foundation - Building Resilient Congregations research pilot project exists to engage in research and consultation in the three focus areas above to build healthy and resilient spiritual communities simultaneously. All BRC cohorts quickly filled during the Summer of 2023, and early results from the mid-year evaluation with participants in the 10-module course curriculum indicates positive impact. 

Assistant Director, Center for Church and Community Impact – C3I Mallory Homeyer Herridge, LMSW, MDiv adds, “When congregations engage one another and their communities with a posture of humble curiosity and couple that with evidence-based education, self-awareness and strengths-based thinking, they are able to remain resilient amidst hard conversations. They are equipped to dream beyond their four walls and see where God leads their heart to align with the dreams of their communities. We are thrilled for the opportunity to pilot this peer-learning cohort experience and curriculum but also to study the impact of this process alongside each congregation.”