He graduated from OBU in 1957 and in September that same year, he married the love of his life, Marie Morgan. Together they moved to Fort Worth, TX where he attended and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 1960. While attending seminary, he pastored at Jean Baptist Church for over two years.

After several years on the mission field, he continued his education graduating with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in 1987.

He and his wife were appointed as missionaries by the International Mission Board in 1962 and served in Kenya for 22 years and Tanzania for 16 years. Their early work included building Nyeri Baptist High School, a Christian boarding school for over 400 students that provided a quality education imbued with Christian ethics with a focus on training up future Christian leaders.

They started seminary extensions in four different locations in Kenya and as of 2014 assisted in starting 300 Baptist churches among the Kikuyu, Chuka, and Meru people. He was fluent in the Swahili language in which he preached, and he mastered the Kikuyu language.

In 1971 he helped the Kenyan nationals start the Baptist Convention of Kenya, and they elected him to serve as treasurer for that organization, a role in which he served for many years. The last four years in Kenya, he served as the Co-Director with a national for Stewardship and Evangelism.

The first six years in Tanzania, he taught at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Arusha and was the principal there. During the last 10 years, together with his wife, they were itinerant missionaries working in many parts throughout Tanzania.

After retirement in 2000, he served as pastor at Willow Baptist Church from 2003 to 2016. He also farmed and ranched together with his brother at Sweetwater for 17 years. He is survived by his four daughters that he and his wife raised in Africa, two sons-in-law, seven grandkids, three great-grandkids, and one brother.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be sent to Boone’s Creek Baptist Church and specify it is for Morogoro Baptist Primary School in Tanzania. The address for donations is 185 North Cleveland Road, Lexington, KY 40509 or at http://boonescreekchurch. com.