EuGene “Gene” Euell McLain of Plainview, Baptist deacon and former trustee of Wayland Baptist University, died Dec. 25, 2024. He was 89. He was born July 25, 1935, in Fox, Okla., to Woodie Albert and Blanche Shrader McLain. While growing up, his family moved between Oklahoma, Texas and California. He made his profession of faith in Jesus Christ during a tent revival in Bakersfield, Calif., and was baptized in a nearby irrigation canal. He graduated from Chillicothe (Texas) High School in 1956. He and classmate LaNeta Morris married April 19, 1957. After a brief time in Dalhart working at a Ford dealership, the couple moved to Plainview in 1962 to join LaNeta’s brother Ronald in the cottonseed delinting business. The McLains eventually owned Plainview Acid Delinting, where he was president of the business until they retired and closed the operation in 2007. They continued to warehouse the seed for farmers for another decade. The McLains were members of College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, where he was the most longstanding member of record and a deacon. For decades, he also was the church treasurer, served on numerous committees and taught Sunday school. He served four terms as a trustee of Wayland Baptist University from 1981 to 1989, including a term as secretary of the board. “Gene McLain was a man of exceptional faith, integrity and humility,” said Wayland President Donna Hedgepath. “He brought a quiet strength to the board of trustees and an abiding dedication to advancing Wayland’s mission of Christian higher education. His impact is woven into the fabric of this institution, and his legacy of service will continue to inspire us all.” He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, LaNeta Morris McLain; and brothers Caril Andrew, Larry Earl and Waylan Alvin McLain. He is survived by son Jeffery; son Kevin and his wife Lana; daughter LaGena Horak and her husband Paul; five granddaughters; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter. Memorial gifts may be made to the Gene and LaNeta McLain Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University. Contributions can be sent to 1900 W. 7th Street, CMB 1295, Plainview, TX 79072, or online at give.wbu.edu.

Mike Melcher of Plainview, former director of advancement at Wayland Baptist University, died Nov. 4 in Dallas. He was 72. Phillip Michael Melcher was born March 3, 1952, to Louie and Iris Cloninger Melcher in Slaton. After he graduated from Slaton High School, he attended Texas Tech University, where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in business administration. After working briefly in banking, he began his career in the car sales business. He was owner and operator of Melcher Chevrolet in Littlefield from 1983 to 1988. While working at Gary Ritter Autoplex in Brownfield, he met and married Debra Graham. His other business enterprises included owning the Glass Slipper, where he sold shoes; Cake Lady, where he could be seen baking; and the Hot Cracker, where he was often in the kitchen preparing the meals. He began working in the Wayland Baptist University advancement office in 2006. He became director of advancement in 2012, serving in that role until he retired in 2023. In 2018, the Lubbock Association of Fundraising awarded Mike as the Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the year. While at Wayland, he earned a Master of Business Management degree. He was instrumental in bringing the Jimmy Dean Museum and the Jimmy Dean Musical Festival to Plainview. He was awarded Wayland’s highest honor, the President’s Award, in April 2023. For seven years, Mike and Deb Melcher owned and operated the President’s House Bed and Breakfast in Plainview. He held office and volunteered with the Lions Club in Littlefield, Lubbock and Plainview, and he served as a member and director of the Great Plains Lions Eye Bank board. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Barrett Bohn, and a brother, Larry Melcher. He is survived by his wife Deb Melcher of Plainview; son Wes Melcher of Prosper; son Russell Melcher and his wife Elizabeth of Canyon; daughter Kaci Bohn and husband Lee of Canyon; six grandchildren; and brothers Ken Melcher and Joe Melcher. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in the chapel at First Baptist Church in Plainview. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Nov. 23 in the Harral Auditorium on the Wayland Baptist University campus. Memorial gifts can be made to the Mike Melcher Endowed Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University or the Wind and Rain Campaign at First Baptist Church of Plainview.

(RNS)—Tony Campolo, an American Baptist minister and sociologist who spent decades trying to convince evangelicals and other Christians that their faith should motivate them to address social ills like poverty and racism, has died. He was 89.

A native of Philadelphia, Campolo was known for his charismatic preaching and sense of humor, which made him a popular speaker at college campuses, churches and Christian conferences—and equally at home giving an altar call or social commentary.

“Putting religion and politics together is like mixing ice cream with horse manure,” he told the comedian and television host Stephen Colbert in 2006. “It doesn’t hurt the horse manure; it ruins the ice cream. And I think that this merger of church and state has done great harm to religion.”

The author of 35 books, Campolo held degrees from Eastern University, Palmer Theological Seminary and Temple University. He taught sociology first at the University of Pennsylvania and then for decades at Eastern Christian College, where he was named professor emeritus.

