THE TEXAS BAPTIST LAITY INSTIUTE honored three Texas Baptists Nov. 16 with awards. Linda Cross, Herbert Reynolds and Carolyn Shapard received the plaques at a luncheon of the institute's board of directors. Cross, a member of Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas, received the Pioneer Pilot Award for "blazing new trails between ignorance and knowledge." Reynolds, chancellor of Baylor University, received the Vision and Empowerment Award for "outstanding leadership and vision." Shapard, minister to adults at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, received the Ground Support Award for her recruiting and communication work for the institute. Shapard also accepted an award for Wilshire Baptist Church and its support of Laity Institute courses. The institute also honored Mark Thames, pastor of Lower Greenville Community Church in Dallas, with a Pioneer Pilot Award. Ross Avenue Baptist Church also received a plaque for supporting Laity Institute courses.

Texas Tidbits
___ Truett dean search narrows. Selection of a new dean for Baylor University's Truett Seminary appears to be near. After five months of work, a dean search committee publicly named three finalists for the post last week. The finalists were to be on campus Nov. 27-Dec. 5 for interviews and forums with faculty and students. According to an e-mail sent toall Truett students from the administration, the finalists are Duane Garrett, a Baylor graduate who teaches Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass.; Howard Batson, a Baylor graduate and current Baylor regent who is pastor of First Baptist Church of Amarillo; and Stanley Porter, head of the theology department at the University of London-Roehampton in England. A new dean is expected to be named in time to begin work for the spring semester.
___ DBU honors Nye. Dallas Baptist University presented its Russell Perry Free Enterprise Award Nov. 27 to Erle Nye, chief executive officer of TXU Electric. Keynote speaker at the awards dinner was Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
___ Baylor plans Baptist studies. Baylor University has announced creation of a Baptist studies program to be administered through the religion department. The new program will be run in collaboration with Baylor's Truett Seminary and J.M. Dawson Institute for Church-State Studies. It will support master's- and doctoral-level work toward degrees in religion.
___ Fletcher named outstanding fund raiser. Jesse Fletcher, past president and now chancellor of Hardin-Simmons University, has been named Outstanding Volunteer Fund Raiser by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives in Abilene. He was among eight individuals and organizations honored Nov. 14 at an awards luncheon. He was cited not only for his leadership at Hardin-Simmons but for his civic-mindedness in community affairs and as "a driving force in Abilene for years."
___ Wayland honors five. Four former Wayland Baptist University students and a Plainview donor were honored Nov. 17 during homecoming chapel at the Texas Baptist school. Recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni awards were Joe Jesko, a social worker and counselor who was founder and former president of Jesko Associates in Arlington before his retirement; Orba Lee Malone, a retired attorney from El Paso; Kirk Scott, chief resident at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; and Curt Sharp, executive officer for denominational and public relations services with the SBC Annuity Board. Longtime Plainview resident Harry Igo received the Distinguished Benefactor Award.
___ Smith to Wayland financial post. Wayland Baptist University has hired James E. Smith of Jonesboro, Ark. as chief financial officer. He moves to Wayland after 19 years at Williams Baptist College in Jonesboro, where he served as vice president for business.
___ Pinson distinguished professor. Bill Pinson, executive director emeritus of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has been named distinguished university professor at Dallas Baptist University. In this part-time role, he will help develop the university's emphasis on integrating servant leadership into an emphasis on Christian faith and learning.



The Baptist Standard