Prestidge Endowment Music & Worship Scholarship

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Background

The Sam and Geneva Prestidge Endowment Fund was established by the Singing Men of Texas to honor Sam and Geneva Prestidge for the influence they both have had on church music within the Baptist denomination and the state of Texas.

Sam Prestidge served Texas Baptists as State Music Director from 1960-1994. He established the Singing Men of Texas in 1975 with six satellite groups, the Texas Baptist All-State Choir, All-State Band and All-State Strings. He established the Texas MusiConference in 1980 that averaged over 1,000 music leaders in attendance annually.

Geneva served as organist at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas for 30 years, and served as Handbell Director and Children’s Choir Coordinator. Geneva passed away in December of 2013.

Sam graduated from Baylor University and Geneva graduated from Hardin-Simmons University, both Texas Baptists institutions.

Sam passed away in August of 2022.

Past Recipients

  • 2024 – Hannah Hopkins (East Texas Baptist University) and Trenton West (University of Mary Hardin Baylor)
  • 2023 – William Booth (Baylor University)
  • 2022 – Matthew Cox (Baylor University)
  • 2021 – Philip Thomas (Baylor University) and Olivia Simmons (East Texas Baptist University)
  • 2020 – Sydney LePage (University of Mary Hardin Baylor)
  • 2019 – Parker Bowen (Baylor University)

Purpose

This fund is to be used to give financial assistance through the Prestidge Endowment Music & Worship Scholarship to a student preparing for full-time music and worship ministry at a Baptist university.

Guidelines

The scholarship will be presented annually in the amount of $2,500 to a full-time student (12 credit hours or more) who is preparing for full-time ministry in church music and worship. This scholarship may be used for tuition, room and board, books and fees. The applicant must be currently enrolled or will be enrolled in the next academic year at a Baptist university. First consideration will be given to applicants who will be attending a Texas Baptists University.

A recipient can receive the award more than once but must apply every year.

Applicants must be a member of a Texas Baptists Church. To determine if your church is a Texas Baptists cooperating church, check texasbaptists.org/churches.

Applications due by February 15 prior to school year applied for.

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Scholarship Review Committee

Applications will be reviewed by the Music & Worship Council of the Center for Church Health who serve a term of three years. This Scholarship Review Committee will submit their recommendation for the recipient to the Music & Worship Office for the awarding of the scholarship. The recipient should be notified by March 31, 2025 by a member of the Scholarship Review Committee.

Scholarship Financial Administration

The scholarship will be disbursed directly to the school’s financial aid office in August 2025.

The Fund will be administered through the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation and the Baptist Foundation of Texas.
 

For more information contact musicworship[at]texasbaptists.org.

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