Texas Baptists to celebrate Baptist educators through new B.E.S.T. award

Texas Baptists has a long legacy of supporting Christian education. The Cooperative Program office has launched a new award to promote and celebrate the Baptist educators and institutions of Texas. 

The Baptist Educators Serving Texans (B.E.S.T.) Award is an annual award presented to a Texas Baptists institution graduate who is currently serving as a teacher or administrator in the Texas Public School System and a member of a church supportive of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT). The award will celebrate Christian educators who are living out their faith daily among their students. 

In addition to celebrating educators, the award also seeks to celebrate the value and contribution of Texas Baptists institutions. The nine Texas Baptists institutions whose graduates are eligible for this award are Baylor University, Baptist University of the Americas, Dallas Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Houston Baptist University, Howard Payne University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wayland University. 

“For over a century our Texas Baptist universities have been preparing educators for service in the mission field of our Texas public schools,” Chris Liebrum, director of the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program, said. “In addition to teaching our children the basics of English, history and math, these ‘public school missionaries’ are being the presence of Christ to many who may never walk through the doors of a church. We also celebrate the generosity of our churches whose Cooperative Program giving has helped support these institutions.”

Anyone can nominate a qualified candidate whom they believe is deserving of the award. The nomination deadline is June 1, 2020. Following a round of reviews and recommendations, the recipients will be announced at the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting on Nov. 16, 2020. 

For more information or to nominate an educator, visit txb.org/best.