The Baptist General Convention of Texas (Texas Baptists) in Dallas has announced a $28 million estate gift from William (Bill) and Janie Dukes.

The gift to the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation will establish the William P. and Janie B. Dukes Endowment Fund, which, among other ministerial causes, will support efforts to start new churches, scholarships to students pursuing ministry at the Baylor University business school, and assistance to senior adults in Texas Baptists retirement centers.

Bill and Janie Dukes, who passed away in 2015 and 2022, respectively, were lifelong Baptists. They first became involved in Baptist philanthropy in 1990, when they met Bill Arnold, president emeritus of the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation.

“They wanted to help all ages and all phases of Baptist life,” said Arnold. “They wanted to help children, students, ministers, lost people and everyone in between.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/ehrlif)