Tony Cleaver. Courtesy 

The Baptist Missionary Association Seminary of Jacksonville recently presented the Kellar Award to retired Army Chaplain Tony Cleaver, who has lived in Killeen for the past 35 years. The award is named in honor of Dr. Gerald Kellar, the seminary’s founding president, and recognizes a BMA Seminary alumnus for outstanding contributions in ministry typifying the legacy of Dr. Kellar. Cleaver is the 13th recipient of the award.

Cleaver is the seminary’s director of distance education. In this role he directs the online programs of the school and is a professor of Biblical Literature.

During his career, he completed multiple Army assignments and deployments serving the spiritual needs of soldiers around the world. His assignments included pastoring military congregations in Europe, Asia, and both coasts of North America. He has the distinction of being the first Army Chaplain endorsed by the Baptist Missionary Association of America.

After the Army, he served as a teacher and counselor in Killeen ISD and Florence ISD. He also was director of Skills Center Counseling at Central Texas College. His other contributions to education include being the chairman of the Jacksonville College Religion Department and the executive director of resource development for Jacksonville College. He has served on the board for Region 12 Alternative Education.

Cleaver graduated from Baylor University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He received his theological degrees from the BMA Seminary and Luther Rice Seminary.