CBU launches center to equip business leaders with biblical wisdom

RIVERSIDE, Calif., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- California Baptist University will launch the Center for Biblical Principles in Business this fall to equip and guide faith-driven business leaders. It will provide professionals, students and scholars with tools to integrate biblical wisdom into modern business practices.

The center will serve current and aspiring business professionals through a speaker series and practical resources that demonstrate how to apply biblical principles in the workplace. It will support faculty at CBU and elsewhere through curriculum resources, faculty symposiums and research with real-world application.

The Center for Biblical Principles in Business is being established through the Jack Hawkins Sr. Endowment. Gaye Hawkins donated $250,000 to create the endowment in honor of her late husband, providing long-term funding and stability for the center.

"It provides a legacy for what was important to Jack — his character and commitment to the work of business while reflecting biblical principles," Hawkins said.

Dr. Natalie Winter, professor of business administration, is director of the center. She said many businesspeople separate their professional lives from their faith, a gap the center aims to bridge.

Over her years of teaching, Winter has found that students who learn to apply biblical principles in business make better decisions.

"They're not only considering the pragmatic aspects of cost-benefit analysis, but they're considering things from an eternal, God-centered perspective," she said. "That affects how they treat people, steward finances and launch businesses in ways that matter both now and for eternity."

The center will strengthen the university's mission to equip business leaders.

"This support will make a lasting impact by strengthening CBU's ability to equip business leaders with biblical wisdom," said Kim Cunningham, senior director of development for University Advancement.

The center reflects the legacy of Jack Hawkins Sr. In the 1980s, Hawkins became friends with Dr. Robert K. Jabs, founding dean of the School of Business. When Jabs asked how the business department could help business owners, Hawkins told him evening classes would serve working professionals. Hawkins graduated in 1984 as part of the second cohort of evening classes.

Hawkins owned J.D. Diffenbaugh Construction and Inland Concrete Companies, served on CBU's Board of Trustees and received the 2013 Lancer Medal for Lifetime Achievement.

"He would be pleased if the center helped a business professional guide their practices with integrity," Gaye Hawkins said.

SOURCE California Baptist University