Shannon Lambert - BGCT Alumni Spotlight
As a 2006 Master of Divinity graduate of Baylor’s Truett Seminary, Shannon Lambert’s ministry has been focused primarily upon college students. From her early days serving at Temple College to her current role as Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) director at the University of Houston, her journey has been shaped by a commitment to sharing the gospel and equipping the next generation of Christian leaders. In this Q&A, she reflects on her path to college ministry, how Truett prepared her for a life of service, and the joys and challenges of reaching students on today’s college campuses.
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I have been married to my incredible husband, Paul, for five years (we met in Sunday School, like good Baptists!). We have three amazing, lively foster children, ages 5, 8, and 10, whom we hope to adopt.
My call to ministry was a process, and I often tell people that a conservative Baptist pastor surrendered me to ministry when I was a college freshman. I thought I was going forward so the church could vote to approve a Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) scholarship available to ministerial students, including those pursuing Christian counseling. When I went forward, however, the pastor told the church I was surrendering to the ministry. No one was more shocked than I was! The affirmation and support I received from my home church, First Baptist Church of El Campo, that day continue to sustain and encourage me.
After completing my undergraduate degree at Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University), I went to Truett Seminary, where I graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2006.
Fun fact: Because I finished classes over the summer in June, I somehow ended up in two graduation photos on the Truett wall.
2. Tell us about your journey from Truett Seminary to serving as a BSM director.
When I was coming to Truett, Dr. Shawn Shannon, who was the BSM director at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at that time, knew I was exploring a call to work with college students, so she informed me of a position at Temple College in Temple to be a part-time BSM director. I served there two and a half years while at Truett. When I was preparing to graduate from Truett, I assumed I would continue serving with Texas BSM, where I had been working during seminary. Judy Battles, who was the coordinator for pastoral ministries at Truett at the time, stopped me in the hall one day and told me she had sent my résumé to two churches. I barely gave it a second thought because I was so certain of my plans. But one of those churches called, and in what I can only describe as an act of the Lord, I was called to serve as the college minister at University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the next six years.
When I sensed the Lord releasing me to a new adventure, I sent my résumé to Judy for a second time. She then passed it along to a BSM in a small West Texas town I had never even heard of, Levelland. After the initial interviews, I flew out to the Panhandle. The area was in the middle of a five-year drought, but on the night I arrived, it was raining! They practically offered me the job at the airport. Levelland became a place of grace and joy, where I was able to live out my calling as a college minister in new and meaningful ways.
After four years, a friend and mentor learned about an opening at University of Houston (UH) and encouraged me to apply. She believed I was ready for the next step in leadership. I wasn't so sure, but here I am, a little more than 10 years later, still serving at UH and grateful for the journey that brought me here.
3. Tell us about serving with BSM and who you serve?
Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) serves students on more than 130 college campuses across Texas. The University of Houston has been my ministry home for the past decade. Each day, I have the privilege of leading a staff of seven amazing ministers who serve approximately 49,000 students at the UH Main and Sugar Land campuses, as well as the 34,000 students at the University of Houston-Downtown and San Jacinto College.
We equip and train student leaders to share Jesus with their peers through outreach, missions, and discipleship. The University of Houston is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, giving us the incredible opportunity to share the gospel with the world by sharing it right here on campus.
My favorite part of being part of the Texas BSM family is the fun we have together while doing the hard and holy work of reaching college campuses for Jesus.
4. How did your time at Truett Seminary prepare you for working in an organization that is an extension of the local church?
While at Truett, I learned how to engage the Scripture thoughtfully and others gracefully as we are on this journey of faith together. I was challenged academically in the classroom, which has helped me better understand and relate to college students as they think through every aspect of their lives. I was also ministered to by my professors, whose examples taught me how to extend that same grace, kindness, compassion, and encouragement to students I serve.
5. What advice would you give to current Truett students or alumni considering serving in ministry with college students?
Make sure God has called you! College students are at such a fun and challenging group. They are thinking about their future, exploring their faith, and searching for answers to their big and small questions in life.
College ministry is constantly evolving as students and their needs change, but the mission of sharing Jesus remains the same. If you like variety this is the ministry for you! Being a BSM director is like being the pastor, HR director, head of finance, and a missionary all at once. The college students and staff make it the best ministry.