Obituary: William “Bill” Horan
William “Bill” Horan of Mesquite, a former employee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annuity Board and GuideStone, died Aug. 27. He was 71. He was born Dec. 20, 1952, in Greenville to William A. Horan Jr. and Mary Crabb Horan. He enjoyed being in the high school band and singing in church choirs. He was involved in the Baptist Student Union at East Texas State University as the leader of the prayer committee, where he met Deborah Miller. They married in 1980, sharing 44 years of marriage together. He was involved many years in the Bible Memory Association, now Scripture Memory Fellowship. He enjoyed working as a programmer and database administrator at the SBC Annuity Board and GuideStone. He served many years in church ministry, serving as a choir member and deacon, and teaching a variety of age groups. He is survived by his wife Deborah; by his sisters, Mary Sue Horan and Barbara Horan; and by extended family. Memorial gifts in his honor can be made to Texans on Mission or Scripture Memory Fellowship.
Frances Ann “Fran” Wilson, former seminary administrator, died Sept. 4. She was 79. She was born Aug. 25, 1945, in Laurel, Miss., to Franklin Maurice and Bertie Maurice Dawkins. She graduated from Monahans High School in 1963 and married John Ed Wilson Aug. 21, 1965. She served 21 years as an administrator to the dean at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and 13 years at B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, now B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary. She served in the deacon ministry at Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth, where she and John Ed joined in 1981. She also served on the hospitality team at Stevenson Oaks, a senior living community in Fort Worth. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, John Ed; son, Todd and spouse Shelley; son, Tyson; grandchildren: Ben, Ethan, Leeah, Donovon, Naia and Sapphire; brother, Enoch Dawkins and spouse Frances; sister, Lu Price and spouse Levi; long-time best friend, Beverly Bristow; and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m., with a reception at the church prior to the service from 9:15 to 9:50 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Gambrell Street Baptist Church, 1616 W. Gambrell St., Fort Worth, TX 76115.
Rebekah (Becky) Louise Latham, missionary supporter and devoted wife to a longtime pastor, died Aug. 30 in Houston. She was 94. She was born Jan. 19, 1930, in McKinney to Elger and Virgie Parr. She grew up in Galveston and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Galveston. She graduated from Ball High School and from Howard Payne University in Brownwood. She served alongside her husband, who was pastor at Sharpstown Baptist Church in Houston for 22 years, before moving to Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis. After retirement, they moved back to Texas and served with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board to fill in for missionaries in Japan, Hong Kong and Alaska who needed to come home for short-term relief. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lee Latham Jr., and daughter, Susan Randel. She is survived by son Tim Latham and his wife Debbie; son Mark Latham; daughter Beth Runnels and her husband Brian; and daughter Liane Latham Bofenkamp and her husband Hugh; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Floyd Allen Craig of Franklin, Tenn., who influenced and encouraged an entire generation of Baptist communicators, died Aug. 30 in Nashville. He was 91. Born in Oklahoma City on Feb. 25, 1933 to Bonnie and Floyd M. Craig as the oldest son of a Baptist preacher, Craig was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. OBU recognized him with its Outstanding Alumni Award in 1981. He served two churches as pastor during his student years in college and seminary, and he worked as assistant director of public relations at Southwestern Seminary following his graduation. As a marketing and public relations professional, Craig’s experience ranged from creating and implementing fundraising campaigns to the design, development and conducting of statewide communications programs for state, regional and national denominational and nonprofit organizations. Anyone who met Craig invariably was told at some point: “You are significant. God made you that way.” And because he said it, the person who received that word of encouragement believed it. Craig was director of communications for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma from 1962 to 1967. From 1967 to 1979, he was public relations and communications director of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Christian Life Commission. During James B. Hunt Jr.’s two terms as governor of North Carolina, he was deputy director of the Governor’s Office for Citizen Affairs and ombudsman. He was president of Craig Communications Inc., founded in 1981 with his wife Anne. Together with Anne and veteran journalist Dan Martin, he was instrumental in the founding of Associated Baptist Press, predecessor organization to Baptist News Global, in 1990. He wrote 10 books on communications, marketing and crisis management. He was preceded in death by his brother Gene Craig of Garland. He is survived by his wife of 68 and a half years Anne of Franklin; sister Doris Floyd and husband Roy of Oklahoma City; sister-in-law Linda Craig of Garland; son Paul and wife Dorothy of Nashville; daughter Suzanne and husband Alan of Nashville; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Jo