Smoke Rise Baptist Church honored with Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award
TUCKER, Ga. — The Baptist History & Heritage Society presented Smoke Rise Baptist Church of Tucker, Georgia, with its 2026 Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award on May 19 during the Society’s luncheon and awards ceremony at its 2026 joint annual conference.
Named in honor of Carolyn Blevins, a longtime history professor at Carson-Newman College, the award is presented to an individual or organization that has provided commendable and exemplary service to the Baptist History & Heritage Society. It is an expression of the Society’s appreciation for contributions that strengthen its ministry and service.
Smoke Rise Baptist Church was recognized for its generous hospitality and support of the Society’s annual conference. The church hosted the BHHS annual gathering in 2018 and served as host for the 2026 conference, a joint meeting of BHHS, the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals.
Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Chris George, and with the coordination and support of Associate Pastor Bart McNiel (pictured), Facilities Manager Antowyn Smith, and the Smoke Rise staff and volunteers, the church provided the space, welcome and behind-the-scenes care that made the gathering possible.
In honoring Smoke Rise Baptist Church, BHHS recognized a form of service to Baptist history that is deeply congregational and embodied. Smoke Rise’s support reflects an incarnational kind of Baptist heritage—expressed through hospitality, mission-mindedness, congregational life and a continued willingness to claim and practice Baptist identity.
The Society presented the award in grateful recognition and appreciation for Smoke Rise’s hospitality and support, advancing the work of helping Baptists discover, conserve, assess and share their history.
“The Carolyn Blevins Award gives us a way to say publicly what our Society has experienced firsthand: Smoke Rise Baptist Church has been a genuine partner in our work,” said BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver. “Their welcome has gone beyond providing a meeting place. Smoke Rise has embodied the kind of congregational spirit that sustains Baptist history—opening space for learning, conversation, fellowship and shared reflection on the Baptist story. We are grateful to honor a church whose service to BHHS reflects both generosity and a living commitment to Baptist identity.”
View photos from the 2026 Conference here.
Founded in 1938, the Baptist History & Heritage Society is a nonprofit organization with members worldwide, including Baptist scholars, clergy, laity, students and congregations. BHHS helps Baptists discover, conserve, assess and share their history, bridging the worlds of the academy and the congregation through publications, conferences, resources and seminars. To learn more about the Society, become a member or support its work, visit www.thebhhs.org.