Baxter Institute had its beginning in Mexico in 1964. It was named for Leta Baxter, a sister in California who was very evangelistic in her outreach to teens and to women who came to Hollywood desiring to enter the entertainment industry and fell by the wayside. The dream for the biblical institute was to equip and train Latin American students who had completed high school. Entrance requirements would be high; students would be required to maintain high moral standards, and to earn good grades. In addition, students would spend weekends in evangelistic efforts, giving practical experience to ground the classroom theory.
With these aspirations in mind, property was located in Mexico City to begin this four-year institute. The West End Church of Christ in Nashville was among the first to become involved in this work; the Garden Oaks Church in Houston was close behind.
Harris Goodwin (1964-1995), who served as the founder and first president of Baxter, and Dan Coker provided important leadership during the early days in Mexico.
Problems developed with the Mexican government, labor unions, and the postal service making it hard to bring in students from other Latin American countries. Baxter then began looking for a location where the government was more cooperative. Finally, a property was found in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Baxter was moved to its present site in 1978.
In the 1980s Baxter students partnered with other Latin American missionaries and students from stateside Christian colleges. Together through Global Campaigns they evangelized in nine major cities throughout Latin America.
In the early ’90s, the institute was greatly enhanced with the construction of a men’s dorm and the administration building complex including classrooms, library, computer lab, and chapel. The construction of its cafeteria, amphitheater, and married student apartments followed. The Baxter Clinic was added with the purpose of serving and ministering to the impoverished of Tegucigalpa.
Then the CELO program, a correspondence course for leadership training and PEC, a three-year intensive Saturday class for preachers and church leaders, were begun and have educated thousands of church leaders all over Latin America and the United States.
In 1996, Calvin Henry (1996-2004) became the school’s second president. Calvin and Linda Henry accepted the awesome task of coordinating massive relief following the widespread devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Presidents Steve White (2004-2009), Howard Norton (2009-2012), and Steve Teel (2013-present) have moved the school forward in enrollment and numerous campus improvements. Recently, the Memorial Road Church of Christ has collaborated with Baxter to enroll Cuban students; graduating its first Cubans in 2012.
Baxter Institute has celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the churches of Christ in Latin America have expanded in that time period. Baxter graduates have established many of those congregations, started two-year preacher schools, staffed Christian orphanages, spearheaded radio broadcasting, and initiated numerous publications.