Ben and Berth Mieth to receive Distinguished Benefactor Award

PLAINVIEW, TX — Ben and Bertha Mieth, who are serving as chairs of Wayland Baptist University’s Thrive campaign and made the $2.5 million lead gift to support the School of Nursing, will be honored Friday, Feb. 9 with the Distinguished Benefactor Award.

The recognition will come during the Wayland Alumni Association’s annual Blue and Gold Banquet, which is part of the university’s 2024 Homecoming activities. The banquet is slated for 6 p.m. Feb. 9, at Trinity Sanctuary on the Plainview campus.

Servants of the Lord who trust God in every aspect of their lives, Mieths have been a part of the Wayland family since their daughter attended the university. Ben has served on the university’s Board of Trustees, and Bertha has been an active supporter of Wayland’s Sally Society. Together, they have contributed to numerous projects through the years in support of Christ-based education at the institution. The Ben and Bertha Mieth School of Nursing at Wayland’s San Antonio campus is named in their honor.

Before Ben served on the Board of Trustees, the couple supported Wayland’s Mission Center. They have provided other scholarships and established the Ben and Bertha Mieth Professorship in Global Missions. The couple’s understanding of the transformational power of Christian higher education has moved them to support to the university’s ventures with their prayers, presence, and generosity. Wayland’s Alumni Association celebrates their service because they have changed the lives of students and employees.

 

The service of the Mieths goes far beyond just Wayland. Called to in 1971 to lead a team from First Baptist Church of Seminole to Mexico, Ben saw about 1,500 people accept Jesus as their Savior. Other churches in Mexico asked for more teams. As Ben and Bertha recruited more church teams, they felt God’s call to establish International Commission, which for more than 50 years has developed relationships with churches to foster church-based evangelism around the world.

 

The Distinguished Benefactor Award is one of several which will be presented during the Blue and Gold Banquet on Feb. 9. Dr. Vernon Stokes, a 1959 graduate, and Patrick Aland, a 2009 graduate, will each be recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award. JR Dunn, a 2013 graduate, is scheduled to receive the Distinguished Young Alumni Award, while Freda Provence and Libby Cleveland will be honored with Distinguished Lifetime Service Awards.