Former missionary receives ministers’ wives award

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INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Joy Cullen, a pastor’s wife, Sunday School teacher, adjunct professor and former International Mission Board missionary in Asia, was honored with the 2008 Willie Turner Dawson Award during the Ministers’ Wives’ Luncheon June 10 at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis.

She is the wife of Bob Cullen, pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church in Glenn Heights, Texas, where she teaches a Sunday School class for “senior saints” and sings in the choir. Cullen serves as director of the Naylor Children’s Center and is an adjunct professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cullens previously served in Asia with the International Mission Board for more than 36 years. She wrote many teacher commentaries and Bible study lessons in the Singhalese, Tamil and Thai languages. She taught at the Thailand and Malaysian Baptist seminaries and developed extensive curriculum for children, youth and adults. Her ministry also included teacher training, discipleship, parent and family life conferences and Christian education. The couple retired from IMB service in 2004.