Religious Life

This Year's Steel-Hendrix Award Recipients

 The recipient of the Mary and Ira A. Brumley Award for Religious Education is Mauzel Beal.

Mauzel Beal has been an Arkansas United Methodist archivist for more than 20 years, president of Church Women United, president of North Arkansas Conference Ministers’ Wives and District Wives organizations, and a volunteer, leader, and member of many other committees and organizations.

This year, Beal is the recipient of the Mary and Ida Brumley Award for Religious Education, which honors those who have provided distinguished service in the field of religious education. The award celebrates the legacy of Mary and Ida Brumley, long-time Christian education leaders in the North Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church.


The recipient of the Ethel K. Millar Award for Religion and Social Awareness is Reverend Ed Matthews.

Rev. Matthews retired as the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock in 1998 and has since been an interim pastor at First UMC in Jacksonville, Horseshoe Bend, and Mountain View. In addition to his numerous volunteer activities and church leadership, he has consulted with Methodist Children’s Home and Family Health and the Methodist Foundation of Arkansas. 

Rev. Matthews is the recipient of this year’s Ethel K. Millar Award for Religion and Social Awareness. The award recognizes persons whose lives have been distinguished by a passion for social justice and a commitment to the general welfare of all people.  The award is given in memory of Ethel K. Millar, a long-time Hendrix College librarian whose passion for peace, commitment to a variety of social organizations, and work as a role model inspired Hendrix students to devote their lives to the pursuit of the highest ideals of peace and justice.


The recipient of the Youth Minister of the Year Award is Zach Schrick.

Zach Schrick is the director of youth and young adult ministries at First UMC in Magnolia, Ark. and serves on the Arkansas Conference for the UMC. The Youth Minister of the Year Award he will receive this year was created in 2003 to honor individuals who have been outstanding in their service to young people through the youth ministry of the United Methodist Church in Arkansas.