Office of Cooperative Program Ministry announces 2024 B.E.S.T. award recipients

In October, Texas Baptists’ Office of Cooperative Program Ministry announced the winners of its 2024 Baptist Educators Serving Texans (B.E.S.T.) Award. 

The award celebrates Baptist educators who are living out their faith daily among their students and the Texas Baptists institutions that taught them. Eight award recipients were selected from among the universities that affiliate or relate to Texas Baptists.

The recipients are Jason Fletcher, a graduate of Baylor University and high school science teacher in Midway ISD; Bailey Jordan Wofford, a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and middle school teacher in Mansfield ISD; Nay Chevalier, a graduate of Houston Christian University and teacher, leader & dean of Students in Houston ISD; Sharon Davis, a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and retired former principal liaison at ESC Region 12, executive director for Elementary Schools and assistant superintendent in Killeen ISD; Amy Moss, a graduate of Wayland Baptist University and choral director in Frenship ISD; Jennifer Jordan, a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and high school social studies teacher and department chair in Abilene ISD; Brandi Parrish, a graduate of Howard Payne University and high school English teacher in Kilgore ISD; Liliana Virginia Player, a graduate of the Baptist University of the Américas and high school geometry teacher in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

The award process was coordinated by Cooperative Program Director Clay Jacobson and the Office of Cooperative Program Ministry. 

“The B.E.S.T. Educators Award is a recognition of the outstanding achievements that an educator has accomplished in their field to the degree that their Texas Baptists alma mater recognizes their work. Publicly accessible education was born from the Protestant conviction to work for our community's and society's common good from a Christian worldview. The collaboration of Texas Baptists' churches and our universities serve Texas and beyond towards this goal,” said Clay Jacobson, director of the Cooperative Program at Texas Baptists.

The annual award is presented to select Texas Baptists institution graduates who currently serve in faculty or administration roles in the Texas Public School System and are members of a church supportive of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT). Each university affiliated or related to Texas Baptists has the opportunity to select one graduate.

It is estimated that graduates from Texas Baptists universities represent 6-8% of the more than 357,000 public school educators in Texas. The 2025 Missions and Ministries Budget, which was passed by messengers to the 2024 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting Nov. 10-12 in Waco, reflects an investment of more than $6.4M in base support, student scholarships and ministerial financial aid directed to Texas Baptists educational institutions. 

Texas Baptists Cooperative Program celebrates these graduates who share Christ daily in their classrooms and schools through the love and support they show their students. 

The B.E.S.T. Award was introduced in 2020 to honor these educators.

You can learn more about the award at txb.org/best.