He also served as an associate pastor at Mount Carmel Baptist, a predominantly Black church in Philadelphia, and in 2019 was named a co-pastor of St. John’s Baptist.

Inspired young people to be world changers

Starting in the 1980s, with books such as It’s Friday but Sunday’s Comin’, A Reasonable Faith, Who Switched the Price Tags and The Kingdom of God Is a Party, Campolo showed a knack for reaching young people with the Christian gospel and then inspiring them to go out and work to change the world. In the process, he often challenged the religious right.

In 1985, he lost a speaking gig at Youth Congress, a national event in Washington, D.C., after critics complained his book A Reasonable Faith was heretical. A panel of evangelical theologians then “determined that Tony Campolo cannot rightly be called a heretic,” according to Christianity Today.

He eventually became a spiritual adviser to then-President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Campolo also founded a nonprofit called the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, which worked in several countries, including Haiti, from the early 1970s to 2014.

Ryan Burge, a former American Baptist pastor and an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, said Campolo carried forward the legacy of the social gospel.

“Tony Campolo was one of the most talented and sought-after preachers in the United States for several decades. He was able to speak to audiences from all corners of American Christianity—reminding them of the radical grace and forgiveness that is found in the gospel,” Burge said.

Passion for justice rooted in early family life

The child of Italian American immigrants, Campolo said his belief that Christianity could change lives in this world—as well as saving people’s souls—grew out of his childhood.

In a 2016 online interview, he told the story of how a Baptist mission changed the course of his family’s life.

“My father couldn’t find a job and they were totally impoverished, and a Baptist mission in South Philadelphia reached out to them, got my father a job, got them a place to stay, put their feet on solid ground and really saved them from despair and destitution,” he recalled.

“People often ask me: ‘Where did you get your social consciousness? Where did you get your commitment to the poor, before it was ever fashionable?’ My mother and father saw in the way they were treated by a group of Baptists that this is what Christianity is about. It’s not about getting a ticket to heaven, it’s about becoming an instrument of God to transform this world.”

In 2007, Campolo, along with author and activist Shane Claiborne, founded Red Letter Christians, a challenge to the conservative evangelical voting bloc. The name came from the practice of Bible publishers printing the words of Jesus in red ink and highlighted the social and ethical teachings of Jesus. In 2012, Campolo was given a lifetime award from the National Youth Workers Convention for his work inspiring young people.

“As a result of Tony’s life of ministry and leadership he has left a legacy of encouragement and hope to youth workers and students everywhere,” the award read, according to an official bio of Campolo.

Campolo suffered a stoke in 2020, which partially paralyzed his left side. He suffered a previous stroke in 2002.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has influenced evangelicalism more than Tony Campolo in the last 50 years,” Claiborne told RNS at the time.

Campolo is survived by his wife Peggy, son Bart and daughter Lisa.

Waylon Arlen White, a Howard Payne University alumnus, longtime coach and Baptist layman, died Oct. 25 in San Angelo. He was 89. He was born on Nov. 29, 1934, in Big Spring to William Jewel White and Elouise Pittman White. After he graduated from Forsan High School, he went on to earn his undergraduate degree at Howard Payne University, where he also played basketball. He later completed a master’s degree at Sul Ross State University. While at Howard Payne, Arlen met and married Dolores Mabry. White served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. His career as a teacher, coach and counselor spanned 1966 to 1994. He coached in Knott, Sands and Crane, accumulating 525 basketball wins and guiding two teams to the state tournament. At age 78, he returned to coaching basketball at Cornerstone Christian School in San Angelo. He coached his last game from a hospital bed via Facetime—and his team won. He was a disaster relief volunteer with Texas Baptist Men, now known as Texans on Mission. In 2009, he established the TBM West Central Texas specialty feeding team, serving as its on-site coordinator. His team ministered to many survivors of national disasters including every major hurricane until 2016, when his health began to decline. His influence extended through numerous community organizations, including the Howard Payne Alumni Association, Texas High School Coaches Association, Crane Noon Lions Club and the Baptist Retirement Community Auxiliary. He also served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Crane and later at First Baptist Church in San Angelo. He served as Crane County Judge for six years and was recognized as Crane’s Man of the Year in 1987. In 2007, Howard Payne University awarded him its Medal of Service. He was preceded in death by his brother, George Alvin White. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dolores; son Kurt White and his wife Kim; daughter Terrye Smith and her husband Rick; son Robert White and his wife Shelley; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, with two more on the way.

