Texas Tidbits

Grant enables BCFS to launch Family Ties program. The Goldsbury Foundation awarded Baptist Child & Family Services nearly $200,000 to launch a new Family Ties program to improve parenting and reduce child abuse among low-income families in the southernmost portion of Bexar County. Family Ties will serve clients through home visitation, parenting education, healthcare services, health and nutrition education, and bilingual case management. The program will connect families with community resources so they can receive healthcare and insurance, adult education and job training services where necessary. Children also will be assessed for developmental delays and family stress as part of the case management portion of the program. 

BGCT directors to be nominated. The committee to nominate Executive Board directors for the Baptist General Convention of Texas will meet Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Baptist Building in Dallas. Linda Mastin from First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi will preside over the meeting to begin filling vacancies.

Williford named interim at HSU. Hardin-Simmons University President Lanny Hall has named Don Williford interim academic officer at the university. Williford has served as associate provost and New Testament professor at Hardin-Simmons. He fills the office formerly held by Provost Bill Ellis, who has been elected president of Howard Payne University. Williford has been at Hardin-Simmons since 1992 when he accepted the position of assistant professor of church ministry and director of church relations. He became associate vice president for academic affairs in July 2002 and associate provost in 2006. Williford is a graduate of Howard Payne University who earned his master of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served more than a decade as pastor of First Baptist Church in Brownwood. Williford is married to Pam Williford, dean of the HSU Irvin School of Education. The Willifords have one daughter, Natalie.

Weathersbee named UMHB vice president. Byron Weathersbee has been named vice president for student life at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. As vice president, Weathersbee will lead the offices for spiritual life, residence life, campus activities, career services, campus recreation, the health center, counseling and testing, and student organizations. He has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses at Baylor University, where he served several years as the interim university chaplain and as sports chaplain. Weathersbee earned his undergraduate degree at Baylor University, his master’s degree in religious education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his doctoral degree in educational leadership at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Weathersbee and his wife, Carla, co-founded Legacy Family Ministries—focused on marriage preparation—in 1995.

Memorials committee seeks names.  Each year, the Baptist General Convention of Texas recognizes at its annual meeting the names of Texas Baptists who have died during the preceding year. The memorials committee is asking for help to identify individuals whose lives made a contribution to their churches and to Texas. Call (214) 828-5348 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

HSU, Baylor named among best in the West. The Princeton Review listed Baylor University and Hardin-Simmons University among the best colleges and universities in the West. The education services company selected the schools as two of 123 institutions it recommends in its “Best in the West” section on its website feature 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks students to rate their own schools on several issues—from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food—and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life.

Endowed scholarship at Wayland honors Hawkins family. More than 60 friends established an endowed scholarship at Wayland Baptist University to honor Gene and Louise Hawkins of Lubbock. Hawkins, interim pastor at South Park Baptist Church in Lubbock, served more than 25 years on the Wayland board of trustees. He was former director of missions for Lubbock Area Baptist Association and served as pastor of churches in Lubbock, Seminole, Lockney, Matador and Topeka, Kan.