Updated Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Evangelists honor first inductees in 'Hall of Faith'

By Jennifer Davis Rash

The Alabama Baptist

INDIANAPOLIS- Five Baptists with North Carolina ties garnered spots among 30 people honored June 6 as the inaugural class of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (COSBE) Hall of Faith.

The inductees, 12 of who are deceased, were elected by their peers after the conference's executive committee voted to launch the Evangelists Hall of Faith this year in conjunction with the group's 50th anniversary.

Among those being honored during a banquet with more than 175 people at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind., were Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, Cliff Barrows and the late T.W. Wilson, all of the North Carolina-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The late Vance Havner was the other N.C. Baptist inducted.

A plaque, trophy, Bible and an attachŽ case were presented to each living inductee by Brian Fossett, COSBE president, and Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The families of deceased honorees will receive the plaque and trophy; some family members were present to receive them at the banquet.

"You've done a great work for God," Fossett told the evangelists attending the banquet. "You're my heroes, each and every one of you. You represent millions of souls in the kingdom and countless others who have been impacted."

Acknowledging the struggles faced by evangelists, Chapman said, "This is not a day that favors full-time evangelists, and I know it is not always easy."

But "the day of the evangelist I believe is going to come back. It has laid low for a while."

During the COSBE business meeting June 9, the group voted to name two inductees to the Hall of Faith every other year.

Other Hall of Faith inductees were:

The late Hyman Appelman, Kansas City, Mo.

The late Walter K. Ayers, Texas

The late Manley Beasley, Texas

Wayne Bristow, Oklahoma

Sam Cathey, Oklahoma

Clyde Chiles, Missouri

The late E.J. Daniels, Florida

The late Ron Dunn, Texas

Freddie Gage, Texas

The late Mike Gilchrist, Louisiana

The late Jesse Hendley, Georgia

The late Rudy Hernandez, Texas

Junior Hill, Alabama

The late Eddie Martin, Pennsylvania

The late Angel Martinez, Arkansas

Homer Martinez, Texas

Bailey Smith, Georgia

The late J. Harold Smith, Tennessee

Jerry Spencer, Tennessee

Bill Stafford, Tennessee

Bette Stalnecker-Gibson, Tennessee

Jay Strack, Florida

Leon Westerhouse, Alabama

Gene Williams, Georgia

Don Womack, Tennessee