Seven people have served as coordinator of the Tennessee
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in its 20 year history—Lloyd Householder, Bill
Junker, Monty Jordan, Lila Boyd, Don Dixon, Terry Maples, and myself. Three of
these friends have gone on to be with the Lord during the past year—Lloyd,
Bill, and Monty. Last night at the 20th anniversary meeting of the
Tennessee CBF General Assembly, I had the opportunity to lead the congregation in
a time of remembrance for these three leaders.
I was privileged to know all of these men and call them
friends before they became part of the CBF movement. I first met Bill Junker when I was a college
student. We later became colleagues in
collegiate ministries, and he asked me to write my first published work for The
Student magazine. Lloyd Householder, an
innovative and creative communicator for Baptist causes, was also a committed
denominational statesman who tackled big projects like Mission 70, a young
adult conference that pulled together the resources of many agencies. Monty Jordan
served as pastor and leader in Tennessee Baptist life. I always looked forward to seeing him and
Diane at Executive Board meetings at Brentwood.
Each brought their unique gifts to a cause they loved—the
work of free and faithful Baptists.
Their examples and commitment have been an encouragement to all of us
who have followed them. As I think about
the future of Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship specifically and CBF
generally, I wonder what advice they would give as we begin our third
decade? I don’t know what they would
say, but humor me as I speculate a bit.
I think that Bill Junker would tell us, “Remember ‘the
least of these’ as you plan your ministry.”
Bill never sought a fight, but he did not shrink from one. He would want us to be prophetic and bold. He loved people and responded to their need.
Lloyd Householder would pat us on the shoulder and tell
us, “Don’t be afraid to try something new.”
Lloyd displayed a quiet and confident willingness to step out in faith
and embrace ideas that would move the church forward. He was not afraid of the new or untried.
Monty Jordan would remind us, “Caring community is
important.” To the best of my knowledge,
Monty was the only one of these three men who spent most of his life in the
pastorate. He cared for people, walked
alongside them during times of need, and brought that same compassion to the
work of Tennessee Baptists. He would
remind us to care for one another.
As I think back, I realize that all of these men shared
these characteristics: quiet confidence, strong integrity, and caring
spirit. They enriched my life and the
CBF movement. We would do well to
remember and embody the strengths they brought to CBF.
“Thank you, God, for these faithful servants who stood
tall for Baptists. Thank you for the
encouragement and support they gave to me and others who have accepted the
baton from them. We thank you for your
lives, their gifts, and their impact on us.
And we thank you for the wives and families who stood alongside
them. Lloyd, Bill, and Monty are worthy
to hear these words from you: ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Amen.”
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