Newells Receive Brooks Hays Award

Ben & Leonora Newell, CBF’s Together for Hope missionaries to the Arkansas Delta, are the 2009 recipients of the Brooks Hays Memorial Christian Citizenship Award. The award, given by Second Baptist Church, downtown Little Rock since the early 1982, was presented to the Newells during the December 6 Sunday morning worship service.
Ben & Leonora Newell, CBF's Together for Hope missionaries to the Arkansas Delta, are the 2009 recipients of the Brooks Hays Memorial Christian Citizenship Award.
The Brooks Hays Memorial Christian Citizenship Award, given by Second Baptist Church in downtown Little Rock since 1982, was presented to the Ben and Leonora Newell during the December 6 Sunday morning worship service. Second's pastor Dr. Matt Cook and the church presented the award to the Newells for their innovative work in Helena and the Arkansas Delta as they have built relationships and led in community development over the past seven and one half years. Through the Newells' work, over $1 million has been donated to ministry projects and over 3,000 volunteers have worked in Helena and the surrounding area. In addition, the Newells have mentored twenty-five interns and developed six local residents as community leaders. The Newells have 3 children: Lucas, Nathaniel, and Gabriela.

The Brooks Hays Award preserves the legacy of one of Arkansas' most honored sons. Congressman Hays, a long-time member and Men's Bible Class teacher at Second Baptist, became an advisor to presidents and was himself president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a distinguished lecturer, and a symbol of courageous leadership, racial justice, public service through government, and Christian statesmanship.

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