Bobby Don Van Dyke, a longtime Texas Baptist pastor, died Oct. 22 in Gatesville after a lengthy illness. He was 82. He was born Sept. 22, 1941, in Belton to Anderson Mart Van Dyke and Frances ElMyra Safley Van Dyke. He was pastor of Candlestick Baptist Church in Spring and Eagle Spring Baptist Church in McGregor. In addition to caring deeply for the congregations and communities he served, he also enjoyed taking care of his beloved horses. He is survived by his wife Carolyn Ruth (Warren) Van Dyke; his sons Jeffrey Mart Van Dyke of Spring Branch, Joe Allan Van Dyke of Blanco, Jeremy Don Van Dyke of Doss and Joshua Warren Van Dyke of Gatesville; eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; his brother Richard Mart Van Dyke; and his sisters, Gloria Sue Hall, Debra Elaine Bingham and Joyce Ann Baker.

David Linville Jester, former president of Wayland Baptist University, died at his home in Paris, Ky., on Oct. 14. He was 94. He was born March 5, 1930, in Tanganyika—now Tanzania—in East Africa to missionary parents William and Daisy Hicks Jester. He grew up on the southern shores of Lake Victoria. At age 6, he left Tanzania to attend Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. After high school in Louisville, Ky., he received a scholarship to Georgetown College in Kentucky, where he participated in intramural sports and was president of the student body. In 1951, he graduated and married Marie Jean Hans. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Divinity degrees at Southern Seminary in Louisville, followed by a Master of Arts and Doctor of Education at Teacher’s College of Columbia University. In 1957, David and Marie Jester were appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board to Iwo Baptist College in Iwo, Nigeria. He worked in graduate studies at University of Ibadan, was president of Niger Baptist College and founder of the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University. Upon returning to the states in 1970, Jester served as academic vice president of Campbellsville University. In 1975, he started the graduate program at Georgetown College. In 1981, he became the ninth president of Wayland Baptist College in Plainview. He led WBU from 1981 to 1987, a time in which the school transitioned from a college to a four-year university and established external campuses in San Antonio and El Paso, as well as New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. Donna Hedgepath, current president of Wayland Baptist University said of Jester, “His legacy of faith and dedication to higher education has left an indelible mark on the lives he touched.” After leaving Wayland in 1987, Jester continued his career in social and educational programs at Central Texas College and was instrumental in changing the status from an institute to a college known as Texas State Technical College. He also worked at South Texas College. In 1997, Jester became chancellor and president of Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, Ky., where he served until 2002 and was later named chancellor emeritus. Upon retirement, he remained active in Louisville at Hurstbourne Baptist Church as a Sunday school teacher and deacon, and he was president of two boards as well as president of Hillcrest Baptist Camp in Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Marie Hans Jester; daughters Lisa and husband Scott Brumley; daughter Daneta and husband David Sylvester; daughter Karina and husband John Deaver; three grandchildren; and three great-grandsons, along with extended family. Memorial gifts can be made to The Dr. David L. and Marie Hans Jester Endowed Social Work Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University at www.WBU.edu, Nigeria Faithful Works Charity at www.nigeriafaithful.org, or Rift Valley Academy Giving page at www.RVA.org.

Alton Elwood Breedlove, who pioneered the family aid programs at Buckner International, died Aug. 12 in Fort Worth. He was 90. He was born Aug. 19, 1933, to Loyd Otis and Maudie Ethel (Boyd) Breedlove. He grew up in Troup as part of the Walnut Grove community, near Whitehouse. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1955 as a member of Corps of Cadets. He married Peggy Ann Hall on July 26, 1957. They were married for almost 64 years and had three children. He served in a variety of roles during his career at what was then Buckner Baptist Benevolences, including working at Buckner Boys’ Ranch in Burnet and Buckner Children’s Home in Dallas. He was instrumental in developing and directing a Buckner family assistance program initially called the Mother’s Aid program. It later came to be known as Family Aid and then as the Client Assist program. His Christmas program each year provided thousands of toys, abundant food, clothing and much more to the families in his care. He once visited a former Buckner client in the hospital, showing up in clown suspenders to cheer her up. The ministry he pioneered laid the groundwork for Buckner’s current domestic humanitarian aid program. He and his wife Peggy volunteered in various church nurseries for 47 years. The Breedloves were longtime members of Eastridge Baptist Church in Red Oak. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy, and his sister, Juanita Ruth. He is survived by son Al Jr. and his wife, Patsy; son Marshall and his wife, Susann; daughter Ann and her husband, Lee; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Jann Aldredge-Clanton, chaplain and early advocate for women in ministry, died Sept. 20 in Dallas of ovarian cancer. She was 78. She was born May 3, 1946, in Abilene and grew up in Minden, La., where her father, Henry Truman Aldredge, was pastor of First Baptist Church and her mother, Eva, pushed the bounds of what it meant to be a preacher’s wife in the 1950s. After graduating from high school as valedictorian, she studied at Louisiana Tech University, where she met her future husband, David. After they married in 1968 and moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, she earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English literature from Texas Christian University and taught several years at Dallas Baptist University. Feeling called to the ministry, she began working toward a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She went on to become a chaplain—first at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco and then for 17 years at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. Until her retirement in 2009, she counseled and supported cancer patients, particularly women who were living with the same illness that ultimately took her life. She wrote extensively about feminist theology and composed hymns reflecting gender-inclusive language. She was the author of 11 books, six songbooks, a children’s musical and a children’s songbook. She was working on a collection of hymns with collaborator Larry Schultz the week before her death. She is survived by her husband David; son Chad; son Brett and his wife Beth Lousteau; grandsons Lyle, Emmett and Paul; and a sister, Anne Morton. A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m., Oct. 5 at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. Memorial gifts may be made to Equity for Women in the Church.

