Baptist Heritage Award

The Florida Baptist Historical Society, for the past 28 years, has recognized an individual for their effective preservation and promotion of Florida Baptist history. The Society’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that their selection as the recipient of the 2024 Baptist Heritage Award is Brenda "Penny" (Mrs. Rob) Baumgardner, of Graceville, Florida.

The Baptist Heritage Award seeks to recognize and honor those Florida Baptists who have exhibited rare and unusual dedication to the cause of Florida Southern Baptist history by having made a significant impact through such means as researching and writing Baptist history, teaching Baptist history, preserving Baptist history, and/or promoting the importance of Florida Southern Baptist history.
Brenda “Penny” (Mrs. Rob) Baumgardner has served as a part-time administrative ministry assistant for the Florida Baptist Historical Society from 2007 to the present. Baumgardner’s passion for Florida Baptist history has led her to endeavor to improve the quality of the Florida Baptist Historical Society’s holdings by digitizing many of the Society’s resources. Additionally, as a result of her research, Mrs. Baumgardner has added new and enhanced history information to existing Florida Baptist church histories. Through her research efforts, she developed new and additional biographical information on Florida Baptist pastors and laypersons. As a writer, she used sound academic research to produce five articles for the Journal of Florida Baptist Heritage, as well as a monograph on Florida Baptist State Convention presidents. Additionally, Mrs. Baumgardner has researched and written narratives for three Society newsletters that included: a profile of Albert A. Murphree, a Baptist layman who served two Florida universities and as president 1922-1923 of the Florida Baptist State Convention; as essay on Florida cities named by Florida Baptist pastors; and a profile on laymen who served as Florida Baptist State Convention presidents. She regularly responds to research requests received from individuals and churches seeking historical information on Florida churches and pastors. This time-consuming and detailed research involved the review of published documents as well as specialty on-line history resources. Much of her research for churches is foundational to the development of a church’s permanent historical record. Before coming to the Florida Baptist Historical Society, her professional career included working as a public service assistant for the Baptist College (now University) of Florida library. She previously worked as a floral designer for over 10 years, a retail clothing store manager, and as a manager and buyer for an antique business. In 1980 she attended Pasco Hernando Community College and received a certificate in Floral Design. Later she attended the Baptist Bible Institute (now Baptist University of Florida), Graceville, Florida, where she studied teaching and psychology. Mrs. Baumgardner, born in 1961, having made a profession of faith in Christ at age 10, has faithfully served in a variety of volunteer positions in various local Baptist churches. Those service positions have included: a Sunday School and Discipleship Training teacher of various age groups over the years; Acteens leader; Awana secretary; as well as having worked on several church committees. She now attends New Teamon Baptist Church, Slocomb, Alabama. She is married to Robert G. Baumgardner and has two sons.