WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. — Williams Baptist University marked a significant milestone Tuesday, Sept. 22, with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $7 million wellness center.

The J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Wellness Center will span 26,000 square feet and include two basketball courts, weight and fitness equipment, a student lounge, an electronic gaming area, and a screened-in porch. Ramsons Construction of Jonesboro is set to handle the project, according to a university announcement.

“We are thrilled to see construction commence on this facility,” WBU President Stan Norman said in the announcement. “The J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Wellness Center marks a major step forward for WBU, our students, and our entire campus community. This beautiful structure will provide enhanced opportunities for fitness and recreation, and it simply gives us a great place for friends to be together.”

The Mabee Foundation contributed a $4 million grant in 2023 to fund the project, with the remainder of the financing coming from other donors. Construction on the facility is now underway.

Tuesday's ceremony also included other notable developments from WBU’s board of trustees. During their regular meeting, trustees passed a resolution affirming prayer as a central element of university life. They also issued a statement emphasizing the institution’s commitment to prayer among students and staff.

“It is our desire for WBU to be known as the ‘Campus of the Bowed Head,’” Norman said, adding that the university has recently made prayer an operational focus and plans to expand these initiatives throughout the year.

The board also recognized four outgoing trustees whose terms concluded after the meeting: Clint Emfinger of Searcy, Shane Knight of Alexander, Heather Moore of Cabot, and Ben Rainwater of Little Rock. Trustees serve three-year terms, appointed by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

“We thank these trustees for their support, their counsel, and their friendship,” Norman said. “Their service to Williams through this Board of Trustees is sincerely appreciated.”

Williams Baptist University is a private Christian institution based in Walnut Ridge, affiliated with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.