Alice “Jody” Darden, a former employee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Radio & Television Commission, died Aug. 23. She was 95. “Jody” Darden was born in Rotan on Jan. 6, 1929, to George Edward Darden and Nora Iness Connelly Darden. She graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Not long after college, she and her lifelong friend Mabel Jo Wells served as civilian employees with the U.S. Army Air Corps, during which time they lived in London, England, for a year. Upon return to the United States, she began working for the Western Company, first in Midland and later in Fort Worth. Once she was hired by the SBC Radio & Television Commission, she served as an executive in the office of vice president of production. She later worked for Fort Worth oilman and philanthropist Howard Walsh as a director in his philanthropic endeavors. After retiring, she started a financial services business, assisting elderly individuals with their bills and financial concerns. She was a longtime member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth. Later, when she and Mabel moved to North Richland Hills, they eventually became faithful members of North Fort Worth Baptist Church. She served on the pulpit committee and the personnel committee, and she often took on other leadership roles. The heart and soul of her service to North Fort Worth Baptist Church was the children’s ministry, where she and Mabel served in the nursery for as long as she was physically able. She also served on the board of the Christian Education Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. She was preceded in death by her sisters Alline Northrop and Lilian Pearston, brother Cecil Darden, niece Joyce Huffman, great-niece Jill Elaine Huffman Nettles, and her exceptional lifelong friend, Mabel Wells. She is survived by her three nieces, Mary Northrop Risely, Cheryl Darden Carlson and Janice Darden Jameson; and by four nephews, Alton Northrop, Bill Northrop, Daniel Northrop and Richard James Pearston. A memorial service is scheduled at 2 p.m. on Sept. 7 at North Fort Worth Baptist Church.
Glenn Lanier Ward, longtime Texas Baptist pastor and director of missions, died Aug. 31. He was 78. He was the first child born to J.P. and Jamie Ward in Abilene on Nov. 16, 1945. He grew up in Anson, Vega and Snyder, graduating from Snyder High School in 1964. As a youth, he was baptized by Jimmie Nelson, who became a lifelong mentor, and surrendered to the ministry at Colonial Hill Baptist Church in Snyder. After graduating from high school, Glenn worked at Circle 6 Baptist Camp between Stanton and Lenorah, where he met Carolyn Springer of Lenorah, who also was working at the camp that summer. They married in 1966. He started at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene in 1964, graduating in 1971. While a student at HSU, his first pastorate was at Fort Griffin, and his second was at Cherry Heights Baptist Church in Clyde. Glenn and Carolyn adopted their first of three daughters, Donna, while in Clyde. Their second daughter, Mindy, was born soon after they moved from Clyde, and their third daughter, Dalese, was born two years later. He became pastor of Acton Baptist Church outside Granbury in 1974. Glenn served Acton Baptist 37 years before retiring in 2011 to become the director of missions for Paluxy Baptist Association in Granbury, where he served 11 years. In 2021, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and retired the following year due to the rigors of cancer treatment. Glenn was a fully committed pastor. He communicated the gospel every chance he had; preached numerous revivals; led Acton Baptist Church in the 1970s to start decades of mission work in Texas, Mexico, Minnesota and throughout New Mexico; started the “Triple L”—Live Long and Like It—senior adult ministry in the 1970s; and along with other pastors formed the Granbury Ministerial Alliance in the 1980s. He also served on the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board; the Aten Ministries board, an international music evangelism and marriage enrichment ministry; and the board of Juventud con Visión-La Misión in Juarez. While pastor of Acton Baptist, he also led the church in planting three other churches in the Granbury area—Waples, Eastridge and, as a joint effort with other churches, Lakeside. After retiring from vocational ministry, Glenn and Carolyn moved to the Plano area and joined First Baptist Church of Plano, where he served on the missions committee. He also assisted his son-in-law, Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black, with the Standard’s pastor prayer ministry. Glenn was known for his love of people, warm smile and welcome, kindness, encouragement and eternal optimism, Jesus, the Bible and missions. He also was known for his love of Westerns—books and movies—and Texas history, Bob Wills, Mexican food, and the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn; daughter, Donna of Richardson; daughter, Mindy Ward and husband Rick Logsdon of Sunnyvale, Calif.; daughter, Dalese and husband Eric of Plano; grandson, Allen of Dallas; granddaughter, Caroline of Plano; sister, Donna Headstream of Bradshaw; brother, Benny and wife Kathy of San Angelo; brother, Ron and wife Sybi of Austin; sister, Victoria and Jim Allen of Granbury; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21 at First Baptist Church in Plano. The service will be livestreamed on First Baptist Plano’s 
