Alabama Baptist Convention Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Education=== [[File:Samford University2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Bird's-eye view of the Samford University campus]] The Judson Female Institute was established by members of Siloam Baptist Church of [[Marion, Alabama|Marion]], opening on 7 January 1839. It was renamed [[Judson College (Alabama)|Judson College]] in 1903. The purpose was to provide a Christian education to female students. Judson College remained affiliated with the ABSC throughout its history until it closed. It permanently ceased its academic operations on July 31, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.judson.edu/content.asp?id=84415 |title = A Brief History of Judson College |publisher = Judson College |accessdate = 2010-08-25 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100906015259/http://www.judson.edu/content.asp?id=84415 |archivedate = 2010-09-06 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-05 |title=Judson College board of trustees vote to close 183-year-old institution {{!}} Judson College - Light and Truth |url=https://www.judson.edu/2021/08/judson-college-board-of-trustees-vote-to-close-183-year-old-institution/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Judson College |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrison |first=Greg |date=2021-05-22 |title='Nothing will ever be like Judson': women's college closing stuns those affected |url=https://www.al.com/life/2021/05/closing-of-judson-fifth-oldest-womens-college-stuns-students-parents-faculty.html |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=al |language=en}}</ref> [[Samford University]] was founded by the Alabama Baptists in 1841 as Howard College in Marion and moved to Birmingham in 1887. The college gained university status and changed its name in 1965. The college became a ministry of the convention and its trustees were elected by the convention for most of the university's history. Samford's formal connection to the ABSC ended in 2017, but the two bodies still work with each other in various ways.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bains |first=David R. |date=2021-10-30 |title=Samford, a "Southern Baptist Institution"? |url=https://chasingchurches.com/2021/10/30/samford-as-a-baptist-institution/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Chasing Churches |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-28 |title=Ala. Baptists spotlight CP, Samford relationship {{!}} Baptist Press |url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/ala-baptists-spotlight-cp-samford-relationship/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=www.baptistpress.com/ |language=en-US}}</ref> It is now Alabama's largest private university with an endowment of more than $327 million and an enrollment of 5,791 students as of Fall 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.samford.edu/history.aspx |title=SAMFORD UNIVERSITY |publisher=Samford University |accessdate=2010-08-25| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100825173015/http://www.samford.edu/history.aspx| archivedate= 25 August 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Samford University |date=2023-12-10 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Samford_University&oldid=1189282112 |work=Wikipedia |access-date=2023-12-11 |language=en}}</ref> The Alabama Baptist State Convention agreed in 1959 to build and operate a college in Mobile if the community provided sufficient funds, which was achieved. Mobile College was chartered in 1961 and became the [[University of Mobile]] in 1993. The university remains affiliated with the ABsC.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.umobile.edu/About/History.aspx |title = History of UMobile |publisher = University of Mobile |accessdate = 2010-08-25 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100717011323/http://www.umobile.edu/About/History.aspx |archivedate = 2010-07-17 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page