September 10, 2001

Heritage Awards honor Burgin,
Daniels, Greer and McBeth
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___DALLAS--Texas Baptists summoned the names of legends to honor five people who have preserved Baptist heritage in the Lone Star State.
___Tillie Burgin, Leroy and Ramona Daniel, Eugene Greer and Leon McBeth received the first Texas Baptist Heritage Awards Aug. 30.

PRESNALL WOOD (left) with the Daniels, Burgin, Greer and McBeth.

___The Baptist General Convention of Texas' Baptist Distinctives Committee and Texas Baptist Heritage Center created and bestowed the awards at a banquet in Dallas.
___They honor Texans who have promoted Baptist heritage, distinctives, polity and beliefs, explained Presnall Wood, chair of the Baptist Distinctives Committee and retired editor of the Baptist Standard, who presided at the banquet.
___ Burgin received the Mary Hill Davis Award. Davis served as president of Texas Woman's Missionary Union from 1906 to 1931, a record tenure. The award honors a person who personifies Baptist commitment to missions and ministry.
___Burgin is executive director of Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex. Started by First Baptist Church in Arlington, it offers apartment Bible studies, medical and dental service, child and adult day care, clothing, food, furniture, transportation, counseling and other ministries in more than 200 locations. The ministry reaches more than 3,700 people each week.
___Burgin has led the ministry since 1986. Previously, she was a missionary to South Korea and an educator in Arlington.
___ The Daniels accepted the Sam Houston Award. Houston was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, first president of the Republic of Texas, a U.S. senator and governor of Texas. Late in his life, he was a devoted Baptist layman and benefactor. The Houston Award honors laypeople who have contributed to Baptist life and to their communities through civic and business leadership.
___The Daniels are members of First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, where they have been community leaders. She is the daughter of E.S. James, pastor of First Baptist Church in Vernon and later editor of the Baptist Standard, and she was the pastor's secretary, bookkeeper and organist at First Baptist in Wichita Falls until she married in 1950.
___He has been a deacon of that church for 50 years and served the church in various capacities. He also has been chairman of the Baptist Standard board of directors and a member of the BGCT State Missions Commission. He is a business owner and served on the city council and as mayor pro-tem.
___ Greer claimed the J.B. Gambrell Award. After distinguished Baptist service in Mississippi and Georgia, Gambrell was editor of the Baptist Standard, professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, executive director of the BGCT and president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The award named in his honor recognizes someone who has contributed to the understanding and advancement of Baptist distinctives through denominational service.
___A Georgia native, Greer joined the BGCT staff in 1959. He retired as program planning director for the State Missions Commission in 1987 but continued as a Mission Service Corps volunteer so his salary could be committed to starting churches. He retired again in 1991 but continued to volunteer and still is coordinator of retiree ministries for the BGCT and director of research and projects for the Heritage Center.
___He is a member of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas.
___ McBeth received the George W. Truett Award. Truett served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas from 1897 until his death in 1944 and came to be known as one of the most influential pastors of the 20th century. He helped found Baylor University Medical Center and the SBC Annuity Board. He was president of the SBC and the Baptist World Alliance. The award recognizes a person who has contributed to Baptist distinctives, especially religious liberty.
___McBeth is a distinguished professor of church history at Southwestern Seminary, where he has taught since 1960. In addition to teaching, he has written prolifically, including "Texas Baptists: A Sesquicentennial History." He has been chairman of the SBC Historical Commission, BGCT Bicentennial Committee and Texas Baptist Historical Committee, president of the SBC Historical Society and a member of the BGCT Baptist Distinctives Committee.
___He is a member of University Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
___The Heritage Center also recognized Bill and Ruth Pitts, Bernie Spooner and Nelda Williams for recent contributions to Texas Baptist heritage, said Bill Pinson, director of the center and retired executive director of the BGCT.
___The Pittses established the James H. and Irene Landes Fund in honor of her parents. It helps endow activities of the Heritage Center and the Distinctives Committee. Landes was executive director of the BGCT.
___Spooner, retired director of Bible study and discipleship for the BGCT, helped establish a Bible study, "Beliefs--Important to Baptists."
___Williams, retired children's coordinator of Bible study and discipleship for the BGCT, helped prepare "Brief Basics for Texas Baptists."
___

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