Monday, October 01, 2007

Belmont is Building, Again

I had not visited Belmont University's campus in a while. Saturday, at the invitation of my niece, I drove to the campus and, after several minutes of touring parking lots looking for a visitor's space landed a spot near the art building.

Belmont alumni who haven't made the pilgrimage to Belmont University for a few years need to drop by. There is more landscaping in what used to be the old West Amphitheater and there is chain link fence around a new dormitory construction site where the old greenhouse used to be. Bob the Builder is at it again...'good for Bob!

It still saddens me that a rift has grown between the people in our Tennessee Baptist Churches and the folks at Belmont. I contend that the people at Belmont (students, faculty & staff) have so much in common with the people sitting in our church pews every week that all are missing out on some great opportunities to fellowship and work together in ministry. Most of those Tennessee Baptists will never hear of the good things going on at Belmont. The campus is blossoming figuratively and literally.

The new Troutt Theater is open now...with a significant link to Tennessee Baptist history. The original chapel at Belmont Heights Baptist Church has been renovated to serve as the theater building for the campus. There had been drama in that building before when Tennessee Baptists met there as part of TBC meetings. Here is a bit of irony to the Baptist church/theater conversion...the opening production: Much Ado About Nothing. Hmmm. I could take issue with that from a Tennessee Baptist point of view if I didn't appreciate the humor.

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