Around the State: HPU plans Christmas celebration

Cutline: Kim Gilstrap (right) is the 2013 winner of the East Texas Baptist University Bennett Speech Contest. Second place in the contest went to Spencer Hill (left). The Howard C. Bennett Award is an annual public speaking contest for graduating seniors endowed by Susan Bennett Livingston in memory of her father. (PHOTO: ETBU Department of Communications Studies)

image_pdfimage_print

In the photo above, Kim Gilstrap (right) is the 2013 winner of the East Texas Baptist University Bennett Speech Contest. Second place in the contest went to Spencer Hill (left). The Howard C. Bennett Award is an annual public speaking contest for graduating seniors endowed by Susan Bennett Livingston in memory of her father. (PHOTO: ETBU Department of Communications Studies)

Howard Payne University’s symphonic band and concert choir will perform “A Christmas Celebration” Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the university’s Mims Auditorium. The event is free, but guests are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food donation.

Hardin-Simmons University will hold a come-and-go reception in hvirginia connally130Virginia Connallyonor of Virginia Connally’s 101st birthday Dec. 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the university’s Connally Missions Center. A glass-enclosed case containing many of her awards and honors for her work in medicine, the community and missions will be unveiled during the event.

Bertrain Bailey, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, was honored as Dallas Baptist University’s distinguished alumnus during the university’s homecoming activities. Maxine Day, a retired executive assistant to the DBU president, was presented the 2013 Honorary Alumna Award.

Kim Gilstrap, a senior from Republic, Mo., is the winner of East Texas Baptist University’s Bennett Speech Contest. She spoke on the importance of sharing a family mealtime and received $100 as winner. Spencer Hill, a senior from La Porte, was the second place speaker.

Carey Hendrickson, Phil Wedemeyer and John Thompson will begin serving as directors of the Baptist Foundation of Texas in January.


We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.

Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.

More from Baptist Standard