Inaugural Ministry Awards Presented At Baylor Commencement
Baylor University's Office of Church Relations presented its first W. Winfred Moore Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Ministry during the university's commencement ceremony Saturday, May 13, in the Ferrell Center in Waco.
Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. presented the inaugural award to Moore, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Amarillo and respected denominational leader on both state and national levels. Moore then honored this year's recipients, the Rev. E. Dwaine Greene, pastor of Birdville Baptist Church in Fort Worth, and the Rev. Wilbert H. Long, interim coordinator of church extension and consultant for Mission Service Corps for the San Antonio Baptist Association and former longtime pastor of San Antonio's Northeast Baptist Church.
"Baptists have no greater role model for ministry and denominational leadership than Winfred Moore," said Sloan. "It is most appropriate as we inaugurate this new recognition program that its first honoree is the man for whom the award is named."
A native of Humbolt, Tenn., Moore received his education at Lambeth College, Union University and George Peabody College, and holds an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Wayland Baptist University, as well as an honorary doctor of laws degree from Baylor. In addition to his 30-year pastorate in Amarillo, Moore also served Baptist congregations in Olive Branch, Miss.; Tupelo, Miss.; Borger, Texas; and Birmingham, Ala. A prominent denominational leader, Moore is a former president and executive committee member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and also served as first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He became a trustee of Baylor and later a regent from 1981 to 1990, chairing the board from 1986 to 1990. In 1990, he was made a regent emeritus. Also in 1990, following his retirement from FBC Amarillo, Moore joined the Baylor faculty and in 1997 was named the first director of the Center for Ministry Effectiveness. In addition, he is The W. Winfred and Elizabeth Moore Visiting Distinguished Professor in Ministry Guidance in the department of religion and teaches a course for ministry students during each fall and spring semester. Moore and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children, Elizabeth Anne Preston of Amarillo, Winfred Moore II of Chicago, and Maria Patterson of Midland.
Nominations for the award were received from directors of missions across the state. Nominees, who do not have to be Baylor graduates, must have been in vocational ministry for at least 30 years and are currently serving in a church or denominational ministry.
"The W. Winfred Moore Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Ministry will be given to three individuals annually who have given themselves in faithful ministry," said Howard Williams, director of church relations at Baylor. "Recipients may be prominent Baptist ministers or they may be someone who has quietly and faithfully served in some small corner of God's kingdom."
Greene is a 1957 Baylor graduate and also holds a divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the ministry for 43 years, he has pastored Birdville Baptist Church since 1965 and congregations in Goldthwaite, Franklin and Flat. Greene has served as a trustee at Hardin-Simmons University, a director of the Baylor Alumni Association, Birdville I.S.D. school board member and former chairman, and chairman of the BGCT Church Loan Board for two years. He has written articles for The Baptist Standard and authored the booklet What Is Salvation for Children? Greene and his wife, Eleanor, have three sons, David, Brian and Brad, all of whom attended Baylor. He was nominated for the award by Tom Law of the Tarrant Baptist Association.
A graduate of West Texas State University with a bachelor of science degree, Long earned his Th.M. and M.A. in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the ministry for 48 years, he has worked with the San Antonio Baptist Association since 1994, currently as interim coordinator of church extension and consultant to Mission Service Corps. Prior to that position, he was pastor for 30 years at San Antonio's Northeast Baptist Church and also served churches in Groesbeck, Dallas, Denton and Canyon. Long and his wife, Patricia, have three children, Mark, Leigh Ann Whisler and Laura Roach, and 10 grandchildren. He was nominated for the award by Dr. Lewis E. Lee of the San Antonio Baptist Association.
For more information, contact Williams in the Office of Church Relations at (254) 710-3522 or visit their web site at www.baylor.edu/~Church_Relations/ .