History society recognizes former staffer with award - Word&Way

History society recognizes former staffer with award

ATLANTA (ABP) — The Baptist History and Heritage Society honored former associate executive director Pamela Durso with an award at the group's recent annual meeting in Georgetown, Ky.

Durso, who left the society after six years last June to become executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, is the 29th recipient of the W. O. Carver Service Award. The award, presented annually since 1982, recognizes individuals making outstanding contributions to the cause of Baptist history through writing, teaching, denominational service and other work to interpret and communicate Baptist history.

The society — formerly an auxiliary to the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention that became an independent Baptist history organization when the SBC eliminated the commission in a denominational restructuring in 1995 — also presented three other awards at the annual meeting held June 3-5 at Georgetown Baptist Church.

Bill Pitts, a religion professor a Baylor University, was awarded the Norman W. Cox Award for the year's best article published in the Baptist History & Heritage Journal.

Doug Weaver, religion professor and director of undergraduate studies in religion at Baylor, received the Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award for exemplary service to the society.

The Tennessee Baptist Historical Society received the Davis C. Woolley Award for outstanding achievement in assessing and preserving Baptist history.

Organized in 1938 in Richmond, Va., the society now has offices on Mercer University's Atlanta campus.

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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.