Barnabas File

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 20 th 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...

Pictured above (L to R): TCBF Coordinators Ircel Harrison, Jr., September 1998-2008;  C. William Junker, January - April 1996; Lila Anderson Boyd, January 1997-August 1998; and Lloyd T. Householder, Jr. November 1994-1995.  Lloyd T. Householder, Jr., passed away on January 30.   Lloyd was one of those people who made the old Southern Baptist Convention work.  He was a true “denominational statesman.”   In his service with the Baptist Sunday School Board, Lloyd found creative ways to tell stories and bring people together.  He invested much of his life in telling the good things that Baptists could do when they worked cooperatively.  His creativity and innovative spirit is exemplified in his role as chair of Mission 70, the conference for young adults that challenged a generation (including myself) to accept their role in impacting the world with the message of Christ. Like many of us, Lloyd would not accept the changes that cam...