Vernon Dee Stokes of Midland, longtime public educator and trustee of Wayland Baptist University, died Sept. 14. He was 85. He was born Jan. 1, 1939, in Arch, N.M., to Scott Smith Stokes and Alma Rachel Copeland Stokes. He lived his early years in eastern New Mexico until his family relocated to Sundown, where his father worked in the oilfield. After graduating from Sundown High School, he went to college at Wayland Baptist College, where he graduated in 1959. At Wayland, he met Belva Ramsey, and they married Nov. 1, 1958. Stokes’ career in public education spanned 40 years. He was first a classroom teacher and coach, then a high school administrator.  He received his master’s degree in 1966 and his doctorate in education from Texas Tech in 1970.  He worked as a consultant at West Texas Education Center in Midland—later Region 18 Education Service Center—before becoming assistant superintendent for the Burleson Independent School District. In 1981, he became deputy director and later executive director of Region 18. When he retired from that role in 1996, he almost immediately was called to serve as interim superintendent of Ector County Independent School District. He finished his years in public education in 2001 as superintendent of schools at Ector County ISD. His commitment to higher education was lived out through his longtime support of Wayland Baptist University. He served on Wayland’s board of trustees for 19 years and chaired the board for three years. “Dr. Stokes was a beacon of leadership and a pillar of the Wayland family,” said Wayland President Donna Hedgepath. “His profound impact on education and his unwavering dedication to serving others embody the values we hold dear at Wayland. We are deeply grateful for his numerous contributions and his enduring legacy.” Wayland named Stokes as Distinguished Alum for Leadership in 1987, and he received the Keeper of the Flame Award in 2015. He was named Wayland’s Distinguished Alumni Benefactor in 2019, and he received the President’s Award in 2022 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024. Beginning when he was a teenager, Stokes led music and served in other staff positions at various churches. He taught Sunday school more than 60 years, and he was a deacon. He served the Baptist General Convention of Texas as a member of the Christian Education Coordinating Board. He was preceded in death by daughters Shelly Stokes Coll and Shauna Stokes Sanderson and by a great-granddaughter. He is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, Belva; son Shane Stokes and wife Kim; son Shannon Stokes and wife Kimberly; 15 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and four sisters. A memorial service is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 at First Baptist Church in Midland. Memorial gifts can be given to Ezekiel Department Benevolence Fund at First Baptist Church, InStep Ministry or the Stokes Endowed Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University.

John Theodore “Ted” Sanders, former trustee and distinguished alumnus of Wayland Baptist University, died Sept. 8 in Angel Fire, N.M. He was 82. He was born Sept. 19, 1941, in Littlefield to John “Jay” Duff Sanders and Phyllis Sanders and grew up in Friona. A basketball scholarship enabled him to attend Wayland, where he met Beverly McSwain at a hayride. They married during their senior year of college. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wayland, he went on to earn a master’s degree from Washington State University in Pullman and his doctorate from the University of Nevada at Reno. His career spanned several significant roles, including senior leadership positions in the New Mexico Department of Education, and as state education chief in Nevada, Illinois and Ohio. He also served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush and was president of the Southern Illinois University system. “Dr. Sanders was a visionary leader whose passion for education was matched only by his dedication to serving students and educators across the nation,” Wayland President Donna Hedgepath said. “His remarkable journey from a student athlete at Wayland to a national leader in education exemplifies the transformative impact of lifelong learning and service. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions to our university and his enduring legacy.” He is survived by his wife Beverly of Frisco; daughter Audrey Sanders Wright of Texarkana, Ark.; son John (Drew) Andrew Sanders and wife Angie of Overland Park, Kan.; daughter April Sanders Helm and husband Matthew of Deforest, Wisc.; son Anthony (Tony) Sanders of Elgin, Ill.; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brothers Thomas and David Sanders.