Dorothy Louise Welch, longtime educator and faithful church member, died Aug. 14. She was 93. She was born Sept. 10, 1930, and grew up in East Dallas as the youngest of five children. As a child she attended First Baptist Church of Urbandale on her own and was baptized at age 11 in a white linen dress made by her mother. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1948, she attended North Texas State University and earned an undergraduate degree in education, graduating in three years by taking classes each summer. Early in her teaching career, she began working on a master’s degree in school administration but soon decided this was not her calling and switched to her real passion—elementary education. “If the Lord gave me a talent, it was to see potential in children and to love them,” she said. She taught primary school, predominantly second grade, for 40 years in Dallas. She loved teaching, and near the end of her career, she was honored as a lifetime member of the P.T.A. She met her husband John at the Tower Theater in downtown Dallas, and they were married in 1954. They joined Wilshire Baptist Church in 1960, where they taught the 5-year-old Sunday school class for many years. She also served on the church’s preschool and history committees and on the search committee that recommended Pastor George Mason. Her husband John worked 48 years at the Baptist Standard, including 30 years as business manager. After he retired, they participated as volunteers in Church Builders. Dorothy Welch enjoyed quilting and doing handiwork. She won blue ribbons at the State Fair of Texas for her Christmas stockings, tablecloths and beading. Her quilts won awards from the Dallas Quilters Guild, and she was delighted to make one-of-a-kind items for friends and family. She enjoyed an active retirement and attended the same exercise class for many years, which she considered the secret to her longevity. She was a 30-year member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, sang in Wilshire’s New Song Choir and was active in Wilshire Adventurers. She was preceded in death by her husband John in 2001. She is survived by their son, Tom Welch of Palm Springs, Calif.; son David Welch and his wife Annamaria Di Bartolo Welch of Irving; and granddaughters Alessia and Elisa. Memorial contributions may be made to Wilshire Baptist Church—Missions, 4316 Abrams Rd, Dallas, TX 75214.
While on Texas Baptists’ staff, he was instrumental in the early development of Bible study curriculum published by BaptistWay Press, now known as GC2 Press.
Joseph Francis “Joe” Keith, longtime Texas Baptist church musician and denominational worker, died Aug. 3 in Conroe. He was 83. He was born Feb. 1, 1941, to Paul and Winnie Keith in Longview. After graduating from McAllen High School, he attended the University of Corpus Christi, where he met his future wife Lynn. They married in 1962. He graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he earned his Master of Church Music degree in 1974. He served Baptist churches throughout Texas most of his life, beginning with playing the piano and organ for church services in Marfa as a young teen. In the 1960s, he spent summers leading youth revivals around Texas. While a student at the University of Corpus Christi, he led the music at First Baptist Church in Rockport. He later served churches in Kerens, Portland, Alvin, Houston and Huntsville in the areas of music, youth, education and administration. In 1987, he began working with the Church Information Services division of the Baptist Sunday School Board. Later, he transitioned to helping churches with their literature needs until he retired in 2007 after 20 years at what became Lifeway Christian Resources. He also served several churches around the Fort Worth and Houston areas as an interim music minister during these years. He sang with the Singing Men of Southeast Texas more than 30 years, played handbells with the RingForth handbell choir at The Woodlands First Baptist Church and was a member of the Southern Baptist Religious Education Association. He was preceded in death by his brother, Paul Keith Jr., and sister, Yvonne Pitts. He is survived by his wife Lynn; daughter Kathy Taylor and her husband Paul; son Alan Keith and his wife Linda; daughter Kay Campbell and her husband Jason; seven grandchildren: and three great-grandchildren. Memorial gifts may be made to 
Nina Flo Roe of Cleburne, supportive wife to a pastor and associational director of missions, died Aug. 4. She was 91. She was born March 3, 1933, and grew up attending South Fort Worth Baptist Church. She graduated from Pascal High School and attended Texas Wesleyan University. She married Bill Roe in June of 1952, and he was drafted soon after. In 1955, their first child, Susan, was born and her husband was called to the gospel ministry. After he completed his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and their second child, Dwight, was born, Nina became a full-time pastor’s wife. Their third child, Melissa, was born in 1962. For more than 50 years, the Roes’ lives intertwined with different churches and people. Nina stood by her husband’s side throughout his ministry as a pastor of churches in North Texas and North Central Texas, during his time working for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and during his service as an associational director of missions. She is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Bill Roe; daughter, Susan Lauderback; and son, Dwight Roe. She is survived by daughter Melissa Powell and her husband; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her honor to Field Street Baptist Church, 201 N. Field St. Cleburne, TX 76033.
