February 11, 2026 – Hendrix College will recognize three distinguished
recipients for their exemplary faith-based service at the 2026 Steel-Hendrix
Awards Banquet, set for Tuesday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. in Worsham Performance
Hall of the Student Life and Technology Center.
This year’s honorees are:
- Deborah
Bell of Theressa Hoover Memorial United Methodist Church in Little Rock will
receive the Ethel K. Millar Award for Religion and Social Awareness;
- John
P. Gill of Gill Ragon Owen, P.A. in Little Rock will be honored with the Mary
and Ira Brumley Award for Religious Education; and
- Damaris
Green of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Little Rock will be
recognized as the Hendrix College Youth Minister of the Year.
Banquet tickets are $25, available at www.hendrix.edu/steelhendrixbanquet/, with advance
purchase required by February 26. Family and friends of the honorees as well as
the public are invited to attend.
More information on the honorees:
Deborah Bell: Recipient of the Ethel K.
Millar Award for Religion and Social Awareness
Deborah Bell has devoted more than four
decades to faith-driven community transformation in Little Rock. A charter
member of both the Theressa Hoover Memorial United Methodist Church and Better
Community Development, Inc. (BCD), she now serves as senior pastor and executive
director, respectively, continuing a legacy of ministry that meets both
spiritual and practical needs.
Licensed as a Local Pastor in the
Arkansas Annual Conference in 2018, Bell’s ministry has long extended beyond
the pulpit. She has played influential roles in national United Methodist
initiatives including Black Methodists for Church Renewal, the Community
Developers Program of the General Board of Global Ministries,
and Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. A graduate of
Philander Smith College (now Philander Smith University) and member of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, she is a lifelong learner widely respected for her
commitment to justice, empowerment, and faith in action. Her work continues to
create pathways of hope for communities across Arkansas.
Above all, her strength is rooted in family. The daughter of the late Rev. Dr. William H.
and Sara Robinson, Bell carries forward a generational mantle of service
alongside her husband, Richard, her son Darryl Swinton, and her cherished
grandchildren.
John P. Gill: Recipient of the Mary and
Ira Brumley Award for Religious Education
John P. Gill, a Hendrix alum and lifelong
Arkansan, has spent decades advancing the connection between faith, education,
and service. After earning degrees in history and law from Vanderbilt
University, he built a distinguished legal career in Little Rock while also
teaching law and contributing to scholarship in Arkansas history and historic
preservation. His intellectual and spiritual interests have come together in
his research and lectures on “The Trial of Jesus,” reflecting his lifelong
engagement with the intersection of law, history, and theology.
Gill’s impact on religious education is
especially evident through his enduring support of Hendrix. He founded and
continues to champion the Hendrix College Workshop for Preaching Excellence,
which has brought clergy together for continuing education and spiritual
enrichment for decades. Alongside his wife, Marjem Jackson Gill, he also
endowed the John and Marjem Gill Lecture, strengthening Hendrix’s long-standing
commitment to faith and learning.
John and Marjem Gill are active members
of First United Methodist Church, Little Rock, where John was an organizer of
the CREDO Sunday School Class, served as a trustee, and held the roles of vice
chairman and chairman of the Administrative Board. His broad community
leadership, from church service to youth and civic organizations, reflects a
life devoted to nurturing both minds and spirits.
Damaris Green: Hendrix College Youth
Minister of the Year
Damaris Green serves as youth director at
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church where she leads with warmth, creativity,
and a deep love for Christ. Since answering her call to youth ministry in 2017,
she has served in roles ranging from worship leadership to Bible study teacher,
steadily building a ministry centered on meaningful relationships and authentic
spiritual growth. Her leadership creates welcoming spaces where young people
feel safe to ask questions, explore their faith, and discover their purpose.
Green is known for connecting scripture
to the everyday realities of the youth she serves. Through innovative teaching
and compassionate mentorship, she helps young people develop a personal
relationship with God and build the confidence to live out their faith boldly.
By meeting youth where they are and walking alongside them in their spiritual
journeys, she is shaping a generation grounded in
faith, resilience, and service.
About the Steel-Hendrix Awards
The Steel-Hendrix Awards were established
in 1984, to celebrate 100 years of Hendrix College’s official relationship with
the United Methodist Church. The awards were named in honor of Marshall T.
Steel, a prominent minister and former president of the College. For more
information about the Steel-Hendrix Awards Banquet, contact the Hendrix College
Chaplain at chaplain@hendrix.edu.
About
Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 45 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges
and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic
quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus
life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III
sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since
1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“…
Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to
diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community
inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and
joy.” –Hendrix College Statement of
Purpose