Distinguished Educator Award Recipients Acknowledged During Thursday Business
In a brief break from elections and resolution discussions during the second day of business at the 2025 General Council, Paul R. Alexander presented outstanding achievement awards on behalf of the Alliance for AG Higher Education. The Trinity Bible College & Graduate School president also serves as the president for the Alliance, a collaborative which consists of more than 20 AG endorsed schools that are committed to offering “both a quality education and a vibrant spiritual environment,” according to their website.
Ten awards were presented in three categories: Outstanding Administrator Award, Outstanding Faculty Award, and Outstanding Student Award.
OUTSTANDING FACULTY AWARD RECIPIENTS
Michael Tenneson. As an Evangel faculty member for the past 38 years, Tenneson has brought academic rigor and spiritual leadership to his classroom and the campus. Holding his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri, as well as several other advanced degrees, he desires to see all of his students succeed. Tenneson is serving for the 10th year as the chairman of Evangel’s Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, and a member of the Smithsonian’s Broader Social Impacts Committee. He desires to help bridge the gap between faith and science, creating positive yet challenging environments in which students feel valued. Tenneson is also an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God.
Christine Sherretz. In her past 37 years of bringing academic excellence, strong spiritual mentorship, and professional educational instruction to Southeastern University students, Sherretz has become known as a professor who desires to equip students to impact the world for Christ. She has played a vital role in shaping SEU’s College of Education through her leadership and passion for ministry.
John Savell. The son of Nelson University’s former president, John Savell, Savell currently serves as the chairman for the Department of Behavioral Science and Community Service and is a member of the National Register of Health Care Providers. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has over 40 years of experience in the mental health field. Recently, Savell oversaw the reaccreditation process for the social work program and is helping obtain CACREP accreditation for Nelson University’s clinical mental health counseling graduate program.
Bellamin “Ben” Gomez. Serving as chair of Southeastern University Latina America and associate director of the Adolfo Carrion Hispanic Leadership Center, Gomez is committed to empowering students to impact the world. In addition, he serves as a professor of theology and Christian ministries within SEU’s Barnett College of Ministry and Theology. He also helped launch the first evangelical university in Argentina through SEU’s partnership with the Assemblies of God Superintendent of Argentina. During his time, Gomez has secured over $3.2 million in grant funding for the university’s healthy church and affordable and accessible educational programs. Gomez holds his M.Div from SEU and his J.D. from the Massachusetts School of Law.
Clancy P. Hayes. For the past three years, Hayes has served as the dean of the College of Bible and Church Ministries at Nelson University. While he also served as the department chair of Practical Theology, Hayes is best described as a professor who loves the classroom. Although he retired his role as dean at the end of the last school year, Hayes has served Nelson University for almost 20 years and will be returning fulltime to the classroom. He is best known for the way he encourages and empowers students. Hayes holds his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry, and has written hundreds of articles, books, and curriculums to help people on their spiritual journey.
OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRATOR AWARD RECIPIENTS
Sharon Choate. Joining the staff of Southeastern University in the summer of 2024, Choate serves as the administrative coordinator for the Barnett College of Ministry and Theology’s Office of the Dean. Before beginning her administrative role, Choate served for 10 years as a small groups pastor and pastoral counselor for women at her church. Since arriving at SEU, colleagues say that Choate has had a big impact. She is currently working to redesign courses that fuel SEU’s growth and has helped coordinate the launch of the dean’s new podcast for ministry and theology faculty.
Ernest Jeyaraj. Serving as an administrator in the IT department of Southeastern University, Jeyaraj assists with system configuration and customization, user management and support, data management, and other reporting and analytics duties on the campus. He has been with SEU for five years and in that time has helped implement and launch Salesforce, a customer relationship management system that has helped network SEU’s project and partner site onboarding process. Today, SEU has over 200 partner sites. Additionally, Jeyaraj has improved the school’s data integrity and developed systems that support SEU’s growth. Colleagues say that Jeyaraj has a strong sense of mission and is completely dedicated to his work.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Macy Kopp. A graduate student at Evangel University, Kopp is an exemplary student who carries a 4.0 GPA. She has received several awards during her time at Evangel, including the Presidential Award and the Champions of Character Award. Her dedication to scholarly excellence is recognized by her professors and other faculty at Evangel, as is her servant’s heart. Kopp has been involved with missions, both locally and globally, and has completed a recent internship with Convoy of Hope.
Lovina Botone. A first generation college student majoring in global education at Southeastern University, Botone is a compassionate leader with a passion for missions. With a goal to teach overseas, she has gone on several missions trips as both a volunteer and a leader. Her professors state that she makes a lasting impression on everyone she meets and strives for excellence in all that she does.
Ryleigh Smith. Anna “Ryleigh” Smith is currently pursuing her master’s degree from Southeastern University (SEU). Her upbringing in a pastor’s home only fueled her enthusiasm for ministry and missions. Her love for English led her to pursue an education degree, something she has used to teach students in Japan. During her time as an undergraduate student, Smith was involved in the Department of Spiritual Formation where she worked to help coordinate chapel events on campus and to mentor other female students on a bi-weekly basis. She is currently serving as a graduate assistant on campus.