Obituary: Paul Wayne Stripling

Paul Wayne Stripling, who served more than six decades as a Texas Baptist pastor and associational director of missions, died March 4 in Mansfield. He was 86. He was born Jan. 21, 1936, in Herrin, Ill., to Ben and Lucille Stripling. The Striplings moved to East Texas in his childhood, and he became a Christian at age 9 while his father was the pastor at First Baptist Church in Gladewater. When he was an undergraduate student at Baylor, Stripling was president of his junior class, president of the Honor Council and a member of Baylor’s Chamber of Commerce. He met Roberta Donnell in 1958 while attending Seventh and James Baptist Church, and they married at the First Baptist Church of Midland in 1960. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Baylor University before earning Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from Dallas Baptist University. His pastorates included Emmanuel Baptist Church in White Oak, First Baptist Church in Joshua, Baylor Baptist Church in Ennis, First Baptist Church of Golden Acres in Pasadena and Gaston Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas. During his 21 years as executive director of the Waco Regional Baptist Association he cultivated relationships with ministers and congregations in more than 130 Central Texas churches. After he retired, Waco Baptist Regional Association named him executive director emeritus, and the Baptist General Convention of Texas presented its Texas Baptist Legacy Award to him in 2017. Stripling served as a trustee at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center for 17 years and was an adjunct faculty member at various times at Baylor University, Truett Theological Seminary and the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor. He also was director of the Hand-in-Hand ministry at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, providing grief counseling to the bereaved. He wrote numerous articles for denominational publication and was the author of several books including From Me To You, based on his daily radio program at KCBI. He also wrote Turning Points in the History of Baptist Associations in Americaand contributed to other publications including Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul. The Striplings traveled extensively, leading groups groups to Israel, Italy and Germany. He also was involved in evangelistic efforts in Brazil and Mexico and taught seminary students in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Roberta Donnell Stripling; daughter Paula Voyles Jewell and her husband Kirk; daughter Mary Nelson and her husband Alan; two sets of twin grandsons; and sister Carolyn Stripling Margraves. A celebration of life service will be held March 11 at 2 p.m. at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home in Waco. Visitation will be on March 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. , also at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Memorial giftss may be made to the Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Stripling Ministry Guidance Endowed Scholarship Fund at Baylor University, One Bear Place #97050, Waco, TX 76798.