Baker University will celebrate 158 years of faith, tradition and community during its Founders Day celebration at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11.

The celebration will take place at Baldwin First Methodist Church, where the Bishop of the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, Scott Jones, will give the keynote address titled “A Faithful Legacy.” The event will take the place of chapel for the week.

“I really enjoy chapel on a weekly basis and to have a real distinguished speaker come in and give a message will be amazing to see,” sophomore Alec Fox said. “And free food is always good!”

“A Faithful Legacy” represents the relationship that Baker and the United Methodist Church have shared throughout the past 158 years.

“It is an exciting thing for Baker with the amount of time it has been around and the successes it has had,” sophomore Thomas York said.

York appreciates how active Baker is in the community on and off campus, and especially in its connection with the United Methodist Church.

This will be University Minister Kevin Hopkins’ first experience with Baker’s Founders Day. He is happy to get the opportunity to “give God thanks (for) the founders of the university and the United Methodist Church.”

Looking back at the history of Baker University, Hopkins is impressed that the university was created in the midst of war back in 1858. Hopkins believes that the university was a real “beacon of light for an area torn apart by war,” and it still stands as a beacon of light for education.

Baker University Concert Choir is scheduled to perform during the event. Following the Founders Day celebration, a free lunch featuring a chocolate fountain will be served in the Susanne Teel Dining Hall. All students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members are welcome to attend.