Dennis Brooks Linam, who served more than three decades in various administrative roles at Dallas Baptist University, died Aug. 3 in Arlington. He was 83. He was born on July 12, 1941, in Waco to Raymond and Evelyn Brooks Linam and grew up attending Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco, where his father was a deacon and his mother taught Sunday school. During his senior year at Waco High School, he met a newly arrived sophomore student, Gail Green. He immediately was smitten when she bought a football spirit ribbon from him. He invited her to sit with him on the bus ride from Waco to Temple for a football game when she was 15 and he was 17. They never dated anyone else and were married on Aug. 15, 1964. He attended Baylor University and graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in architecture. He worked as an urban planner with the City of Waco. In that role, he was instrumental in the development of Indian Spring Park and amphitheater, designed the Freedom Fountain at the Waco Convention Center, and helped coordinate the Waco Bicentennial Celebration at Baylor Stadium. He also hosted President Gerald Ford when he visited Waco’s historic Suspension Bridge. During this time, Gail served as the minister of childhood education at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, where Dennis taught the young adult Sunday School class. He was ordained as a deacon in 1971. He resigned his position at the City of Waco to support his father in managing a large cattle ranch. In 1988, Gary Cook invited the Linams to join him at Dallas Baptist University, where he had just been named president. Despite the university’s financial peril, Cook shared his conviction that daily fervent prayer by the university family and friends would lead to a transformed institution. For more than 30 years, Linam played a significant role in the life of DBU, serving as a friend, mentor, administrator and leader to many. He supported various campus infrastructure projects, utilizing his experience as an architect and city planner. He also served as the university’s liaison to alumni of Decatur Baptist College, which later became Dallas Baptist University. In 1990, he was named vice president for external affairs. In this role, he offered ongoing support, encouragement and friendship to pastors across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 1992, he became director of the John G. Mahler Student Center, coordinating and hosting countless events over many years. Dennis also worked with the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas in their efforts to encourage Texas State legislators to support the Texas Equalization Grant. Every year, he took outstanding DBU students to Austin to meet with state representatives and senators to highlight the value of this important program. In recognition of his tireless efforts, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas presented him with the President’s Award in 2004. He was named a DBU Honorary Alumnus, a Decatur Baptist College Honorary Alumnus, DBU Staff Member of the Year, and DBU awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He served as a deacon and in a variety of other leadership roles at First Baptist Church in Arlington. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Gail Linam; his daughters, Angela Linam and Diane Linam; his son, Brooks Linam; beloved grandson, Spencer Brooks Linam; his mother, Sherri Linam; and his brother, Ronald Linam and wife, Lin Hai. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Dennis Linam Endowed Scholarship Fund at Dallas Baptist University, 3000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, TX 75211.
Carmel Credille (C.C.) Risenhoover, Baptist pastor, accomplished author and professional communicator, died Aug. 2 in Temple. He was 88. He was born June 18, 1936, in Broken Bow, Okla., to Viola and Credille Risenhoover and grew up in Jasper. During high school, he excelled in academics, football and baseball. He later went on to pitch for the Jasper Steers, an otherwise all-Black barnstorming professional baseball team in 1954. He wrote the novel White Heat based on that experience, and he sold the movie option for a motion picture called Outside the Lines. He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree from Baylor University, and he later served as Baylor’s public relations director. He served as an airman in the U.S. Air Force and received the Meritorious Service Medal awarded by the Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States for selfless and classified service during conflict and war, which resulted in sacrifice and injury. His professional background included working as an investigative reporter and serving as editorial consultant for the nation’s largest electronic warfare systems developer. He was the first baseball coach at what was then called Houston Baptist College. He served as a professor at Sam Houston State University, Eastfield College, Southern Methodist University, Henderson State University and Chemeketa College. He also was press representative for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, assistant to the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Radio and Television Commission and executive director of Lifeline World Mission. His pastorates included First Baptist Church in Kirbyville; Elwood Baptist Church in Forest Hill, La.; Old Spanish Trail Baptist Church in Houston; Gateway Baptist Church in Granbury; and The Church on Thistle Ridge in Granbury. He wrote the script for the Promise Keepers film titled The Awesome Power of Shared Belief and was ghostwriter of the book Once Upon a Texas Train, which was made into a CBS-TV movie. He was the author of more than 40 books and wrote more than 1,000 articles and stories published in 50 magazines. He was recommended for the Pulitzer Prize and Ernie Pyle Award, Black History Month Friendship Award for work on racial reconciliation and the Arkansas Governor’s Award. He was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. He is survived by his wife of 30 years and partner in ministry, Georgia Risenhoover of Temple; son, Paul Risenhoover of Granbury; daughter, Elizabeth Buchanan and husband Bob of Dallas; son, Tim Risenhoover and wife Karen of Florida; daughter, Robyn Risenhoover of Fort Worth; daughter, Bran Brogdon of Virginia; son, Jeff Knight of Fort Worth; son, Justin Knight of Temple; 11 grandchildren; and three sisters, Roberta Lynch of Nederland, Mary DeRorre of Jasper and Emma Jones of Andrews.