Baylor University Department of Religion honored with Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award
The Baptist History & Heritage Society is pleased to honor the Baylor University Department of Religion with its 2025 Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award.
The Baylor Department of Religion was recognized with the 2025 Blevins Award on May 20 during the BHHS annual conference in Waco, Texas.
Named in honor of Carolyn Blevins, a prominent history professor at Carson-Newman College whose 30-year career there left a lasting legacy, this award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has provided commendable and exemplary service to the Baptist History & Heritage Society. It is a meaningful expression of the Society’s sincere appreciation for contributions that advance its mission and ministry.
The Baylor University Department of Religion has maintained a longstanding and supportive relationship with the Society, providing consistent organizational support, including financial contributions as well as sponsorship of the Baptist History & Heritage journal. Since 2019, Dr. Joe Coker has served as Executive Editor of the journal, further deepening this partnership.
Baylor Religion faculty have offered valuable leadership over the years in roles such as festschrift editor, book review editor, board members and officers. The Department has also actively encouraged its graduate students to engage with the Society—through conference attendance, paper presentations, and submissions to the Baptist History & Heritage journal.
Several current and retired Baylor Religion faculty have been honored with the Society’s W. O. Carver Distinguished Service Award for their outstanding contributions to Baptist history, including Doug Weaver, Bill Pitts, and Rosalie Beck. The Department of Religion has also helped organize and host the Society’s annual conference in 2016 and this year’s joint conference with the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals.
“The Baptist History & Heritage Society is grateful for the continued partnership of the Baylor University Department of Religion and its longstanding support of the Baptist History & Heritage journal,” said BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver. “As a former graduate student in the Department, I fondly recall the encouragement and support that Baylor Religion faculty gave to young scholars to become involved with the Society. We deeply appreciate this enduring commitment to our mission of helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess, and share their history.”
Dr. Jerry Faught (left), member of BHHS Board of Directors and professor at Wayland Baptist University joined BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver (second from left) to present the 2025 Blevins Meritorious Service Award to the Baylor Department of Religion faculty.
Pictured from left to right: Faught, Dr. Joe Coker, Weaver, Dr. Doug Weaver, Dr. Mandy McMichael, Dr. Elizabeth Flowers.
Learn more about the Baptist History & Heritage Society and how you can become a member or church partner of our 87-year-old organization committed to “helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess, and share their history.”